Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31: the YMCA Halloween Hustle at 8:30 a.m. and UVA's free Rotumpkin show at the Rotunda, 7 to 11 p.m. Earlier events have passed.

Last checked Oct. 31, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Each event comes from its organizer’s own page, linked below.

Halloween falls on Saturday, Oct. 31, this year, and Charlottesville’s family events are spread across the two weekends before it. The busiest day is Saturday, Oct. 24, when the city’s free Monster Mash and Dairy Market’s free Halloween party run the same afternoon. The Virginia Discovery Museum’s Boo Bash follows on Oct. 29 and 30, and the YMCA’s costumed race and trick-or-treat walk opens Halloween morning.

Updated Oct. 31: the Oct. 24 and Oct. 29-30 events have passed; UVA’s Great Rotumpkin on Halloween night is added.

For neighborhood trick-or-treating on Oct. 31, see our separate trick-or-treat hours page. For corn mazes, hayrides and pumpkin picking, see fall festivals and pumpkin patches.

At a glance

  • Sat. Oct. 31: YMCA Halloween Hustle 10K and 2-mile walk, 8:30 a.m.
  • Sat. Oct. 31: The Great Rotumpkin, 7 to 11 p.m., the Rotunda (free)
  • Passed: Monster Mash and Boo at the Moo (Oct. 24), Boo Bash (Oct. 29-30)

Past: Saturday, Oct. 24

Charlottesville Monster Mash. Charlottesville Parks and Recreation’s free family party, formerly called Downtown Safe Halloween, runs from 2 to 4 p.m. at Ting Pavilion at the east end of the Downtown Mall. The city’s special events page lists crafts, pumpkin decorating, a magic show, face painting, balloon twisting, dance performances, a costume contest and a Jefferson-Madison Regional Library storytime. At 4 p.m. children trick-or-treat along the Downtown Mall until 4:30. Questions go to Parks and Recreation at 434-970-3260.

Halloween Hangout: Boo at the Moo. Dairy Market, the food hall at 946 Grady Ave., holds a free afternoon from 3 to 6 p.m. Its event page lists trick-or-treating, live music, face painting, balloon animals and pumpkin painting, and asks families to come in costume.

The Ultimate 80’s Halloween Party with The Legwarmers. An evening show at the Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., listed on the theater’s calendar.

Past: Boo Bash, Oct. 29 and 30

The Virginia Discovery Museum, 524 E. Main St. on the Downtown Mall, runs its yearly Halloween carnival for children ages 2 to 8, who must come with an adult. Each night runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and families pick one session. The museum’s Boo Bash page lists a Mad Science Lab, potion making in the Witch’s Cabin, glow-in-the-dark slime and a prize shop, and encourages costumes.

  • Tickets are sold for each person, adults included; children 1 and under are free.
  • The advance price ends at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27. After that, walk-in tickets cost more and depend on space.
  • Museum members get a discount, and the museum offers scholarships.

On Friday, Oct. 30, the Jefferson Theater holds Hot in Herre: 2000s Dance Party, Halloween Edition, for ages 18 and up (event listing).

Saturday, Oct. 31: Halloween

YMCA Gatorade Halloween Hustle. The Piedmont Family YMCA’s 10K run and 2-mile trick-or-treat family walk runs from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.; runners gather at the start at 8:20 a.m. The race starts at the Brooks Family YMCA and finishes at the Charlottesville High School track, where the YMCA’s race page lists a post-race party with a bounce house, an inflatable obstacle course, a costume contest and awards. Children 12 and under walk free. Packet pickup is in the Brooks Family YMCA lobby from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, and from 7 to 8 a.m. on race day. Walkers who collect their bag Friday should bring it back Saturday to carry candy along the route. Proceeds go to YMCA scholarships.

The Great Rotumpkin. UVA Arts’ yearly Halloween projection show turns the Rotunda, 1826 University Ave., into an animated display of ghosts, skeletons and pumpkins by Charlottesville multimedia artist Jeff Dobrow. It runs from 7 to 11 p.m. and is free, according to the UVA Arts listing.

Gasolina Halloween Party. An 18-and-up night at the Jefferson Theater, on the theater’s calendar.

Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn. The University of Virginia’s long-running Halloween tradition puts students in the Lawn rooms handing out candy to local children. UVA Housing and Residence Life posts the date and hours on its Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn page; we could not confirm the 2026 time from the university directly as of Oct. 31.

Before you go

  • Parking downtown: the Market Street garage, 550 E. Market St., and the Water Street garage, 200 E. Water St., give the first hour free. See our getting around guide.
  • Leaf piles: curbside leaf collection began Oct. 26, so expect piles at the street edge on Halloween night in some neighborhoods. See the trash and leaf guide.
  • Fireworks: all fireworks, sparklers included, are illegal inside city limits.
  • Clocks: daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1.

Know of a trunk-or-treat, haunted trail or school carnival we have missed? Send it to us with the date, time, place and a link to the organizer’s page.

What this means for you

  • On Halloween itself, start with the YMCA walk in the morning and finish at the Rotunda for the Rotumpkin; neighborhood trick-or-treating has no set city hours.
  • The downtown events of Oct. 24 and the Boo Bash have passed; this page is updated for 2027 each fall.

Related guides: trick-or-treat hours, fall festivals and pumpkin patches and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

What Halloween events are in Charlottesville in 2026?

On Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, the YMCA Halloween Hustle runs in the morning and UVA’s free Great Rotumpkin projection show lights the Rotunda from 7 to 11 p.m. The Monster Mash, Boo at the Moo and Boo Bash ran earlier in the week and have passed.

Is there trick-or-treating on the Downtown Mall?

In 2026 it was a week early: after the Monster Mash on Saturday, Oct. 24, children trick-or-treated along the Downtown Mall from 4 to 4:30 p.m. There is none on Oct. 31.

What is Boo Bash at the Virginia Discovery Museum?

A Halloween carnival for children 2 to 8 with an adult at the museum on the Downtown Mall. In 2026 it ran from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 and 30, with tickets sold by session.

Does Charlottesville set trick-or-treat hours?

No. The city does not set official hours for Halloween night. Our trick-or-treat hours page has the details.