From spooky parades and parties to haunted houses and ghost trains, Canadians certainly know how to celebrate Halloween! If you’re looking for some eerie, family-friendly outings or for the scariest attractions around, check out our top suggestions for spooktacular Halloween events in Ontario.
1. Pumpkin parades around the province
Photo: Taylor Foss via Unsplash
Pumpkin parades are an annual tradition for neighbourhoods across the city where you can display your jack-o-lanterns lined up in local parks. It’s the perfect chance to see all the great ghostly gourds created by your crafty neighbours. Register your community to show off your pumpkin creations in person at a local park on November 1, 2022. Apply to host a Pumpkin Parade here!
2. Halloween Nights of Lights & Pumpkinville — Sherway Gardens Mall in Mississauga, ON
Photo via nightsoflights.ca
If you’re not the biggest fan of haunted houses, no need to worry. You can celebrate the spooky season in a magical way at Sherway Gardens Mall! Halloween Nights of Lights is a thrilling walk-through experience. Enter through the immersive lights festival that will feature over 1.5-million LED and RGB lights that are animated and synchronized to some of your favourite Halloween tunes.
End your Night of Lights experience inside of Pumpkinville – a fun fair featuring larger-than-life pumpkin sculptures and houses nestled inside of a candy forest made from over 25,000 REAL pumpkins. Furthermore, Pumpkinville is FREE with your purchase of Halloween Nights of Lights tickets or can be purchased as a stand-alone Halloween event. This is a must-see Halloween event in Ontario for ALL AGES.
September 30 to October 31st, 2022 – Thursdays through Sundays from sundown until 11pm.
3. Pumpkin Mania — Rounds Ranch in Elmvale, ON
You can take your family to Rounds Ranch to get in the spirit of Fall during their Pumpkin Mania Festival! Located just 25 minutes north of Barrie, east of Collingwood, and south of Midland, Rounds Ranch adds new activities each year since its inception in 2002. Enjoy wagon rides, goofy pumpkin bowling and pie eating contests, corn mazes, farm animals and a Western Playground! In addition, you can take a tractor ride out to their large pumpkin patch, then everyone can pick their own pumpkin to take home – ANY SIZE!
September: Open from the 17th (weekends), 10am -5pm, October: Open Saturday, Sunday & Thanksgiving Monday, 10am -5pm
Every Saturday 10am -10pm for flashlight corn maze
4. Halloween Spooktacular — Santa’s Village in Bracebridge, ON
Photo via discovermuskoka.ca
Calling all goblins, ghouls and ghosts – Santa and his Elves have transformed Santa’s Village at Muskoka’s Theme Park into Halloween Spooktacular weekends! As a result, you can enjoy many of your favourite rides and attractions, as well as several special Halloween activities, like trick or treating around the park! Don’t forget to wear your costume and enter in the costume contest at Guest Services for your chance to win a Family of 4 pass for the 2022 Santafest event!
From October 15th to 30th (weekends), Saturdays from 10am-6pm & Sundays from 10am-4pm
5. Pumpkins After Dark — Country Heritage Park in Milton, ON
Photo via pumpkinsafterdark.com/milton
Come and enjoy Canada’s award-winning outdoor Halloween event! Pumpkins After Dark features over 6,000+ hand-carved pumpkins, and this one-of-a-kind walk-through experience is the must-see event of the Fall season. Explore the magical pathway of lit pumpkin sculptures and displays, with music, sounds and special effects. Along with classic Halloween characters, enjoy dinosaurs and dragons, as well as movie and pop culture icons on display. So, if you are looking for a top Halloween event in Ontario, Pumpkins After Dark has something for everyone.
September 23rd – October 30th
6. Spooktacular Light Show — GO Stations in Mississauga & Richmond Hill, ON
Locations: Meadowvale GO Station in Mississauga / Richmond Hill GO Station in Richmond Hill
One of the biggest and brightest Halloween light events in the Greater Toronto Area has returned better than before. Bring the family to experience an enchanting Halloween light show like no other. This drive-through event is not one to be missed! Its creators have packed their Halloween extravaganza with large and unique light displays, like the haunted house, a pumpkin-filled tunnel, plus a menagerie of ghouls, witches, and more. Additionally, there are lights that sing and dance to the music, and you can tune into the dedicated radio station for Spooktacular Halloween hits during your creepy cruise. As a plus, children receive Halloween candy during their visit! And you won’t want to miss the main nightly feature of special simulated fireworks that will really light up the area. The Spooktacular Light Show is taking place at two locations: Mississauga and Richmond Hill.
September 23rd to October 31st, Monday-Thursdays & Sundays, 7pm-10pm & Fridays & Saturdays from 7pm-10:30pm
Halloween Events in Ontario – Not for the faint of heart
7. Snyder’s Fear Farm — Bright, ON
Photo via fearfarm.ca
Fall brings with it the resurgence of apple picking, pumpkin patches and haunted tours. Perhaps one of the most infamous haunted tours is the legendary Fear Farm in Ontario. Located just south of Kitchener, Ontario, it has six different terrifying attractions you can explore, including a hay ride, a pitch-black corn maze, a multi-level haunted house and a carnival. The farm is actually haunted, so who knows if you’ll be spooked by a real ghost. Additonally, these interactive haunted experiences will have monsters and freaks popping out of every corner when you least expect it. New to the farm this year is a campfire experience for those who aren’t too keen on getting scared. So, take comfort that you’ll be able to sit by a pre-lit campfire and roast some marshmallows to make s’mores with the kit provided.
September 24th through October 31st
8. Bingemans Screampark — Kitchener, ON
Photo via bingemans.com/screampark
The famed Bingemans Screampark in Kitchener is back! This Halloween favourite is sure to frighten even the most steely-nerved of its visitors. With six horrifying attractions, like Carnival Cannibal and The Slaughter Shed, Screampark is not for the faint of heart and guarantees a frightful time will be had by all. Operating hours vary through its run, so be sure to visit their website online before heading out.
September 30th to October 30th
9. Halloween Haunt — Canada’s Wonderland in Vaughan, ON
Pandemonium – Photo via canadaswonderland.com
Halloween Haunt returns to Canada’s Wonderland with a sinister transformation! This event turns the theme park into a scream park filled with Halloween attractions that offer unforgettable thrills and unspeakable horror. Immerse yourself in the Nightmare of Haunt, a Halloween event where the streets are filled with terror. You’ll see hundreds of monsters, terrifying scare zones and mazes, ghoulish street performers, live music, thrilling night rides and electrifying live shows. So, if you’re looking for things to do – or places to scream – this fall in the Toronto area, don’t miss Canada’s largest Halloween event.
September 23rd through October 30th
10. Legends of Horror — Casa Loma in Toronto, ON
Photo via legendsofhorror.ca
This Halloween, the grounds of Casa Loma will once again be transformed into the immersive experience that is Legends of Horror. Done in the presentational form considered “promenade theatre”, stroll through the 2km trail at your own risk. Commence in the lower gardens of Casa Loma and wind your way through the castle’s tunnels and darkest spaces never before open to the public. Throughout the experience, you will be immersed in a variety of theatrically-designed sets in gardens and chambers below the castle. Afterwards, the climax of the production is the 3D projection on the exterior of the castle, which brings the characters of the storyline and the walls of the castle to life. Be sure to visit the site to get your tickets early for this one-of-a-kind event!
September 30th to October 31st
11. All Hallows’ Eve Ghost Tour — Old Fort Erie in Fort Erie, ON
Photo via niagaraparks.com
If you’re feeling brave, you can venture through Canada’s bloodiest battlefield at Old Fort Erie by candlelight. You might even spot a real ghost! The All Hallow’s Eve Ghost Tour takes you on a journey through the ‘Erie’ grounds and barracks by torch and candlelight. Hear spooky Halloween tales and learn about the fascinating history of some of the most beloved Halloween traditions. Furthermore, you’ll see the Officers’ quarters, where the bedroom of Captain Kingsley of the King’s 8th Regiment of Foot is said to be haunted by his spirit.
October 20th, 21st, 22nd, 27th, 28th and 29th at 7:30 or 7:45 p.m
12. Haunt Manor & Frightmare in the Falls — Niagara Falls, ON
No Halloween events in Ontario guide would be complete without including these attractions. Niagara Falls has lots of terrifying attractions to scare you, however these are two of the best. Haunt Manor has been named Canada’s scariest haunted attraction and the number one Halloween attraction in the country. It’s located just west of the Battle of Lundy’s Lane, where the bloodiest battle in history took place. Not surprisingly, many people report sightings of ghosts in the area. The attraction has a theatrical hayride, corn maze and seven themed haunted houses. Each year, the themes for the haunted houses change, artfully carried out by the 100 plus actors, staff and design crews who are specially-trained to entertain and frighten visitors.
Every weekend plus Halloween through September, October & November (schedule here)
Frightmare in the Falls is set to take over the Scotiabank Convention Centre on October 28th and 29th in Clifton Hill. It will be a mashup of everything horror-related, including celebrity guests, horror-themed vendors, memorabilia, panels, movies, displays, movie cars, cosplay, special effects props, artists, haunted attractions and much more!
Friday, October 28: 3pm – 8pm, Saturday, October 29: 10am – 6pm
We hope our list of frightful attractions has inspired you to get out and enjoy this spooky holiday. Whether its family-friendly festivals or scream-worthy sites, there is something for everyone to enjoy this Halloween. We hope that one of these spooktacular Halloween events in Ontario gives you all the thrills and chills you are seeking this October. Happy haunting!
