You know, it’s almost Halloween. We guess everyone’s entitled to one good scare, huh?
Or how about a BUNCH of scares? Here’s a big ol’ Milwaukee Halloween events list, complete with ghost walks, pumpkin pavilions, and haunted mini golf. Looking for Halloween movie screenings? Check out this article. Looking for random Halloween ephemera? Check out our Halloween countdown. Looking for a list of haunted houses and/or trick-or-treat times? Those will be in separate articles. BOO!
NOW THROUGH FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31
Halloween Village @ Baird Community Commons
“Halloween Village presented by Baird will provide an autumn-inspired backdrop at Baird Community Commons, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave. Guests are invited to pose for pictures in the interactive figures and walk through a giant, 12-foot pumpkin. New this year, the display will feature a giant spider, group of ghost pals, and monster-sized picture frame. Other interactive lighted figures will include a ghost, scarecrow, Frankenstein, and two different witches. Halloween Village will be illuminated during daytime and nighttime hours, Oct. 10-31. The experience is free and open to the public.”
Riverwest Radio Ghost Walk @ Riverwest + Harambee
“Riverwest Radio is doing their 2nd year of the ‘Riverwest Radio Ghost Walk.’ Starting on 9/26 through 10/31, folks can buy a $10 book with 19 ghost stories about locations in Riverwest and Harambee, and take a self-guided tour to see the decorations associated with each story. Books are on sale now and include 4 locations in Harambee, and 15 in Riverwest.”
NOW THROUGH NOVEMBER 1
Haunted Mini Golf @ Nine Below
“Just as in years past, Nine Below will be transformed from an underground mini-golf menagerie into a bewildering haunted labyrinth. Guests will putt their way through the shadows, surrounded by eerie ambiance, spooky surprises, and ghostly golf challenges. Whether you’re a mini golf pro or just in it for the Halloween vibes, this limited-time experience is perfect for date nights, friend outings, or company events looking for a scary-good time. Players can expect a fully immersive environment complete with Halloween décor, themed music, and glow-in-the-dark elements. Costumes are encouraged.”
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15
Milwaukee Record Presents: Death Becomes Her @ Avalon Atmospheric Theater
The spooky season is upon us, which means oodles and oodles of spooky movies! Or, in the case of our screening of Death Becomes Her, darkly funny and charmingly grotesque spooky movies! Yes, this is the 1992 cult classic with Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn as bitter rivals, Isabella Rossellini as the mysterious enchantress who offers them eternal youth, and Bruce Willis as the man caught in the middle. Do things go awry? Yes they do! Robert Zemeckis directed this surreal and pitch-black comedy, which means there are plenty of (wonderful early-’90s) special effects, too!
Pumpkin Pavilion @ Humboldt Park (through October 18)
“The Bay View Neighborhood Association would like to invite you and your family to this annual Bay View tradition. This four-day, family-friendly event brings over 10,000 Bay View residents and Milwaukee neighbors to Humboldt Park Pavilion. Guests come to carve pumpkins, admire the display of 1,000 lit pumpkins, enjoy live music, eat local food, and embrace the fun that is Halloween. This event is entirely volunteer-powered. Since its inception, the Pumpkin Pavilion has added attractions, displays and new events each year.”
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16
Strange/Found: Coven @ Times Cinema
As we all know, Mark Borchardt’s 1997 film Coven is a 35-minute direct-market thriller film shot on 16mm black and white reversal. It’s about an alcoholic, man, compelled to go to this group meeting by his one and only friend left. But they’re not that helpful, the group, you know? You know about the group thing? Borchardt’s harrowing short film (the making of which was documented in 1999’s award-winning American Movie) premiered at Milwaukee’s Times Cinema on June 12, 1997. Now, nearly 30 years later, Borchardt returns to the Times to introduce a special screening of the film. It will be presented by Joe Pickett (Found Footage Festival) and Scott Miller (Strange Tapes Zine) under their Strange/Found banner. (Also, Coven is pronounced “COE-ven,” because “CUH-ven” sounds like “oven.”)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17
Boo At The Zoo @ Milwaukee County Zoo (through October 19)
This “merry not scary” event brings after hours fun to Milwaukee County Zoo. Enjoy a “trick-or-treat trail,” pumpkin carving demonstrations, light shows, and (of course) lots of animals. All who attend are encouraged to come wearing a costume.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18
Taproom Of Terror @ Third Space Brewing
“Beware of Third Space Brewing’s Milwaukee Taproom the evening of October 18th. We hear something spine-chilling will befall the normally unassuming haunt. There will be terrifying musical performances from Crips and Devils Teeth, with a mix of scary sounds and classic Halloween hits. Pumpkins will be carved, and bowled with. Candy will be eaten competitively. WHAT A FRIGHT.”
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19
Kohl’s Family Sundays: Día de los Muertos @ Milwaukee Art Museum
“Gather together with family and friends to celebrate the beauty and tradition of Day of the Dead. Explore the meaning behind symbols of the holiday through hands-on art activities, enjoy performances, grab a treat from a local food truck, and more! Meet artists from around the state and learn about how their heritage inspires what they create. Work with artists Gabriela Marván and Ireri Andrea Muñiz Ortega to craft a tissue paper marigold with a loved one’s name on it to add to the community ofrenda, paint a ceremonial tortilla with Tortilleria Zepeda, and create an earth skull with beans and corn with Yesi Pérez. Drop into the Kohl’s Art Studio to design a plaster sugar skull with Yesica Coria and see the collaborative artwork she created with local students in Windhover Hall. Dance with Ometochtli Mexican Folk Dance and hear music by Latino Arts Strings Program.”
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23
Rare Bird Presents: Nightmare at the Brewery @ Lakefront Brewery
“Rare Bird, Lakefront’s oddities night market, is your place to shop all things weird, strange, and mysterious. On Thursday, October 23rd, their special Halloween edition of Rare Bird will feature over 20 hand-selected vendors showcasing their unique items for sale, rune and tarot card readings, live flash tattoos (from four local artists), and more! It will also be Nightmare at the Brewery, an occasion that will turn their Beer Hall into a spooky ballroom theater, playing black and white horror classics. Show up in your best costume, all attendees will be entered into a costume contest with prizes for the top three finishers in both solo and duo categories. Finalists will be selected throughout the night, awarding winners in the final hour. The brilliant AntiShadows lighting design team will help transform the room with musical entertainment from the talented Madison-based DJ, Jean Le Duke. The event will offer a special ‘Rare Bird’ menu that includes Zombie Green Apple Cheese Curds as well as a full bar featuring four specialty themed cocktails.”
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24
Boo At The Zoo @ Milwaukee County Zoo (through October 26)
This “merry not scary” event brings after hours fun to Milwaukee County Zoo. Enjoy a “trick-or-treat trail,” pumpkin carving demonstrations, light shows, and (of course) lots of animals. All who attend are encouraged to come wearing a costume.
Suckfest @ Sugar Maple (through October 31)
“Suckfest will run for eight days, beginning on Friday, October 24 and ending on Friday, October 31. There will be a different theme every night with different movies being aired each day. The Sugar Maple will be dressed for the occasion, and will feature throat pokable potables and fang friendly foods. There will be costume contests, a Family Feud style trivia contest, unique cocktails, and live music. During SUCKFEST 2025, customers will be given a ‘spooky swallow,’ a house-made shot, if they come in costume. Free to attend and participate, with a cover charge for the backroom events.”
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25
Halloween on Brady @ Brady Street
“Join us for a day of fun and frights; we’d love to celebrate Halloween with you on Brady Street! We’re hosting the city’s largest costume contest, complete with cash prizes! Each participating bar will determine a winner eligible for the overall competition. Put on your best costume and visit your favorite Brady Street spot on Saturday, October 25, to enter.”
Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee @ Baird Community Commons
“Upon arrival, guests will have an opportunity to select a free pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, while supplies last. Artists Working In Education will staff a decorating station where children can create silly or spooky jack-o-lanterns. Families will also enjoy face-painting, photo opportunities with beloved characters, live entertainment and story times, fire engine exploration with the Milwaukee Fire Department, a children’s book sale with Friends of Milwaukee Public Library, and more. Fall-themed vendors will offer food and beverages for purchase. Children are encouraged to attend in costume as Trick-Or-Treat goodie bags will be distributed, while supplies last.”
Washington Heights Spooktacular @ Washington Heights
“Washington Heights Spooktacular is back for its 37th year of Nighttime Trick-or-Treating. We are excited to bring together the neighborhood for a fun and safe event for all ages. This year’s Spooktacular event will take place rain or shine on Saturday, October 25, 2025 from 6:30PM to 8:30PM. The event zone will be revealed when you register your children.”
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29
Festival City Symphony: Haunted Harmonies @ Bradley Pavilion, Marcus Performing Arts Center
“Festival City Symphony (FCS) invites families to kick off the 2025–26 Pajama Jamboree season with ‘Haunted Harmonies,’ a free Halloween concert on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, from 7:00–8:00 p.m. at the Bradley Pavilion of the Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N Water Street in Milwaukee. Designed especially for children in K4 through fifth grade but open to audiences of all ages, Pajama Jamborees are lively, one-hour pops concerts that make classical music fun, accessible, and interactive. With playful narration, colorful orchestral selections, and plenty of opportunities for audience engagement, these concerts have become a beloved Milwaukee tradition for families. At ‘Haunted Harmonies,’ young concertgoers (and their families) are encouraged to come in costume or pajamas, bring along teddy bears or blankets, and settle in for a magical evening. The program will feature spooky favorites and cinematic classics, including Danse Macabre, Night on Bald Mountain, music from Coco, Harry Potter, and more—guaranteed to cast a spell on both first-time listeners and seasoned concert fans.”
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30
WMSE’s Radio Dead Time @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
“We’re throwing a Halloween dance bash for the WMSE Fall Membership Drive live from Anodyne in Walker’s Point! It’s a free, all-ages, ghoulish night of fun featuring Seances, El Sebas and Red Quean! Doors are at 6PM music starts at 6:45PM, costumes are encouraged. This event will also be broadcast on the air and on the WMSE 91.7 mobile app as well as streamable online, thanks to our friends at Kneeverland Productions.”
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31
Brew City Bombshells Present: Strip Or Treat @ X-Ray Arcade
“THE HALLOWEEN EVENT OF THE YEAR IS HERE…and it’s anything but basic. Get ready for ‘STRIP OR TREAT’—the Brew City Bombshells’ legendary annual Halloween extravaganza! With dazzling performers, fierce looks, sultry tricks, and tantalizing treats, this is the must-attend Halloween experience in the Midwest. Come early, scream loud, and leave bewitched.”
DJ Ghoul spinning the music of Ghost @ Irving Place Records
“We wish to inform you that you are invited to an afternoon of Satanic Panic at Irving Place Records on Halloween from 4PM – 6PM. DJ Ghoul will be spinning the music of Ghost! Candy!! Snacks!! Receive 15% off your purchase if you come in costume. Are you on the square? Are you on the level?”
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Celebration @ Mitchell Park Domes
“In honor of Día de los Muertos, students from the surrounding community will be creating traditional ofrendas (offerings made in honor of loved ones) in the Desert Dome. The entire Desert Dome will be decorated in celebration of the holiday. In addition, the event will feature a Mariachi band, Día de los Muertos dancers, local food and art vendors, as well as an opportunity for attendees to create crafts to celebrate the holiday at home. The annual ‘Caminata de los Recuerdos’ (Walk of Memories) will take place immediately preceding the event. This will offer an opportunity for community members to participate in a candlelight walk from the Urban Ecology Center of Menomonee Valley to the Mitchell Park Domes.”
Friday Night Blood Bath: A Killer Halloween Bash @ The Final Girl (Kenosha)
“This Halloween, The Final Girl is turning up the fright factor with a night of music, mayhem, and monstrous fun. On Friday, October 31, the horror-themed bar will host its annual Halloween Party, Carrie Prom Theme, featuring five live bands, a killer Goth Barge set, and a spine-chilling Blood Drop at the stroke of midnight. Just like in Carrie! Guests are encouraged to come dressed in their most terrifying (or hilarious) 1970s costumes for a chance to win prizes. Cash Prize for the best king & queen! Between live performances and Goth Barge, attendees can sip themed cocktails, play pinball, and soak up the immersive haunted atmosphere only The Final Girl can deliver.”
Girls Rock MKE Benefit Halloween Tribute Show @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
“Girls Rock MKE Halloween Benefit & Tribute show featuring Pabst Benatar, Chappell Hoan, Bobby Portishead, and more! A $10 to $20 donation helps Girls Rock MKE make a difference!!”
Halloween Flight Night @ Indeed Brewing Co.
“Try four candy-inspired infusions at the taproom: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Loretta’s Dark Lager; Skittles Hello Milwaukee; Sour Apple Apple Crips Ale; Lemonhead Brightside.”
Mad Planet’s Legendary Annual Halloween Costume Bash, Night 1 @ Mad Planet
It’s the most magical time of the year…Mad Planet’s Legendary Annual spooky-ooky-kooky-creepy Halloween Costume Bash Extravaganza! As always, Mad Planet will be covered top to bottom in various Halloween decor: skeletons, spiders, ghosts, and ghouls. If it’s creepy or crawly, best believe we will find a way to hang it up! Decorating has been Rosemary’s pride and joy throughout the decades, and she NEVER disappoints! TWO NIGHTS OF SPOOKTACULAR FUN AND SHENANIGANS! NIGHT 1, Friday, Oct 31: Retro Dance Party w/ DJ Paul H. DRESS UP!!!!! Thrift it, make it, or get creative! We want to see your best sexy/scary/corny/cute costumes!”
Milwaukee Hardcore Presents: Halloween Cover Show @ Cactus Club
Thrills and chills await at Milwaukee Hardcore’s Halloween Cover Show at Cactus Club. Garden Home will play the music of Title Fight, Nightmare Unit will become The Rival Mob, and At The Bottom Of The Great Lakes will cover Poison The Well. There’ll be bands covering Hatebreed and the Descendants, too!
Present Music’s All Souls Eve @ Milwaukee Art Museum
“Ticket holders are encouraged to arrive as early as 5:30 for the Día de los Muertos festivities: Mexican and Vietnamese food trucks, access to the museum exhibits (free admission) as well as an ofrenda by artist Francisco X Mora that everyone can add to, so bring photos or items that represent deceased loved ones. There will be a pre-concert conversation with composer Viet Cuong and guest conductor Deanna Tham at 6:30 before a concert of music that moves between the sacred and the surreal. At the heart of the evening will be the world premiere of Viet Cuong’s Music on a While, a commission for Present Music that takes inspiration from Henry Purcell but bursts with Cuong’s signature imagination and adventurous textures.”
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1
Mad Planet’s Legendary Annual Halloween Costume Bash, Night 2 @ Mad Planet
It’s the most magical time of the year…Mad Planet’s Legendary Annual spooky-ooky-kooky-creepy Halloween Costume Bash Extravaganza! As always, Mad Planet will be covered top to bottom in various Halloween decor: skeletons, spiders, ghosts, and ghouls. If it’s creepy or crawly, best believe we will find a way to hang it up! Decorating has been Rosemary’s pride and joy throughout the decades, and she NEVER disappoints! TWO NIGHTS OF SPOOKTACULAR FUN AND SHENANIGANS! NIGHT 2, Saturday, Nov. 1: ’90s & ’00s Dance Party w/ Elechronic, The Milkman, and Andrew Optimist. DRESS UP!!!!! Thrift it, make it, or get creative! We want to see your best sexy/scary/corny/cute costumes!”
Subspace & Goth Barge Halloween Spooktacular @ X-Ray Arcade
“Celebrated event organizers GOTH BARGE and SUBSPACE are teaming up for their annual Halloween Spooktacular at X-Ray Arcade on Saturday, November 1st, 2025. The event is centered around what could turn out to be the Milwaukee area’s largest cash prize Halloween costume contest, with a crowd-funded cash prize pool that has historically reached thousands of dollars.”
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2
Zack Pieper: GHOST GARDEN Opening Celebration + Out There Music Performances @ Lynden Sculpture Garden
“Lynden celebrates spooky season with Zack Pieper’s site-specific GHOST GARDEN, an installation made specifically for the windows of our main entrance. Join us for A Harvest of the Ghosts and, at sundown, a Ghost Illumination. The Out There series enlivens the proceedings with three spooky outdoor performances: Julian Lynch (Madison), Barbouille Hymn (Peter Barrickman, Xavier Leplae, Didier Leplae, Andrew Kaiser – Milwaukee), and A Crushed Rose” (Alisa Rodriguez – Milwaukee). Enjoy hot cider, smores, and bonfires as the sun goes down and the GHOST GARDEN comes alive. Dress for the weather (feel free to give your Halloween costume one more outing) and consider carpooling—parking is limited and it’s better for the planet. GHOST GARDEN remains on view through November 22, 2025.”
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