- Oct. 25
Spooktacular Event
Where: Highlander Park, 1920 Pinehurst Road, Dunedin
Hours: 5:30 to 10 p.m.
Phone: 727-812-4530
The event will include a haunted house, haunted hayride, costume contest, moonwalk, train rides, pony rides, pumpkin carving and carnival games. Younger children will enjoy trick-or-treating in Boo in the Zoo, a non-scary village. Concession foods also will be available for purchase.
- Oct. 25
Halloween Family Creepover
Where: South Florida Museum, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton
Hours: 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Cost: Half price regular museum admission
Phone: 941-746-4131
The museum’s Creepover will feature spooky activities, a family friendly film in the planetarium and treats for all. For the very brave, the museum also will offer a Sleepover, with post-film activities, a special T-shirt, prizes and treats, an evening snack and breakfast with the manatees. Cost for the sleepover is $35 a participant; one parent is free, $20 each additional parent. The sleepover is for ages 8 through 12.
- Oct. 26
Halloween Spooktacular Celebration
Where: The Children’s Garden, 1670 10th Way, Sarasota
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: $10 adults, $5 children 3 to 12. Free for children younger than 3.
Phone: 941-330-1711
Booths will be filled with crafts and handmade items, antiques and plants available for purchase. There will be live entertainment and an appearance by McGruff the Crime Dog. Trick-or-treating will be from 5 to 6 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring a food donation to benefit All Faith’s Food Bank.
- Oct. 29
Halloween Costume Ball
Where: Gulfport Casino Ballroom, 5500 Shore Blvd. S., Gulfport
Hours: 7 p.m.
Cost: $7
Phone: 813-274-4950
Guys and ghouls in their best costumes will dance to the midnight hour. The event will feature a Halloween and swing dance music mix, trick-or-treatin’ goodies, door prizes, shim sham lessons and prizes for best costumes.
- Oct. 30 and 31
Hotel Cypress Haunted House
Where: Cypress Forest Recreation Center, 650 Pine Ave. N., Oldsmar
Hours: 6 to 9 p.m.
Phone: 813-749-1260
Participants will stroll through a haunted hotel where the guests are dying to check out. The attraction may not be suitable for small children. On Friday, there also will be a Halloween carnival featuring free games, prizes and candy as well as a children’s costume contest. Registration for the contest begins at 6 p.m. and the contest kicks off at 6:30. Hayrides will run 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Pine Avenue.
- Oct. 31
Boo Bash 2008
Where: Bright House Field, 601 Old Coachman Road.
Hours: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Phone: 727-467-4457
Hosted by the Clearwater Threshers and the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, the free event will feature inflatable games, hayrides and a haunted house. Last year’s Boo Bash attracted more than 6,000 attendees.
- Oct. 31
Main Street Trick or Treat
Where: Along Main Street, downtown Safety Harbor
Hours: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Phone: 727-724-1572
Guests are invited to come and trick or treat in a safe environment. Downtown businesses will be handing out candy to the little ones dressed in Halloween costumes. Participants are welcome to stop by City Hall and the fire station, too.
- Oct. 31
Mall-O-Ween
Where: Westfield Sarasota Square, 8201 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Hours: 5 to 8 p.m.
Phone: 941-922-9606
Safe trick-or-treating at the mall.
- Oct. 31
Creatures of the Night
Where: Sarasota Jungle Gardens, 3701 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota
Hours: 6 to 9 p.m.
Cost: Admission is $4 for children ages 3 to 12 dressed in costume; $8 adults. Free for children 2 and younger.
Phone: 941-355-1112, ext. 306
The gardens will be transformed into a haunted jungle filled with hair-raising surprises and candy at every turn. Activities will include a Hallo-Weenie Roast, bizarre carnival show and Terror Trails. Guests can even navigate the winding maze in the pitch-black Abandoned Entomology Museum and enjoy eerie music by the scariest band in the world, Fossor Silenti.
- Nov. 1
Witchstock 2008
Where: The Witch’s Brew, 1219 Florida Ave., Palm Harbor
Hours: 3 p.m. to midnight
Cost: Free
Phone: 727-483-9210
The free event will include a pet costume contest at 3 p.m., a children’s costume contest at 5 p.m. and an adult costume contest at 9 p.m. Eric “Flycatcher Carlson” will perform from 4 to 8 p.m. The Defendants will perform classic rock from 8 p.m. to midnight. Psychic readings will be available at Oak Trail Books.
- Nov. 1
Abracadabra I: Nightmare on Edgewater Drive
Where: The Fenway Hotel, 453 Edgewater Drive, Dunedin
Hours: 7 to 11 p.m.
Cost: $50 a person
Phone: 727-736-1176
Guests should come dressed in costume or formal attired. The event will include a buffet meal by Walt’s of Dunedin, live music by the Lounge Cats, cash bar, silent auction, fortune telling, costume contest with prizes and wine and cigar bar by Got Wine and Cigars of Dunedin. The historic Fenway Hotel, a 1920s resort within walking distance of downtown Dunedin, is the perfect setting for a high-class Halloween haunting. Proceeds will benefit the Dunedin Historical Museum’s exhibits and educational programming.