Fun Things to Do this Halloween in Central Florida

“Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,— For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble.” Surprised to learn this isn't what the Wicked Witch in Snow White said, but the inimitable words of William Shakespeare? These are words designed to draw a slight shiver up your spine, as are the many things to do this Halloween in Central Florida. From sexy to scary, kid-friendly to money making, these are a few of the TOP EVENTS scheduled this Halloween in Central Florida.

Be sure to click on each of the 'Areas' Halloween pages below to see new events as they are added. Bookmark the pages or register on the sites to stay connected to everything local in your area!

352area.com Halloween in Central Florida Gainesville, Brooksville, Ocala and more

Annual Children's Halloween Carnival - This annual children's carnival, hosted by Ocala Breeder Sales and Racebook grows every year and includes several exciting events. Admission is only $1, and all food truck items are under $4 for this family-friendly thoroughbred event. The party starts at 6 pm, kids and adults wear your costumes! Expect fun, food, bounce houses, a cupcake walk and much more at this annual event in the heart of horse country.

Scream-A-Geddon - Florida's Premier Horror Park - Fright fans, this unique park in Dade City is open seasonally and always ready to scare. New for 2017 Halloween in Florida is Infected: Ground Zero at Scream-A-Geddon, with new haunts; familiar houses include Blackpool Prison, Bedlam 3D, Deadwood and the Cursed Hayride. Don't miss the Monster Midway!

Hick or Treat (Country Halloween) - If you're looking for a southern style Halloween, you've found your spot. The 3rd annual Hick or Treat will take place on Thursday, October 26 and will feature DJ Austin spinning Country and Top 40 hits. Drink specials include $10 Domestic Buckets and $4 Jack Daniels. Swing by in your best getup for a chance to win $50 for Sexiest Country Gal and $25 for Sexiest Cowboy.

Knuckleheads Halloween Fright Fest w/ Pete Hunt Southern Branded - This fright fest on October 28th will be full of beer and games. There will be an amped-up version of beer pong with 5-gallon buckets, corn hole, horseshoes and a costume contest with awesome prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners! The fun starts at 6 pm so come on down for drink specials, games, music, and food.

6th Annual Halloween party at Karma - Celebrate Karma's 6th Annual Halloween party with your friends! Be dressed to impress to win prizes that include $100 cash for sexiest, $50 gift card for scariest and $50 gift card for most original. There's no cover, and DJ Risk will keep the party jumping all night. Free VIP couches available for parties of 6 or more. Call 352-678-5252 to reserve a table.

Dogs, Brunch, Biscuits & Halloween - What happens when dogs, brunch, and Halloween come together as one? No other than the Dogs, Brunch, Biscuits & Halloween event at The Fat Tuscan Cafe. Bring your dog in a costume for a chance to win a gift certificate to a cooking class where you'll enjoy a full brunch for yourself and make dog biscuits for your pup using fresh ingredients. The price is $40 per person, which includes the buffet, cooking class recipes, and Dog Biscuits.

407area.com Halloween in Central Florida Orlando

Halloween Horror Nights - On our list of things to do this Halloween in Florida this ranks as a Premier Event. In their 27th year of nightmarish fun, people around the state are snatching up tickets to attend #HHN27. Enjoy heart-pounding moments on select nights from September 15 through November 4 as the streets of Universal Studios come alive with horrifying mutants, ghouls, monsters, and maniacs. Explore terrifying haunted houses as you make your way through scare zones where evil beings lurk beyond the turn. Enjoy outrageous live shows, exciting rides, and attractions at this years Halloween Horror Nights in Florida. Ticket start at $69.99 This 'Things to Do this Halloween in Florida' event is not recommended for children under the age of 13. No costumes or masks are allowed.

2017 Halloween at Magic Kingdom - Celebrate Halloween Disney style with magical festivities, parades, fireworks and more! Click the link for details and the schedule of events. Hit the TICKETS button to secure your passes into the park today.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2017 - Find many boo-tiful ways to have fun with the enigmatic spirits of the season as they transform the park into a happily haunted hollow. This is a costumed event, so get your costumes ready but be sure to follow the Disney guidelines before heading out to the happiest haunting on Earth where you can collect candies, sweets and frightfully delicious treats. Meet grinning ghosts, enjoy eerie entertainment and Disney Characters that go bump in the night.

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Halloween Boo Bash A favorite Halloween in Orlando celebration at The Grove Orlando where kids get up close and involved with eerie experiments. Enjoy music, games, contests and a costume parade. Trick-or-treat will be happening throughout The Grove shops as Mad Science and a DJ spook up the fun.

BOO! on Broadway- What used to be "Trick or Treat on Broadway" has turned into "BOO! on Broadway", which offers a safe community trick or treat event on Main Street in Kissimmee. There will be candy, a photo booth, and plenty of other Halloween festivities for the family to enjoy.

The HAUNT at Old Town- It's back! Place yourself into a gory world of horror as you enter the darkness of the Haunt of Old Town only to be welcomed by your fears and phobias. Walk around the haunted mazes, enter the scare zones and test your skills of surviving a zombie apocalypse. Be sure to survive if you can.

Halloween Boo Bash- A local favorite in Orlando gives the kids an opportunity to come face to face with creepy but safe experiments. At this special event, the DJ will host games, contests and a costume parade. Trick or treating will happen at shops in The Grove.

Halloween Costume Contest at West End & Celery City!- Go big or go home with this costume contest offering big prizes. $750 for 1st place, $500 for 2nd, $250 for 3rd and $250 for best group. You win by coming to Celery City between 7-9 pm or West End from 9-11 pm Saturday, October 28 to have your photo taken by a professional that is then uploaded to Facebook. The photo with the most likes will win! One like equals one vote and voting will continue until midnight on November 1st. The winner will be announced Thursday, November 2nd at the Day of the Dead party.

Costume Party in VAULT 5421- After happy hour from 3-8 pm, there will be a costume party with DJs, cage performances, Halloween films from 8 pm- 1 am. A costume contest with prizes will happen at 11. Guest must be 21+ for entry.

Raspberry Pie's Super Sexy Halloween Party- Orlando's dessert-themed dance band, is throwing the Halloween party of the season and you're invited! There'll be funky music and a costume contest with prizes. This party is equivalent to the feeling one gets when receiving a king-sized candy bar, pure joy! Doors open at 8:30 pm and cover is $8.

Terribly Odd Studios presents-Graveyard Ghoulies- Book lovers unite in this special treat! Join in the special Halloween print release and signing event October 31 from 5-9 pm where you can say hello to Skully, Wick, and Whisper. The three ghoulish hosts who welcome you to share a scare and pick up a free button.

Mall-O-Ween at The Florida Mall- Trick or Treat at the mall is an annual special for the family on Halloween. All children under the age of 12 are invited to have a good time. The event will be held throughout the mall at participating stores. Be sure to stop at the guest services center to find out about the treats happening all over the mall and get the first candy collection. There will be a DJ, photo booth, face painting, stilt walkers and more at the Play Park. Mad Science will be doing a presentation at the Macy's Court from 5-8 pm.

Petrified Forest- Celebrate ten years of fear with this highly rated spookfest that is sure to scare even the bravest of souls! Immerse yourself in 85,000 square feet of open forest that has fear built in every corner. Ghost House will be this year's new haunted house and the classic Laser Swamp will be open too, which means double the scare. The event is rated PG-13. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

813area.com Halloween in Central Florida Tampa

Howl-O-Scream 2017 Unspeakable terror lives at every turn during Busch Gardens during Halloween in Central Florida at this pulse-pounding park adventure. Rides are overrun with creatures who ride alongside brave, thrill-seeking guests as unique haunted houses draw the brave inside. Remember at Howl-O-Scream, once you’re in, you’re all in. This epic Halloween in Tampa event begins September 23rd at 7:30 PM and runs through October 29th on special nights. Click the link above for additional information and tickets. This is a separately ticketed nighttime event and not intended for children.

Ghoulwill Bash Ship of Ghouls! Hope aboard Yacht StarShip Dining Cruises for this charitable event and celebrate Halloween in the Ghoulest way ever! This Halloween-themed fundraiser for Goodwill Industries provides partiers with a buffet dinner, cocktails and a breezy cruise around Tampa Bay. Dress up for the costume contest and dance to a DJ. Gayle Guyardo of News Channel 8 plays master of ceremonies, what could go wrong? Right!

The Halloween Horror Picture Show 2017 It's back! Yes, a horror-centric movie fest takes place once again in Downtown Tampa. Expect an intense lineup of some of the very best short horror films and a couple frightening features too! This smaller Halloween event is growing in stature as word spreads. It's lots of fun!

Halloween Party at the Hilton Tampa Downtown Fashionistas pay attention! This one is going to be different; the Hilton is throwing a big themed Halloween bash, the theme, "Iconic Fashion Moments." It's time to begin thinking about favorite all time classic fashion moments in history and recreate them as your costume! There will be a grand prize for best costume.

Halloween All Night Skate- Join in on the fun Friday, October 27 for an all-night skate event from 8 p.m.- 7 a.m. There will be dodgeball and a movie. Admission is $20 per person which includes skate rental, two hours of all you can eat pizza, unlimited drinks, nerf & laser, and breakfast. Entry after 11 pm will not be granted.

Hallowine 2.0- If you missed the Biggest Halloween Costume Party in 2016, you don't want to miss it in 2017! Come out in your best costume to dance all night long on Friday, October 27.

13th Annual Wesley Chapel Fall Festival- There will be a lot going on at this 13th annual family-friendly event that's happening October 28-29. There will be a carnival with a dozen of rides, games, live music, food, beverages, arts and crafts, and a pumpkin patch. Also on the list of activities is pony rides, bounce houses and a Halloween celebration on Saturday with Trunk & Treat at 5 pm. Free fall crafts will happen at 1-3 pm on both days. Bring the family for interactive fun!

6th Annual Little Monsters Pumpkin Patch & Promenade- This ones for the kids! The 6th annual pumpkin patch will give kids the opportunity to get their face painted, choose from over 1,500 free pumpkins to decorate and show off their costume while trick or treating at the Ybor merchants. This event is free, and costumes aren't mandatory but recommended.

4th Annual Halloween Boomers Cruise from Port Tampa- If you're looking to spice things up this year, take a cruise. Join in on the party with other cruisers to take part in the party on the Carnival Paradise sailing to Cozumel and Grand Canyon. Bring a costume and win a prize!

Tampa Riverwalk Trick or Treat- The free 2nd annual event presented by the Pirate Water Taxi is back! On Saturday, October 28 from 4-7 pm there will be candy stations hosted by local organizations and businesses for the community to enjoy. The fun doesn't stop there; Ghostbusters will play at the Water Works Park at the end of the event thanks to Tampa Recreation.

Zephyrhills Halloween Howl- If you're feeling daring, stop by Main Street in Zephyrhills for a five-hour fest of thrills Saturday, October 28 from 4-9 pm. The annual Halloween Howl will feature a hayride, carnival games, costume parade, pony ride, petting zoo, and free entertainment. We must not forget to mention a super freaky haunted house that you don't want to miss.

Related Content: Best Haunted Houses in Tampa | Halloween Scare Attractions

Spooktacular- Come out for a night of festive fun! There will be food trucks, vendors, and music. Also, a haunted house, bounce house, and a best-decorated trunk car show contest so be sure to deck out more than just yourself. This event is open to the public, with free entry and parking.

Zappaween 21 w/ Bogus Pomp- Candy may be music to a child's ears, but good tunes are what adults rave. Come out to hear the sounds of Bogus Pump, who has been playing music of Frank Zappa since 1984 and is returning from 2-year break to rock the night away. There will be a costume contest, and the winner gets a new Fender Stratocaster guitar.

941area.com Halloween in Central Florida Sarasota Bradenton

Selby Gardens Spooktacular 2017- Selby's Spooktacular is a funny, family-friendly event. Daytime activities will include traditional, wholesome Halloween happenings like trick or treating and pumpkin decorating, fun and educational activities like seed planting, and more. Bring trick-or-treat bags to collect goodies and come in costume! Michael’s on East will be grilling up ghoulish goodies for visitors big and small. The Selby House Cafe will also be open with its full menu. B’s Cool Treat’s will have their ice cream cart onsite with a wide assortment of frozen treats. And the trolley will run from 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. from Sarasota Friendship Center (1888 Brother Geenen Way ).

Halloween Candlelight Cartoon Tour at Gamble Plantation- Tour the area's only antebellum plantation this Halloween in Central Florida dressed as your favorite cartoon character. Adults, this means you too! Tickets are $6 a person. If you're short on ideas, Spongebob is always an easy and fun costume.

Halloween Party at Darwin Brewing Compan y- Rock your Halloween with the Country band Cottondale Swamp that originates from Florida. Kenny Grube, who is the band's frontman, was an Elvis Tribute for ten years and truly embodies the authentic soul of Florida. Witness the southern drawl of the band Saturday, October 28 at 8 pm.

Halloween Scary-oke at Woody's- Get in your best goblins and ghouls costumes for party! There will be karaoke all night long so be sure to perform a mic check before taking the stage. The fun starts at 6 pm.

This is a lot of events, with plenty more to come as we get closer to All Hallows Eve. Be sure to register on the sites nearest you to stay connected to Restaurants, Things to Do, Events, Sports and more in your area. (Cover photo by saso tusar)