Here are all the fall 2022 Halloween festivals and events in Bradenton, Sarasota

Goblin Gathering at G.T. Bray: Manatee County’s 20th annual Goblin Gathering will bring family-friendly Halloween fun to G.T. Bray Park in Bradenton on Oct. 14. Free admission includes a costume contest and trick-or-treating. A $5 wristband is required to enjoy a hay maze, bounce houses and face painting. Wristbands are on sale at G.T. Bray’s front desk, now through 7 p.m. on the night of the event. (Cash only on the day event; parents are free.)

Local businesses and organizations will have exhibit booths set up, and there will be food vendors at the park.

• Details: 6-8:30 p.m. Oct. 14. GT Bray Park, 5502 33rd Ave. Dr. W., Bradenton. Access G.T. Bray Park via 59th St. W. or 51st St. W. and park near the Recreation Center. Free admission; $5 for activity wristband.
• Info: mymanatee.org

Lights at Spooky Point: Marie Selbie Botanical Gardens is famous for its Christmas light displays; this year, the garden’s Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey will bring some illuminated magic to the Halloween season, too.

“Visitors to ‘Spooky Point’ will follow a lighted path through the wooded campus and past several historic areas, encountering fantastical creations around every turn,” a preview says. “Light installations will include suspended ‘orchid spiders,’ flying ‘ghost orchids,’ giant ‘bat orchids’ and many more surprises. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, and a hay maze will await visitors near the end of their journey.”

Guests can also opt to arrive at the garden light show via a narrated boat tour on select nights (Oct. 14, 15, 21, 28 and 29; $140 per person for non-members).

• Details: Admission times at 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. nightly. Oct. 14-31. Historic Spanish Point Campus, 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey. Members: $20. Non-members: $25. Ages 5-17: $15. Ages 4 and under: free. Advanced purchase required.
• Info: selby.org

Cemetery tours at Manatee Village Historical Park: Whether you’re looking to get in the Halloween spirit or just learn some local history, guided cemetery tours at Manatee Village Historical Park make for a free and fun outing in October.

“Take a trip through the 1850 Manatee Burying Ground and explore different facets of Manatee County’s history on a free, hour-long, staff-led, guided tour of our area’s oldest public cemetery,” an event preview says.

Guests should check in at the Wiggins Store inside Manatee Village Historical Park. Spaces are limited and filled on a first-come basis.

• Details: Tours begin at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Oct. 22. Manatee Village Historical Park. 1404 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton. Free.
• Info: 941-749-7165. manateevillage.org/events

Howl-O-Ween Movie Night at Ed Smith Stadium: Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources, the Baltimore Orioles and the Sarasota Film Festival will present a Howl-O-Ween Movie Night Spooktacular on Oct. 22 at Ed Smith Stadium.

Enjoy children’s games, activities and photo opportunities in the stadium and on the baseball field from 5-6:45 p.m. This year’s feature film, Disney’s “Coco,” will begin at 7 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket to watch the movie from the outfield or sit in the stadium seating. Children 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Donations of non-perishable food items for an All Faiths Food Bank drive will be collected at the gate (donation is not required for entry).

Concessions will be available for purchase and sealed water bottles are allowed. Coolers and outside food are not allowed.

• Details: 5 p.m. Oct. 22. Ed Smith Stadium, 2700 12th St., Sarasota. Free.
• Info: scgov.net

BooFest in Lakewood Ranch: Lakewood Ranch will host some Halloween weekend fun with BooFest. The special event will include trick-or-treating, a costume parade for kids, live entertainment and food and drink vendors on Lakewood Ranch Main Street.

• Details: 6-9 p.m. Oct. 28. 8130 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch. Free admission.
  
  
• Info: lakewoodranch.com

Boo! at The Bazaar: The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime in Sarasota will host a free, indoor trick-or-treating event on Oct. 29. “Join the 40+ local creators and curators for a fun and festive day,” an event description says. Costumes are encouraged, and there will be live music.

• Details: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 29. The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave., Sarasota. Free.
• Info: bazaaronapricotandlime.com

Boo! at the Bishop: This nighttime trick-or-treating event inside The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature offers a chance to collect candy in a safe and fun environment. Candy stations will be spread throughout the museum. Family-friendly costumes are encouraged for all ages.

• Details: 6-9 p.m. Oct. 29. The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton. $7 per person. Ages 4 and under: free. Register online.
  
  
• Info: bishopscience.org/boo-at-the-bishop

Halloween at the Meadows Farmers Market: The Halloween weekend edition of the Meadows Farmers Market will feature trick-or-treating, costume contests for adults and kids, food, music and family fun. The market boasts fresh local produce, artisans and food vendors.

• Details: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 30. Held in the parking lot of 5041 Ringwood Meadow, Sarasota.
• Info: sites.google.com/view/meadowsfarmersmarket

Halloween on South Lime: 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.

This year’s event, “Madam Dementia’s Circus Menagerie and Midway,” will conjure old-time circus scenes. Attractions include circus acts, mythical creatures, a silent outdoor theater, a toy shooting gallery, fortune telling, a haunted garden and a western cemetery.

Parking is available on nearby Ringing Boulevard, in the free city parking garage next to Payne Park and at Sarasota Lanes.

• Details: 7-10 p.m. Oct. 30 and 31. 133 S. Lime Ave., Sarasota. Free. Parking available on Ringling Boulevard and South Lime Avenue. Free.
• Info: enlightenedmonkeyarts.com.

Halloween Safe Kids Night: On Halloween night, families are invited to costume up and head to the Manatee County Fairgrounds for the 19th 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. Oct. 31. Manatee County Fairgrounds, 1402 14th Ave. W., Palmetto. Free.
• Info: facebook.com/ManateeCrimeStoppers

St. Armand’s Fright Night: For the 14th year, St. Armand’s Circle showcases decorated storefronts and frightening characters at every corner among the statues dressed in Halloween garb. Restaurants and businesses will offer candy for kids and special promotions for adults.

• Details: 6-8:30 p.m. Oct. 31. St. Armand’s Circle shops and restaurants, Sarasota. Free.
• Info: starmandscircleassoc.com

Pumpkin harvest festivals

Fruitville Grove Farm Market’s 34th annual Pumpkin Festival will feature a free petting zoo, playground, live music, circus performances, craft vendors, decorated photo spots and costume contests. Admission is also free.

Activities in the $1-$10 range include pony and carriage rides, a rock-climbing wall, 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.

• Details: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct.ober 15-16, 22-23, and 29-30. Fruitville Grove, 7410 Fruitville Road, Sarasota. Free admission. $5 parking.
• Info: fruitvillegrove.com

Hunsader Farms’s 31st annual Pumpkin Festival is family-friendly event offering crafts, entertainment and harvest fun.

Live music, juggling shows, chainsaw sculpting displays, hayrides, scarecrow displays, a petting zoo and playground access are included with admission.

Activities available for an additional charge include pumpkin games, a corn maze, train rides, pony rides and arm painting.

There’s also a bounty of food and desserts to try, such as roasted sweet corn, homemade ice cream and pumpkin pie.

• Details: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and 30. Hunsader Farms, 5500 County Road 675, Bradenton. Admission: $15. Children 10 and under: Free. Parking: $5. Cash only.
• Info: hunsaderfarms.com.

Fall Festival on Anna Maria Island returns thanks to benefit Anna Maria Elementary and the victims of Hurricane Ian. Kid’s Costume Parade and Contest starts at 3:30 p.m.

There will be games, a haunted house, food, arts and crafts, bake shop and concessions, music, interactive inflatables, laser tag, dunking booth, face painting and more.

• 4-9 p.m. Oct. 22 at the center of the island, 407 Magnolia Ave. Free admission but cost for activities: Wristband $10 in advance and $15 at the gate includes five tickets to games and inflatables. Haunted is $5, unlimited wristband $15.
• Inf: www.amepto.org or text 941-254-02034

Halloween theater and circus

The Players Centre presents ‘Little Shop of Horrors’: “Feed the need for musical hilarity with this delicious sci-fi smash about a man who seeks fame at the cost of his morals with the help of a man-eating plant,” a show preview says.

• Details: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12-14; 2 p.m. Oct. 15-16. Studio 1130, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Adults: $30; Students 24 and under: $13;
  
  
• Info: 941-365-2494. theplayers.org

‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ at Sarasota Polo Club: The Players Centre in Sarasota is once again teaming up with the Sarasota Polo Club to host the sixth annual live outdoor production of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

Bring lawn chairs or blankets and watch Ichabod Crane’s infamous encounter with the Headless Horseman.

• Details: 6 p.m. Oct. 27 and 28; 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Oct. 29. Sarasota Polo Club, 8201 Polo Club Lane, Lakewood Ranch. Adults: $20; Students 24 and under: $10; Family four-pack: $50.
  
  
• Info: 941-365-2494. theplayers.org

Circus on the Ranch presents Halloween Spooktacular: Head to Myakka City for Circus on the Ranch’s second annual Halloween Spectacular, a family-friendly holiday bash. The highlight is “Fun and Fright,” a circus show with flying trapeze, equestrian and aerial arts acts by professional and student performers. Other fun includes face painting, hay rides, yard games and food and drink. Candy for kids and adult beverages for guests 21 and up are complimentary with admission.

• Details: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28 and 29; 6 p.m. Oct. 30. Gates open an hour prior to showtime. 9855 Wauchula Road, Myakka City. $15 per person. Ages 12 and under: Free.
• Info: circusontheranch.com