Trick-or-treating in the Village of the Arts, an island Trunk or Treat, pumpkin farms out east, and Carrie on stage downtown. Here's how Manatee County does Halloween this year.
Spooky season is easy to pull off here. The weather finally cools, the pumpkin farms out east are already open, and the Halloween events stack up steadily through October. Best of all, Halloween lands on a Saturday in 2026, which turns the big night into a full weekend instead of a school-night scramble.
Halloween night: Saturday, Oct 31
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and the Village of the Arts is where most families end up.
Trick-or-Treat in the Village takes over the Village of the Arts on Halloween itself, Saturday, Oct 31, 6-8pm. It's the area's biggest community trick-or-treat, a walkable evening through the cottage district, and the one families plan around. It hits its 12th year in 2026.
Halloween Night Market in the Village of the Arts runs the same night, a spookier spin on the district's art market, with makers, food, and costumes all over the streets.
Over on Anna Maria island will be a "Halloween Spooktacular" on Bridge Sreet, Saturday, Oct. 31, from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. This Halloween event will feature local vendors, trick or treating, games and live entertainment.
Family Halloween and trunk-or-treats
Goblin Gathering brings the family Halloween energy to G.T. Bray Park on Friday, Oct 16 at 4 p.m. Costumes, games, and a low-key start to the season.
Manatee Sheriff's Spooktactical Night rolls into the MCSO Operations Center (600 301 Blvd. W.) on Thursday, Oct 22 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Deputies, special teams, and community partners show off their vehicles and run demonstrations, and trick-or-treating happens at each unit's station. It's free, with free hot dogs, chips, and water while supplies last and food trucks for anything extra. Park free at the former DeSoto Square Mall across the street; handicapped parking is on-site.
Costumes start the night at the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce with Trail of Treats, with costume judging at 4:30 PM on Friday, October 30. Then kids trick-or-treat at participating island businesses from 5:00 to 6:30 PM.
Island Trunk or Treat sets up at The Center of Anna Maria Island on Friday, Oct 30 at 6 p.m. It's free and right on the island, so island families can skip the neighborhood driving the night before Halloween.
BooFest on Main Street fills Lakewood Ranch Main Street the same night, Friday, Oct 30 from 6 to 9 p.m. Kids collect candy from vendor booths and shops along the street, and there's a Kids' Zone with face painting, balloon twisting, and inflatables, plus live music on the main stage. It's free, and the first 2,500 attendees get a free trick-or-treat pumpkin tote.
Over in East Bradenton at Jiggs landing Outpost (6106 63rd St E) will be a haunted walk and haunted boat ride (October, 28, 29, 30, 31). The haunted walk is free and after dark, while the haunted boat ride is $10/person.
Trunk or Treat at The Great Pumpkin Patch of Palmetto (209 7th Street West, Palmetto) is on Sunday, Oct 25 from 5 to 8 p.m., hosted with Forward Community Church. It's free. Kids come in costume and work their way through creative, family-friendly trunks, and the patch is open for family photos and picking out a pumpkin to take home.
Festivals and daytime fun
Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival runs weekends through October 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 5500 CR 675, Bradenton. Admission $15, kids 10 and under free, cash only. Hayrides, pony rides, a petting zoo, and a corn maze, with pumpkins, ice cream, and sweet corn for sale.
Dakin Dairy Farms Harvest Festival runs weekends in October, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in Myakka City. Admission $20, kids 10 and under free. Real farm chores double as attractions, hand-milking demos, calf feeding, and a hayride out to the pasture, plus a corn maze and playground.
Country Critters Fall Festival runs Saturdays Oct 10, 17, and 24 in Parrish, a farm day with a pumpkin patch, pony rides, face painting, and hands-on animal fun. Admission is $15 (ages 2 and up).
Dog Days at Flamingo Bay: Howl-O-Ween Edition throws a free, pet-friendly costume party on Sunday, Oct 25 at noon. Bring the dog, bring a costume.
Pumpkin Patch Express at the Florida Railroad Museum (12210 83rd Street East, Parrish) takes families on a train ride to the museum's own pumpkin patch. The trip runs about 2.5 hours, and the ride out and back is 30 minutes. Your ticket covers hayrides, arts and crafts, Lincoln log building, and games, and every child can pick a pumpkin to take home (one per child). Food and drinks are sold on the train and at the patch. Tickets are sold online or at (941) 776-0906, and all ages are welcome.
Adult Halloweening
Clancy's Sports Bar and Grill kicks off thier 26th Annual Halloween Bash on Friday, October 30 with Westbound And Down keeping the dance floor packed from 6 PM - 10 PM. Costume judging starts at 10:30 PM.
Halloween at Waypoint Bar & Grill (11000 US Hwy 41 N, Palmetto) is on Saturday, Oct 31 from 5 to 8 p.m. Have Gun, Will Travel plays live as Waypoint celebrates its 5th anniversary. The craft beer bar serves locally made beer and creative fresh food on the Tamiami Trail.
Frequently asked questions
What Halloween events are in Bradenton in 2026?
Confirmed so far: Goblin Gathering at G.T. Bray Park (Oct 16), Manatee Sheriff's Spooktactical Night (Oct 22), Trunk or Treat at The Great Pumpkin Patch of Palmetto (Oct 25), Trail of Treats and Island Trunk or Treat on Anna Maria Island (Oct 30), BooFest on Main Street in Lakewood Ranch (Oct 30), and the Village of the Arts Trick-or-Treat (Oct 31). There's also a Fall and Halloween Market at Waypoint (Oct 10), a Howl-O-Ween dog party at Flamingo Bay (Oct 25), Carrie: The Musical at MPAC, and a Thriller dance mob at Central Library. More post through October.
Where is the best trick-or-treating in Bradenton?
The Village of the Arts hosts the area's biggest community trick-or-treat every Halloween, a walkable evening through the cottage district with candy, costumes, and a real crowd. Neighborhood trick-or-treating runs the evening of Oct 31. Watch the events calendar for the Village's 2026 date.
Where can I find a pumpkin patch in Bradenton?
Hunsader Farms, Dakin Dairy Farms, and Country Critters all run fall festivals with pumpkin patches. The Great Pumpkin Patch of Palmetto is also open, and its Trunk or Treat is Oct 25. For something different, the Florida Railroad Museum's Pumpkin Patch Express in Parrish takes a train to the museum's own patch, where every child can pick a pumpkin to take home.
Are there trunk-or-treats in Manatee County?
Yes. The Island Trunk or Treat lands at The Center of Anna Maria Island on Oct 30 at 6 p.m., free. Annual trunk-or-treats from the Palmetto Boys and Girls Club and SCF usually follow in late October, with dates posting closer to Halloween.
What can I do for Halloween on Anna Maria Island?
The Island Trunk or Treat at The Center of Anna Maria Island is the island's family pick, on Friday, Oct 30 at 6 p.m. and free to attend. It's a safe, walkable evening, so you can leave the car and let the kids roam between trunks.
