Halloween in Las Vegas can get expensive fast.
Haunted house tickets. Pumpkin patches. Parking. Drinks. Costumes. Carnival rides. Suddenly your harmless little spooky season has a payment plan.
No.
You do not have to spend a fortune to have fun this October.
Las Vegas, Clark County, and several local communities are putting on genuinely free Halloween events throughout the month.
Not "free admission before buying forty dollars in activity tickets."
Free.
We've got parades, trunk-or-treats, movies, costume contests, carnival games, live music, and enough candy to make every dentist in the valley nervous.
Here are 13 free Halloween events worth putting on your calendar.
1. Parade of Mischief at Downtown Summerlin
Let's start with one of the easiest recommendations of the month.
Parade of Mischief takes over Park Centre Drive at Downtown Summerlin on Friday and Saturday nights through Oct. 24.
The remaining dates are Oct. 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24.
Every parade starts at 6 p.m.
And yes, it's actually free.
More than 60 local youth perform in a Halloween production filled with floats, characters, and scenes inspired by spooky-season favorites.
This is a very easy family night.
Show up. Find a spot. Watch the parade. Leave without somebody asking whether you'd like to upgrade to the Platinum Pumpkin Experience.
Beautiful.
When: Oct. 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, and 24 at 6 p.m.
Where: Park Centre Drive at Downtown Summerlin.
2. Ward 2 Trunk or Treat and Halloween Movie
Bruce Trent Park gets Halloween treatment on Friday, Oct. 16.
The City of Las Vegas is hosting a free Trunk or Treat and Halloween Movie in the Park beginning at 6 p.m.
Families can trick-or-treat from decorated vehicles, vote on decorated trunks, grab free popcorn, and stick around for an outdoor showing of Hotel Transylvania.
The movie starts at sunset.
Food trucks will be there too, but buying anything from them is optional.
That's how free should work.
When: Oct. 16 at 6 p.m.
Where: Bruce Trent Park, 8851 Vegas Drive.
3. Wicked Whitney
Wicked Whitney hits Whitney Recreation Center on Thursday, Oct. 22.
This one's a free trunk-or-treat-style event with small carnival games and a spooky experience.
No registration is required.
So if your October calendar suddenly opens up and the kids are already dressed like superheroes for no apparent reason, you're good.
When: Oct. 22 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Whitney Recreation Center.
4. Monster Mash Trunk or Treat
Friday, Oct. 23 brings another big free community Halloween event.
Monster Mash runs from 5 to 9 p.m. at The Crossing Church on Windmill Lane.
Clark County describes it as much more than a basic trunk-or-treat, with a larger Halloween celebration built around candy, costumes, and family activities.
Four free hours.
That's a serious amount of kid entertainment for zero dollars.
When: Oct. 23 from 5 to 9 p.m.
Where: 7950 W. Windmill Lane.
5. Spooky Trails Trunk or Treat
If you want something smaller on Oct. 23, Melvin Ennis Recreation Center has Spooky Trails Trunk or Treat.
The event includes candy, games, and food.
Admission is free.
No giant production necessary.
Sometimes kids just want candy and parents want to avoid turning the evening into a military campaign.
Fair.
When: Oct. 23 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Where: Melvin Ennis Recreation Center.
6. Monster Mash & Movie Bash
This one gives you a lot for nothing.
Monster Mash & Movie Bash takes over Hollywood Recreation Center on Saturday, Oct. 24.
The free family event includes carnival games, trunk-or-treating, bounce houses, food trucks and popcorn.
Then at 6 p.m., everybody settles in for a free screening of Corpse Bride.
The games and activities run from 4 to 6 p.m., with the movie immediately afterward.
If Tim Burton, free popcorn, and bounce houses don't solve Saturday night, I don't know what to tell you.
When: Oct. 24 from 4 to 8 p.m.
Where: Hollywood Recreation Center.
7. Paradise Patch Trunk-or-Treat
Also on Saturday, Oct. 24, Paradise Recreation Center is hosting Paradise Patch Trunk-or-Treat.
The free family event includes trick-or-treating, games, arts and crafts, and other activities.
It runs from 6 to 8 p.m.
This is a good option if you want the candy part of Halloween without turning the entire evening into an expedition.
Two hours.
Contained chaos.
Respectable.
When: Oct. 24 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Where: Paradise Recreation Center.
8. Boo Bridge
Cambridge Recreation Center gets into the act Monday, Oct. 26 with Boo Bridge.
The free community event includes a trunk-or-treat trail, candy, carnival games, and food while supplies last.
It's designed for children and families and runs from 4 to 6 p.m.
Monday usually has nothing going for it.
Free Halloween candy helps.
When: Oct. 26 from 4 to 6 p.m.
Where: Cambridge Recreation Center.
9. Into the Walnut-Verse
This might win the award for best event name.
Into the Walnut-Verse takes over Walnut Recreation Center on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
It's free, open to all ages, and doesn't require registration.
There will be food, music, games, inflatables, and a candy trail while supplies last.
Simple.
Useful.
No twenty-minute explanation of ticket packages required.
When: Oct. 27 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Where: Walnut Recreation Center.
10. District 6 Haunted Harvest
This one's bigger.
The City of Las Vegas is throwing its District 6 Haunted Harvest on Thursday, Oct. 29 at Centennial Hills Community Center and the neighboring Centennial Hills Library.
The theme revolves around dragons, castles, and knights.
Families can expect trunk-or-treating, music, outdoor games, face painting, a castle maze, scavenger hunt, puppet show, and more.
Admission is free.
Bring something to collect candy.
Apparently, showing up with two hands and optimism is not the optimal candy-storage strategy.
When: Oct. 29 from 4 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Centennial Hills Community Center, 6601 N. Buffalo Drive.
11. Fourth Annual Fall Festival at East Las Vegas Community Center
Also on Oct. 29, East Las Vegas Community Center is holding its fourth annual Fall Festival.
This one has a little of everything.
Trick-or-treating.
A pumpkin patch.
Live entertainment.
Music.
Costumes.
Games.
Community vendors.
Candy.
And admission is free.
This is exactly what local Halloween events should be.
You show up with the family, and there's actually stuff to do.
When: Oct. 29 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Where: East Las Vegas Community Center, 250 N. Eastern Ave.
12. Halloween Safe Night
Now we get to Halloween itself.
Doolittle Community Center hosts the annual Halloween Safe Night on Saturday, Oct. 31.
The event includes trunk-or-treating, games, bungee bounce, climbing, and free refreshments while supplies last.
It's free and open to the public.
This is an excellent option for families who want something organized on Halloween night without committing to a commercial attraction.
When: Oct. 31 from 5 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Doolittle Community Center, 1950 N. J St.
13. Halloween Night at Fremont Street Experience
And now for something completely different.
If you're an adult, older teen with family, or just somebody who wants Halloween energy without buying a nightclub ticket, Downtown Las Vegas is sitting right there.
Fremont Street Experience has free live entertainment running throughout Halloween day and deep into the night.
No ticket required.
The current Oct. 31 schedule includes music across multiple stages.
The 3rd Street Stage has a costume contest from 10 to 11 p.m., followed by GLAM until 2 a.m.
Main Street keeps going until 3 a.m.
And this is Fremont Street on Halloween.
The official performers are only half the entertainment.
The crowd is the other half.
People take these costumes seriously.
Some people take them too seriously.
Some people appear to have misunderstood the legal definition of clothing.
You'll see everything.
When: Oct. 31, entertainment throughout the day and night.
Where: Fremont Street Experience.
Wait. There Are More Free Events Than These
Yes.
A lot more.
Thirteen just felt right for Halloween.
Clark County's October calendar also includes free events such as the Moapa Valley Halloween Party, Helen Meyer Trunk or Treat, Tales from the Dales, Hallow Harvest Festival, and Silver Bowl Trunk or Treat.
The City of Las Vegas has additional community programming too.
So don't assume the expensive attraction you saw advertised online is your only option.
It isn't.
Free Doesn't Mean Show Up Whenever You Feel Like It
This is important.
Free events can get busy precisely because they're free.
Some candy and food are available only while supplies last.
Some events have limited capacity.
Parking can fill.
Outdoor movie seating is usually first-come.
Show up early.
Bring a candy bag.
Bring water.
Check the official event listing before leaving home in case weather, staffing, or another issue changes the schedule.
And if an event says registration is required, register.
"But I saw it on Facebook" is not a reservation system.
Halloween Doesn't Need to Cost a Fortune
Vegas is very good at making you believe every fun thing requires a credit card.
Halloween proves otherwise.
You can watch a full parade in Summerlin.
You can take the kids trick-or-treating.
You can watch an outdoor movie.
You can hit carnival games.
You can enter costume contests.
You can spend Halloween night under the Fremont Street canopy listening to live music.
And you can do all of it without paying admission.
Spend the money on the costume.
Or candy.
Or don't.
Free is free.
For once, Vegas isn't arguing with us.
