The scariest month of the year returns with some of the biggest and creepiest events this side of Transylvania. From the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk to the Hadji Shrine, here’s everything you need to know about Pensacola’s 2025 Halloween season.
OCT. 10-NOV. 1
Hadji Haunted House
7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 10 through Nov. 1. Hadji Shrine, 800 W. Nine Mile Road. Co-hosted by the Pensacola Breast Cancer Association, the Hadji Haunted House is more than just a frighteningly fun experience — it’s a vital fundraiser. PBCA has raised over a million dollars for mammogram services since its inception and every dollar raised stays right here in the Florida Panhandle to support our mothers, sisters, neighbors, and friends. The funds are distributed to non-profit medical facilities, helping them provide free mammograms to uninsured and underinsured patients across the community. More info: HadjiHauntedHouse.com.
OCT. 11
Boo at the Zoo – Trick or Treat Trail
10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11 through 26. Gulf Breeze Zoo, 5701 Gulf Breeze Parkway. The Gulf Breeze Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo festival includes Halloween entertainment and kid-friendly fun around every corner. Explore their trick-or-treat trail complete with candy, treats and toys, bounce houses, face painting, and their Ambassador Animal Headquarters, not to mention the entire Zoo. Zoo members must purchase tickets to attend this event. The cost is $10 per member. The Safari Express Train Ride is included with regular admission and Adventure Pass holders. More info: gbzoo.com.
OCT. 17
Beach-O-Ween
4 p.m. Oct. 17. Pensacola Beach Boardwalk. Get ready for a spooky good time at the seventh annual Beach-O-Ween. The event features fun activities for kids of all ages, including a Halloween bounce house, costume contest, games, face painting, and hotdogs. Best of all, all games and activities are entirely free, and there will be plenty of candy to go around. More info: visitpensacola.com/beach-o-ween.
Gallery Night
5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17. Downtown Pensacola. Gallery Night Pensacola is a nonprofit organization with a dedicated goal of inspiring culture, engagement, and the practice of arts of all types in an entertaining event for all ages and walks of life. These monthly events focus on specific themes, highlight featured artists, and recruit the best creators the area has to offer. This month’s theme is Ghoul-ery Night ‘Art For the Whole Family’. More info: gallerynightpensacola.org.
Ballet Pensacola presents Dracula
7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17 through 26. The Center, 400 S. Jefferson St. In this reimagined tale of temptation and terror, Dracula reawakens, but not as you remember him. Ballet Pensacola unveils a thrilling reinvention that fuses elegance with eerie gothic horror, transporting audiences into a world where beauty and danger entwine. Featuring original, pulse-pounding choreography by guest choreographer Michael Pappalardo of Canyon Concert Ballet, this must-see production delivers sweeping romantic duets, explosive ensemble work, and an atmosphere thick with suspense. Tickets start at $35. More info: balletpensacola.org,
Halloween Movie Nights at Laguna’s
7 p.m. Oct. 17 and 6 p.m. Oct. 24. Laguna’s Beach Bar and Grill, 460 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach. No tricks, just treats. Laguna’s will have your favorite movie night snacks, including hot chocolate, popcorn, s’mores, and their ‘fang-tastic’ Happy Hour specials available for purchase to enjoy while you watch. Oct. 17 features Coco (PG) at 7 p.m. and Weapons (R) at 9:30 p.m. Oct. 24 features Hocus Pocus (PG) at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. More info: lagunaspensacolabeach.com.
OCT. 18
Healthy Halloween
1:30 p.m. Oct. 18. Ascension Sacred Heart – Dudley Greenhut Auditorium, 5151 N. Ninth Ave. The Junior League of Pensacola invites families to a fun, health-focused Halloween event. The celebration will feature imaginative table themes crafted by Junior League members, interactive activities, and a variety of wholesome, candy-free treats for children of all ages. In keeping with the family-friendly atmosphere, scary costumes are not encouraged. Free. More info: juniorleagueofpensacola.org.
Batty Fang-Tastic Halloween
3 p.m. Oct. 18. Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, 3051 Cloptons Circle, Navarre. Don’t be afraid to come out to the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge for a spooktacular time at the fifth annual Batty Fang-Tastic Halloween. Arrive in costume (or not) for a ‘boo-licious’ evening of trick or treating with animal ambassadors, a kid-friendly ‘owl-oween’ haunted trail, pumpkin painting, cake walk, and more. Food trucks will be on-site to provide a variety of treats each night. Have the most fun you can have learning about native wildlife while getting treats at the same time. More info: facebook.com/emeraldcoastwildliferefuge.
Flaunted House
6 p.m. Oct. 18. Mind Body & Soul Mansion, 630 E. Government St. Mind Body & Soul Medical, award-winning aesthetic and wellness center, will host its annual Flaunted House Halloween event. This year, the event will feature a community Halloween costume donation drive benefitting Waterfront Rescue Mission, a long-standing local nonprofit that provides food, shelter, recovery programs and life-skills support to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. More info: mindbodysoulmedical.com.
OCT. 24
Trunk or Treat with Pensacola Jeeps
6 p.m. Oct. 24. O’Reilly Auto Parts, 1210 Airport Blvd. Get ready for spooky fun, decorated Jeeps, and candy galore at the third annual Trunk or Treat with Pensacola Jeeps. Come dressed in your best costume and stroll through rows of creatively decorated Jeeps, each with a trunk full of treats for the kids. There will be music, food trucks, games, costume contests, and fun surprises for all ages. Free. More info: facebook.com/ThePensacolaJeeps.
October Mewvie Night – Friday the 13th
7 p.m. Oct. 24. Coastal Cat Café, 1508 W. Garden St. Immerse yourself in a cozy atmosphere surrounded by 15-plus adorable, adoptable kitties. Snuggle up for two hours of feline fun and heartwarming moments as ‘Friday the 13th’ slashes onto the big screen with chilling suspense, eerie woods, and a masked menace lurking in the shadows. $32. More info: coastalcatpcola.com.
OCT. 25
Halloween Market
9 a.m. Oct. 25. Downtown Pensacola. Want to give the kids a double dose of spooky Halloween fun? The Palafox Market’s Halloween Market is the perfect place. The market’s Halloween activities will be located at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza on North Palafox St. and at Plaza Ferdinand’s Palafox Market South. Children are encouraged to dress in their favorite costume and trick or treat with participating vendors at both parks. A free Haunted Trolley will board courageous riders from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The first 50 kids who ride will get a special treat. Free. More info: check @palafoxmarket on Instagram.
Touch-A-Truck & Treat
9 a.m. Oct. 25. Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. De Soto St. Families are invited to a morning of hands-on fun hosted by Help Me Grow Escambia. From fire trucks to police cars and construction vehicles, children will have the chance to explore emergency and community vehicles up close. Along with that, Help Me Grow is offering free developmental screenings for children showing any level of developmental or behavioral concerns. Costumes are encouraged, though attendees are asked to keep the event family-friendly by avoiding scary masks. Free. More info: arc-gateway.org.
OCT. 26
Witches & Werewolves Halloween Paddle Ride
Noon Oct. 26. Galvez Boat Ramp, 5889 Galvez Road. Take part in the fifth annual Witches & Werewolves Halloween Paddle Ride & Bar Crawl, a wickedly fun tradition and Perdido Key’s most spellbinding recreational fundraising event. Enjoy chills, thrills and paddling spills while you dress to impress (or distress). Whether you’re casting spells or howling at the sun, this eerie adventure on the water is one you won’t want to miss. More info: keygulls.org.
OCT. 27
Hauntcert: A Family-Friendly Halloween Concert
6:30 p.m. Oct. 27 and 28. Jane C. Noonan Center, across from Pensacola Children’s Chorus, 46 E. Chase St. The Pensacola Children’s Chorus is kicking off the start of its 36th season with the return of Hauntcert, a family-friendly Halloween themed concert with fun activities planned before and after the show. Cost: $15 to $35. Live streaming is available. More info: pensacolasings.org.
OCT 30
HalloZine Festival
11 a.m. Oct. 30 and 31. Voices of Pensacola, 117 E. Government St. HalloZine Festival is a celebration of zines and indie media – with a spooky twist. This two-day festival features a market, exhibits, workshops, guest speakers, films, and a Halloween party. Costumes are encouraged. The artistic appeal of zines is in their use of bold, high-contrast graphics and collage alongside written work such as interviews, essays, poetry, and short stories. The Halloween party will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 31 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. More info: foofoofest.com/2025-event/hallozine-festival.
OCT 31
Flora-Bama Halloween Costume Contest
6 p.m., registration; 8:45 p.m., contestants line up; 9 p.m., contest begins; Oct. 31. Flora-Bama Lounge & Package, 17401 Perdido Key Drive. Flora-Bama loves a good excuse to dress up, so hop on your broom sticks and come in your most elaborate costume and win cash prizes. Those who come dressed in Halloween digs get in free. First place receives $600, second place receives $500 and third place receives $400. More info: 850-492-0611 or florabama.com.
Meowloween Pawty
6 p.m. Oct. 31. Coastal Cat Café, 1508 W. Garden St. Enjoy a spooktacular Halloween celebration in the cat lounge featuring one and a half hours of cozy lounge time filled with festive decor, spooky music, candy to share, and plenty of purrs from friendly, costumed cats. Don’t forget to wear your favorite Halloween costume. $28. More info: coastalcatpcola.com.
O’Riley’s Uptown Halloween Costume Contest
11 p.m. Oct. 31. O’Riley’s Uptown Tavern, 3728 Creighton Road. Join the party at O’Riley’s Uptown Tavern on Halloween night for their annual Halloween Costume Contest featuring $500 in cash and prizes is up for grabs. Come dressed to impress – or terrify. Group entries are welcome and encouraged. For ages 21 and older. More info: orileystavern.com.
O’Riley’s Downtown Halloween Costume Contest
11 p.m. O’Riley’s Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox St. Join the party at O’Riley’s Irish Pub Downtown on Halloween night for their annual Halloween Costume Contest featuring $1,000 in cash and prizes is up for grabs. Come dressed to impress – or terrify. Group entries are welcome and encouraged. For ages 21 and older. More info: orileyspub.com.
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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Get ready for Halloween with a frightening look at big events in and around Pensacola
Reporting by Chemarryn Thornton, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
