Breweries, bars, and restaurants are putting out for Halloween—with themes like Harry Potter (Royal Foundry Craft Spirits), voodoo (4Bells), trick-or-treating (featuring candy-inspired beers at Indeed Brewing Company), Goosebumps (Honey), masquerade (Can Can Wonderland), and plenty others.
In fact, there are so, so many. We went for the polar opposites: kid-friendly vs. spooky-scary. Plus: editors’ picks. Dress up, get down, and check out these good times:
Trick-or-Treating
ArBOOretum
Oct. 31, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Dr., Chaska
Trick-or-treat stations offer candies and apples, and kids can enjoy story time at 10:30 a.m.
Howl-O-Ween
Oct. 31, 5-8 p.m.
Mall of America, Best Buy Rotunda, 365 N. Garden, Bloomington
More than 520 retailers pass out sweets and other goodies for costumed kids.
Keg and Case Market Halloween Wing-Ding
Oct. 31, 4-8 p.m.
Keg and Case Market, 928 Seventh St. W., St. Paul
The St. Paul food hall becomes a hub for trick-or-treating, a costume party, prizes, and dance.
Mall Wide Tick-or-Treating
Oct. 31, 5-8 p.m.
Rosedale Center, 1595 Hwy. 36 W. 10, Roseville
Shops at Rosedale (also the new host of the adults-oriented Haunted Basement fright fest) put out for trick-or-treaters.
Halloween Extravaganza
Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m.
Harmon Park, 230 Bernard St. W., West St. Paul
Trick-or-treating winds along a trail in Harmon Park, with bonfires throughout and free hot dogs.
Photo by Dan Norman
Spooky Times
The Haunted Basement
Through Nov. 2
Rosedale Center, 1595 Hwy. 36, Roseville
It’s back for a 13th year, and in a new haunt: The “corpse” of the old Herberger’s department store gets possessed. Nineteen creepy scenes expand and tighten across 20,000 square feet. You sign a waiver, they touch you, it smells like various terrible things—it’s a Twin Cities tradition. (Read more about the transformation, plus the radical mission behind the artsy scare fest.)
The Dead End Hayride
Through Nov. 2
28186 Kettle River Blvd. N., Wyoming
Jump aboard a wagon, venture through the woods of Pinehaven Farm, and prepare for spooky special effects, plus grotesque attractions to traipse through on foot.
Scream Town
Through Nov. 2
7410 US 212, Chaska
Seven themed haunts—with aliens, Santa, clowns, nuns (for VIP)—unfurl across the wooded expanse of a Chaska cornfield. (Read more about the charming-yet-creepy Disney World effect.)
Fright Farm
Oct. 31, 7-11 p.m.
2020 White Bear Ave. N., Maplewood
Spooky attractions at this classic haunt have been voted some of the best in the state. Check it out on Halloween for its last night of the year.
Erik Tormoen
Editors’ Picks
Canine Costume Party
Oct. 31, 4-9 p.m.
OMNI Brewing Co., 9462 Deerwood Ln., Maple Grove
File under pet-friendly: Is the Canine Costume Party too cute? This second annual Halloween event puts a free beer in your hand at the OMNI Brewing Co. taproom. Owner of the winning growler gets a free growler.
Arty Costume Party
Oct. 31, 5-9 p.m.
Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis
Take a haunted garden tour, starting at 5 p.m., and stick around for Jim Jarmusch movie Only Lovers Left Alive, where Tilda Swinton plays the coolest vampire you could ever hope to fall victim to.
First Avenue’s Annual Halloween Party and Costume Contest
Oct. 31, 8 p.m.
First Avenue, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis
Probably the best known costume contest in the Cities come Halloween: First Avenue doles out $1,000 in cash prizes during a dance party that features crazily elaborate get-ups (remember the person who went as a functioning toilet?).
Hocus Pocus Bar Crawl
Nov. 2, noon-6 p.m.
Uptown, Minneapolis
As your favorite Sanderson sister, partake in a bar crawl that stops at the Pourhouse for a drag show, Piggy Bank Eatery & Music Hall for trivia about camp classic Hocus Pocus, and a dance party.
Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular
Until Nov. 3
Minnesota Zoo, 13000 Zoo Blvd., Apple Valley
More than 5,000 jack-o’-lanterns flank a trail through the Minnesota Zoo. Check out some of the most elaborately carved.
