Halloween events around Ballard and beyond

Updated: Here’s the list of Halloween happenings this weekend in Ballard and nearby neighborhoods. Silver emailed this frighteningly bizarre picture of a murderous sock monkey spotted in Ballard. And if you have other Halloween photos to share, email them to photos@myballard.com.

  • There will be a Halloween Carnival at both the Ballard Community Center (6020 28th Ave. NW) and the Loyal Heights Community Center (2101 NW 77th St.) on Friday, October 30 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Expect a frightfest of activities, games, and challenges, including areas for tots. There will be complimentary refreshments, and high school students can earn service learning hours at these events. Cost: $3 per person or $10 per family.
  • Seattle Parks is holding a Middle School Halloween Scavenger Hunt at the Ballard Community Center (6020 28th Ave. NW) on Halloween from noon to 2 p.m. Rumor has it that Archie McPhee has been searching Ballard, and he needs your help to save the famous rubber chicken. Bring your friends, put on your walking shoes and Sherlock Holmes hat, and help solve the biggest mystery in Ballard. Meet at Ballard CC to start your hike through Ballard village to find clues and win a prize. Please dress for the weather!
  • The popular Trick or Treat in Central Ballard (photo from last year above) will be on Halloween from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The businesses posting the orange sign will welcome costumed kids for trick or treating, and if last year was any indication, it will be quite the event.
  • Just up the hill, the Safe Trick or Treat along Greenwood-Phinney’s business district will take place from 12-3 p.m. Saturday. Participating businesses have an orange poster in their windows, and they’ll pass out treats to youngsters in costume accompanied by an adult.
  • Nature’s Halloween in the Forest at the Carkeek Park Learning Center (950 NW Carkeek Park Rd) on Halloween from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Under cover of night, discover Halloween symbols in their natural settings. Bones, bats, owls, and slithering things will delight. Bring a flashlight if you have one. Treats will be provided. Ages: 2 and older. Cost: $8 per adult, $6 per child.
  • Over in Fremont, hundreds of people are expected to attend Trolloween beginning at 7 p.m. on Halloween night, celebrating the Troll’s 20th birthday. So many people, in fact, that Seattle Police will be directing traffic and escorting the parade. FremontUniverse.com has the story.
  • Also in Fremont, more than 100 businesses are handing out treats to children in costume on Saturday from 2:00-6:00 p.m. An orange flyer will hang in windows of participating stores.
  • Feel free to list other Halloween happenings below. And if you have photos of Halloween homes and cool costumes, email them to photos@myballard.com.

    More events: Phinney-Greenwood, Fremont, Queen Anne, Magnolia.

    Geeky Swedes

    The founders of My Ballard

    29 thoughts to “Halloween events around Ballard and beyond”

    1. “Get the kids dressed up early for the Third Annual Crown Hill Halloween Celebration on Saturday, October 24th”

      I hope this was a typo, otherwise it's a bit late notice. :)

      Where is that sock monkey? I love it!

    2. I told you that sock monkey was evil! Okay, what's next in the script? Oh, yeah, now we have to run away in high heals and fall down.
      Happy Halloween!!!! :-)

    3. anyone ever done the Ballard CC event? thinking of going, but would like to know a bit more about it and if it is worth getting both kids in costume and heading down there.

    4. Gooner – I've been down there as a non-participant. I was having dinner by myself and forgot it was going on. TONS of cute kids and parents in costume went by the window of the restaurant. ;-)

      I sure was fun to watch!

    5. Mars Hill is hosting a Fall Family Festival, including a gHUGE cardboard maze, age appropriate games, a Wii's on big screens, and tons of bouncy houses. I believe it's free, with sponsors such as Zeek's Pizza and Hale's Ales (I could be wrong on that!), and it's tonight (Friday) from 5-8 @ the Ballard Campus.

      1401 NW Leary Way

    6. thanks silver… i think you must be talking about the ballard trick or treating tomorrow… i was talking about the ballard community center event tonight.

      either way, we are going so no matter.

    7. The article forgot to mention the ever-popular event that brings neighborhoods together and brings joy to many people:

      Trick or treating in your neighborhood!

    8. I bought candy the last two years we've lived here (on 74th) and we didn't have one trick or treater, and yes, the lights were on and the pumpkins were out.

      I know Market St. throws a big shindig, but don't kids trick or treat in neighborhoods anymore?

    9. I love the sock monkey! Blasphemy I know but I even like it better than the Greenwood Reaper. And up until this moment the Greenwood Reaper was my all time favorite.

    10. We have a big group of kids heading out from our house to trick-or-treat in the neighborhood but I think you're a little too far from us. Alas. We may be the only ones it sounds like. Last year I think we had three groups of trick-or-treaters come to our house at the most. I've heard that a lot of people commute up to Olympic Manor to trick-or-treat. One older guy at our church has a little counter he clicks for each kid and he had over 300. There is something wrong about commuting to trick-or-treat at other people's houses though …

    11. I agree!

      That said, there are neighborhoods that go completely nuts over Halloween:

      My boyfriends' kids are each going to trick-or-treat with friends, as he lives in a “walk down a long, dark road and maybe find a house at the end” neighborhood. I can't really blame them.

      I went along with the Capitol Hill bunch last year, and the houses up on 16th and 17th Avenue East are really done up! Music, dry ice fog, special lighting, greeters in costume, etc. The kids just ate it up (you'll pardon the pun.)

      These homeowners are clearly enjoying being a trick-or-treating destination. Their kids all bring friends over, too!

    12. Does anyone know about the Halloween event in Licton Springs Park? They usually do it on Halloween from 4 to 6. Are they doing it this year? (I can't find any details about it on the Web.) Thanks.

    13. Does anyone know about the Halloween event in Licton Springs Park? They usually do it on Halloween from 4 to 6. Are they doing it this year? (I can't find any details about it on the Web.) Thanks.

    14. We generally get trick-or-treaters. Can't remember how many, but I think around 20 or so last year. I generally get one bag of chocolate somethings and one bag of Smarties and have some left over.

    15. I don't see anything on the Mars Hill site indicating that Zeek's or Hale's is sponsoring. That's not an accusation you want to make lightly. If you've got evidence that Zeek's or Hale's is sponsoring that event, please post it.

    16. when did kids stop coming to houses? with all the activities at stores i miss the way i remember it – good ol' fashion trick or treating. i've had three kids so far and i live 4 block away from old ballard. sad face.

    17. My daughter was over on Capitol Hill trick-or-treating with friends (one of whom lives there). She said it's a lot of fun, but means a lot of walking (many houses have lots of steps up to the door), and there are so many trick-or-treaters that nearly everyplace says “please take just one, I'm running out,” unlike in Ballard, where people encourage you to take several. So she got less candy in the time she spent than her brother did in 2.5 blocks in Ballard.

    18. She's absolutely right. We weren't running out, but we were asking kids to take one piece.

      As the night wore on, the average age of the trick-or-treaters got older, and there were so many kids that I worried about the smaller ones getting squished.

      Almost all of the kids were polite though. Lots of parents coaching the kids from just off of the porch: “Happy Halloween! Say THANK you!!” and so on. ;-)

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