Halloween happenings: Get into the spooky spirit with these events near you
The year’s end is creeping closer, the weather’s feeling warmer, and jack o’lanterns are popping up on driveways.
Yep, it’s spooky season and we want to make sure that the only thing freaking you out is a scary movie – not the stress of what to do on Halloween.
Whether you’re that family who always dresses to the max, or you prefer the pumpkin aesthetics without the jump scares, there are plenty of family-friendly activities happening across Australia. How do we know that? Because we made a state-by-state guide.
NSW
Get tailored content based on your week of pregnancy
By signing up, you agree to receiving our Newsletters. Cancel anytime.
Sydney Dog-O-Ween experience
What’s better than a Halloween photoshoot? A Halloween photoshoot with your adorable pup, of course.
Event space and photography studio MimmynVovo is bringing every pet owner’s dreams to life with a photo-tastic experience for families and their furry friends. There will be four immersive rooms with moving props, selfie stations and themed photo setups. You can snap a pic in the bewitching witches brewing kitchen, get candid shots at the groovy disco dino land, or cast Instagrammable spells at the whimsical wizard room.
All ages and pet breeds are welcome to create lasting memories, just make sure to grab a ticket!
Ages: All ages
Date: 22 October
Location: MimmynVovo studio in Rosebery
Little Park of Horrors
Centennial Park is bringing some good old-fashioned halloween fun to Sydney folk with the Little Park of Horrors. Dress your family to impress with Halloween-inspired outfits, whether you’re going as the Addams family or a group of bedazzled unicorns.
Get swept away in a captivating Halloween tale, sneak around on the spooky scavenger hunt obstacle course, and decorate your own creepy craft. You’ll even get to meet real live creepy creatures of Australia’s wildlife.
Ages: 4-10 years old
Date: 29 October
Location: Meet at the WILD PLAY DIscovery Centre, Centennial Park
Sydney’s Halloween Fest
Keep the creepy costumes going with this year’s Sydney Halloween Fest, the family friendly event for the young and the young at heart.
Hosted at Bella Vista Farm, your spooky gang can suss out some music, get your trick-or-treating fix, and enjoy some (mild) horror magic shows and movies. You’ll even get complimentary candy on entry, I mean talk about the spooky spirit.
Tickets are limited, but the event is free for kids aged 3.
Ages: 3+
Date: 21 and 22 October
Location: Bella Vista Farm
ACT
Halloween Party at Lollipop’s Canberra
There’s no better night for a disco than the ghouliest weekend of the year, and your little one can get grooving at Lollipop’s Canberra’s Halloween party.
Dress up is a must for this one, especially if you want to win best dressed (that’s right, a costume contest). Chock-a-block with play and dancing, your little one will boogie harder than the boogie monster themself.
Not to mention, free sweets for all!
Ages: 16 and under
Date: 27 October
Location: Lollipop’s Playland Canberra
Family Halloween themed Macaron class
Halloween is notoriously loved by sweet tooths worldwide, so why not lean into the sugary nature of the season? Ma Petite Patisserie is hosting a family Halloween-themed macaron class where you and your little ones can make some spectacular spooky snacks.
They’ll teach you how to make them and give you free reign to decorate, so each family can bring a minimum of 6 macarons home.
Family fun and some sweet treats to take with you? Say less.
Ages: 6-13
Date: 28 October
Location: Hawker College
Queensland
Caboolture Halloween Twilight Markets
Tick off all your trick-or-treating in one stretch at the Caboolture Halloween Twilight Markets. There will be a starry lineup of stalls where your kids can fill up their baskets, as long as they’re dressed up as their favourite character for the Best Dressed Competition.
You can also expect delicious food stalls stocked with both sweet and savoury goodies, making it a great night out for the whole family.
Ages: All ages
Date: 28 of October
Location: Caboolture Showgrounds
Kid’s Halloween Party at Caloundra RSL
Halloween doesn’t have to be all tricks and scares, there’s room for joy too! Caloundra RSL is setting up an unforgettable kids Halloween party from 3pm to 5pm, with a live DJ conjuring up some fresh monster mashups.
Score prizes with a spooktacular outfit and let your little ghoul groove with friends. Best of all, all proceeds from kids tickets will be donated to Dementia Australia to put the treat in trick-or-treat.
Ages: 4+
Date: 29 October
Location: Sunshine Coast Function Centre (Caloundra RSL)
Victoria
Melbourne Mexican Festival
What we know as Halloween is experienced in Mexico as Dia de Los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead.” It’s a Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of deceased relatives for a reunion featuring food, drink, and celebration. Melbourne is bringing this festival for families to enjoy with a weekend full of colours, skulls, face painting and more.
It’s a free event that celebrates Mexican heritage and culture, with plenty of fun for adults and children alike.
Ages: All ages
Dates: 27 to 29 October
Location: Flagstaff Gardens, Melbourne
Spooky celebrations at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Melbourne is inviting little ghouls and goblins to a Halloween celebration sure to knock any LEGO’s socks off (impressive, we know).
Tickets lock you in for the brand new LEGO 4D movie “The Great Monster Chase”, as well as face painting, a spooky scavenger hunt and colouring sheets in the party room.
So if you’ve got a LEGO fiend ready to get their spook on, this is one you won’t want to miss.
Ages: All ages
Dates: 28 to 31 October
Location: LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Melbourne
Trick or Treat at Kryal Castle
Dr Frankenstein is hosting a trick-or-treat adventure stuffed with family fun at the Kryal Castle. The Spooky Scavenger Hunt loops throughout the castle, where participants grab a free trick-or-treat bag and follow the trail while solving silly riddles and joining ghoulish experiments. All to collect a stash of tasty treats to take home at the end.
From magical potions to sword fighting and live performeances, it’s the perfect balance of some spook and lots of fun.
Ages: 3+
Dates: 28 to 29 October
Location: Kryal Castle, Ballarat
South Australia
Wail at the Gaol
Adelaide Gaol is said to be one of the state’s most haunted buildings, having hosted some of South Australia’s most dangerous criminals (oooo, spooky!). Luckily, none of those criminals will be around for the family friendly annual event Wail at the Gaol.
There will be delicious foods, friendly monsters like mischievous zombies and playful vampires, and plenty of chances to stock up on treats!
Ages: All ages
Dates: 28 October
Location: Adelaide Gaol
The Spookhouse
With session times throughout the day, The Beachhouse is transforming into the “Spookhouse” for a kid friendly haunted mansion. It’s a photo op spot galore and stuffed with trick or treating goodies and rambunctious rides.
Yep, we’re talking Waterslides, Dodgem Cars, Bumper Boats, Mini Golf, Carousel, Play Castle and so much more. Plus, another best dressed competition to win a $500 Funcard.
Ages: 4+
Dates: 27 to 29 October
Location: The Beachhouse, Glenelg
Western Australia
Boo-wling Halloween
For those that want to dodge the serious spookiness but are still keen to get involved in the holiday fun, pop by the Lookout’s Boo-wling Halloween event. Your little one can snag two hours of all you can bowl tricks, lolly bag treats and a tasty kid’s meal all included.
And, of course, dressing up is welcome as long as you can trade out your kicks for some bowling approved sneakers.
Ages: 4+
Date: 31 October
Location: The Lookout Scarborough
Halloween Twilight Market
Halloween means markets mayhem and Perth is not missing out. There are Twilight Markets at the Supreme Court Gardens (so there won’t be any trouble) featuring 80 of WA’s best makers and crafters, a mouth-watering array of food and live music.
With a pop-up bar for the grown ups and kids activities like spooky sensory play and face painting, you’ll lap up the summer night with fun.
Ages: All ages
Date: 27 October
Location: Supreme Court Gardens, Perth
Aqwa Kooky Creatures Kids Halloween Party
Night at the museum? More like night at the Acquarium. Perth’s iconic AQWA is hosting a Kooky Creaures halloween party where kids can visit the aquarium at night.
Dressed up in your scariest (or sweetest) costume, creep through the aquarium among the slimiest and strangest creatures of the deep. Collect sweet treats along the way and then head over to the cafe for a monster-sized feed. Wrapping up at the ocean playroom, there’s plenty of adventure in store.
Ages: All ages
Date: 31 October
Location: AQWA, Hillarys
Northern territory
Halloween Disco at the Territory Wildlife Park
We haven’t mentioned a jumping castle yet in this article, but thankfully the Territory Wildlife Park has solved that! Spooky springing awaits at the annual Halloween Twilight Disco, along with a slushy station, food stalls and the spooky ghost train.
With a live DJ churning out the tunes, you and your kids can show off your best moves on the dance floor (and maybe even score some prizes).
Ages: All ages
Date: 28 October
Location: Territory Wildlife Park
Halloween Mini Golf
If there’s one thing we love about Halloween events, it’s consistency. Which is why we’re stoked that Gardens Park Golf Links is back again with Halloween Mini Golf. It’s on for a whole week so families have ample time for some spooky themed courses and trick-or-treat goodie bags.
Ages: All ages
Date: 27 October to 5 November
Location: Gardens Park Golf Links, Darwin
Tasmania
Halloween Disco Dance
Another groovy ghoulish night is in store in Tasmania with Glen Huon Hall’s Halloween Disco. For little ones 5 and under, they can get their boogie in between 5pm and 6pm.
Then, from 6:30-7:30 there will be a quiet hour for kids who have sensitivity to crowds, noise and lights. Make sure to prebook for this session to keep an eye on numbers.
And when 8pm strikes, the main disco kicks off for children aged 6-13, where music gets cranked up with spooky tunes.
Ages: All ages, check the sessions
Date: 27 October
Location: Glen Huon Hall
Halloween Pottery Special
Want to dash some creativity into your spooky season? Paint the Town Red is teaching families the basics of hand-building pottery as you create a cute little pumpkin candle holder (how adorable is that?)
They’ll fire up the finished works for you, so that they’re ready to collect 3-4 weeks after the event. All materials are covered in the ticket, so you can just turn up and have some Halloween fun!
Ages: 5+
Date: 28 October
Location: Paint the Town Red, Launceston
Related Articles
Lise Bosch Follow +
Lise is a South African-born and Aussie-raised creative working as Kiindred's in-house writer and editor. With a journalism degree and experience in the beauty industry, she has a passion for family and lifestyle content. On her days off, she’s finding the latest and greatest brunch spots and trying to work through the longest TBR list known to humankind. It’s a work in...
