Although Halloween is only one day a year, its festivities take place throughout the entire month of October. With our crisp fall weather and beautiful, color-changing leaves, Michigan is one of the best places to celebrate the “spooky season”. All over every region of Michigan are family-friendly events for the entire family to celebrate the tricks and treats of Halloween season.
Here are some of our favorites:
Hallowe’en at Greenfield Village
Step into a re-imagined world where you will come across costumed characters, live music, performances and more at Greenfield Village in Dearborn. The special event has over 1,000 jack-o’-lanterns lit on a path leading you to meet different characters from classic Halloween stories, such as the Wizard of Oz, the Headless Horseman and many others. For refreshments, the village will be offering hot cider, fresh donuts and a variety of craft beers. The event runs every weekend in October.
Boo at all the Zoos
Halloween events at your local zoo are a great way to celebrate the Halloween season while adding an educational aspect for both the parents and children! Various Michigan zoos offer activities such as costume-wearing, live entertainment and seasonal treats for participants. Check each zoo’s website for details on times.
• Detroit Zoo: Dress up the whole family in Halloween costumes and bring them to take part in live entertainment, a Wizard of Oz 4-D experience, magic acts and movies. You can visit the haunted Reptile House and even help a zoo scientist with research during this “merry-not-scary” event.
• John Ball Zoo: The Zoo Goes Boo events encourage families to dress in costume and trick-or-treat throughout the zoo while enjoying other included activities, such as animal demos and live entertainment suitable for the entire family.
• Potter Park Zoo: Come dressed in your costume and get ready to enjoy hayrides, a straw maze, magic shows and other activities provided by various Lansing-area community sponsors at this Boo at the Zoo event.
Halloween Bash at Splash
Check out the spooky fun at Zehnder’s Splash Village Hotel and Waterpark in Frankenmuth for a not-so-traditional Halloween celebration. This special event takes place the last two weekends in October and boasts fun activities such as duck races, Halloween movies and a trick-or-treat walk. Visit their website to learn more and book now.
Zombie Runs
We’ve all heard of the walking dead, but what about the running dead? Various Michigan cities such as Grand Rapids and Traverse City offer a spooky twist on the classic 5K with Zombie-themed runs. Dress up in your best zombie gear and join the rest to run, walk or even crawl to the finish line. This event is a great way to get the family into the Halloween season mood and move to work off all the excess calories consumed during spooky season.
Haunted Hayride
Up in the U.P., Marquette offers a yearly haunted hayride on the Marquette County Fairgrounds. Renaming it the “Scare-grounds”, this event is put on by locals every year and offers a ride like no other to its participants. All proceeds from this event go back to local community groups, so you feel good about feeling fear!
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