Spooktacular Halloween events in the Petoskey area

What kind of Halloween lover are you? Do you take your whole family to a downtown Halloween parade and go trunk-or-treating? What about a night out with your pals and fancy fall adult beverages? Or a spooky downtown tour of haunted buildings?

In the Petoskey area, calendars are packed with Halloween events throughout most of October. There’s a great mix of family and adult entertainment, a lot of it involving costumes for folks of all ages. If you’ve enjoyed putting together elaborate Halloween costumes since you were a kid, now’s your time to shine.  

 

Halloween events for kids and families

A Halloween parade is just the thing to bring out the excited kid in all of us. In the Petoskey area, you can get into the seasonal spirit at a variety of locations.

The downtown Petoskey parade takes place annually on the weekend closest to Halloween. Kids in costumes line up at Central Elementary School at 9:45 a.m. and march from the school to Pennsylvania Park in downtown Petoskey. Several downtown stores will have candy for the trick-or-treaters, and downtown streets will be closed off during the parade for safety. End the day with the annual jack-o’-lantern walk. Bring a carved pumpkin to Pennsylvania Park between noon and 6:00 p.m., and it will be lit around dusk for all to see! The carver of the most creative pumpkin will receive Downtown Dollars as an award.

On Halloween day, bring the kids to Bay Harbor’s annual trunk-or-treat in the village between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. Main Street will be closed, and local businesses and residents will be handing out candy to all the little ghouls and goblins.

Join folks at the Petoskey District Library on Halloween evening for a Monster Mash! Kids in grades 7th through 12th can hang out and get snacks and prizes for those who dress up. Meet up in the Teen Space downstairs between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2026.

In Alanson, youth will enjoy Camp Petosega’s Haunted Halloween Weekends. In 2026, you can choose between Oct. 3 and Oct. 10 to celebrate the Halloween spirit. Campers will decorate their campsites for a chance to win an award and enjoy trick-or-treating between 5:00 and 8:30 p.m. Traffic will be restricted for safety during the event. Staff will provide hot dogs, chips, and drinks near the camp office, followed by an evening haunted trail. The public is welcome to join; just be sure to check the events page link above for more details.

In Boyne City, there are too many family-friendly options to choose from. So why not go to all of them? Halloween night, line up in the theater parking lot around 4:30 in your best costume to take part in the annual Halloween parade. Afterwards, trunk-or-treat at the First Presbyterian Church from 5 pm to 6 pm, trick-or-treat outside the Boyne District Library on Halloween evening, and then follow it all up with trick-or-treating around town until 8:00 p.m. This year, Boyne City Hardware will have a Haunted House from 5 pm to 7 pm.

Join Boyne Mountain Resort for their Halloween Hoopla event for some Halloween fun for the whole family on October 24th and 25th. This event is packed with character meet-and-greets, Halloween activities, and a glow night at the Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark.

For kids in the Harbor Springs area, there’s the annual Halloween Costume Party at Pond Hill Farm. This year, the festivities will be held on Friday, Oct. 30 from 5 PM to 8 PM. Get ready for a night of dancing, great food, drinks, and Rockin’ Party Music by RPM Band! This event is free, family & pet friendly too!

One more community-wide event in Harbor Springs to enjoy all over town is the Harbor Springs Chamber of Commerce’s SkeleTOUR where area businesses can decorate and creatively display a skeleton at their business. Check out their website for a map of all the skeletons you can find around town. 

 

Halloween shenanigans for grown-up kids

Fall: it’s not just for pumpkin spice lattes. Halloween is a time to let the kid in you shine, with fun parties and costume contests late into the night.

Folks in Petoskey are looking forward to Witches Night Out. Since it’s happening September 25, think of it as a holiday pre-game. It’s a Halloween-themed night of shopping, games, prizes, and libations. Trick-or-treating for adults, anyone? Participating venues include Grandpa Shorter’s, Bearcub Outfitters, Poetess & Stranger, The Katydid, and more. In 2026, it’s happening between 5:00 and 9:00 p.m. in downtown Petoskey.

How about some spooky adult beverages for Halloween? You have some great options to celebrate. 

First, creep on down to Beards Brewery at the beginning of the month for their Oktoberfest Block Party on Saturday, October 3rd, for some family-friendly fun as well as social district fun, beer release, food tasting stations, activities, and more!

Odawa Casino will be throwing its annual Halloween Bash at Victories Sports & Entertainment on Saturday, October 31st from 9 PM to 11:30 PM. Dress up to impress in your best Halloween costume to compete to win in one of five categories: scariest, sexiest, best group, most original, and best overall costume. Cash prizes for all categories!

The night before is the Halloween Bash at Gypsy Distillery on Oct. 30 between 7:00 p.m. and midnight. Did someone say “cash prize”? That’s right, the attendee with the most epic costume will win cash dollars. Whether you show up in your best Elvira costume or not, you can dance the night away, enjoy cocktails and treats, and drag your friends to the photo booth for some truly haunting images.

City Park Grill will have a Hogwarts Feast, with a Harry Potter-themed dinner on Saturday, October 17th from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Keep an eye on their events calendar for updated information about the time and festivities. The Muskrat Distilling Halloween Party in Boyne City comes complete with a costume karaoke. Get your groove on, try some fabulous costumes, and sing your heart out on Oct. 31 from 9 PM to Midnight with Muskrat.

In Harbor Springs, you’ve got quite a few options for some grown-up Halloween fun. There’s always the ever-popular annual American Legion Halloween costume party on Oct. 25 starting at 7:00 p.m., featuring live music by The Remedee.

The Highlands at Harbor Springs is hosting a spooktacular Halloween costume contest for bike park participants on Oct. 17 from 10 AM to 2 PM to coincide with their annual Harvest Festival. The winner will receive a complimentary bike pass for the 2026 season, with treats for the runner-up and third-place winners. Be sure to check out their website for costume details.

We look forward to sharing a chilling Halloween season with you. Check your local Chamber of Commerce event calendars for more events to be added as the most wonderful time of the year approaches. Make sure to carve out some time for fun…and your pumpkin.

 

About the Author: Jen DeMoss is a newcomer to the Petoskey area and loves northern Michigan. You can catch her paddling a canoe, hiking a trail, or swimming in Lake Michigan as often as the weather cooperates. She’d love to help you make the most of your time in this paradise she now calls home.