Fall has arrived - cooler nights, pumpkins on the front porch and football every weekend.
It also means Halloween is just days away, and Monroe County has a variety of "spook"-tacular activities for locals and visitors.
Visit Bloomington has a number of Halloween activities to check out, including:
- Fowler Pumpkin Patch has family-friendly experiences, such as a corn maze, pumpkin patch, music and more. The 2026 pumpkin patch is a tribute to Indiana Football - check out the ariel view!
- On Friday, October 9, bring your pups to Switchyard Park for a Howl at the Moon walk through the park, from 7:30 - 8:30 pm.
- Walk among hundreds of glass pumpkins on Saturday, October 10 at the Great Glass Pumpkin Patch, located on the Monroe County Courthouse lawn. Get there early - the line usually begins ~8:00 am for the 10:00 opening.
- The 12th Annual Downtown Bloomington Trick-or-Treat will be Friday, October 23 beginning at 5:00 pm. Bring the kids (in costume) and enjoy downtown shops with treats!
- The Southeast Monroe County YMCA will have a free community trunk-or-treat night on Friday, October 23 starting at 6:00 pm.
- Grab a chair, blanket and hot apple cider and head to the Festival of Ghost Stories on Friday, October 23 at Bryan Park. Presented by the Bloomington Storytellers Guild, speakers tell a variety of tales to celebrate the season.
- If you want to see falling pumpkins, head to the Monroe County Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 24 from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. It's the big pumpkin launch event, with music, food and more. $10/car, bring your chair and watch the pumpkins fly!
That same day, starting at 5:00, will be a family-friendly trick-or-treat inside the auditorium at the fairgrounds.
There are many more events and activities on the Visit Bloomington website - make sure you check them out!
Trick-or-treat hours for Bloomington and Ellettsville are Saturday, October 31 from 5:30 - 8:30 pm.
Remember, Halloween is also Homecoming for Indiana University, with the Hoosiers playing Minnesota (time TBD). The Homecoming parade will be Friday, October 30 starting at 5:30 pm, with a route through downtown Bloomington.