Photo: Trick-or-treat amid hot air balloon in Scottsdale. Photo courtesy Sppoktacular Balloon Festival
Spooktacular in Scottsdale
Spooktacular Hot Air Balloon Festival (Fri.-Sat. Oct. 25-26). 5-9:30 pm. $15; $10 ages 3-12, ages 2 & under free. Haunted house, costume contests, hot-air balloon glow, live entertainment, kids zone, trick-or-treat candy stations, fireworks and more. Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, 7555 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale. azspooktacular.com
Spooky stuff at the Zoos
Howl-O-Ween (Fri.-Sat. Oct. 25-26). 6-10:30 pm. $12.95 ($9.95 members); ages 2 & under free. All activities are broken down as either Merry or Scary. Please be aware of the activity’s description before participating. Phoenix Zoo, 455 N Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix. phoenixzoo.org
4th Annual Spooktacular Event (Sat.-Sun. Oct. 26-27). 9 am-6 pm. Kids dress in costume will receive free admission with a paid adult. Costume contest, underwater pumpkin carving at the aquarium and more. Wildlife World Zoo, 16501 W. Northern Ave., Litchfield Park. wildlifeworld.com
Fun at the malls
Creepy Candy Crawl (Fri. Oct. 25, 28, 29 & 30). Kids can trick-or-treat from store-to-store, participate in costume contests for prizes and enjoy Halloween-themed activities in a scary-but-safe environment. Friday, 6:30-8:30 pm at Tempe Marketplace, 2000 E Rio Salado Pkwy, Tempe. tempemarketplace.com
Can’t make it out to Tempe Marketplace? Visit Queen Creek Marketplace (Oct. 28), Lake Pleasant Towne Center (Oct. 29) or Surprise Towne Center (Oct. 30) from 4-6 p.m. for Candy Crawloween!
Community Halloween events
Pumpkins at the Peak (Fri. Oct 25). 6-8 pm. $5 or five canned-food items per person to benefit St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance. Trick-or-treat stations, arts & crafts, games and more. Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort, River Ranch, 7677 N. 16th St., Phoenix. firstfoodbank.org
Scottsdale’s 50th Fall Festival (Sat. Oct. 26). 5-9 pm. Free. Games, food, entertainment, bounce houses, fireworks and tot area (ages 4 & under). Eldorado Park, 2311 N. Miller Road, Scottsdale. scottsdaleaz.gov
Fall Festival (Sat. Oct. 26). 1-6 pm. Free. Costume contest, games, prizes, character meet & greets, trick-or-treating, activity stations and more. OdySea in the Desert, 9500 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale. odyseainthedesert.com
Halloween Monster Bash (Sat. Oct. 26). 5-9 pm. Free with a canned-food donation to benefit St Mary’s/Westside Food Bank Alliance. Costume parade, carnival games, inflatables, crafts, live entertainment and more. Peoria Sports Complex, 16101 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria. peoriaaz.gov
Halloween Stroll (Sun. Oct. 27). 2 pm. Free. Trick-or-treating, costume contest, crafts, games and more. Hayden Station, 310 S. Mill Ave., Tempe. downtowntempe.com