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 ages 12-18 can hang out and get snacks and prizes for those who dress up. Meet up in the Teen Space downstairs between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.
There are two nights of Halloween fun to decorate your campsite and win a prize at Camp Petosega. Kids can trick or treat between campsites, and there’s free food. It’s bound to be a scream!
In Alanson, youth will enjoy Camp Petosega’s Haunted Halloween Weekends. In 2024, you can choose between Oct. 5 and Oct. 12 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 7:00 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 the 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 front of Lake Street Market around 4:30 in your best costume to take part in the annual Halloween parade. Afterwards, trunk-or-treat at the First Presbyterian Church, 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.
For kids in the Harbor Springs area, there’s the annual kids’ costume contest at Pond Hill Farm. This year, the festivities will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26. Keep an eye on their calendar for more details.
Halloween Hoopla is coming to Boyne Mountain. Join the crew at the Boyne Falls resort for family Halloween fun. Think Disney characters at the SkyBridge, face and pumpkin painting, trick-or-treating, and wagon rides. People of all ages are encouraged to wear costumes. And how about a little bit of magic at dinner? Hogwarts is taking over the Beach House, and you’re invited to join Harry Potter and other friends from the wizarding world for a pizza party. Yes, parents, butter beer will be served.
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 27, 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 2024, it’s happening between 5:00 and 9:00 p.m. in downtown Petoskey.
Is Petoskey haunted? Chris Struble thinks so. He’s the person behind the Haunted Petoskey tours and owner of Petoskey Yesterday. Discover the ghostly legends inside the Perry Hotel, City Park Grill, and other iconic locations on a 90-minute tour. Chris leads a lot of tours around Halloween, so be sure to sign up soon.
Perhaps you’re looking for something a little more chill and introspective? Yoga Roots is holding a Pumpkin Carving Potluck on Oct. 26 between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. All you have to do is bring a dish to pass, a pumpkin donation or your own to carve, and some carving tools, and you can spend time carving pumpkins with your local yoga friends. Did we mention there’s cider and donuts?
There’s nothing like running from a gaggle of vampires, werewolves, and Taylor Swift look-alikes to get your blood pumping. At 5:45 p.m. on Oct. 31, join the Petoskey Run Club for a costume run. This is a fun run, so anybody can join at any pace, and participants are encouraged to don family-friendly costumes. Yes, you can run around downtown Petoskey in your Creature from the Black Lagoon outfit. We need to see that.
How about some spooky adult beverages for Halloween? You have some great options to celebrate. First, creep on down to Beards Brewery’s Beardstoberfest on Oct. 26 and 27 for some social district trick-or-treating, fall cocktails and beer releases, and food specials. In the downstairs Root Cellar, be sure to show up in your most ghoulish finery for a special costume contest.
Next up is the Halloween Bash at Gypsy Distillery on Oct. 26 between 8:00 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 photobooth for some truly haunting images.
The City Park Grill annual Spooktacular Halloween Bash will return in 2024 with the band Straits Shooters. 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. 26 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. 12 at 4:00 p.m. to coincide with their annual Harvest Festival. The winner with receive a complimentary bike pass for the 2025 season, with treats for the runner-up and third-place winners. Be sure to check out their website for costume details.
If you want to try something new for Halloween decorations, attend Lavender Hill Farm’s Happy Halloween Floral Design class at 6:00 p.m. on Oct. 23. You’ll make a “boo-tiful” arrangement with a decorated pumpkin filled with flowers and haunted décor to take home. Lavender Hill Farm is not responsible for any poltergeists that follow you home from the class.
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 fear 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.