Post last updated at 2:55 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15:
From trunk-or-treat events to Bluey and the traditional Zombie Walk to downtown trick or treating, here are enough events to keep even the most motivated candy collectors busy this Halloween season in Lawrence.
Free trunk-or-treat events ahead of Halloween night
• Trunk or Treat at Connect Church will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 3351 W. 31st St. Anyone interested in donating to or volunteering for the event can reach out to cox@kvs.org.
• The Nothing Unique Organization will host a Table or Treat from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Lawrence High track, 1901 Louisiana St. Anyone interested in setting up a table at the event can reach out to events4NUO@gmail.com.
• A Trunk or Treat at Trinity Lutheran Church will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 1245 New Hampshire St., just southeast of South Park. The event will include a haunted house for children from kindergarten to fifth grade, and allergen-free and non-candy treats will be available at the table with a teal pumpkin.
• Monterey Village, an assisted living facility, will host a Trunk or Treat from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25 at 3901 Peterson Road. Attendees can nominate their favorite trunk to be entered to win a spooky basket.
• Trick or treating at Hy-Vee will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 at the store, 3504 Clinton Parkway.
• First United Methodist Church will have a Fall Festival from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 at their West Campus location, 867 Highway 40. The event will feature spooky trail train rides, pumpkin launching, crafts, s’mores, a chili feed, a petting zoo and a trunk or treat.
• Heartland Community Health Center and Panda Pediatrics’ Trunk or Treat will be from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Heartland’s location, 346 Maine St. The event will feature games, face painting and raffles in addition to tasty treats.
• Premier Martial Arts’ Wakarusa Marketplace Trunk or Treat will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 1540 Wakarusa Drive.
• Dillons will have a Trunk or Treat from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 in their east parking lot at 1015 W. 23rd St. The event will feature a trunk contest and donations will be collected to benefit Just Food.
• Prime Martial Arts will have a Trunk or Treat with a haunted house and costume contest at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 1310 Research Park Drive, Suite B.
• River City Church will host an indoor trick-or-treat event featuring trick-or-treat stations, a cake walk, outdoor games, and JB’s Tacos food truck from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 3001 Lawrence Ave.
• McCarthy Subaru of Lawrence will hold a Trunk or Treat from 3 to 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 28 at 2101 W. 29th Terr.
• Lawrence Kia’s Trunk or Treat, which will include hotdogs, is scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 1225 E. 23rd St.
More free, family-friendly, frighteningly festive events
• Vinland Valley Nursery, 1606 North 600 Road in Baldwin City, is hosting a Haunted Forest from 6:30 to 8 p.m. each Saturday evening in October. Grownups may BYOB, and there will be hot chocolate and cider available for purchase.
“All ages are welcome, but the night walk might be a little scary for the very young — the walk is open for daytime spooky exploration during regular business hours for younger kids,” according to the nursery.
• Jungle House, 6 E. Seventh St., is hosting a few plant-based workshops throughout the spooky season. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13, people of all ages are invited to stop by the shop to paint jack-o-lanterns using terracotta pots, for free.
Jungle House is also offering a $15 walk-in Venus flytrap terrarium workshop on Oct. 17, and a $50 carnivorous plant “cemeterrarium” workshop on Oct. 22.
• The 17th annual Zombie Walk is set for 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17. The community is invited to gather at the South Park gazebo at 5 p.m., then begin the spooky sunset stroll down Massachusetts Street at dusk. This year’s participants can take advantage of makeup and blood bath stations, photo opportunities and a costume contest.
The Zombie Walk is free, and any donations collected benefit the Lawrence Humane Society. Zombies are encouraged to bring pet food, peanut butter and treats to donate.
• Creepy and cuddly critters from Pet World will be in the Lawrence Public Library auditorium from 3 to 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18. Children ages 5 to 11 are invited to meet and learn about the various critters. The event is free, but registration is requested. It is unclear whether any of the animals will be wearing costumes.
• Halloween hay rides will be held at the Baker University Wetlands at 6:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, with a presentation from the Prairie Park Nature Center at 7 p.m.
• The 51st annual Halloween Paint-In will be from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 19. During the paint-in, participants paint Halloween scenes on the windows of businesses downtown. Drawings to be considered for the windows must be submitted by Thursday, Oct. 16 for approval. For more information about the requirements and details of the event, check out the event page or email prspecialevents@lawrenceks.org.
• Lawrence High School’s science department will hold a haunted house fundraiser with spooky science demos, candy, and liquid nitrogen ice cream from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27. All proceeds will support science labs for students. The event will be appropriate for kids of all ages, and costumes are recommended.
On Halloween
• Downtown Lawrence comes alive each Halloween night as thousands of ghouls and goblins creep door to door to extract candy from participating businesses. Trick-or-treating downtown begins at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31 and ends when the candy runs out.
• The Watkins Museum at 1047 Massachusetts St. will have a ghostly scavenger hunt with prizes on Halloween in addition to distributing treats.
• The Lawrence Public Library, just around the corner from Massachusetts Street at 707 Vermont St., will also be giving candy to children from 4 to 6 p.m. on Halloween.
• Sunrise Cafe at 1501 Learnard Ave. is offering treats and warm drinks from 5 to 8 p.m. on Halloween.
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Paid family-friendly Halloween events
• Garrett’s Haunted Farm runs from Sept. 26 through Nov. 2. at 11387 East 1650 Road. It includes a pumpkin patch, bouncehouses, a corn pool, train rides and more. After dark, they have a zombie paintball hunt in a ghost town.
• Prairie Park Nature Center, 2730 Harper St., is hosting a Cryptid Campfire from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19. For $10 per person, s’more-eating cryptozoology enthusiasts can learn about the notorious Bigfoot, the magnificent Mothman, and other cryptids. Register at this link.
• Up & Away’s annual Halloween Party will continue their tradition of a costume contest with prizes and crafts for the kids. This year will also feature the beloved Bluey and Bingo. The party is set for from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26 at 2525 Iowa St., Suite F, and their usual weekend pricing will be in effect.
• The Spooktacular Night at Prairie Park Nature Center will include trick-or-treating, face painting, balloon art and a caramel apple buffet. Red lights will be provided for a unique view of the center’s nocturnal critters after dark.
The events will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 and 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. over two nights: Saturday, Oct. 26, and Sunday, Oct. 27. Children ages 2 and under can attend for free, and tickets are $10 for everyone ages 3 and up. Registration is required.
• From 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Halloween, Freddy’s Frozen Custard at 2030 W. 23rd St. is offering a free cone or dish to children ages 12 and under who arrive in costume.
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Molly Adams (she/her), photojournalist and news operations coordinator for The Lawrence Times, can be reached at molly@lawrencekstimes.com. Check out more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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