Halloween Downtown returns to Eugene, bigger and spookier than ever

Prepare for an afternoon of trick-or-treating and frightful encounters for all ages.

The City's annual Halloween festival is returning this month with a significant expansion from previous years. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Halloween Downtown is one of the City's most popular community events, drawing more than 5,000 visitors in 2023. This year, the event is maintaining fun and playful experiences for children while adding a series of new, scarier features for thrill-seekers of all ages. The event's footprint has been enlarged to encompass more city blocks and street closures to create a large activity zone safe for pedestrians.

David Dickinson, the downtown events and permit coordinator, is excited to see the event grow in a way that engages downtown merchants by encouraging them to create their own eerie attractions.

"It's been a joyous, collaborative experience to work with the downtown merchants and local artists who share a passion for Halloween," Dickinson said. "People are coming together and we're seeing marvelous excitement building around the event."

Halloween Downtown will run 1-6 p.m. Oct. 26, within Eugene's downtown core. Visitors are encouraged to wear costumes and start their adventure at the Cultural Services information booth on the corner of Olive Street and West Broadway, where they can pick up a copy of the Monstrous Map of the Macabre to use as a guide through the available activities.

Following tradition, the event is opening with the fan-favorite pet parade. Anyone interested in marching in the parade can bring their costumed pet to the corner of Seventh Avenue and Willamette Street, in front of the Hult Center, for sign-up at 12:30 p.m. A bicycle procession sponsored by Shift Community Cycles is leading the parade at 1 p.m., traveling east on Seventh Avenue, south on Olive Street, west on 10th Avenue and north on Willamette Street until they return to the starting point.

Dozens of downtown businesses are offering trick-or-treating from 2-5 p.m. Participating locations can be identified by orange candy corn flags hanging above their storefronts. A complete list of trick-or-treat addresses can be obtained from the Cultural Services information booth or downloaded from the event website.

Visitors can explore the neighboring blocks to find a variety of captivating attractions. Local animatronics creator James Feist is contributing his unique skills by adding lifelike moving creatures at several installments. Entertainment includes local DJ Tinta Turnter playing music in Kesey Square and costumed circus performers wandering the streets. Spontaneous performances by flash mobs Eugene Hexenbrut and Thrill the World will surprise onlookers throughout the afternoon. The Japanese-American Association of Lane County is presenting stories of Yokai, legendary creatures from Japanese folklore, through interactive costumes, drumming and dance, and Monsters of the World displays will teach onlookers about mythical creatures from diverse cultures through stories contributed by community members. Lane Transit District is joining the fun with a walk-through haunted bus at Eugene Station on the corner of 10th Avenue and Olive Street. Next door, the Downtown Library is hosting a Halloween family maze from 1-4 p.m., while the Eugene Saturday Market, located in the Park Blocks until 4 p.m., is featuring a haunted spider tunnel. Puzzle-solvers can embark on a scavenger hunt to decode a secret message for a chance to win one of several raffle prize baskets donated by local businesses. Other highlights include artisan vendor booths, food trucks, kids' activities and special activations from downtown businesses.

Halloween Downtown is produced by City of Eugene Cultural Services. For more details, visit www.eugene-or.gov/4643/Halloween-Downtown.

Cultural Services provides year-round programming to promote public art and cultural events throughout Eugene. The team utilizes responsible and catalytic leadership to support the public's vision for a thriving arts and cultural sector that contributes to the community's social and economic well-being.

For more City updates visit our City Newsroom webpage.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.