Ready or not, fall is upon us! Every fall I look forward to rounding up the best fall festivals, pumpkin patches, and trunk or treats. I hope you enjoy the annual fall events guide and that it helps plan out your fall family fun in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Venice and beyond! 🍁 Happy Fall 🍁

📍 SARASOTA & LAKEWOOD RANCH

Fruitville Grove Pumpkin Festival  Our 38th annual Pumpkin Festival is right around the corner and we're over the moon excited to share some special new activities we'll be adding this year! Mark your calendars because this year there's 5 fun-filled weekends you won't want to miss: October 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th, 25th, 31st, and November 1st.

✝️ September 20 It's Fall Y'all @ Church of Hope Fall is here, and there's no better time to come home to Church of Hope!  Join us for Homecoming Sunday and our "It's Fall Y'all" Community Fall Festival on Sunday. 

🎃 Sept 28-Nov 23  Fall + Halloween Days at Sun Outdoors Locals can get a Day Pass to Sun Outdoors and explore the fun fall and Halloween themed activities. Call the activity center for more info (941) 371-2505, extension 5.

🍬 Saturday, October 17Boo! at The Bay Enjoy a not-so-scary evening of trick-or-treating, free pumpkin picking, yard games, a family movie under the stars, and more!

🍬 Sunday, October 18 Halloween Soiree and Kid Market  Join us for our Halloween Affair at the Meadows Farmers Market  Featuring local kid-preneurs mixed in with your favorite local vendors and artisans! Kicking Off Season 6 in the Meadows! ENJOY TRICK OR TREATING, COSTUME CONTESTS, FOOD, MUSIC, ART & FUN! Get tickets HERE

🍬 Saturday, October 24 Fall Fest Enjoy an evening of trunk-or-treating, an Alien DJ dance party, a haunted attraction, face painting, food trucks, family activities, and more. This FREE, family-friendly event is open to the entire community and is fun for all ages! 5-7PM

Oct 26th Trunk or Treat at Bedrock Church We’re bringing the candy, inflatables, food trucks, and plenty of family-friendly fun! 6PM

🍬 Tuesday, October 27 NBP Trick-or-Treat on the Lake Join NBP & Sarasota County for a spook-tacular evening of trick-or-treating fun the whole family will enjoy! Get into the spirit by enjoying Halloween favorites for the entire family by the lake on Regatta Island. Come dressed in your spookiest, silliest, star-studded costumes for an evening of trick-or-treating along a candy trail of over 70 themed booths, decorated by local businesses and community organizations.

OCT 28 Trunk or Treat Join us on Wednesday, October 28 from 5 to 7 PM for a FREE, safe, and family-friendly evening filled with games, candy, and fun! The Robert L Taylor Community Center 

🎃 Friday, October 30 Boofest at LWR Main Street  Children are invited to trick-or-treat along a festive street filled with local vendor booths and merchants handing out sweet treats, don’t forget your costume and trick-or-treat tote! 6-9PM 

👻 Friday, October 30 Pops Orchestra presents Hocus Pocus Pops II Hocus Pocus Pops returns with a spellbinding night of music, movement, and Halloween thrills! This high-energy concert features a delightfully spooky set list that fills the theater with eerie melodies, playful chills, and family-friendly fun. The audience will be treated to a special performance by Sarasota Ballet’s Dance – The Next Generation program, along with on-stage dancing inspired by iconic hits like Thriller and The Monster Mash. Costumes, choreography, and surprises at every turn make this Halloween-eve celebration truly unforgettable. Purchase tickets in advance!  7PM  🎉 USE CODE MACKID2026 FOR 50% OFF 🎉

Halloween October 31

Book Character Costume Contest  How do you scare a librarian? Show up in your favorite BOO-k character costume! Get your ghoul on this spooky season and stop by the library to trick-or-treat among the haunted shelves and show off your LIT-erary costumes! LWR Library

23rd Annual Halloween Dragon Egg Hunt  Children can hunt for a dozen hidden Halloween-themed eggs filled with trinkets, candy, and prizes starting at 10:15 AM. Each child will receive a trick-or-treat bag to collect their goodies. After the hunt, enjoy Halloween crafts and storytime at the stage at 11 AM. Everyone can savor a free scoop of ice cream courtesy of Ben & Jerry’s. Purchase tickets in advance!

Wild-O-Ween Big Cat Habitat is excited to be hosting annual Wild-O-Ween again this year! Join us for the wildest family-friendly Halloween event in town! Dates: Saturday, October 31st, 2026 & Sunday, November 1st, 2026 Times: 12PM-4PM  FREE ADMISSION for KIDS!

Art Center Sarasota Family Saturdays: Halloween Art Party Come dressed in your most spooky, magical, and creative costumes for some Halloween fun! Use your imagination to create a haunted house collage, visit some spooky art stations, and stick around for Halloween tunes, tricks, and treats.

UTC Fall Carnival 2026  Fun games, rides, and food hosted by Florida Penguin Productions at The Mall at University Town Center.

Spooky Slime Time Let's make some spooky slime... Stop in and have fun... will your slime have glitter in it or little scary ghouls? Whatever you decide to make, we know it will be cool. We will get messy so please don't wear anything dressy! Trick or Treat make some slime, come on in and you will have a great time! LWR Library 2-4PM

Siesta Key Safe Treats Siesta Key will host Halloween Safe Treats for children and families, Saturday, October 31, 4pm - 6pm. Bring your little ones to trick-or-treat with Siesta Key businesses. Look for participating businesses displaying their Safe Treats Signs across Siesta Key.

Halloween Boo Bash at Dog Bar 2-5PM

Kid friendly Halloween Party Shattered glass art studio 3-5PM 

Follow the Light Night  Join us for a night of family fun! We will have food, music, watching the David movie, candy, and PJs are encouraged. We will end the evening by praying over all the kids together as a family. $5 per child.

Halloween at The RinglingThe Ringling invites you to join us for a safe and enjoyable family-friendly Halloween evening. Enter through our historic Museum of Art gates, dressed in costume! Enjoy trick-or-treating on the Loggia, a Lantern Labyrinth in the Courtyard, and art-making. The Museum of Art Galleries will come alive with guides highlighting not-too-spooky paintings, a Seek and Find, and non-candy treats, with historic Halloween shorts playing in Gallery 19. The Say Cheese food truck will be here to take care of dinner!  4-7PM

📍 VENICE 

Saturday, October 17 Music and Market - Halloween EditionThis free, family-friendly event brings together everything you love about Venice Nights: local vendors, live music, food trucks, and a great community vibe—plus a full lineup of Halloween fun.

Come dressed up and join in on:  • Kid Costume Moments & Photo Ops  • Pet Dress-Up Fun  • Costume Parade IN THE PARK  TRICK OR TREAT STARTS AT 5:00PM to 6:30PM

⚙️ Saturday, October 24 Trunk or Treat and Haunted Powerwheels Race POWER WHEELS RACES — 12V & 24V classes hitting the track at 5:00 PM sharp.  Kids race their dressed up rides, then at the end everyone gets a FREE open drive until the batteries die!! 4-7PM 

🍬 Saturday, October 24 THE HOLLOW-EEN FAMILY EVENT  We’re turning The Hollow into a Halloween night for the whole family — kids, teens AND adults! So yes, teens and grown-ups… that means you too. Come dressed up and ready for a night of candy, costumes, music, a spooky scavenger hunt, rock painting, games, prizes and plenty of Halloween fun! 5-8PM

OCT 24 Truck or Treat East Manatee Fire District Join East Manatee Fire Rescue for a fun, family-friendly evening of candy, costumes, fire trucks, and Halloween fun! 4-6PM

OCT 24  Fall Fest at Back Porch Brewing Co Grab the family and come celebrate fall with us Saturday, October 24 from 11:30 AM–5 PM!  Pumpkin decorating,  Face painting, Trick-or-treating

🎃 Sunday, October 25 The Venice Gardens Spooktacular Halloween Block Party  Bring the whole family out for a SPOOKTACULAR evening featuring: Bounce House, Craft Vendors, Food Trucks, Raffle, Costume Contest, Costumes encouraged! Plenty of family fun! 4-7PM

Saturday, October 31  Downtown Venice Halloween Costume Strut 4-6PM  Children and their families can show off their costumes and trick-or-treat for candy at businesses on Tampa, Venice and Miami avenues. Trunk-or-treat and music by DJ Steve in the Merchants of Venice lot on Miami Ave. Visit the City Hall Witches in front of Coldwell Banker Realty on W. Venice Ave.! This year it will coincide with the VMS November Arts & Craft Festival on W. Venice Ave. 

Saturday, October 31 2026 Harvest Festival Join for our HARVEST FEST this year! Fun for the entire family! 3PM Calvary Chapel Venice

 📍NORTH PORT

Trick or Treat at City Center | OCT 30 Join in on the fun for the annual Trick or Treat at City Center, presented by Suncoast Credit Union! This North Port tradition will be held on Oct. 30 from 5 - 8 p.m. at the City Center Front Green, 4970 City Hall Blvd. City of North Port staff and our Pumpkin Trail partners will line the park and walking paths with kid–friendly Halloween displays and plenty of candy.

Runaway Pumpkin Family Fest  | OCT 31 From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., families can enjoy food trucks, trick-or-treating, pumpkin painting, child-friendly activities and sensory stations, lawn games, photo opportunities, community partners, a bounce station, and CPC's PAWS therapy dogs in the always-popular puppy pit. Kids can also show off their costumes in our age-based costume contests.

📍 MYAKKA

Dakin Dairy Farms Harvest Festival Come join us for a fun filled day on the farm. We have a lot of great attractions included in our admission price such as moo train rides, corn maze, kid zone playground, inflatable bounce houses, live cow milking demonstrations, touch a tractor, and our favorite, the up close and personal hayride cow feeding experience.

Oct 17 Old Miakka Church Fall Festival Join us for the Old Miakka Church Fall Festival on Saturday, October 17, from 4:00–6:00 PM!  Bring the whole family for an afternoon of fall fun featuring:  Safe Trunk-or-Treat and Sarasota-Manatee Homegrown Market

📍 BRADENTON 

Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival  The dates are Oct. 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th, & 25th from 9am-5pm Everyday of the Pumpkin Festival consists of: Craft Show • Live Music • Live Shows • Pumpkins • Kid's Pumpkin Games • Tiny Town • Pioneer Trades Village • Hayrides • Pony Rides • Scarecrow Displays • Homemade Ice Cream • Farm Roasted Sweet Corn • Food Galore • Pumpkin Pie • Petting Zoo • Barnyard Playground • Face Painting • Pedal Carts • Corn Maze •Children’s Train Ride • Big Train Ride • Juggler • Fresh Produce • and more!

Friday, October 16  GT Bray Goblin Gathering Join other families for a fangtastic time that also includes treats and sweets (handed out by local businesses and organizations), inflatables, petting zoo, spooky photo ops and costume contests (different age ranges) with prizes!!  4-7PM GT Bray Park

Saturday, October 31 AMI Halloween SpooktacularJoin us for a Halloween Spooktacular filled with family-friendly fun, costumes, candy, entertainment, and exciting activities for all ages! Bring your little ghosts and goblins for a festive community celebration featuring local vendors, trick-or-treating, games, and unforgettable Halloween memories. 11AM-1AM Bridge Street 

(TERRA CEIA)  Ananda Farm  Florida Pumpkins standing in the field, the flowers still going, and the tractor taking the long way round. All of it included with admission. Sept 25 through Halloween

📍 PARRISH

COUNTRY CRITTERS FALL FESTIVAL  Join us October 10th, 17th, and 24th from 10:00 AM–3:00 PM for a fun fall day on the farm. Enjoy pumpkin carving, pony rides, local vendors, face FREE painting, a pumpkin patch, and plenty of hands-on animal fun for the whole family.  Admission is $15 per person for ages 24 months and up.  Purchase your tickets ONLINE and come make some fall memories with us!

OCT 17, 18, 24, 25Pumpkin Patch Express is departing the station for a trip to the Museum’s very own pumpkin patch.Lots of activities are included with your ticket! Hay rides, arts and crafts, Lincoln log building, and games will be available. Children are invited to pick a pumpkin from the patch to take home.