Halloween 2021 in Bradenton, Sarasota: Festivals, street parties, family fun and more
Halloween took an extra frightful path in 2020 with a global pandemic underway.
But in 2021, many local events are returning to pre-COVID conditions.
And unlike last Halloween, when the CDC discouraged traditional trick-or-treating, top health officials have given candy-gathering the green light this year.
“I would say put on those costumes, stay outside and enjoy your trick-or-treating,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said during a recent TV interview.
In addition to remaining outdoors if possible, Walensky also encouraged vaccinations for everyone who is eligible and limiting group sizes for holiday activities.
With Halloween fun in mind, here’s a roundup of haunted local happening this weekend:
Halloween fun for all ages
Halloween Safe Kids Night: This Sunday, families are invited to dress in their Halloween best and head to the Manatee County Fairgrounds for the 18th annual Halloween Safe Kids Night.
Community organizations will be set up at booths with individually wrapped and sealed candy to distribute under the cover of the Mosaic Arena. There will also be games to try, public safety equipment and vehicles to see and a children’s costume contest.
Guests can park along 17th Street West and enter at Gate One across from Palmetto High School or park at the south end of the fairgrounds and enter at Gate Nine, across from Church on the Rock.
The event is hosted by CrimeStoppers of Manatee County in partnership with the Manatee County Fair.
Details: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Sunday. Manatee County Fairgrounds, 1402 14th Ave. W., Palmetto. Free.
Info: facebook.com/ManateeCrimeStoppers.
The Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival: This 30th annual family-friendly event offers crafts, live music, hayrides, pumpkin games, a corn maze, scarecrow displays, a petting zoo, train rides and more.
There’s also a bounty of food and desserts to try, such as homemade ice cream and pumpkin pie.
Details: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Hunsader Farms, 5500 County Road 675, Bradenton. Admission: $12. Children 10 and under: Free. Parking: $5.
Info: hunsaderfarms.com.
Fruitville Grove Farm Market’s 33rd annual Pumpkin Festival features a free petting zoo, playground, live music, circus performances, decorated photo spots and costume contests. Admission is also free.
Activities in the $1-$10 range include pony rides, carriage rides, a wildflower maze, a kids fun zone with a zip line, and pumpkin painting.
Food trucks and food vendors will be on site every day of the festival.
Masks will be required indoors, on hay rides and in areas where social distancing cannot be maintained. Hand washing and sanitizing stations will be available.
Details: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Fruitville Grove, 7410 Fruitville Road, Sarasota. Free admission. $5 parking.
Info: fruitvillegrove.com.
‘Stranger Things’ laser light drive-in: Just in time for Halloween, entertainment company Lite Up America will bring a laser light show to the Sarasota Fairgrounds based on hit Netflix retro sci-fi series “Stranger Things.”
“Experience the ’80s tunes and soundscapes from the show reinterpreted in brilliant laser light and visual effects,” event organizers say.
Details: Show times at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Sarasota Fairgrounds, 3000 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota. General admission: $29 per car. VIP upgrades available.
Info: sarasotafair.com.
BooFest at The Farmer’s Market: The Farmer’s Market at Lakewood Ranch will host some Halloween fun this Sunday with BooFest. The special event, happening within the market, will include trick-or-treating, food, prizes, games and a temporary tattoo station.
Details: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, 8330 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. Free.
Info: mylwr.com/185/Farmers-Market-at-LWR.
Haunted walkabout: A Sarasota cul-de-sac will transform into a family-friendly, haunted walking experience over the Halloween weekend. Local art education company Enlightened Monkey Arts is sponsoring the production which will feature animatronics, projection mapping, spooky sounds and special effects.
The fantastical scenes include a graveyard, singing pumpkins, a ghoul’s garden, swamp monster and skeleton party, pumpkin man mischief, a look and find scavenger hunt, ring toss and a projection mapped experience.
Details: 7-10 p.m. Sunday. 133 S. Lime Ave., Sarasota. Free. Parking available on Ringling Boulevard and South Lime Avenue.
Info: enlightenedmonkeyarts.com.
Trick-or-Treat at the Bishop: Looking to have a dino-mite experience this Halloween? The family-friendly event at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature sees trick-or-treating through the new DinoVenture experience, which means navigating T. rex, tenontosaurus, triceratops and more coming to life by breathing, moving and roaring in the outdoor event!
Details: 4-8 p.m. Oct. 30. 201 10th St. W., Bradenton. Admission: $5 per person. Children 2-and-younger: Free.
Info: bishopscience.org/events/trick-or-treat-2021/
St Armand’s Fright Night: For the 12th year, St. Armand’s Circle showcases decorated storefronts and frightening characters at every corner among the statues dressed in Halloween garb. It’s a family-friendly event for children to trick-or-treat at, while retailers offer customized promotions.
Details: 6-8:30 p.m. Oct. 31. St. Armand’s Circle shops and restaurants, Sarasota. Free.
Info: starmandscircleassoc.com/event/10th-anniversary-fright-night-st-armands.
“Murder, Mystery and Poe” at Manatee Performing Arts Center: Considered the master of the macabre, American poet Edgar Allan Poe’s works are taking place at the Manatee Performing Arts Center. The first half shares the story of revenge and murder in “The Cask of Amontillado,” while the second act gives an adaptation of “The Telltale Heart,” in “An Evening with Gwendolyn.” The plays began Oct. 21 and performances conclude this weekend.
Details: 8 p.m. Oct. 29-30, 2 p.m. Oct. 31. Bradenton Kiwanis Theater at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton. General admission tickets: $31.50 per person.
Info: manateeperformingartscenter.com.
Boos with booze
Craft breweries, bars, restaurants and downtowns are getting into the spirit of the season with some fun events this Halloween weekend. Here are a few highlights.
Downtown Sarasota Block Party: The annual downtown Sarasota block party to celebrate Halloween returns this weekend. Live music and vendors dot closed off roads for this adult-friendly event that begins in the evening and goes deep into the night.
Details: 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Oct. 30. Lemon Avenue Mall, 23 North Lemon Ave., Sarasota. Free, though vendors have various prices for food and beverage choices.
Info: facebook.com/TheGatorClubSRQ.
Halloween Party in Village of the Arts: Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen, located in the Village of the Arts, will host a Halloween party featuring funky Southwest Florida folk band The Applebutter Express. The event will also include a costume contest with prizes for “most wack costumes.”
Details: 7:30 pm. Saturday. Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen, 1114 12th St. W., Bradenton $10 cover with reservation; $15 cover day of show.
Corporate Ladder Brewing Company will host “Long Live the Horror,” an extra-scary beer, movie and horror event. Designed for a mature audience, the night will feature horrifying decor, themed drinks and food and a rotation of great horror films. Guests are encouraged to wear their scariest costumes.
Details: Noon-11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Corporate Ladder Brewing Company, 4935 96th St. E., Palmetto.
Info: facebook.com/corporateladderbrewing.
If you have a Halloween event not listed here, contact Ryan Ballogg at rballogg@bradenton.com, or Jason Dill at jdill@bradenton.com.
This story was originally published October 27, 2021 at 10:59 AM.