Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, and the towns around the Smokies have lined up free trick-or-treating for the whole last week of October. If you’re bringing kids to Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg or Sevierville, pack the costumes. You can hit a different free event almost every day from Thursday through Halloween night.
Thursday, October 29: Safety Day and Spooktacular in Pigeon Forge
The City of Pigeon Forge hosts its yearly Safety Day & Spooktacular at the Pigeon Forge Community Center, 170 Community Center Drive. It runs in two parts, and both are free.
- Safety Day, 3 to 6 p.m., takes place outside in the community center parking lot. Kids can meet local first responders, climb around emergency vehicles and trick-or-treat at booths from local businesses.
- The Spooktacular, 6 to 9 p.m., moves indoors with a DJ, costume contests, more trick-or-treating and a haunted house.
The city calls it a safe, family-friendly event, so it’s a good first outing for little ones who aren’t ready for anything too scary.
Friday, October 30: Sheriff’s Spooktacular Block Party in Sevierville
The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office throws its annual Spooktacular Block Party around the Sevier County Courthouse in downtown Sevierville from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday. It’s free, and kids trick-or-treat with deputies, firefighters, EMS crews and other local agencies, with games and mazes along the way.
Plan on some street closures downtown. The City of Sevierville’s traffic advisory says parts of Court Avenue, West Bruce Street and Bruce Street will be closed from about 4 to 9 p.m. for the party. If you were at History & Haunts last week, it’s the same area around the courthouse. A few event calendars list this one on October 31, but the sheriff’s office and the city both have it on Friday, October 30.
Saturday, October 31: Halloween day at the aquarium
Start Halloween in Gatlinburg at the Trick-or-Treat Kickoff Carnival at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the aquarium plaza at 88 River Road. Expect live music, food and local vendors, games and a costume contest. The contest goes by age group:
- 2:00 p.m. for infants up to age 5
- 2:15 p.m. for ages 6 to 11
- 2:30 p.m. for ages 12 and up
- 2:45 p.m. for groups
If you’d like to go inside the aquarium too, Ripley’s is offering 30% off aquarium admission on October 31 only. Pricing and discounts can change, so check the aquarium’s website before you go.
Saturday night, October 31: Halloween at The Island
The Island in Pigeon Forge keeps the party going after dark. According to The Island’s Halloween page, here’s the schedule:
- 5 to 7:30 p.m.: free trick-or-treating at participating shops around the property
- 8 to 10 p.m.: a Halloween dance party with DJ Corey in the Margaritaville Restaurant courtyard
- 9 p.m.: a community costume contest, with kids and grownups grouped by age and prizes from Island shops and attractions
All evening, the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel runs special Halloween light shows, and the Island Show Fountains play Halloween music at the bottom of every hour. Pigeon Forge’s tourism office says parking and the shuttle are free at The Island, but the lots fill quickly on a Saturday night in October, so get there early.
A few tips for Halloween week
Traffic on the Parkway will be heavy all week, especially Friday and Saturday evenings. Leave extra time between stops, and if you’re staying in Gatlinburg, the trolley can save you from hunting for a parking spot. Nights are cooling off in the mountains, so a layer under the costume isn’t a bad idea. A small flashlight or glow stick helps too once the sun goes down.
Event times come from the organizers and can shift, so check the City of Pigeon Forge event page, the City of Sevierville advisory, the Ripley’s Aquarium event page and The Island’s Halloween page before you head out.
Photo at top: the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel at The Island in Pigeon Forge by Sarah Stierch, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).