Whether you’re looking for fright nights, family fun, or cultural fanfare, there are plenty of happenings in Greater Fort Lauderdale for Halloween.

XTreme Screams

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Nightmare Village event at Xtreme Action Park

Love jump scares and thrills? Head to Xtreme Action Park in Fort Lauderdale for Nightmare Village this year with two new haunted house themes! Wander through Ravenswood State Prison: Contamination, an abandoned prison with unworldly creatures that have survived a nuclear disaster. Then there’s Poison Creek Blood Harvest, home to Mortici Mildew, a backwoodsman you’ll want to keep at arm’s length—at least. Nightmare Village runs from Oct. 4 to Nov. 1.

If you survive the haunted houses, there’s the rest of Xtreme Action Park to explore, from go-karts and arcade games to obstacle courses and escape rooms. As the largest indoor entertainment venue in Florida, you’ll have to come back again to try it all!

Find the Perfect Pumpkin

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Flamingo Gardens Fall FestivalOne of the quintessential autumnal outings is spending the day at the pumpkin patch. Flamingo Road Nursery in Davie hosts its annual Fall Festival from late September through the first week of November, inviting families to partake in a different theme each week on the 10-acre property. There will be hay bales, cornstalks, mums, scarecrows, photo backdrops, and, of course, pumpkins.

C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines is also hosting a fall harvest festival of its own from Sept. 28 to Oct. 27. Visitors can fill the day with more than 20 activities, such as exploring the pumpkin patch (kids get a free pumpkin, while supplies last), inflatable slides, a maze, a bounce house, a daytime haunted trail, pumpkin bowling, steer roping, hayrides, and other fun.

Enjoy an Evening of Spooky Classics

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While other areas may be too chilly to spend time outdoors on Halloween, we can still enjoy movies under the stars in Greater Fort Lauderdale.  On Oct. 25 at Las Olas Oceanside Park (The LOOP) in Fort Lauderdale, stroll through The MKT for treats and wares, trick-or-treat with little ones, then lay down your lawn chairs and blankets for a screening of “Beetlejuice.” In this 1988 classic with Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, and Michael Keaton, enjoy laughs with everyone under the moonlight.

Attend the Wicked Manors Block Party

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Wicked ManorsIt’s not Halloween without the Wicked Manors block party in Wilton Manors, an LGBTQ+ haven in Greater Fort Lauderdale! Wilton Drive is shut off from traffic, allowing throngs of revelers to take to the streets on Halloween night. The party starts at 5 p.m. with a family trick-or-treat, followed by a family costume contest at 6:30 p.m. The rest of the evening is for adults, with costume contests, street performers, two stages, bars and restaurants offering specials, and plenty of people-watching. The annual event benefits the Pride Center.

Enjoy Some Family Fun

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For families looking for fun options for Halloween trick-or-treating, Snyder Park in Fort Lauderdale is hosting Fort LauderBOO on Oct. 19. Bring the kids in their favorite costumes to collect candy at stations, participate in arts and crafts, bounce houses, carnival games, music, an animal exhibition, and other fun for kids of all ages.

There will also be trick-or-treating at Riverland Park on Oct. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. and a Fall Festival at Croissant Park on Nov. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Become a Mad Scientist

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Museum of Discovery and ScienceJinkies! It’s time to solve a mystery with the “Scooby-Doo” crew during the Museum of Discovery and Science’s traveling exhibit, “Mansion Mayhem.” Visitors will become honorary members of Mystery Inc. as they work out the case of a jewel-stealing ghost. The exhibit runs from Sept. 20 to Jan. 5, 2025. And for the little tykes, Oct. 31 is Baby’s First Halloween, featuring hands-on STEM activities, a photo booth, and child safety information to keep your little scientist ready for more exploration.

Get Up Close and Personal With Ghosts

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With such historic buildings along the New River, you can expect a ghost story or two through the generations. With the guides of the Fort Lauderdale Ghost Tour, you can hear all about the people who walked the streets of Himmarshee Street and along the river’s original homes. Guests will explore the train tracks, History Fort Lauderdale, the King-Cromartie House, and other historic homes to hear about spooky sights and otherworldly orbs.

Stage Fright at the Broward Center

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Broward Center For The Performing Arts

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts hosts “The Witches of Eastwick” by Slow Burn Theatre, a local theater troupe. Based on the book, which later became a movie, three women abandoned by their husbands accidentally conjure a man into their town of Eastwick, wreaking havoc. It’s then they find out they are actually witches! The show runs from Oct. 19 to Nov. 3.

Sip Beers for Fears

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Top off your Halloween festivities by cracking open a cold one befitting the season. The Visit Lauderdale Ale Trail Digital Passport can direct you to dozens of craft breweries in Greater Fort Lauderdale, many of which have seasonal pours. For one, 26 Degree Brewing Company in Pompano Beach serves an Oktoberfest brew.

Honor the Dead

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An annual tradition that grows with each year, Fort Lauderdale’s Día de los Muertos is a Mexican tradition to honor loved ones who have passed on. In partnership with the Mexican consulate, the event includes a folklórico stage, skeleton processional, and a street party with taco food trucks, six indoor-outdoor bars with tequila and mezcal, music, craft booths by Indie Craft Bazaar, and more. This year’s celebration is Nov. 2 in downtown Fort Lauderdale.