Boca Raton's own Recreation Services team has stacked five Halloween events into a nine-day stretch this month, and the biggest one is built around dogs. Howl-O-Ween takes over Countess de Hoernle Park on Saturday, October 24, from 9 a.m. to noon, with a costume contest, a dog race and a Trail of Treats. It costs nothing to attend.

Around it, the city has scheduled a sea turtle themed costume hour at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, a pumpkin hunt at the bottom of a pool off St. Andrews Boulevard, and two brand new programs at Sugar Sand Park. Here is how the week lines up, what each one costs, and which ones need a spot reserved ahead of time.

Howl-O-Ween at Countess de Hoernle Park

The anchor of the month is a morning built for dogs and the people who walk them. Countess de Hoernle Park, which shares its grounds with the Spanish River Athletic Facility at 1000 Spanish River Boulevard in north Boca, hosts the event from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 24.

The city lists a lineup that goes well past a simple costume parade:

  • A Howl-O-Ween costume contest for dogs
  • A Howl-O-Ween dog race
  • A Trail of Treats
  • Halloween photo spots
  • Crafts for the human side of the family
  • A hydration station so pets can cool off between activities
  • Booths from community partners

Costumes are encouraged for dogs and owners alike, and the event is open to families. Because it is free, it is also the easiest item on the calendar to simply show up for. Arriving early leaves time for the Trail of Treats before the contest and race draw a crowd.

Halloween by the Sea at Gumbo Limbo

The youngest trick-or-treaters get their turn on Sunday, October 18, at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, 1801 North Ocean Boulevard. Halloween by the Sea is designed for children ages 2 to 6, with preschool games and prizes beside the nature center's aquariums, small-hand crafts, a Halloween treat, and photos with Luna, the center's sea turtle mascot.

There are two sessions, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 5:45 to 6:45 p.m., and families sign up for one of them. Reservations are required through the city's WebTrac system. The cost is per child: $10 for residents and $13 for non-residents. Parents come in free, and so do children under 2. Costumes are welcome, though the center asks families to leave costume weapons and pointy props at home. Parking at the nature center is limited, so the city asks families to carpool where they can.

A note on the resident rate, since it applies across the whole week: the city counts anyone living inside Boca Raton city limits or inside the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District as a resident. Households outside city limits are worth checking against the district map before paying the higher rate.

Two new programs at Sugar Sand Park

Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 South Military Trail, is debuting a pair of Halloween programs this year, both flagged as new on the city calendar.

Pumpkin Pals Make and Take runs Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for kids ages 5 to 10. Supplies for three different Halloween crafts are provided, along with disposable smocks, and families can drop in any time during the window as long as there is time to finish all three projects. Advance registration is suggested, and walk-ups are accepted while supplies last. The price is $12 per child for residents and $15 for non-residents, with one adult free per paid child and $5 for each additional adult.

Little Boos Storytime follows on Wednesday, October 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and it is aimed squarely at toddlers and preschoolers ages 18 months to 4. Expect a gentle, not-scary Halloween storyteller, a craft and a snack, with coffee and tea set out for the grown-ups. Story sessions start at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Pre-registration closes October 17. The cost is $5 per child for residents and $6.25 for non-residents, with one adult free per paid child and $3 per additional adult. Questions go to the community center at 561-347-3900.

Monster Mash and the pool pumpkin dive

The week closes on Sunday, October 25, at The Swim Center, 21618 St. Andrews Boulevard. Monster Mash runs from noon to 2 p.m., and it is free. Kids come in costume for games in and around the water, face painting, games on the pool deck and food trucks.

The main draw starts at 1 p.m. sharp: a Pumpkin Dive, where swimmers hunt the pool for pumpkins filled with surprises. Find one of the special pumpkins and there is an extra prize waiting. One rule matters here: participants need to be comfortable in the water without a parent alongside them, so this one suits confident swimmers.

How to plan the week

Laid out in order, the city's Halloween run looks like this:

  • Saturday, October 17: Pumpkin Pals Make and Take, Sugar Sand Park, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Sunday, October 18: Halloween by the Sea, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, 4:30 or 5:45 p.m. session
  • Wednesday, October 21: Little Boos Storytime, Sugar Sand Park, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Saturday, October 24: Howl-O-Ween, Countess de Hoernle Park, 9 a.m. to noon
  • Sunday, October 25: Monster Mash, The Swim Center, noon to 2 p.m.

Two of the five, Howl-O-Ween and Monster Mash, are free with no sign-up listed. The other three use the city's registration system, and Little Boos has a hard cutoff this Saturday.

For Boca Raton families, the practical upside is that a full Halloween season now runs through the city's own parks, from the Gumbo Limbo boardwalk on North Ocean Boulevard to Sugar Sand Park on Military Trail to Spanish River Boulevard, at prices that rarely top the cost of a single costume. A toddler, a grade schooler, a strong swimmer and the family dog can each get their own event before October 31 even arrives, all within a short drive of home.