There’s no shortage of spooky (and not-so-spooky) fun happening around Essex County this October! Whether you’re looking for free family activities, ticketed Halloween events, or haunted thrills for older kids and teens, we’ve broken it all down for you. From sensory fun and costume contests to haunted trails and hay rides — there’s something for every age and scare level! Keep scrolling to find your perfect way to celebrate Halloween in Essex County.
🎟️ Free Fun
From community trunk-or-treats to outdoor pumpkin strolls and town-wide celebrations, these events prove you don’t have to spend a dime to make Halloween magical! Perfect for families looking for festive, local fun on a budget.
Friday, October 17, 2025
Gardens Aglow
📍 Presby Memorial Iris Gardens, Montclair
⏰ 6–9 PM
👻 Display of carved botanical, floral, and Halloween-themed pumpkins, plus refreshments, entertainment, and activities.
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Halloween Spooktacular
📍 Bloomfield across from the Civic Center
⏰ 4–7 PM
👻 refreshments, trick or treating, games, pumpkin patch, costume contest, magic show, and Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown movie showing
Friday, October 24, 2025
Spooktacular Halloween Party
📍 Nutley Parks and Recreation Center
⏰ 4–7 PM
👻 Hayride, music, snacks, drinks, and more!
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Fall-O-Ween Festival
📍 The Town Square, Verona
⏰ 11 AM–2 PM
👻 Sensory-friendly first half hour, pumpkin painting, inflatables, parade, entertainer, and trick-or-treating with local businesses.
Belleville Halloween Spectacular
📍 Belleville High School
⏰ 11 AM–2 PM
👻 Costume contest, mad science shows, trunk or treat showdown, pumpkin picking and painting, petting zoo, food trucks, and music.
Belleville Indoor Trunk or Treat
📍 Warriors Dojo, Belleville
⏰ 1–3 PM
👻 Decorated tables by local vendors handing out candy!
Haunted Pumpkin Patch
📍 Oakside Cultural Center, Bloomfield
⏰ 7:30–9:30 PM
👻 Stroll through a glowing jack-o-lantern patch.
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Sensory Friendly Trunk or Treat
📍 Michaels Roscommon House, Belleville
⏰ Starts at 10 AM
👻 Low lights, low music, inclusive trick-or-treating.
Spooky Spiotta
📍 Spiotta Park, South Orange
⏰ 11 AM–1 PM
👻 Trick-or-treating, games, fairy hair, face painting, obstacle course, and more!
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Bloomfield Farmers Market Halloween Party & Costume Contest
📍 90 Broad Street, Bloomfield
⏰ 3:30–6:30 PM
👻 Games, prizes, and costume contest for all ages!
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Kids Halloween Party
📍 Little Tijuana, Newark
⏰ 5–8 PM
👻 DJ, food, games, giveaways, and a costume prize!
Thursday, October 30 – Sunday, November 2, 2025
The Haunted Bookshop
📍 The Collective Bookstore, Verona
⏰ Opening Night: 4–8 PM (Flashlight storytime at 7 PM)
👻 Halloween pop-up shop with themed books, gifts, and spooky fun.
Friday, October 31, 2025 (Halloween Day)
Halloween Celebration
📍 Downtown Millburn
⏰ 2:30–6:30 PM
👻 Face painting, pumpkin patch, trick-or-treat trail, costume photos, giveaways, games, Bluey, and a DJ!
Roseland Halloween Party
📍 Shake Shack, Harrison Complex, Roseland
⏰ 6–10 PM
👻 Stop by after trick-or-treating for free food and a live band (registration required).
Livingston Trunk or Treat
📍 Eastman Building Parking Lot
⏰ 4–6 PM
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Trick or Treat at Historic Mount Pleasant
📍 Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Newark
⏰ 12–4 PM
👻 Family-friendly historical tour in costume!
🍭 Paid-for Fun
Ready to level up your Halloween season? These events are worth the ticket price — think themed play spaces, pumpkin festivals, kids’ parties, and fall pop-ups packed with treats, crafts, and plenty of photo ops.
Friday, October 24, 2025
Boo Bash
📍 The Little Gym, Maplewood
⏰ 3:30–5 PM (ages 1–4) & 5:30–7 PM (ages 5–10)
👻 Costume fun, games, and Halloween playtime!
Spooktacular Carnival
📍 Verona Park
⏰ 4–6 PM
👻 Performances, train rides, treats, crafts, and trick-or-treating with mystical characters!
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Halloween Potions Pop-up Class with Wondernest Play
📍 Brookdale Park, Bloomfield
⏰ 9:30 AM
👻 Make fizzy, colorful potions using natural materials!
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Salem’s Enchanted Brunch: A Witches’ Tea Party
📍 La Bella Cafe, Verona
⏰ 12 PM
👻 Join three witch sisters for songs, spreads, and activities!
Halloween Family Explorers
📍 The Mindfulnest Co, North Caldwell
⏰ 1–2 PM
👻 Open-ended art and sensory fun for families.
Halloween Party
📍 Exceptional Explorers, Livingston
⏰ 1 PM
👻 Obstacle course, scavenger hunt, and crafts!
Spookyville Halloween Party
📍 Funville, Belleville
⏰ 3–7 PM
👻 Pizza, treats, crafts, spooky experiments, and costume contest!
Monday, October 27 – Friday, October 31, 2025
Halloween at Hiya Pals Play Space
📍 Hiya Pals Play Space, Cedar Grove
⏰ Various times
👻
- Monday: Tiny Tots Halloween Edition
- Tuesday: Monster Mash Music & Movement
- Wednesday: Afterschool Halloween Arts & Crafts
- Thursday: Halloween Sensory Pop-up (with Playful Pathways)
- Friday: Costume Contest, Scavenger Hunt & Trick-or-Treating
🎨 Free pumpkin decorating all week (while supplies last).
Friday, October 31, 2025 (Halloween Day)
Howl-O-Ween
📍 Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange
⏰ 4–8 PM (last admission at 7 PM)
👻 Candy stations, shows, and an optional spooky storytime with games and a craft!
🕸️ Spooky Fun for Pre-Teens & Up
For the brave and curious! This list features haunted trails, nighttime hayrides, and ghostly adventures perfect for older kids, teens, and adults looking for a little scare with their seasonal fun.
All Month Long
Haunted Hay Ride at Fairfield Farms (Weekend Day + Night Session)
📍 Fairfield, NJ
⏰ Daytime 10 AM–5:30 PM | Nighttime 6:30–9 PM
👻 Haunted hayride continues all weekend long!
Friday & Saturday, October 24th & 25th
Horror on the Mountain Haunted Trails
📍 Walker Pond Park, North Caldwell
⏰ 6:30–10:30 PM
👻 A 20-minute haunted trail through the woods featuring live scare actors and themed zones.
Haunted Walk
📍 Livingston Senior Community Center
⏰ 5-8:30 PM
Adult Haunted House
📍 Montclair Book Center
⏰ 7-11:30pm
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Pre-Teens Haunted House
📍 Montclair Book Center
⏰ 5:30-8:30pm
🎃 Happy Haunting, Essex County!
No matter how you celebrate — whether it’s a cute costume parade, a cozy pumpkin patch stroll, or a spine-chilling haunted trail — there’s something for everyone this Halloween season. Be sure to snap some photos of your family fun and tag @EssexCountyMoms so we can share the spooky joy! Wishing you a safe, sweet, and unforgettable October filled with tricks, treats, and memories to last all year.