Friday, September 8, 2023
Halloween Happenings in Bloomington
Categories: Family Fun, Events, General
Fowler Pumpkin Patch
Date: Opening for the fall season on Saturday, September 23
Time: Tuesday through Thursday, 4:00-7:00 pm / Friday through Sunday, 10:00 am-7:00 pm
Location: Fowler Pumpkin Patch
Admission: Free
Enjoy quintessential fall fun at Fowler Pumpkin Patch, complete with a corn maze, petting zoo, hayrides, u-pick pumpkin patch, and more.
Howl at the Moon
Date: Friday, October 6
Time: 7:30-8:30 pm
Location: Switchyard Park
Admission: Free
All dog owners and animal lovers are invited to a glow-in-the-dark walk in Switchyard Park! Walk about 1 1/2 miles on a paved loop through the park. The first 50 dogs receive a glow stick for their collars! All well-behaved dogs are welcome. Dogs must remain leashed and attached to their humans during the walk, and must be current with all vaccinations.
Trick or Treat Trail
Date: Saturday, October 7
Time: 1:00-4:00 pm
Location: RCA Park
Admission: $5.00 ages 1-10 years old, $2 adult with paid child
The paved trail through the woods comes to life with everyone's favorite movie, storybook, and fairy-tale characters!
Starlite Drive-In Trunk or Treat Double Feature
Date: Thursday, October 12
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: Starlite Drive-In
Admission: Free
Double feature Hotel Transylvania and Addams Family. There will also be a trunk or treat before the films start.
Bloomington Pumpkin Launch
Date: Saturday, October 21
Time: Gates open 11:00 am, Launching at Noon
Location: Monroe County Fairgrounds
Admission: $10.00 per vehicle
There is plenty to see and do at the Pumpkin Launch, including a children's area with fall-themed activities, live music, food vendors, and the festive feel of fall. Bring a lawn chair, sit back, and be amazed by launch device ingenuity!
Safe Night Trick or Treat
Date: Sunday, October 22
Time: 5:00-8:00 pm
Location: Monroe County Fairgrounds
Admission: Free
The Monroe County Fair Board & Monroe County 4-H Clubs invite you to trick or treat in costume at this safe night event. Rain or shine!
Spooky Beats and Theater Treats featuring the Bloomington Community Band
Date: Friday, October 27
Time: 7:00-10:00 pm
Location: Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Admission: Free
After you have enjoyed Downtown Trick or Treat, join the Bloomington Community Band for more fun with eerie melodies and delicious treats.
Downtown Trick or Treat
Date: Friday, October 27
Time: 5:00-8:00 pm pm
Location: The downtown Square
Admission: Free
Bring the kiddos in their best costumes to downtown's annual Trick or Treat Walk. Many business will have treats for the little ones.
Trunk or Treat at the Y
Date: Friday, October 27
Time: 6:00-7:30 pm
Location: Southeast YMCA (2125 S. Highland Ave.)
Admission: Free
Bring the kiddos in their best costumes to get treats from trunks!
Festival of Ghost Stories
Date: Friday, October 27
Time: 7:00-8:30 pm
Location: Bryan Park
Admission: Free
An ink-black night with leering jack-'o-lanterns and crisp cider set the stage for an evening of live storytelling beneath the stars. Bring your own seating.
Halloween with the Horses
Date: Saturday, October 28
Time: 4:00-7:00 pm
Location: People and Animal Leaning Services (PALS)
Admission: $7.00 per person, 3 & under are free
Experience a family-friendly and accessible event. Go stall to stall visiting each costumed horse while collecting a stamp on a Halloween passport. After meeting each horse, the passport can be exchanged for a prize. Kids (and adults) are encouraged to come dressed in costume! There will also be trick-or-treating on the brand-new Sensory Trail, pumpkin decorating, face painting, and a photo booth for your family to capture the memories.
Ellettsville Trunk or Treat
Date: Saturday, October 28
Time: 2:00-5:00 pm
Location: Chandler Funeral Home parking lot (203 E. Temperance St.)
Admission: Free
Visit businesses that will be handing out treats from their trunks!
Geology Spooktacular
Date: Saturday, October 28
Time: 2:00-6:00 pm
Location: Indiana Geological and Water Survey (Room 1011 in Geology Building)
Admission: Free
Wear your favorite geo-costume and explore spooky specimens of Indiana's oldest fossils and minerals. Free parking available in the IU Forrest Avenue garage, 1 block north.
Bloomington Trick or Treat
Date: Tuesday, October 31
Time: 5:30-8:30 pm
Official Trick or Treating hours for City of Bloomington. Rain or Shine.
Ellettsville Trick or Treat
Date: Tuesday, October 31
Time: 5:30-8:30 pm
Official Trick or Treating hours for Town of Ellettsville.
Barn of Terror Haunted House
Date: Every Friday & Saturday in October plus Halloween night
Time: 8:00 pm-12:00 am / 8:00-10:00 pm on Halloween
Location: Barn of Terror
Admission: General admission is $12.00 per person; children 10 & under are $8.00 each. Tickets at door, cash only.
Visit the Barn of Terror, Indiana's sixth-best haunted house, for a proper night of Halloween frights.
Forbidden Hollows Haunted Farm
Date: Every Saturday in October
Time: 8:00-10:00 pm
Location: Forbidden Hollows Haunted Farm
Admission: $20.00 per person, tickets at door. Cash, credit, debit accepted
Get spooked at the Forbidden Hollows Haunted Farm.
Baker's Junction Haunted Train
Date: Every Friday and Saturday in October plus Halloween night
Time: 7:00-10:00 pm
Location: 7898 Fairfax Rd., Smithville, IN 47401
Admission: $10.00 per person, 12 years and under $5.00
The haunted train is celebrating its 30th season in 2023.
Dearly Departed Cemetery Tours
Date: Saturday, October 14
Time: 5:30-9:30 pm tour times vary
Location: Rose Hill Cemetery
Admission: $12.00 per person
Enjoy a night of ghost tales and haunted history at the Rose Hill Cemetery.
Great Glass Pumpkin Patch
Date: Saturday, October 14
Time: 10:00 am-3:00 pm
Location: Monroe County Courthouse Lawn
Admission: Free to participate (charge for pumpkins)
Pick out your own homemade blown-glass pumpkin or simply admire the display of over 1000 glass pumpkins at the 14th annual Great Glass Pumpkin Patch!
Dennis James Hosts Halloween
Date: Wednesday, October 25
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: IU Auditorium
Admission: Starting at $13.00 +
Take the whole family to Dennis James' annual spooky spectacular, packed with music and mayhem!
Ghostly Gathering
Date: Friday, October 27 through Sunday, October 29
Time: varies each day
Location: Paynetown State Recreation Area
Admission: $7.00 per Indiana-plated vehicle / $9.00 per out-of-state vehicle
Enjoy an assortment of Halloween-themed, family-friendly events at Paynetown SRA's Ghostly Gathering weekend.
Pam Thrash Monster Mash Retro Dance Party
Date: Friday, October 27
Time: 8:00 pm
Location: Fairfax Bar and Grill
Admission: $10.00 presale
Dance the night away with Pam Thrash and wear your costume to join in the fun with a costume contest.
Fairfax Bar and Grill Live Music: The Dynamics
Date: Saturday, October 28
Time: 8:00-11:00 pm
Location: Fairfax Bar and Grill
Admission: $15.00
Enjoy a night of great music with The Dynamics, while showing off your scariest costume.
National Visit A Cemetery Day
Date: Sunday October 29
Time: All Day
Location: All Monroe County cemeteries
Admission: Free
Visit one of Monroe County's many historic cemeteries on Halloween in honor of National Cemetery Day.
Movies in the Park: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Date: Friday, October 6
Time: 7:45 pm
Location: Switchyard Park
Admission: Free
Pack blankets and snacks and head to Switchyard Park for an outdoor screening of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
IU Cinema Friday Night Frights
Date: Friday, October 6
Time: 10:00 pm
Location: IU Cinema
Admission: $5.00 students, $8.00 general admission
Enjoy a screening of Talk To Me. When a group of friends learn how to conjure spirits, what could go wrong?!
IU Cinema Friday Night Frights
Date: Friday, October 13
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: IU Cinema
Admission: $5.00
Enjoy a screening of Friday the 13th Part 2. Camp Crystal Lake is preparing to open again!
IU Cinema Friday Night Frights
Date: Friday, October 20
Time: 10:00 pm
Location: IU Cinema
Admission: $5.00
Enjoy a screening of Audition/Odishon. A Japanese horror classic.
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Date: Saturday, October 21
Time: 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm
Location: Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Admission: $15.00 in advance / $20.00 at the door
Enjoy Bloomington's annual fall screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Join us 30 minutes prior to each screening for a fabulous pre-show event, featuring a costume contest, devirginization ceremony, and more!
IU Cinema Night Frights
Date: Wednesday, October 25
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: IU Cinema
Admission: $5.00
Enjoy Videodrome followed by a live taping of Weird Studies podcast dedicated to discussing the film.
IU Cinema Friday Night Frights
Date: Friday, October 27
Time: 10:00 pm
Location: IU Cinema
Admission: $5.00
Enjoy a screening of The Void. Don't you hate it when a cult traps you in a hospital that just happens to be a gateway to evil?
IU Cinema Night Frights
Date: Tuesday, October 31
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: IU Cinema
Admission: $10.00
Enjoy a double feature of Renfield starring Nicholas Cage and I Saw the Devil /ANG-MA-REUL BO-AT-DA by director Kim Jee-woon.
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Laura Newton
A proud Indiana University grad, Laura likes listening to live music and enjoying a great meal with friends at the many wonderful restaurants in Bloomington. Laura is the Chief Operations Officer for Visit Bloomington.