9 Halloween activities kids can go to and adults won’t hate
Nothing that’s scare-the-kids-away scary.
Halloween is never boring, but it can be tricky to enjoy with the entire family—there has to be a balance of ghoulish and friendly features. To make your life easier, we’ve rounded up Halloween family-friendly activities going on around Boston and laid out the details for you.
Halloween Pet Parade & Costume Contest
Dress up your four-legged friend in a wicked cute Halloween costume and parade him or her around Faneuil Hall. Don’t hold back—register your pet in the costume contest and he/she might go home with a prize. (Saturday, October 24 at 12 p.m.; Faneuil Hall Marketplace; free to attend)
Brick or Treat at LEGOLAND Discovery Center
For the Lego-and-candy-obsessed, Brick or Treat is an epic Halloween experience. Head to the Discovery Center in your costume and test your Lego-building skills during the Spooky Creative Challenge, dig through MINILAND and find mini monsters, and make your way through the Spooktacular Pumpkin Trail. Plus, a prize will be given to the best dressed individual out there. (Saturday, October 24 from 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday, October 25 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and Saturday, October 31 from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; LEGOLAND Discovery Center; tickets starting at $14.95)
The Magical Halloween Castle on Castle Island in 2012.Kayana Szymczak / The Boston Globe
Children’s Magical Halloween Castle
A trip to Castle Island will make for an enchanted experience, full of storytelling and magicians performing some serious tricks. Kids are encouraged to wear costumes. (Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25 from 12-4 p.m.; Fort Independence Castle Island; free to attend; children must be accompanied by an adult)
Halloween at South End Open Market
The South End Open Market is wrapping up its outdoor market and going out with a big bang at their annual Halloween celebration. Come decked out as a martian, an astronaut, or in any costume that’s simply out of this world—you’ll fit right in with the alien theme. The costume contest begins at 1 p.m., and you can expect big prizes. (Sunday, October 25 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; 460 Harrison Ave.; free to attend)
The FallFEST is an all-inclusive event and the last farmer’s market of the season—this is going to be big. Stop by the Downeast Cider House booth for a game of cornhole, or trick-or-treat at one of the 40 vendors handing out candy. Kids can get crafty and make their own spider or ghost magnet, pooches can participate in the dog costume contest, and everyone can enjoy the vendors and live music. Sample food will also be provided by Earls Kitchen + Bar, DAVIDsTea, and J.P. Licks. (Sunday, October 25 from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Assembly Row; free to attend)
Jessica Rinaldi / The Boston Globe
Step aside because the spotlight will be on your pooches. The pets will strut down the Esplanade for a half-mile dressed in costumes to make them look even cuter. While it’s all fun and games, there’s a grand prize for best pet costume and best duet (for humans who dress up with their four-legged best friends). Everyone gets to leave with a goodie bag and dog treats from Pawsh Dog Boutique. {Sunday, October 25 from 12-2 p.m.; Fiedler Field, Charles River Esplanade; $15 advance registration fee/$20 the day of)
Halloween Night Hike @ Franklin Park
Take a spooky walk through the Franklin Park woods. What makes it so spooky? No flashlights will be allowed during the nighttime hike. The hike will begin at Valley Gates parking lot, and you’ll know you’re at the meeting point once you hit the big jack-o’-lantern. (Friday, October 30 at 7 p.m.; Valley Gates Parking Lot at Franklin Park; free to attend)
The Boston Common Costume Dash 5K
Kick off Halloween Day in your most wild Halloween getup along with thousands of runners for the first-annual Boston Common Costume Dash 5K. The run starts at Copley Square and ends in the Boston Common. The race benefits the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay. (Saturday, October 31 at 9 a.m.; Copley Square; $50 registration fee; open through October 28)
Take the kids out to the ballpark for a night of trick-or-treating. There will be balloon artists, face painters, Big League Brian the stilt walker, Wally the Green Monster, and a haunted pumpkin patch. (Saturday, October 31 from 1-5 p.m.; Fenway Park, enter through Gate C; free to attend)
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