Here are all the 2023 Halloween festivals and events in Bradenton, Sarasota
It’s spooky season, and Bradenton and Sarasota are getting in the Halloween spirit with fun events all October long.
Haunted happenings around Southwest Florida in 2023 include community trick-or-treating, cemetery walks, harvest festivals, street parties and seasonal shows.
There’s something fun for all ages, including many free and family-friendly events.
Here’s a guide to ghoulish good times near you.
Family-friendly Halloween fun for all ages
Goblin Gathering at G.T. Bray: Manatee County’s 21st annual Goblin Gathering will bring family-friendly Halloween fun to G.T. Bray Park in Bradenton on Oct. 13. Free admission includes a costume contest and trick-or-treating. A $5 wristband is required to enjoy a petting zoo, pony rides, bounce houses and face painting. Wristbands are on sale at G.T. Bray’s front desk. (Cash only on the day of event; parents are free.)
Local businesses and organizations will have exhibit booths set up, and there will be food vendors at the park.
Details: 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13. GT Bray Park, 5502 33rd Ave. Dr. W., Bradenton. Access G.T. Bray Park via 59th St. W. or 51st St. W. and park near the Recreation Center. Free admission; $5 for activity wristband.
Info: mymanatee.org
Lights at Spooky Point: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is famous for its Christmas light displays. For a second year, the garden’s Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey will bring some illuminated magic to the Halloween season, too.
“Visitors to Lights at Spooky Point will follow an eerily lit path through the wooded campus and past several of its historic structures. Along the way, they will encounter fantastically fun creations and unique Halloween light displays around every bend,” a preview says. “Highlights that return for the second year include spectral ‘ghost orchids’ floating above the Pioneer Graveyard, giant ‘Dracula orchids’ draped with Spanish moss, and colorful ‘spider orchids’ clinging to their webs in the trees.”
The event is designed for all ages but includes a few minor jump scares, organizers say.
Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Details: Admission times at 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. nightly. Oct. 13-31. Historic Spanish Point Campus, 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey. Members: $20. Non-members: $30. Ages 5-17: $15. Ages 4 and under: free. Advanced purchase required.
Info: selby.org
Cemetery tours at Manatee Village Historical Park: Whether you’re looking to get in the Halloween spirit or just learn some local history, guided cemetery tours at Manatee Village Historical Park make for a free and fun outing in October.
“Take a trip through the 1850 Manatee Burying Ground and explore different facets of Manatee County’s history on a free, hour-long, staff-led, guided tour of our area’s oldest public cemetery,” an event preview says.
Guests should check in at the Wiggins Store inside Manatee Village Historical Park. Spaces are limited and filled on a first-come basis.
Details: Tours begin at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14 and Saturday, Oct. 28. Manatee Village Historical Park. 1404 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton. Free.
Info: 941-749-7165. manateevillage.org/events
Sheriff’s Spooktactical Night: The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office will host a night of Halloween fun at its operations center that will include vehicles on display, demonstrations, activities for kids, food and trick-or-treating. Free hot dogs will be available while supplies last, and there will also be food trucks.
Details: 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19. Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Operations Center, 600 301 Blvd. W., Bradenton. Free.
Howl-O-Ween Movie Night at Ed Smith Stadium: Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources, the Baltimore Orioles and the Sarasota Film Festival will present a Howl-O-Ween Movie Night Spooktacular on Oct. 22 at Ed Smith Stadium.
Enjoy children’s games, activities and photo opportunities in the stadium and on the baseball field from 5 to 6:45 p.m. A costume parade around the bases will begin at 6:45 p.m., and this year’s feature film, “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” will begin at 7 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket to watch the movie from the outfield or sit in the stadium seating. Children 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
Donations of non-perishable food items for an All Faiths Food Bank drive will be collected at the gate.
Concessions will be available for purchase and sealed water bottles are allowed. Coolers and outside food are not allowed.
Details: 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Ed Smith Stadium, 2700 12th St., Sarasota. Free.
Info: scgov.net
BooFest in Lakewood Ranch: Lakewood Ranch will host some Halloween weekend fun with BooFest. The street party event will include trick-or-treating, a costume parade for kids, live entertainment and food and drink vendors on Lakewood Ranch Main Street.
Details: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27. 8130 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch. Free admission.
Info: lakewoodranch.com
Boo! at The Bazaar: The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime in Sarasota will host a free, indoor trick-or-treating event on Oct. 28.
The market and gallery are home to over 40 creators and curators. The Halloween event will have over 20 candy stops, plus surprises and activities.
Costumes are encouraged, and there will be a princess meet and greet for kids.
Details: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29. The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave., Sarasota. Free.
Boo! at the Bishop: This nighttime trick-or-treating event inside The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature offers a chance to collect candy in a safe and fun environment. Candy stations will be spread throughout the museum. Family-friendly costumes are encouraged for all ages.
Details: 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton. $5 per person. Ages 1 and under: free. Register online.
Halloween on South Lime: A Sarasota cul-de-sac will transform into a family-friendly, haunted walking experience on Halloween night. Local art education company Enlightened Monkey Arts hosts the annual production, which features animatronics, projection mapping, spooky sounds and special effects.
This year’s event is titled “Pee Wee’s Postmortem Play Party” in memory of Paul Reubens, who was a native of Sarasota.
Parking is available on nearby Ringing Boulevard, in the free city parking garage next to Payne Park and at Sarasota Lanes.
Details: 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31. 133 S. Lime Ave., Sarasota. Free. Parking available on Ringling Boulevard and South Lime Avenue. Free.
Info: enlightenedmonkeyarts.com.
Halloween Safe Kids Night: On Halloween night, families are invited to costume up and head to the Manatee County Fairgrounds for the 20th annual Halloween Safe Kids Night.
Community organizations will be set up at booths with individually wrapped and sealed candy to distribute under the cover of the Mosaic Arena. There will also be games to try, public safety equipment and vehicles to see and a children’s costume contest.
Guests can park along 17th Street West and enter at Gate One across from Palmetto High School or park at the south end of the fairgrounds and enter at Gate Nine, across from Church on the Rock.
The event is hosted by CrimeStoppers of Manatee County in partnership with the Manatee County Fair.
Details: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31. Manatee County Fairgrounds, 1402 14th Ave. W., Palmetto. Free.
St. Armand’s Fright Night: For the 15th year, St. Armand’s Circle showcases decorated storefronts and frightening characters at every corner among the statues dressed in Halloween garb. Restaurants and businesses will offer candy for kids and special promotions for adults.
Details: 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31. St. Armand’s Circle shops and restaurants, Sarasota. Free.
Info: starmandscircleassoc.com
Pumpkin harvest festivals
Fruitville Grove Farm Market’s 35th annual Pumpkin Festival will feature a free petting zoo, playground, live music, circus performances, craft vendors, decorated photo spots and costume contests. Admission is also free.
Activities in the $1 to $10 range include pony rides, a rock-climbing wall, a wildflower maze, a kids fun zone with a zip line and pumpkin painting.
Food trucks and food vendors will be on-site every day of the festival.
Details: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-22 and 28-29. Fruitville Grove, 7410 Fruitville Road, Sarasota. Free admission. $5 parking.
Info: fruitvillegrove.com
Hunsader Farms’s 32st annual Pumpkin Festival is a family-friendly event offering crafts, entertainment and harvest fun.
Live music and entertainment, juggling shows, chainsaw sculpting displays, hayrides, scarecrow displays, a petting zoo and playground access are included with admission.
Activities available for an additional charge include pumpkin games, a corn maze, train rides, pony rides and arm painting.
There’s also a bounty of food and desserts to try, such as roasted sweet corn, homemade ice cream and pumpkin pie.
Details: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29. Hunsader Farms, 5500 County Road 675, Bradenton. Admission: $15. Children 10 and under: Free. Parking: $5. Cash only.
Info: hunsaderfarms.com.
Halloween theater
Manatee Players present ‘The Rocky Horror Show’: “A humorous tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the musical tells the story of a newly engaged couple getting caught in a storm and coming to the home of a mad transvestite scientist, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, unveiling his new creation, Rocky, a sort of Frankenstein-style monster in the form of an artificially made, fully grown, physically perfect muscle man complete ‘with blond hair and a tan,’” a show preview says.
Details: Oct. 19-22 and 25-31. Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton. $27.
The Players Centre presents ‘Ruthless’: “Eight-year-old Tina Denmark knows she was born to play Pippi Longstocking, and she will do anything to win the part in her school musical. ‘Anything’ includes murdering the leading lady,” says a show preview for this Off-Broadway black comedy musical.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11-14; 2 p.m. Oct. 15. Studio 1130, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Adults: $30; Students 24 and under: $13;
Info: 941-365-2494. theplayers.org
‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ at Sarasota Polo Club: The Players Centre in Sarasota is once again teaming up with the Sarasota Polo Club to host the sixth annual live outdoor production of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
Bring lawn chairs or blankets and watch Ichabod Crane’s infamous encounter with the Headless Horseman. The Oct. 28 performance will be preceded by a fall festival starting at 3 p.m. Activity bracelets are $10.
Details: 6 p.m. Oct. 26-28. Sarasota Polo Club, 8201 Polo Club Lane, Lakewood Ranch. Adults: $25; Kids: $10.
Info: 941-365-2494. theplayers.org
Street parties and more in Bradenton, Sarasota
Craft breweries, bars, restaurants and downtowns are getting into the spirit of the season with some fun events over Halloween weekend. Here are a few highlights.
Oscura’s Halloween Costume Cover Show: Local rock bands will offer their best covers of blink-182, The Cure, Fall Out Boy and Nirvana during Oscura’s Halloween costume party.
Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Oscura, 816 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton.
Joyland Boo-Bash: Joyland’s 27th annual Boo Bash promises a Halloween dance party with costume contests, cash prizes and giveaways and a haunted house experience.
Details: 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Joyland Live Music Night Club, 8341 Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota. $15 advance. Day of admission: $20 for 21 and up; $40 for ages 18-20.
Info: joylandsarasota.com
Downtown Sarasota Block Party: The Gator Club in downtown Sarasota will host its annual adults-only block party on the weekend before Halloween. The party includes indoor and outdoor music, a DJ, food vendors and a costume contest.
Details: 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. The Gator Club, 1490 Main St., Sarasota. Ages 21 and up.
Info: facebook.com/TheGatorClubSRQ.
Corporate Ladder Brewing Company will host its fifth annual “Long Live the Horror” — an extra-scary beer, movie and horror event. Designed for a mature audience, the night will feature nightmare-ish decor, themed drinks and a rotation of classic horror films. Guests are encouraged to wear their scariest costumes. The Untamed Kitchen food truck will be there.
Details: Noon-11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Corporate Ladder Brewing Company, 4935 96th St. E., Palmetto.
Did we miss a local Halloween event? Send an email with details to rballogg@bradenton.com.
