Halloween events in Greensboro 2026

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. This page is updated every year at the same address. Dates and times are from each organizer’s own page, linked below. Questions about city events: Greensboro Parks and Recreation, 336-373-2489.

Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. Greensboro’s run of free city events starts Saturday, Oct. 17, and the busiest day is Saturday, Oct. 24, when Trick or Treat on Elm Street and the Ghoulash! festival both take over downtown. The city does not set trick-or-treat hours; our trick-or-treat hours page has the details for Halloween night.

What this means for you

• Busiest day: Saturday, Oct. 24, downtown, from 1 p.m. on Elm Street and 2:30 p.m. in the parks.
• Free city trunk-or-treats: Friday, Oct. 30, at Craft and Saturday, Oct. 31, at Lindley.
• Bring the dog: Howl-O-Ween, Sunday, Oct. 25, at Country Park.

Halloween events still to come

City events from Greensboro Parks and Recreation

Greensboro Parks and Recreation listed its October lineup in a Sept. 17 announcement.

• Halloween Extravaganza, Saturday, Oct. 17. Spooky trails, a hayride, bonfires, yard games, music and crafts at Hester Park, with scary stories from 7:30 p.m. and s’mores at the fire pit.
• Meet and Treat, Sunday, Oct. 18. Local mascots hand out treats along the Downtown Greenway at Cairn’s Course, between Guilford Avenue and West Friendly Avenue. Costumes are encouraged.
• Trunk or Treat, Friday, Oct. 30. Games, prizes and treats at Craft Recreation Center.
• The Great Pumpkin Parking Lot, Saturday, Oct. 31. A free trick-or-treat at decorated vehicles in the Lindley Recreation Center parking lot, with games and special guests.
• Pumpkin Smash, Saturday, Nov. 7. Bring leftover pumpkins to Lake Brandt and smash them with sledgehammers or a homemade slingshot. No registration.

Ghoulash! and Trick or Treat on Elm Street, Saturday, Oct. 24

Ghoulash! is the Greensboro Youth Council’s yearly festival with Greensboro Downtown Parks Inc., from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Center City Park and LeBauer Park, rain or shine. Expect game booths, arts and crafts, bingo, bounce houses, a craft and vendor market, roaming performers, stage shows in LeBauer Park and costume contests by age group, from 0-3 up to 11-13. Registration for the costume contests opens at 2 p.m. The city says parking is available on Church Street. Inflatables are for children 2 to 10 and need a wristband; the youth council asks for a donation per child.

The Greensboro History Museum adds free programs the same day: ghost tales with storyteller Cynthia Moore Brown at noon, a children’s craft from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and “Lifted Voices: Unliving History” tours in the historic First Presbyterian Cemetery from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Earlier that afternoon, Trick or Treat on Elm Street runs from 1 to 4 p.m., with participating downtown businesses handing out treats. Look for a teal pumpkin in the window for treats safe for children with food allergies.

Howl-O-Ween at Country Park, Sunday, Oct. 25

Guilford County Animal Services and Greensboro Parks and Recreation hold Howl-O-Ween from 1 to 4 p.m., with treats for dogs and people. It starts at shelter 4 at Country Park; park in the Jaycee Park lot. Admission is free, according to the county’s event page, and the city says no registration is needed. More places to take a dog are on our dog-friendly Greensboro page.

Haunted houses and grown-up nights

• Woods of Terror. The haunt at McLaurin Farms in northern Greensboro, as Visit Greensboro describes it, has run since 1991 and bills 18 haunted houses and attractions plus a Monster Midway with live music, food and drinks. It opens on select October nights; dates and tickets are on its ticket site, and the haunt says waits on its busiest nights run 1 to 1.5 hours. The farm’s family pumpkin patch is on our fall festivals page.
• Rocky Horror Picture Show, Friday, Oct. 23. The Carolina Theatre screens the film in its standing-room Crown venue at 9 p.m.; costumes and audience participation are encouraged, and each ticket includes a prop bag, according to the theater’s event page. Doors open at 8:30 p.m.

Family nights near Greensboro

Summerfield Farms in Summerfield, about eight miles north, holds its Hocus Pocus Halloween Bash on Thursday, Oct. 22, and Friday, Oct. 23: trick-or-treating from local businesses, the farm animals and an outdoor screening of “Hocus Pocus.” Gates open at 5 p.m. and the movie starts around 6:45 p.m. Tickets are sold in advance and capacity is limited.

Before you go

• Most city events are free and need no registration; check each link the day before for weather changes.
• Downtown is busiest on Oct. 24. Allow time to park.
• More this month: things to do this month and things to do in Greensboro.

Frequently asked questions

What Halloween events are in Greensboro in 2026?

The city’s run includes the Halloween Extravaganza at Hester Park on Oct. 17, Meet and Treat on the Downtown Greenway on Oct. 18, Ghoulash! downtown on Oct. 24, Howl-O-Ween at Country Park on Oct. 25 and trunk-or-treats on Oct. 30 and 31.

When is Ghoulash in Greensboro?

From 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Center City Park and LeBauer Park, rain or shine. Most activities are for children 12 and under.

Is there a haunted house in Greensboro?

Yes. Woods of Terror, at McLaurin Farms in northern Greensboro, runs 18 haunted attractions plus a Monster Midway on select October nights. Dates and tickets are on its ticket site.

When is Trick or Treat on Elm Street?

From 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, when participating downtown businesses hand out treats.