baltimore’s spooktacular halloween events for families

We’re skipping our traditional “what’s up for the weekend” this week in order to bring you a round-up of all the fab spooktacular events for families (most of which happen this weekend!). How will you get your ghoul on?

ZooBoo!
Calling all you friendly ghosts and goblins. We hope you’ll join us for a frightfully fun and wildly spooktacular time at The Maryland Zoo this Halloween. Enjoy costume contests, games, food, a hay maze, live entertainment and FREE trick-or-treating. This event is free with Zoo admission. Runs Friday through Sunday, 10 AM – 4 PM. Costume contests take place at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm daily during the event. MORE INFO

Coppermine Fieldhouse Halloween Party
Sports & games, costume parade, prizes & giveaways, halloween candy, & costume contest. Take a spooktacular tour of Coppermine Fieldhouse. Wear socks and play clothes under your costume, and feel free to bring a friend! Ages 2-8. Reservations required. Friday from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM. MORE INFO

Falloween Family Festival at Port Discovery
The annual Falloween Family Festival at Port Discovery features arts and science activities, including the Tu Tu Factory, Spooky Science, Glow in the Dark Fun, and more! Rock out with a performance by Here Comes Trouble, a D.C.-based kid indie rock band! Plus, experience live animals from Wildlife Adventures, and children are welcome to wear costumes! MORE INFO

Hallowmarine
The public is invited to join the National Aquarium for its annual Hallowmarine celebration. Enjoy crafts, creepy-crawly animal encounters, a “scare”venger hunt, costume parade, and more! Help judge a pumpkin-carving contest and learn more about ways to green your Halloween! Costumes are encouraged! Free with the price of admission. Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM – 2 PM. MORE INFO

Spooky Science at The Maryland Science Center
Celebrate the chills and thrills of Halloween at our fourth annual Spooky Science, where creepy chemistry and mysterious science combine to provide a hauntingly good time. Our mad scientists will be roaming through the building with hair-raising experiments and fangtastic demonstrations. Guests can look forward to making gooey, glowing slime, decorating pumpkins and trick or treat bags, exploring mystery boxes filled with eerie items and creating catapults for a punkin’ chunkin’ contest. Saturday from 12 noon to 4 PM. MORE INFO

Children’s Pumpkin Carving Contest at B&O American Brasserie
B&O American Brasserie will host a free pumpkin carving contest for children ages 5-12 years old. Participating children will receive a complimentary pumpkin and carving kit. The winner will receive a prize and the winning family will also receive complimentary brunch for four. Participants can take their pumpkin home! A special family-friendly Halloween menu will be offered at the restaurant during the event as well. Guests can enjoy complimentary hot cocoa and apple cider. RSVP required. MORE INFO

Day of the Dead Festival at The Walters
Traditional Mexican dance, live mariachi music, free art activities, plus Bread of the Dead. Starting Wed, Oct 24, the museum will host a community altar where members of the public can place items in honor of loved ones who have passed away. Saturday from 12 noon to 3 PM. MORE INFO

Baltimore Mommies Trunk or Treat
All the treats without the tricks: BaltimoreMommies presents the 4th annual Trunk or Treat! Join Baltimore Mommies on Saturday, October 27 from 3-5:30 p.m. at Bruster’s on Aquahart Road in Glen Burnie for a spooktacular celebration. Prizes will be awarded for best costumes and best trunks, so get creative!
Trunk or Treat is a safe, scare-free way for little boys and ghouls to enjoy Halloween fun without ever crossing the street. Dress up the back of your vehicle and pass out treats while your kids play games, collect goodies, and create a masterpiece at the art station. This event is FREE with a food donation for Maryland Food Bank. MORE INFO

Harry Potter Halloween
You’re accepted to Wizarding School! Make Harry Pot- ter themed crafts and learn about the wizarding world at Oregon Ridge Nature Center from 2 PM – 4 PM on Saturday and Sunday. MORE INFO

Halloween Lantern Parade and Festival
The 2012 Halloween Lantern Parade & Festival: Phantasmic Creatures of Earthly Delight celebrates imaginary creatures and mythological beasts inspired by our very own Patterson Park on Saturday! The day kicks off at 3:30 PM with a Free Festival: kids’ hay rides, lantern workshops, other family-friendly activities, food trucks, live music & more! Parade Director Laure Drogoul coordinates our shimmering spectacle! Dragon lanterns glow on the Boat Lake, video projections light up the DiPietro Ice Rink bubble, artist installations & performances throughout the Parade Route. Marching bands, samba, gypsy music, and more keep your feet moving! All are welcome to dress in costume, make lanterns from repurposed plastic bottles, and carry them in the Parade. Or… watch from anywhere along the route! Parade begins at 7:30 PM. MORE INFO

All Hallow’s Eve Campfire
Why are witches and goblins a part of Halloween? Hear how Halloween evolved from ancient nature celebrations. On a night hike we’ll look for traditional symbols: spiders, bats, and fall leaves. Saturday from 6 PM – 8 PM. The evening will end with a campfire and s’mores. RSVP by 10/26. Ages 5 and up. MORE INFO

Hulaween at Roy’s Baltimore
With Halloween just around the corner, what better way to celebrate with your kids than by joining us for Roy’s Keiki Hulaween Bash? Bring your Keiki (Hawaiian for “kids”) to Roy’s on Sunday from 11 AM – 2 PM for a delicious buffet style meal-and then stay for games, pumpkin decorating and a costume contest. A fun afternoon for the whole family! Seating is limited, so please call (410) 659-0099 for reservations. MORE INFO

Trick or Treat on the Square
Dress up in costume, pull on your dancing shoes, and head to the Square! For “ghouls” and “goblins” of all ages, Belvedere Square will host its first ever Halloween event, “Trick or Treat at the Square”, on Sunday, October 28, from 2 to 5 p.m. Families can enjoy live music by Collect All Five, visit stores to receive sweet treats from costumed merchants, and join a student-led group dance to Thriller, the Square’s version of the tribute to this popular song. Afterwards, trick-or-treaters can take home a souvenir of the event – a complimentary pumpkin that they can paint themselves at the Square. MORE INFO

Halloween Spectacular at Charm City Kids Club
Come to CCKC in your best costume for some music by the MIlkshake Duo, facepainting by Funny Faces Face Painting, costume contests and treats on October 30th! 10 am- noon. $10 members/$12 nonmembers. Must RSVP ahead of time to info@charmcitykidsclub.com. MORE INFO

Toddler Time Halloween Celebration & Costume Parade at the B&O
Toddler time will featuring a classic railroad story and Halloween celebration. Children parade in costume around the Museum campus to collect special treats. Kiddie train rides too! All included with paid admission. Recommended for ages 2-5. Last Toddler Time of the Year! On Halloween at 10:30 AM. MORE INFO

Wizards and Wands at the Myerhoff
Unlocking key scientific concepts, discover the natural versus supernatural and link science, music and magic. Musical delights include Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Harry Potter, and Stravinsky’s Firebird. Recommended for grades 4-8. On Halloween from 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM. MORE INFO

Hampden Halloween Fest
Trick or treat along the avenue! On Wednesday, October 31st, 2012 is Hampden’s HalloweenFest! From 5-6 there will be trick-or-treating, sponsored by the Hampden Village Merchants Association. This will take place along W. 36th St., Falls Road., and Chestnut Ave with participating merchants. From 6-8 there will be a HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST. Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Hampden-Midtown and the Circle K Club of Johns Hopkins University. The contest will be located in the 800 block of 36th Street in front of Ma Petite Shoe. There will be TROPHIES for all ages, for the prettiest, scariest, and most original. Competition is fierce.  Ma Petite Shoe will have a photo shoot in action during the costume contest. So come out, compete, and pose for the camera! MORE INFO

Halloween Pirate Cruise with Urban Pirates
Special family cruises at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Halloween followed by an adult B.Y.O.G cruise at 7 p.m. create a spooktacular Halloween with the crew of the Urban Pirates. MORE INFO

Did we miss something super (cool)? Leave a comment and we’ll add it to our calendar!

Author Description

heather

Heather is editor-in-chief of (cool) progeny. When not scouting the best in everything kid and family, you'll probably find her running The Weisse Group or adventuring around town with her daughter (the Bug) and husband. Can be won over with a good glass of wine or something homemade. Addicted to Pinterest. Only pretends to know what she's doing with her SLR, even though she's got a fantastic lens on it. Thankful it does most of the work for her.