Halloween Fun in the Portland Area

Halloween in Portland is absolute magic. Enjoy the season with some of these spooky and not-so-spooky ideas.

• Pick out the perfect pumpkin and navigate a corn maze at one of these pumpkin patches.

• Plan your trick-or-treat route! And don’t forget to stock your house with allergy-friendly treats.

• Kids too young to stay up late? Try these daytime trick-or-treat spots instead, including Trick-or-Treat Alberta Street and other trick-or-treat events.

• Take a walk around the neighborhood at dusk and pick your favorite Halloween-decor house. Or drive to neighborhoods that go all out, like Pirates of Pinehurst or Holidays on Franklin Street.

• Remember that pumpkin you bought? Time to carve it. Pro tip: Roast all the pumpkin seeds you dig out for a super-tasty snack. Check out our Pinterest board for pumpkin decorating and carving ideas, or visit The Pumpkin Display at West Linn (free!) for some spectacular inspiration.

• Make a healthy Halloween-inspired treat.

• Or score some free treats! Salt & Straw (free kid’s cone), Krispy Kreme (free doughnut) and Mike’s Drive-In (free ice cream cone, corn dog or token for a free cone) offer freebies to costumed kids on Halloween. Plus Salt-n-Straw always has creative Halloween-themed flavors the month of October.

• Plan a Halloween scavenger hunt. You can repurpose those plastic Easter eggs and hide candy around your home or backyard, or look for seasonal items in your neighborhood. Try a scavenger hunt by flashlight for more ambience. Our Pinterest board has some fun ideas. 

• Visit a spooktacular celebration! We recommend a local favorite The Sellwood Monster March and Spooktacular (it’s back this year!). See our Kids Calendar to find even more spooky celebrations.

• “Boo” your neighbors and friends and spread Halloween cheer. Leave an anonymous bag of Halloween goodies — you can start a chain of boos, too. Get fun “You’ve Been Booed” printables and the details here!

• Have brave tweens or teens in the house? Try Oaks Park Scaregrounds or one of these local haunted houses.

• Climb aboard the Boo Train. Flower Farmer in Canby offers a spooky evening ride on their miniature train on select dates in October.

• A visit to Davis Graveyard, an elaborate Halloween display in Milwaukie, is a Halloween must.

• Don’t forget to decorate your own house!

• Watch a coven paddle the Willamette. The annual SUP Witches’ Paddle is free to view from the shore or a bridge and will delight your little goblins. October 29.

• Check out recommendations from Powell’s City of Books and Annie Bloom’s Books, for spooky books perfect for Halloween.

• Save money by trying one of these 20+ Free October Activities, including the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta on October 16.

• Watch one of these slightly spooky Halloween movies.

• Build a haunted house. A gingerbread house, that is. The Food Network has a recipe, directions and inspiration for this cute and creepy creation. (Trader Joe’s also has a popular kit version.) 

• Head to the zoo for Oregon Zoo’s Howloween! Costumed trick-or-treaters can learn about healthy habitats for wildlife in a fun scavenger hunt throughout the zoo. Oct. 22-23 and 28–31.

• If you’re up for a road trip, party at the Boo Bash Festival at the Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia, Washington. October 22-31. 

• Make sure you check these Annual October Happenings off your bucket list before the season is over!

• Check the Kids Calendar or This Weekend in PDX for in-person and virtual events. Local organizations and businesses are always sharing new activities with us!