Fall, Halloween Activities In Central Oklahoma

It's that time of the year again! Halloween is just around the corner, and for families in central Oklahoma, there are many fall activities you and your children can take part in.

Situated at the crossroads of I-35, I-40 and I-44, the 12 central counties of Oklahoma, known as Frontier Country, offer a variety of events, attractions and festivals to entertain the whole family this Halloween.

Festivals and Events

Haunt the River with Oklahoma River Cruises on Friday and Saturday nights through Oct. 27. The adult cruises begin at 8 p.m. departing from Regatta Park Landing. Enjoy ghoulish hors d'oeuvres, cash bar, costume prizes, fortune tellers and frightful fun. The cruise is $35 per adult and reservations are required. Family-friendly haunted cruises are available on public service.

Experience Frontier City's FrightFest for festivities for all ages. Open on weekends through Oct. 28, FrightFest features the kid-friendly Booville including the Trick-or-Treat Trail, pumpkin patch, pumpkin decorating, storytelling, face painting and more. For the brave at heart, the Nightmare Haunted House is just $5.

The Storybook Forest at Arcadia Lake's Spring Creek Park Oct. 23-31 features a walking trick-or-treat trail with storybook characters and scenes from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. nightly. Other activities include hayrides, game area and campfire. Adults are admitted free with the purchase of a child's ticket.

Haunt the Harn at the Harn Homestead &1889ers Museum Oct. 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. Children of all ages are invited to trick-or-treat at each of the historic buildings on the Homestead grounds and participate in games and crafts. Also take a hayride or roast marshmallows around a campfire. Admission per child is $3 in advance, $5 at the door.

The Boo on Bell Fall Family Festival, Shawnee's second largest event, is Oct. 26-27 on Bell Street in downtown Shawnee. Families can enjoy a variety of free activities on Bell Street including a car show, live music, costume contests, carnival games, hayrides, parade, ghost tours, trick-or-treating and more.

Oklahoma City Zoo hosts its annual Haunt the Zoo for Halloween Oct. 26-31. Haunt the Zoo, one of Oklahoma's largest Halloween celebration, offers six nights of family-friendly trick-or-treating throughout the Zoo grounds from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. nightly. Admission is $7 per child at the door.

Yukon's annual Spooksville Halloween event is Oct. 27 at the Yukon Community Center. Beginning at 2 p.m. take part in the Mutt Masquerade or kids costume contests. From 3 to 6 p.m. enjoy the Spook House and a carnival featuring games, crafts treats and more. Admission is $2 for children and adults.

Take a Halloween Train Ride in costume at the Oklahoma Railway Museum in Oklahoma City Oct. 27. The train leaves Oakwood Depot at the museum at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary. Wear a costume to receive $1 off a train ride ticket.

Join El Reno Main Street, The Centre Theatre and the El Reno CVB for Halloween Spooktacular Oct. 27 in historic downtown El Reno. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., festivities include trick-or-treating downtown, arts festival and costume contest.

Haunt Old Town in Moore is Oct. 27 from 4 to 7 p.m. with trick-or-treating, hayrides, inflatables, food vendors and live entertainment. Moore Community Center will have a haunted room, games, costume contest and more for all ages. Moore also debuts their newest attraction – the Trail of Fears Haunted Trail at Little River Park Oct. 30. Trek through a winding, haunted trail with creatures lurking around every corner from 7 to 10 p.m. The trail is designed for ages 12 and older and cost is $5 per person. Free activities for kids include story time for children, train rides around the park and a movie in the park.

Downtown Stillwater hosts their annual Halloween festival, Red Dirt Zombies, Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. Enjoy free family-friendly activities including trick-or-treating, games, live entertainment and a costume contest located at 7th and Main Street.

The Museum of Osteology in Oklahoma City hosts their Halloween Bash Oct. 31 from 6 to 9 p.m. with prizes, candy and a special museum admission price of $3 per person. Costumes are welcome.

Theater and Music

Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma presents The Mystery of Irma Vep at Lyric's Plaza Theatre in Oklahoma City through Oct. 27. Two actors take on all the roles with dozens of lightening quick costume changes in Charles Ludlam's high-camp comedy. This sidesplitting spoof pokes fun at all that is ridiculous in Gothic horror, Victorian melodrama, and classic movies, plus it's a contender for the funniest American play of the last quarter-century.

Guthrie's Pollard Theatre presents The 39 Steps through Oct. 27 – a mix of a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel and a dash of Monty Python. A cast of four actors play over 150 characters in this fast-paced tale of an ordinary man on an extraordinarily entertaining adventure of murder, espionage and flirtatious entanglements.

Phil's Monster Mash – A Discovery Family Concert at the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Oct. 28 is designed for children ages 4 to 13, the afternoon starts at 1 p.m. with lobby activities and the concert begins at 2 p.m. The one-hour concert features "The Chill of the Orchestra," a fun and educational look at symphony music. Tickets are $9 for general admission.

Corn Mazes and Pumpkin Patches

Located near Enid, Daze in a Maze provides fall family fun through Thanksgiving weekend with a six-acre hay bale maze, petting zoo, pumpkin patch, picnic and play areas along with a number of corn mazes. Daze in a Maze is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays and also weekdays by appointment. Hours of operation and admission prices vary.

The Mikles Family Farm in Shawnee offers plenty of activities for an entire day at the farm. The five-acre corn maze of thick, tall stalks features more than two miles of walking trails to trek through in daylight or dark. Other activities include an old-fashioned hayride, farm animals, campfire, pumpkin patch and more. The Mikles Family Farm is open weekends through Nov. 3. Hours of operation and admission prices vary.

In Oklahoma City, Orr Family Farm has a variety of fall activities through Nov. 3 to entertain the family including a corn maze, pumpkin patch, hayrides, train rides, fishing pond, pony rides, zip line and more. Trick-Orr-Treating and a costume contest will be Oct. 27. Hours of operation and admission prices vary.

Chickasha's Reding Farm offers The Maize, Oklahoma's largest corn maze covering 35 acres. Open through Nov. 4, Reding Farm is complete with hayrides, pumpkin patch, farm animals, train rides, campfire and corn cannon. At night, experience the Haunted Maize: Harvest of Fear open through Oct. 27. Hours of operation and admission prices vary.

In Piedmont, enjoy something for all ages at Chester's Party Barn & Farm through Nov. 4 with a three-acre mystery maze, pumpkin patch, pony rides and hayrides, games, petting zoo and "Chester's World's Largest Ant Farm Habitat". Admission is $8 and hours of operation vary.

Frontier Country Marketing Association, a 501-c6 organization, promotes the economic growth of the tourism industry in the 12 central counties of Oklahoma.

For more information about these events, visit oktourism.com or call (405)-232-6552.