Welcome to the fourth full week of October, and the Halloween calendar has never been busier. The weekend headliner in Tuscola County is Frankenmuth's Scarecrow Fest final weekend, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 PM at River Place Shops, with the pumpkin launcher, pumpkin bowling, arts and crafts, Grandpa Tiny's Barrel Train, and the Rock N Roll K9s rescue-dog shows, all with free admission. Genesee County's signature family event, Halloween Ghosts & Goodies at Crossroads Village, keeps its Friday-to-Sunday schedule running through October 30, so this weekend is one of your last full chances for trick-or-treating at 20 village stops, the straw maze, and the Huckleberry Ghost Train Express.
Saturday is the big treat night across the region. Downtown Lapeer hosts its Downtown Treat Walk from noon to 2 PM, downtown Owosso runs its Trick or Treat from noon to 1 PM, and Pinckney's Spooktacular fills the village square from 6 to 8 PM with what Livingston County bills as its largest trunk-or-treat. Oaklan County gets the full trolley treatment at Witches Night by Trolley, rolling between downtown Lake Orion and Oxford from 5 to 10 PM. Music lovers have their pick, too: The Price Is Right Live! plays the Whiting Auditorium Wednesday, Drowning Pool with Saliva rocks The Machine Shop Friday, and the FIM Capitol Theatre hosts Bram Stoker's Dracula and the Vampire Masquerade Ball Saturday night.
Sports fans get a rivalry weekend for the ages. The Flint Firebirds and Saginaw Spirit meet Friday night in Saginaw and again Saturday night in Flint for a First Responders' Appreciation Night that also features a Battle of the Badges pregame, then the Firebirds host the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Sunday at 4 PM. On Sunday evening, MercyMe with Jeremy Camp fills the Wendler Arena at Dow Event Center in Saginaw. For deeper seasonal ideas, check out our Frankenmuth day trip guide and our Bay City day trip guide.
We are keeping Bay County a regular stop in the roundup this season. About an hour north of Flint, Bay City and the Saginaw Bay area are known for festivals, fireworks, riverfront events, art fairs, and outdoor recreation that draw visitors from across the region. This week the Rocky Horror Picture Show returns to the Historic Masonic Temple Friday night, the Hell's Half Mile Film Slam takes over downtown Bay City for the weekend, the State Theatre hosts comedy Saturday and a free community movie night Thursday, and Monster Drag Bingo closes the weekend with a laugh Sunday afternoon. Bay City remains an easy, rewarding day-trip escape whenever the fall calendar calls.
Festivals & Fairs
Frankenmuth Scarecrow Fest: Final Weekend
Frankenmuth's Scarecrow Fest closes its two-weekend run Saturday and Sunday, October 24-25 at Frankenmuth River Place Shops, and this final weekend is your last chance for the full lineup: the pumpkin launcher, pumpkin bowling, pumpkin painting, arts and crafts, inflatables, and rides on Grandpa Tiny's Barrel Train, plus several performances by the Rock N Roll K9s rescue-dog show team each day. Admission is free with minimal fees for select activities. The handcrafted scarecrows stay up across downtown Frankenmuth through the festival's close on November 1, so there is still time to stroll Michigan's little Bavaria, snap a few photos, and grab a famous chicken dinner while you are there.
Frankenmuth River Place Shops, 925 S Main St, Frankenmuth, MI · frankenmuthriverplace.com
Halloween Ghosts & Goodies
Genesee County Parks' flagship Halloween event keeps its full weekend schedule going at Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad in Flint, running Friday, October 23 through Sunday, October 25 from noon to 9 PM, with only the lower-key Friday, October 30 evening session after this before the season closes. Expect trick-or-treating at 20 treat stops, a straw maze, a magic show at the Colwell Opera House, vintage rides, cider and doughnuts, and costumed characters wandering the village under the October stars. Village-only admission is $17, or $27 for the combination ticket that adds the Huckleberry Ghost Train Express, a 40-minute ride with friendly ghosts and spooky surprises; ages 12 months and under are free. Tickets are sold online in advance through Genesee County Parks, and the train often sells out early, so it is worth planning ahead for this one.
Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad, 6140 N Bray Rd, Flint, MI · geneseecountyparks.org
Also Going On Around Frankenmuth
- Shipshewana on the Road in Frankenmuth · Harvey Kern Pavilion, 601 Weiss St, Frankenmuth · October 24-25, Sat 9 AM-5 PM and Sun 10 AM-4 PM · the Indiana flea-market favorite brings dozens of vendor booths to Frankenmuth for a weekend of shopping, antiques, and handmade goods, a natural pairing with the scarecrow stroll.
- Frankenmuth Bourbon Fest · Uptown North Main, Frankenmuth · Saturday, October 24 with 1 PM, 4 PM, and 7 PM tasting sessions · 100-plus bourbons to sample alongside food trucks and live music, ticketed in advance through the festival.
- Halloween Bash at Zehnder's Splash Village · 1365 S Main St, Frankenmuth · Friday, October 23 · a family-friendly costume night with indoor waterpark fun, poolside activities, and treats for the little ones.
- Frankenmuth Corn Maze at Weiss Centennial Farm · 5450 Weiss Rd, Frankenmuth · weekend hours through fall · eight-plus acres of corn maze, a farm animal area, and rustic autumn fun at one of the state's best-known corn mazes.
Halloween Season Events
Pinckney Spooktacular
The Pinckney Spooktacular, presented by the M36 Rotary, fills the Pinckney village square Saturday, October 24 from 6 to 8 PM with what Livingston County bills as its largest trunk-or-treat. Expect decorated trunks ringing the square, candy stops for the kids, costumes everywhere you look, and that small-town October energy that makes the season special. It is free and open to the public, so grab the family, don your best costume, and make an evening of it before the season's final stretch.
Pinckney Village Square, Pinckney, MI · 2026 Halloween events roundup
Downtown Lapeer Treat Walk
Downtown Lapeer's Treat Walk gives families an afternoon reason to visit the county seat Saturday, October 24 from noon to 2 PM. Pick up a goodie bag at Gallery 194 on West Nepessing Street, collect treats up and down the downtown stores, and vote for the best-decorated storefront as you go. Sponsored by the Lapeer Area Chamber of Commerce, it is a free, festive way to support local shops while the kids do what they do best this time of year.
Gallery 194, 194 W Nepessing St, Lapeer, MI · lapeerareachamber.org
Downtown Owosso Trick or Treat
Downtown Owosso hosts its annual Trick or Treat Saturday, October 24 from noon to 1 PM, sponsored by Dort Financial Credit Union and CLH Insurance. Participating shops up and down the main streets hand out treats to costumed kids, and it makes for a perfect downtown double: the Owosso Farmers Market runs the same morning from 9 AM to 1 PM on Exchange and Water Streets, so you can shop late-season apples and mums first and trick-or-treat right after. Free and family-friendly for the whole community.
Downtown Owosso, Main St, Owosso, MI · downtownowosso.org
Witches Night by Trolley
One of north Oakland County's most charming Halloween traditions, Witches Night by Trolley rolls between downtown Lake Orion and Oxford Saturday, October 24 from 5 to 10 PM. Costumed riders hop vintage-style trolleys between the two downtowns for candy, costumes, and storefront Halloween cheer, with kids encouraged to ride in their favorite witch or wizard getup. Trolley routes and times are posted by the organizing communities, so peek at the event listing before you go and plan a full evening of tree-lined small-town Halloween.
Downtown Lake Orion & Downtown Oxford, MI · Lake Orion Halloween events
Also in the Halloween Spirit
- Top Lights Trunk or Treat · Lapeer High School parking lot, Lapeer · Friday, October 23, 6-8 PM · free · hosted by the Lapeer County Sheriff's Office with Michigan State Police and partner agencies showing off emergency vehicles alongside the candy.
- Livingston County Public Safety Trunk or Treat · 150 S Highlander Way, Howell · Friday, October 23, 6-8 PM · free · first responders and emergency vehicles hand out treats, a favorite Howell tradition.
- Boo Fest at Green Oak Village Place · Brighton · Friday, October 23, 5:30-7:30 PM · free trick-or-treating and games through the open-air shopping village.
- Auburn Hills Spooktacular · downtown Auburn Hills · Saturday, October 24, noon-2 PM · free family downtown trick-or-treating to start the afternoon.
- Canterbury Village Halloween Stroll · Canterbury Village, 2325 Joslyn Rd, Lake Orion · Friday-Sunday, October 23-25, half-hour evening sessions · a twilight stroll through the village's decorated courtyards, one of the most atmospheric Halloween walks in the area.
- Flint Odyssey House Trunk or Treat · Court Street United Methodist Church lot, 225 W Court St, Flint · Thursday, October 22, 4-6 PM · free community trunk-or-treat put on by Flint Odyssey House.
- Tractor Treat · 1047 N Shiawassee St, Corunna · Saturday, October 24, 4:00 PM · a Shiawassee County family Halloween gathering with a farm twist.
Shows & Live Music
The Price Is Right Live!
Bring some game-show energy to the middle of your week: The Price Is Right Live! brings the stage show adaptation of television's longest-running game show to the Whiting Auditorium at the Flint Institute of Music Wednesday, October 21 at 7:30 PM. Audience members play pricing games for the chance to win prizes, modeled on the beloved CBS format, with all the bright lights and catchphrases you know. Tickets are required, so grab yours ahead through FIM.
Whiting Auditorium, 1241 E Kearsley St, Flint, MI · thefim.org
Drowning Pool with Saliva
For a loud way to kick off the weekend, Drowning Pool, the hard rock band behind "Bodies," headlines the Machine Shop Concert Lounge in Flint Friday, October 23 at 7:00 PM with Saliva, another early-2000s hitmaker, on the bill. It is a stacked nu-metal throwback night in one of the region's favorite live-music rooms, and a strong pairing with hockey across town if you want to keep the night rolling. Tickets are required, so grab yours ahead through the venue.
The Machine Shop, 3539 S Dort Hwy, Flint, MI · themachineshop.info
Bram Stoker's Dracula & Vampire Masquerade Ball
The Capitol Theatre at the Flint Institute of Music hosts its signature Halloween event Saturday, October 24 at 8:00 PM: a screening of Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula followed by a Vampire Masquerade Ball in the historic venue. Dress up, put on a mask, and enjoy one of cinema's moodiest vampire classics in one of Genesee County's most beautiful theaters, with the ball carrying the night well past the credits. Tickets are required, so reserve ahead through FIM and plan to arrive in full costume.
Capitol Theatre, 140 E 2nd St, Flint, MI · thefim.org/event/dracula
MercyMe with Jeremy Camp at Dow Event Center
A big one closes the weekend in Saginaw: MercyMe, the Grammy-nominated band behind "I Can Only Imagine," headlines the Wendler Arena at Dow Event Center Sunday, October 25 at 7:00 PM with Jeremy Camp, Tim Timmons, and Sam Wesley on the bill. It is a full evening of contemporary Christian music with some of the genre's biggest names, an hour up I-75 from Flint. Tickets are required, so grab yours ahead through the venue.
Dow Event Center, 303 Johnson St, Saginaw, MI · doweventcenter.com
Also in the Music Scene
- Creed Fisher with Kevin Thomas · The Machine Shop, 3539 S Dort Hwy, Flint · Saturday, October 24, 7:00 PM · Texas honky-tonk country with an outlaw edge, tickets required through the venue.
- Factory of the Dead · 906 Lapeer Ave, Saginaw · ongoing Tuesday-Sunday nights in October · one of Saginaw's biggest haunted house experiences, blocks from the Dow Event Center, ticketed at the door.
Game Night & Community
Firebirds vs. Spirit Rivalry Weekend
It is a three-game week for the Flint Firebirds and a rivalry double for the region. Friday, October 23 at 7:05 PM the Firebirds visit the Saginaw Spirit at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw. Saturday, October 24 at 7:00 PM the Spirit comes to the Dort Financial Center in Flint for a First Responders' Appreciation Night as part of the OHL's Rivalry Week, with a Battle of the Badges police-vs-fire charity game at 4:30 PM before the puck drops. Then it is a Sunday matinee October 25 at 4:00 PM as the Firebirds host the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. October hockey in Mid-Michigan means loud crowds and playoff-like buzz, and this weekend has it in triplicate.
Dort Financial Center, 3501 Lapeer Rd, Flint, MI · chl.ca/ohl-firebirds
Also in Flint This Week
- Make the Space at Factory Two · 129 N Grand Traverse St, Flint · Monday, October 19, 5-8 PM · free · the ninth annual open house and fundraiser at the Flint makerspace with hands-on demos, take-home crafts, food, and drinks for all ages.
- Dead Man's Cellphone · University of Michigan-Flint Theatre (FIM) · October 16-25 · Sarah Ruhl's dark comedy about a woman who answers a dead man's ringing phone, a fittingly strange and funny October run, ticketed through FIM.
On the Bay: Bay County
The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Masonic Temple
Bay City does Halloween movies right. The Historic Masonic Temple at 700 N Madison Ave hosts The Rocky Horror Picture Show Friday, October 23 with an 8:00 PM screening plus an 18+ midnight show, audience participation encouraged in the grand old hall that has become a Bay City tradition. Bring your props, practice your time warp, and expect a full house of costumes and callbacks. Tickets are required, so grab yours ahead through the temple's event page and make a night of it downtown afterward.
Historic Masonic Temple, 700 N Madison Ave, Bay City, MI · hmtbc.org
Hell's Half Mile Film Slam
The Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival keeps the fall film season alive in Bay City with the HHM Film Slam, running Friday through Sunday, October 23-25 in venues around downtown Bay City, alongside the State Theatre's continuing Hell's Half Mile Film Series of curated screenings. It is a chance to catch independent and made-in-Michigan films in one of the region's most walkable riverfront downtowns, with the State's restored 1930s marquee glowing over Washington Avenue. Passes and screening details are on the festival's site.
Downtown Bay City, MI · hhmfest.com
Lee Hardin Comedy Night at the State Theatre
The State Theatre in downtown Bay City hosts a Lee Hardin Comedy Night Saturday, October 24 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, a headlining stand-up show in one of Michigan's most charming historic venues. It is an easy riverfront evening: dinner downtown, a walk past the fireworks of fall color on the Saginaw River, then a night of laughs under the old marquee. Tickets are required and available through the State Theatre's online box office.
State Theatre, 913 Washington Ave, Bay City, MI · statetheatrebaycity.com
Monster Drag Bingo: Bingo, Blood & Buffoonery
End the weekend with something delightfully weird: Monster Drag Bingo: Bingo, Blood & Buffoonery takes over The Hollow: An Alternative Performance Venue in Bay City Sunday, October 25 at 4:00 PM. Drag performers host bingo with a Halloween twist, prizes in hand and gags aplenty, at $18 a seat. It is a playful, costume-friendly way to close out a full Bay County weekend, and proof that the Saginaw Bay area keeps a fun, offbeat calendar through the fall.
The Hollow, Bay City, MI · Bay City events listing
Also on the Bay This Week
- "No Address" Free Movie Night · State Theatre, 913 Washington Ave, Bay City · Thursday, October 22, 7-9 PM · free · a community screening of the film addressing homelessness, hosted by Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan.
- The Friction Halloween Concert · Court Street Theatre, Bay City · Friday, October 23, 7:30 PM · a Halloween-season concert in the State Theatre complex's intimate companion venue, ticketed through the box office.
- 4th Annual Bay City Halloween Carnival · 2394 W Midland Rd, Bay City · Friday, October 23, 5:00 PM · carnival games, costumes, and fall treats for families to kick off the Bay County Halloween weekend.
Farmers Markets This Weekend
The market season is winding down, so catch the good ones while they last. The Flint Farmers' Market (300 E First St) runs Saturdays 9 AM to 5 PM year-round, as dependable as ever for late apples, cider, and hot food. In Shiawassee County, the Downtown Owosso Farmers Market (Exchange & Water St) runs Saturdays 9 AM to 1 PM and stays open through the final Saturday in October, so the October 24 market is still in season. In Saginaw, the Downtown Saginaw Farmers' Market (203 S Washington Ave) runs Wednesdays and Fridays for weekday produce runs. Note that the Hartland Farmers Market wrapped its season on October 10, and Bay City's Thursday markets have closed for the year, so plan your late-October market stops accordingly.
However you spend it, this is a full, festive week in Mid-Michigan. Frankenmuth's Scarecrow Fest closes its run with the final weekend Saturday and Sunday, Halloween Ghosts & Goodies keeps its full weekend schedule going at Crossroads Village, and downtown Lapeer, Owosso, Pinckney, Auburn Hills, and Lake Orion all host their big Halloween-season evenings Saturday. The Price Is Right Live! plays the Whiting Auditorium Wednesday, Drowning Pool with Saliva rocks The Machine Shop Friday, the Capitol Theatre hosts Bram Stoker's Dracula and the Vampire Masquerade Ball Saturday, and MercyMe closes it all out in Saginaw Sunday. On the ice, the Firebirds and Spirit face off twice in three days with a First Responders' Appreciation Night in Flint on Saturday and a Sunday afternoon game against the Greyhounds. Up on the Saginaw Bay, the Rocky Horror Picture Show returns to the Masonic Temple Friday, the Hell's Half Mile Film Slam takes over downtown Bay City all weekend, the State Theatre hosts comedy Saturday and a free movie night Thursday, and Monster Drag Bingo closes the Bay County weekend Sunday afternoon.
Published by Joyce England, REALTOR with Keller Williams First.