Over 40 fun events happening in Tucson this weekend, Oct. 21-25 🍬🎃

Tucson residents have a packed stretch of Halloween and fall activities ahead from Wednesday, Oct. 21, through Sunday, Oct. 25. Families can choose among early trick or treating, costume parties, craft markets, museum events, concerts and car-free streets, while adults have options ranging from live music and haunted performances to themed parties downtown. Several events require advance tickets or reservations, so checking event details before heading out will be especially important.

Reid Park Zoo’s Halloween event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 22 to 25, with princesses, pirates, superheroes, games, candy stations and comedic skeleton scenes. A sensory-friendly night is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 21, without flashing lights or loud music. Tickets cost $16 for adults and $14 for children ages 2 to 14, and timed admission must be purchased in advance. The zoo is also preparing to open Pathway to Asia on Nov. 13, a new area featuring animals including Asian small-clawed otters, gibbons and red pandas. Timed tickets for that attraction go on sale Oct. 27.

The weekend offers plenty of free or low-cost choices for families. Casas Church, at 10801 N. La Cholla Boulevard, is hosting a community event with trunk or treating, carnival games and food trucks. Admission is free, although food purchases will cost extra. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department will hold another trunk or treat at Kino Sports Complex, 2500 E. Ajo Way. Children can also trick or treat at the Pima Air & Space Museum, where the program includes live performances and other kid-friendly activities. At the Tucson Rodeo Grounds, 4823 S. Sixth Avenue, a Halloween gathering will feature a costume contest, free candy, spooky activities and a screening of Casper.

Other family events are spread across the city. The Rolling Thru Time Auto Museum, 4750 S. Park Avenue, is combining classic cars and trick or treating, with food trucks on site. Admission is $10 for the general public and $5 for children ages 6 to 12. The Gregory School, 3231 N. Craycroft Road, will display more than 430 classic cars, along with food vendors and a raffle. On North Fourth Avenue, families can trick or treat along the historic street, enter a costume contest and bring their pets. Tanque Verde Swap Meet, 4100 S. Palo Verde Road, will offer candy bags, a piñata, free face painting and free tote bags while supplies last. Barrio Restoration is also planning a Halloween party with a costume contest, trick or treating and raffles.

For people looking for activities beyond Halloween, the Tucson Celtic Festival and Scottish Highland Games return to Rillito Racetrack, 4502 N. First Avenue. The festival is scheduled for 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Organized by the Tucson Celtic Festival Association, the event has spent nearly four decades celebrating Celtic heritage with vendors, music, dance and food. At Triangle L Art Ranch in Oracle, the illuminated GLOW! experience will fill 10 acres of trails with glowing artwork and performances from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24.

Downtown and central Tucson will have several adult-focused events. Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress Street, is hosting a large Halloween party with two costume contests, vendors, live music and drink specials. Admission is $15 in advance and $20 at the door, and the event is limited to people 21 and older. Desert Goth Club’s medieval-themed festival at Hotel Congress will feature live music, an oddities market, jesters and sirens, with tickets priced at $10 in advance and $12 on the day of the event. At Brick Box Brewery, 220 E. Broadway, guests can dress as vampires and attend a night with performances, music, a tattoo booth and a photo booth. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 on the day.

Music, art and shopping are also prominent throughout the weekend. The Scottish Rite Cathedral, 160 S. Scott Avenue, will host Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics, with performances of spooky selections including Michael Jackson’s Thriller and the Ghostbusters theme at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Six local bands will compete for an opportunity to perform at the DUSK Music Festival. Ben’s Bells will hold a market with more than 40 local vendors, free crafts and a free photo booth. Park Place Mall will host the Tucson Spooktacular Craft and Vendor Market from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Vintage shoppers can browse clothing at a market at La Rosa, 800 N. Country Club Boulevard, while a goth clothing and Halloween costume exchange at Mr. Heads Gallery, 513 N. Fourth Avenue, offers a way to find a costume or pass along one no longer needed.

Several smaller gatherings add distinctive local flavor. Tucson Village Farm, 2201 E. Roger Road, is holding a Celebration of Chiles with a chile-inspired buffet, tastings, music and an opportunity to make and decorate a holiday chile ristra. WomenPlayDnD! will host a free fantasy-themed gathering at Catalyst Creative Collective, 4500 N. Oracle Road, with arts and crafts, drinks and Dungeons & Dragons activities. Randolph Center, 200 S. Alvernon Way, will invite LEGO builders of all ages to create while listening to live music and enjoying treats, with costumes encouraged. A night market featuring 20 local vendors, tamales, tacos and drinks from Chappopin Cafe will use Día de los Muertos as its theme. Cal’s Bakeshop, 2707 E. Broadway, will mark its first anniversary and the 20th anniversary of The Black Parade by playing the album in full while selling sweet treats. Studio Fuerza will celebrate its first year at the MSA Annex with a 45-minute Pilates class, a live DJ, giveaways and snacks, with part of the proceeds benefiting Scholarships A-Z.

One major Tucson cultural event mentioned in the weekend coverage is Tucson Meet Yourself, the city’s long-running folklife festival. Its 53rd annual edition was scheduled for Oct. 16 to 18, making it earlier than the Oct. 21 to 25 weekend, but its redesign provides broader context for Tucson’s fall festival season. With support from a $250,000 Smithsonian grant, organizers reshaped the downtown footprint into interconnected villages intended to encourage visitors to linger and engage with artists, cooks, musicians and tradition bearers. The new areas included Frytown, Wildcat Court, Barrio Commons, Native Nations Way, the Of the People Village and Culture Kitchen Lane. More than 500 artists and musicians were expected across five main stages, with 50 food vendors representing Tucson’s diverse culinary traditions.

Cyclovia Tucson will bring another kind of gathering to city streets, closing roads to motor traffic so people can walk, bike or skate through neighborhoods. The free event works as a citywide block party, with activity hubs and food vendors along the route. Between Cyclovia, Halloween events, cultural festivals, markets and performances, Tucsonans have no shortage of ways to spend the weekend. Residents should confirm times, ticket requirements, age limits and venue details before leaving, particularly for events with timed admission or advance reservations.