If you ask us what our favorite season here in Austin is, we will always say the fall. The summer temps fade away and plenty of outdoor activities continue to be enjoyed. The fall season also has some of our favorite holidays and events to celebrate, such as Halloween in Austin. This spooky holiday is the perfect reason to visit Austin for your first or 10th outing. The city offers some spooky Halloween events along with delightful fall activities perfect for all ages. Take a look at why Halloween is always spent best in Austin, especially in 2023:
Levitation
Start your Halloween weekend with something a little less spooky with the psychedelic music and arts festival known as Levitation. This four-day event will take place in the Red River Cultural District across a variety of venues including Hotel Vegas, Stubb’s, Empire, Mohawk, and more. Expect an incredible lineup of psychedelic music that includes Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Black Angels, Beach Fossils, Death from Above 1979, and many more. Each venue is specifically chosen to offer the best music experience possible. If you are a music lover, you cannot miss out on Levitation, happening this year from October 26th through the 29th.
Ventana Ballet’s UNDEAD
Come see a thrilling show that puts the spook back into ballet with Ventana Ballet’s UNDEAD performance. This immersive experience is a dance performance like no other. UNDEAD is a reimagining of the classic Dracula story told through ballet but with the addition of classic Halloween monsters, comedy, and incredible ballet performances. The suspense and comedy of the show make it enjoyable for adults. Don’t miss out on UNDEAD hitting the stage on October 28th and 29th.
Annual Día de los Muertos
Each year the Mexic-Arte Museum puts on their annual Día de los Muertos exhibition, a long-standing feature of theirs that focuses on the Day of the Dead. Mexic-Arte Museum is a local attraction that focuses on the incredible art and history of the Hispanic culture. Mexic-Arte Museum will be putting on their 40th consecutive year of the Día de los Muertos exhibition so expect to find an event like no other. Their Day of the Dead celebration is the longest-running celebration of this kind in all of Texas running until January 7th, 2024. You will be able to view two-dimensional and three-dimensional art created by Jose Guadalupe Posada and more. The Día de los Muertos exhibit will open up on September 22nd.
Freaky Deaky
We all know that Austin is home to some of the best live music in all of the Southwest. During your visit, make sure to catch a gig that offers that and more. Luckily, the weekend before Halloween will be Freaky Deaky, a highly anticipated music festival that features a combination of techno, house, trance, and bass music. The lineup of artists includes favorites from these genres who will put on incredible shows across two different days. Electronic music festivals already feature amazing outfits by attendees, but you can expect more spooky offerings with the festival being right before Halloween. Freaky Deaky will be hitting the stage on October 28th and October 29th at the Travis County Exposition Center here in Austin.
See the Bats at South Congress Bridge
One of the more well-known activities here in Austin is seeing the bats that live under the South Congress Bridge. From March through early November, locals and visitors will be able to see these incredible creatures take flight at dusk to forage for food. There are believed to be around 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats living under the bridge during that time. When the bats take flight, they offer a truly spectacular sight as their shape forms a dark horizon. While some might be afraid of these furry critters, they provide the best kind of natural insect repellent as they feed on mosquitos and other pesky insects. The bats typically take flight approximately 30-60 minutes before the sun sets, so make sure to get to the bridge early to find a good viewing area. You can also enjoy a cruise on the largest electric paddle-wheel boat in the country with Capital Cruises. Their boats are able to travel beneath the bridge so a unique viewing area. Their tours often sell out daily so make sure to purchase your tickets in advance if possible!
More Spooky Fun Only for Halloween in Austin
The fun never stops when you book a vacation getaway here to Austin for Halloween. As you can see, the city offers a ton of incredible events the weekend before Halloween, ensuring a fun-fueled time. Trick or treating is also available in most neighborhoods of our vacation rentals. Check out our listings now so you can find your favorite vacation rental in Austin.
Each year everyone across the country waits for the fall season to begin. Sure, we all look forward to the cooler temperatures and finding any reason to put pumpkins in our coffees. But the real reason so many people get excited about the fall is to celebrate Halloween again. Halloween is the perfect all-ages holiday to celebrate something spooky with fun activities and events. This year’s Halloween is the perfect excuse to come see Austin for the first or tenth time. Take a look at the many ways you will not regret spending your Halloween in Austin with us:
Infamous Truck or Treat Halloween Party
Austin is home to a multitude of craft breweries that offer lively tasting rooms and restaurants. One such is Infamous Brewing Company which has become a staple among the Austin community. Each year, Infamous Brewing hosts its annual Truck or Treat Party which shows off all kinds of Halloween fun. This year’s event will take place on Saturday 10/29 starting at 2:00 PM. The Truck or Treat Halloween Party kicks off with the Trunk or Treat from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM allowing kids to get in plenty of time to snag all of the candy. Next up is the Kids Costume Contest starting at 4:00 PM with prizes for the best dressed. There will be the annual Electric Hot Dog Eating Contest at 5:00 PM for those who showed up with an appetite. Live music with Mudlark will hit the stage from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM with an adult costume contest bringing things to a close at 8:30 PM. The event is sure to have plenty of candy to give away, prizes, free giveaways, and plenty of fun. This is an all-ages event and is absolutely free to attend. Make sure to grab one of their handcrafted brews between activities!
Take a Haunted Tour with Austin Ghosts
Austin is a historic city that has experienced its fair share of hauntings over the years. Austin and Texas as a whole experienced plenty of conflicts early in its founding and this is the backstory to many of the hauntings experienced here in the downtown neighborhood. You can learn all about these incredible stories by booking a haunted tour with Austin Ghosts. This travel tour company has been featured in a variety of news publications and tv shows highlighting their in-depth tours offered throughout the year. Halloween is the perfect time of year to experience their tours for the first time. Each haunted tour offered by them is approximately 70 minutes in length and will have you explore one mile of Downtown Austin at night. You will make between 8 to 13 different stops along the way where your tour guide will explain all of the spooky histories of each building. These tours start at 8:00 PM and occur through all weather. Make sure to book your tours in advance around Halloween as this is a very popular activity. Tickets start at $19 for adults and $12 for children.
Boo at the Zoo
Just when you thought a stop by the Austin Zoo could not be any more exciting you find out that Boo at the Zoo returns this year! Boo at the Zoo is Austin Zoo’s Halloween spectacular and takes place the three weekends leading up to Halloween. Guests of the Austin Zoo can join in on the Halloween festivities for an additional charge whenever they purchase a ticket to visit the zoo. Boo at the Zoo allows children to show up in their best Halloween dresses. Explore the Haunted House where you can see animals that glow in the dark with their special flashlights. The Haunted Train will take you around the zoo and show off the animal exhibits from new heights. The Picnic Grove has been decorated for a family-friendly spooky time. Access to Boo at the Zoo allows you unlimited rides on the Haunted Train and Haunted House. The event will be taking place on the 14th, 15th, 21st, 22nd, 28th, and 29th of October from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM on those dates. Adults are also allowed to be dressed up but please for adult masks. Make sure to stop by the Austin Zoo a little early to catch all of the amazing animals in their spacious habitats. The Austin Zoo has always been a local favorite and Boo at the Zoo makes it even better.
Book Today & Spend Your Halloween in Austin
Start planning for your fall getaway and celebrate Halloween with us here in Austin. Our vacation rentals will keep you close to each of these exciting Halloween activities. Book today and find the perfect vacation rental for you and your family for the spookiest of Halloween times. See our exclusive list of Austin cabin rentals here.