Oct. 31 is the traditional day for youngsters to dress in costume and trick-or-treat.
This year, Halloween falls on Friday. The last time that happened was in 2014 and the next time it will occur will be in 2031.
However, there’s no need to wait to Oct. 31 to celebrate because numerous museums, churches and other organizations throughout the metro area have scheduled Halloween fun or harvest celebrations before then. Many of those celebrations encourage costumes and plan to offer lots of candy, a fitting enticement at this time of the year.
Children and their families can participate in Park After Dark on Oct. 24 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. during which the Mississippi Children’s Museum and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks’ Museum of Natural Science partner for fun.
The event will include carnival games, a Halloween decoration scavenger hunt, Monster’s Ink: Temporary Tattoos, Shrinky Dink Monsters, crafts and hunts for tricks and treats.
Visitors can travel between both museums on Spotter’s Adventure Trail and wrap up the evening with a costume parade and a Glowing Zombie Dance Party at The Den.
Park After Dark tickets are $12 for members and non-members. Visitors must purchase Park After Dark event tickets; general admission tickets to the Children’s Museum are not valid for special events. Tickets will be available at the door. The ticket price will increase to $15. Overflow parking will be available in the northbound lane of Museum Boulevard.
The city of Ridgeland is getting in on the fun with trunk or treat on Oct. 23 from 6-8 p.m. at Freedom Ridge Park in Ridgeland. Dress up in costume and bring a bag to collect candy.
The Two Museums will celebrate Trick or Treat and Day of the Dead at the Two Mississippi Museums on Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Families can explore Mississippi’s history and Mexican heritage, themed crafts and games and a Día de los Muertos cultural demonstration from members of the Mississippi Hispanic Association. A screening of “Coco” is scheduled in the auditorium at 1 p.m. Admission to the museums is free for anyone wearing a costume during the event hours.
Northpark mall in Ridgeland will celebrate “Mall-O-Ween” on Oct. 25 from noon until 2 p.m. The event includes trick-or-treating, Halloween magic spooky tunes and prizes.
Enjoy Treat Street at the Township at Colony Park in Ridgeland on Oct. 25 from 4-6 p.m. The family-friendly event will include trick-or-treat at participating businesses and “sweet” discounts from some merchants. Look for Treat Street signs in the windows of merchants.
Colonial Heights Baptist Church at 444 Northpark Drive in Ridgeland has scheduled its Fall Festival on Oct. 26 from 4-7 p.m. The fun will include trunk or treat, games, a Critter Corner, a rock wall, hayride and lots of candy. It’s free.
First Ridgeland’s Great Pumpkin Hunt is planned for Oct. 26 from 4-6 p.m. at Renaissance at Colony Park on the grassy area adjacent to the I-55 Frontage Road that is in front of Oswego Jewelers and Sand Dollar Lifestyle. The event will feature pumpkins galore, fairytale photos and lots of candy.
One of the area's longest-running outdoor festivals, the Jackson Academy Carnival, will be held Tuesday, October 28, from 5-8 p.m. on Raider Field. The evening is filled with games, prizes, treats and more.
First Baptist Madison has scheduled its FallFest on Oct. 29 from 5:30-8 p.m. in the church parking lot. The fun will include food, carnival games and inflatables. Dress in a family-friendly costume and bring a bag to hold candy. It’s free and open to all ages.
In partnership with the Greater Belhaven Foundation, the Belhaven Garden Club is organizing Belhaven Boo! That’s the annual neighborhood block party scheduled on Oct. 31 from 5:30-8 p.m. on the closed block of Belvoir Place.
Belvoir Place will be transformed into a spooky wonderland with Halloween-themed decorations, lights, music, carnival games and food trucks. Children can go trick-or-treating, and pets can enter Chipper & Coco’s pet costume contest. General admission is $3 for children and adults.
The Madison Public Library will have a Halloween carnival from 4-5:30 p.m. on Oct. 30. Families are welcome to come and go during the event.
The Ridgeland Public Library is offering “Little Adventures: Friendly Ghosties!,” fun for children ages three to five, on Oct. 30 at 10:30 a.m. Also planned on Oct. 30 is “Teen and Tweens: Glow-in-the-Dark party,” at 5 p.m.; the party is for youngsters 10-18. The library plans to offer trick-or-treat for all ages all day long on Oct. 31.
Boo Bash, an afternoon of candy collecting and costume spotting is scheduled on Oct. 30 from 4:30-6 p.m. at Highland Village. Children can trick-or-treat their way through the center while the adults with them enjoy an occasional perk or small shopping treat, depending upon the store. Participating businesses will be marked by signage.
The Mississippi Museum of Art is hosting “HallowTEEN,” a fall-themed event for teens on Oct. 31 at 3 p.m. in the Art Garden. The event for high-school students will include artmaking, games, “spooky” gallery talks and trick-or-treating. Costumes are encouraged. The free event is presented by the museum’s teen council.
The Eudora Welty House & Garden, in partnership with the Mississippi Film Society, is hosting on Oct. 31 a film screening on the lawn of the Welty House at 1109 Pinehurst St. The 1931 version of “Dracula” will be shown at 6:30 p.m.
The film is a nod to a drawing that Welty drew in 1933. The event is the final one for the monthlong Ghosts in the Garden Scavenger Hunt.
Trace Ridge Church at 238 Lake Harbor Drive in Ridgeland is offering trunk-or-treat on Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. Candy and s’mores will be part of the fun.
