The arrival of cooler temperatures means a host of fall festivals are on the schedule. As the year’s biggest night of candy collection approaches, we’ve got a roundup of all the best places to get the most out of this Halloween season.
Get your costume and sweet tooth on—it’s candy time!
Wednesday, Oct. 23
Time: 5-8 p.m.
Location: Sorority Row, located on East and West Panhellenic Dr., between 8 and 9 Ave.
The eighteen chapters of the University of Florida Panhellenic Council will be on Sorority Row hosting games, trick-or-treating and family fun activities. If you make it to all 18 chapters using the sorority row map, you’ll get to choose a special prize. Full costumes are welcome.
Thursday, Oct. 24
Celebration Pointe Trick or Treating
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Celebration Pointe
Bring the whole family for a night of candy, costumes and Halloween fun as Celebration Pointe businesses hand out treats and Danscompany of Gainesville puts on a special performance.
Magnolia Ridge Rehab Trunk or Treat
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Location: Magnolia Ridge Rehabilitation Center (6517 NW 39 Ave.)
Join for the 3rd annual Trunk or Treat which will have several vendors, food trucks, games and lots of candy.
Friday, Oct. 25
Shoppes At Thornebrook: Trick or Treat
Time: 5-8 p.m.
Location: 2441 NW 43 St.
Stroll the well-lit sidewalks at Thornebrook for trick or treating from participating shops and vendors. Local vendors will be showcasing their best spooky goods as you gear up for Halloween.
Terrace Health and Rehab Trunk or Treat
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Location: 7207 SW 24 Ave.
Annual kid-friendly event with health care vendors sponsoring fall festivities, games, music, petting zoo and much more.
Alachua County Sheriff Trunk or Treat
Time: 6-8 p.m.
Location: 2621 SE Hawthorne Rd.
A free family-friendly Halloween event for kids to collect candy.
North Central Florida YMCA: Trunk or Treat at the Y!
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Location: North Central Florida YMCA (5201 NW 34 Blvd.)
A spooktacular evening of fun with games, music, tons of candy and snacks for all ages. Costumes encouraged.
Plaza Health and Rehab Spooktacular Trunk or Treat
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Location: 4842 SW Archer Rd.
Free, kid-friendly trunk or treat with a bounce house, games, music, treats, food truck vendors and more.
Saturday, Oct. 26
Greater Bethel AME Church Trunk or Treat
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: 701 SE 43 St.
Enjoy spooky treats, hayrides and games. Costumes are encouraged.
Deeper Purpose Community Trunk or Treat & Kids Fest
Time: 5-8 p.m.
Location: Deeper Purpose Community Church (19930 N US Hwy 441, High Springs)
Trunks and vendors will be set up with lots of treats, candy, snacks and face painting for the kids. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and drinks will be served for free.
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Location: 7680 SW 46 Blvd.
Free pony rides, costumed horses, horse grooming and feeding stations, trick or treating, games and more. Exclusive discounts on Haile Equestrian services will be available.
Alachua Trick or Treat on Main Street
Time: 5:30-8 p.m.
Location: Main Street, Alachua
Bring the kids downtown to trick or treat in a fun, safe and free environment. There will be a movie playing by the Alachua Chamber office with businesses handing out candy.
Time: 5-8 p.m.
Location: 6527 NW 18 Dr.
Join for a gymnastics open house event for all ages with trunk or treating, fall entertainment outside and gymnastics inside the gyms. Activities include a scavenger hunt, crafts, obstacle courses and a costume contest.
Buck Bay Neighborhood Trick or Treat
Time: 6-8 p.m.
Location: Buck Bay neighborhood, Chiefland
Trick or treat through the Buck Bay Neighborhood. Take Manatee Rd to NW 70 Ave. and Buck Bay is the first neighborhood on the right.
Cade Museum: Sparks and Spooks
Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Location: Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention (811 S Main St.)
Children 17 years and under in costume will be treated to free admission to the museum where they can enjoy a variety of spooktacular games, goodies and activities.
City of Chiefland Trunk or Treat
Time: 5-8 p.m.
Location: Chiefland Trailhead Park, Chiefland
A free, safe and sweet Halloween treat event.
High Springs First United Methodist Church: Fall Flea Market and Trunk or Treat
Time: 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Location: High Springs First United Methodist Church (17405 US-441, High Springs)
The Flea Market will be open to shoppers with breakfast, lunch, beverages and baked goods available for purchase. Funds raised from the sale of vendor spaces, food and baked goods will be going to HSFUMC Youth mission trip. Costumes are welcome for a free trunk-or-treat will from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with Halloween and fall themed crafts and games for the children 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Newberry Main Street Scarecrow Road Halloween Event
Time: 3-6 p.m.
Location: Newberry Historic District 25565 W Newberry Rd, Newberry
Free trick or treating, Halloween costume and pumpkin carving contest with prizes for winners.
Time: 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Location: 7383 SW 17 Rd.
Trick or treating for all ages, costume contests with prizes, performances, kiddie carnivals, spooky science, eerie art, a haunted house and more.
Oaks Mall Monster Mash and Trick Or Treat
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Location: Oaks Mall (6419 W Newberry Rd.)
Enjoy music, dancing, trick or treating, prizes and more hosted by Okito America Family Fitness and Elio Piedra Entertainment.
Waldo Farmer’s and Flea Market Haunted Halloween Fest
Time: 9-11 a.m.
Location: New Waldo Flea Market (17805 US 301, Waldo)
Costume contest for kids ages 16 and under with prizes in all three categories. Candy given out by vendors and crafts for the little ones.
Sunday, Oct. 27
CampusView Church Trunk or Treat
Time: 5:30-7:30 pm
Location: CampusView Church (2720 SW 2 Ave.)
Bounce house, food trucks, games, candy and an appearance by Albert and Alberta from UF. Dinner will be provided to the first 300 guests.
Trinity UMC Fall Fest Trunk n Treat
Time: 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Location: Trinity United Methodist Church (4000 NW 53 Ave.)
Come celebrate fall at this safe and family-friendly festival that has served thousands of children and families for over 10 years.
Wednesday, Oct. 30
Jonesville Baptist Church Trunk or Treat
Time: 6-8 p.m.
Location: 17722 SW 15 Ave., Newberry
Bring your costumes and friends to this free trunk or treat. Dinner is provided and there will be trunks with candy and prizes, games, a cake walk, pig train, face painting, and more.
Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Trunk or Treat
Time: 6:15-8 p.m.
Location: 14105 NW 298 St, High Springs
Dinner will be provided at 6:15 p.m. followed by trunk or treat at 6:45 p.m. Bring an appetizer or dessert to share.
North Central Baptist Church Trunk or Treat
Time: 6-7:30 p.m.
Location: 8001 NW 23 Ave.
It’s trick or treat in the church parking lot with bounce houses, games, face painting, live music, giveaways, and lots of candy. There will also be lots of allergen-free treats. Free entry and $1 for a corn dog, chips and drink.
Thursday, Oct. 31
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Location: 229 SW 5 St.
Families can dress up in their favorite costumes and enjoy creatively decorated car trunks full of candy.
28th Annual Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo: Boo at the Zoo
Time: 3-7 p.m.
Location: SF College Teaching Zoo (3000 NW 83 St.)
Students and staff transform the zoo into a spooky but safe trick or treating event for the whole family. All ages are welcome to join in costume and trick or treat. Fun4GatorKids will host a KidsZone in front of the zoo full of community organizations with crafts, activities, and even more candy. Enjoy animal encounters, food available for purchase and Danscompany of Gainesville’s performance of their Thriller trilogy. Admission to the event is one canned good or non-perishable food item per person that will help two local charities.
Countryside Christian School Trunk-or-Treat
Time: 6-8 p.m.
Location: Countryside Christian School (10926 NW 39 Ave.)
Free trunk or treating and a few food trucks on site to grab a bite to eat.
First Baptist Church of Newberry Trunk or Treat
Time: 6-8 p.m.
Location: First Baptist Church of Newberry (25520 W Newberry Rd., Newberry)
Bring your little superheroes and princesses to enjoy creatively decorated trunks filled with candy for safe trick-or-treating.
Homestead Park Halloween Trunk or Treat
Time: 6-10 p.m.
Location: Homestead Park (1050 NE 6 Blvd., Williston)
Grab your kids and join us for free candy courtesy of local businesses.
Kimber Hollow Trick or Treat Art Haunt
Time: 5:30-11 p.m.
Location: 2705 NW 50 Pl.
This is an art haunt, built by hand. Trick or treat with no blood, gore or jump scares but an Apothecary, graveyard and lots of fog and candy. Open to all ages.
