TAMPA, Fla. — Many of us want to do something fun this Halloween while still being safe and mindful of the pandemic. Check out this list of some fall events that are happening this year!
Family-Friendly Attractions
Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival
Location: 5500 Co Road 675, Bradenton
Dates: October 10-11, 17-18, 24-25
Price: $10 admission ($5 parking), cash only
The 29th Annual Pumpkin Festival will be full of live shows, hayrides and scarecrow displays. This family-friendly event is alcohol-free and has plenty of food to enjoy, including pumpkin pie and roasted sweet corn. For an extra cost, wander through the corn maze or take a ride on the big train. Dogs are permitted as long as they are on a leash.
Masks are recommended and there will be hand sanitizer stations throughout the property.
Pumpkin Patch at Hyde Park Village
Location: 1602 W Snow Avenue, Tampa
Dates: October 1-31
Price: FREE
The Pumpkin Patch returns to Hyde Park Village. Pumpkins range from $1 mini gourds to $20 extra large pumpkins. Proceeds from the Pumpkin Patch will benefit The Humane Society of Tampa Bay.
Access will be limited to ensure social distancing and masks are strongly encouraged. All shoppers must utilize the sanitation station prior to entering the patch.
HarvestMoon Fun Farm
Location: 15990 Stur Street, Masaryktown
Dates: October 7-11, 14-19, 21-25, 28-31, November 1-3, 7-8
Price: $12.95+tax (children 2 and under: FREE)
Come on out to HarvestMoon Fun Farm and wander around a 5-acre corn maze! You and your family can play Farm Scene Investigation to help guide your way through the maze. Hop on the cow train, visit the new petting farm or jump around on a 70-foot jumping pillow. There is also a pumpkin patch and plenty of food options. Don’t forget to come back at night to find your way through the maze by flashlight or try your luck on the haunted trail!
Mask are required when interacting with staff and where social distancing is not possible.
Fruitville Grove Pumpkin Festival
Location: 7410 Fruitville Road, Sarasota
Dates: October 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, 31
Price: FREE (parking $5)
The Fruitville Grove Pumpkin Festival is back for its 32nd year with its family-friendly pumpkin patch. Admission, petting zoo, playground, live music, Torres Family Circus, decorated photo spots and costume contests are all FREE! Additional activities include pony rides, a rock wall, bounce houses, zip line and pumpkin painting, ranging from $1 – $10.
All individuals must wear masks in any setting where social distancing is not possible, and masks will need to be worn while indoors and on the hayride. There will be hand washing stations and hand sanitizer available for all guests.
Harvest Hollier Corn Maze
Location: 950 Tavares Road, Polk City
Dates: Fridays-Sundays, September 18-November 15
Price: $10.50 for adults | $8.50 for seniors and kids 3-12 | FREE kids 2 and under
Enjoy an interactive corn maze, hayrides, a pumpkins patch and more at this Central Florida location. Stop by Paw Paw’s Vittles to try some wonderful country fixins, including their well-known roasted sweet corn on the cob. No pets or outside food/drinks are allowed.
Halloweekends at CMA
Location: 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater
Dates: October 24-25, October 31-November 1
Price: $26.95 adults | $21.95 ages 3-12 | $24.95 seniors
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium welcomes you to celebrate Halloween with your favorite rescued marine animals. There will be costumes, tasty treats, underwater pumpkin carvings, and more! Check out the different education stations throughout CMA and the seasonal pumpkin cheesecake and muffins at the Shark Bites Café.
Reservations are strongly encouraged to help limit capacity and face coverings are required for all guests ages 5 and up.
Hillsborough River Haunted Boat Tour
Location: 333 S Franklin Street, Tampa
Dates: October 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25, 30-31
Price: $25+
Climb aboard Captain Jack II for an entertaining evening of ghost tales and haunted history along the Hillsborough River. This 45-minute cruise is fun for all ages and there are four departure times to choose from—6:15, 7:15, 8:15, 9:15. Beer, wine and other beverages can be purchased on board.
Captain Jack II will run at 50% capacity. All parties are subject to assigned seating due to social distancing and/or mandatory mask requirements.
Sparkman Wharf's Haunted Wharf Maze
Location: 615 Channelside Drive, Tampa
Dates: October 15-17
Price: $10
This year, Haunted Wharf will feature an interactive spook-tacular maze on the waterside wharf featuring photo ops and other worldly visitors roaming the area. This event is great for kids and adults, alike.
Tickets must be purchased in advance and only ten people at a time will be able to enter the maze. Sparkman Wharf is adhering to strict safety guidelines including mandating social distancing, limiting occupancy of Sparkman Wharf, wearing of masks or facial coverings by staff and regularly disinfecting common areas.
Creature of the Night ZooTampa
Location: 1101 W Sligh Ave, Tampa
Dates: October 2-3, 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, 29-31
Price: $24.95+
This year's Creatures of the Night will be themed around campfire tales, featuring plenty of outdoor Halloween experiences and characters. New attractions include The Realm of the Spider Queen, a pirate party full of games and dancing, a clown carousel and more.
The event will mostly take place outdoors. Additional safety precautions will be in place including temperature checks, social distancing, enhanced sanitation of attractions and mask requirements in limited indoor locations.
Brick or Treat
Location: 1 LEGOLAND Way, Winter Haven
Dates: October 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, 31
Price: $84.99+
This LEGOLAND event is a great way to trick-or-treat during the day. The candy stations open at 1 p.m., although Halloween parties will be held throughout the park from open to close. This event is included with your park admission ticket.
Brick or Treat is making changes this year due to the pandemic. Parents will notice socially distant trick-or-treating stations with cool tubes that shoot candy into guests bags. Temperature checks are required before entry and masks are strongly encouraged.
Frighting Haunts
Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail
Location: 2837 S Frontage Road, Plant City
Dates: October 2-3, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25, 30-31
Price: $25+
Enjoy three frighting trails in the middle of the woods in Plant City! Price includes one-time admission to each trail: The Candy Tree, Marionette of the Dead, and Midnight Slaughter. All of the haunted trails are woven into the woods and take 8-12 minutes to walk through each. Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail is recommended for people 12 and older, and closed-toed shoes are recommended. There are photo opportunities across the property and concessions and t-shirts available for purchase.
Laser tag and the escape game will not be open this year due to the pandemic. Tickets must be purchased online in advance and masks are required.
The Haunted Road
Location: 15239 Lake Pickett Road, Orlando
Dates: September 25-26, October 2-4, 8-11, 15-18, 21-25, 28-31, November 6-7
Price: 15+ per person
Experience horrific Halloween scenes from the comfort of your car! The Haunted Road is Orlando’s first contactless, drive-thru theatrical event. Guests will drive through the experience and park at each scene to witness the horrors, including live performances with sound and visual effects. This 40-minute journey is recommended for guests 13 and older, but there is a daytime event on select weekends that is more family-friendly. To experience even more terrifying horrors, check out The Haunted Road: “Unrestricted", an intensely petrifying event held November 6-7 for people 18 or older.
Admission is limited, so guests will need to select an entrance date and time when they purchase their tickets, and all tickets must be bought online in advance.
Scream-a-Geddon
Location: 27839 St. Joe Road, Dade City
Dates: September 11-November 1
Price: $22.95+
Experience six terrifying attractions all in one location! The General Admission ticket includes unlimited access to all haunted attractions (excluding Zombie Paintball Assault). New this year is Ravenhill Asylum, which was forced to close its doors in 1993 due to negligent management practices and ordered to find “suitable accommodations” for its remaining patients. Explore the asylum and just watch the action or, if you’re 18 years or older, “mark” yourself for the full experience, which may mean being sent into hidden rooms, removed from your group or even forced to remain at the asylum...
Scream-a-Geddon is operating at 50% capacity this year, so guests are encouraged to pre-purchase their tickets online. Temperature checks, face coverings and social distancing are all required. Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the park and will be required before entering each attraction.
Undead in the Water
Location: 705 Channelside Drive, Tampa
Dates: October 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, 29-31
Price: $15
Step aboard the American Victory Ship to experience a one-of-a-kind nautical haunted attraction. Explore multiple decks of this historic WWII ship and avoid being eaten by the infected zombie stowaways! Undead in the Water is not recommended for children 12 and under.
CDC best practices will be observed and temperature checks and masks may be required. Group size is limited to 8 at a time; this is a timed-entry attraction and there is no "cattle-call" crowding inside the ship.
Howl-O-Scream
Location: 10165 McKinley Drive, Tampa
Dates: Fridays-Sundays September 25-November 1
Price: $29.99+
The theme for Busch Garden Tampa's Howl-O-Scream is The Fear is in Your Eyes. This year, guests can enjoy open-air scare zones and entertainment that make it easier to abide by social distancing guidelines. The fan-favorite Fiends show staring Dr. Frankenstein will be moved to a new and spacious outdoor venue—the Festival Field Stage. Rides and attractions will still be open during the event.
Howl-O-Scream will run at limited capacity this year, and guests will be required to wear face coverings and have their temperature taken.
Tampa Theatre Ghost Tours
Location: 711 N Franklin St, Tampa
Dates: October 1-30
Price: $25 per person
The Ghosts of Tampa Theatre Tour is a 75-minute walking tour that covers all three levels of the building, sharing stories and evidence of the historic location's ghostly guests. Tours are held both during the day and at night.
This year, the tours are by appointment only for private groups of 10-20 people. To book your private Ghosts of Tampa Theatre Tour, contact Jill Witecki at jill@tampatheatre.org.
Miscellaneous Fun
Cocktails and Screams
Location: 39 West Pine Street, Orlando
Open Tuesdays-Sundays
Price: FREE
This year-round Halloween bar offers spooky décor, themed-cocktails and a goulishly fun time! Enjoy live music on select nights and take advantage of various photo ops around the bar. This venue is 21 and up.
From October 18-30, take part in Cocktails and Screams' 13 Days of Halloween countdown. Each night has a theme and a costume contest with prizes for the winners. The event will adhere to a strict social distancing policy, and operate at a limited 25% capacity. Tickets will range from $5 - $40.
Sylvan Ramble Lights
Location: 4412 W Sylvan Ramble Street, Tampa
Dates: October 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, 26-31
Price: FREE
This computerized light show is sure to put you in the Halloween spirit. The show lasts 15-20 minutes and includes over 200,000 individually controllable channels of lights, fountains, smoke effects, and moving props! This year, Sylvan Ramble Lights will be collecting donations for a local non-profit, Clothes To Kids. Drive by and check it out!
Walmart Trick-or-Treat Drive-Thru
Location: 8220 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa
Date: October 24
Price: FREE
Walmart is transforming its parking lot into a fun and interactive Drive-Thru Trick-or-Treat experience that’s socially distanced and contact free. Kids of all ages and parents are invited to dress up and drive to Walmart for this free event.
Make sure to check out other participating Tampa Bay area Walmarts, which will be having their Trick-or-Treat events from October 15-31.
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