Six Weekends of Halloween in Southwest Louisiana
Southwest Louisiana is known for its extravagant celebrations, so you can expect six weekends of Halloween spirit from late September through early November. Choose from haunted history and tours at local museums, trails, and cemeteries, as well as traditional trick-or-treating and a slew of Halloween-theme events for everyone to enjoy.
Weekend One (Sept. 30 - Oct. 1)
Get a head start on Halloween festivities at The Lost Hollows, one of the area’s most popular haunted attractions. This 45-minute trail runs through the deepest, darkest woods of Lake Charles and is known as one of the scariest paths in the region. The attraction runs every Friday and Saturday, beginning Sept. 30 with a special “Lights Out” experience on Monday, Oct. 31.
On Saturday, Oct. 1, Panorama Music House invites everyone to enjoy their Spirit Guides Release Party. You can drink and hang out with the spirit guides as they share scary stories about their past experiences in previous Halloween seasons.
Weekend Two (Oct. 7 - Oct. 9)
What is Halloween without jack-o-lanterns? Add pumpkin picking to your list of Halloween fun at one of our local pumpkin patches, Oct. 7-31. This is the perfect opportunity to gather with friends and family while carving your favorite Halloween faces onto your personal pumpkins, which makes for the cutest Instagrammable pictures.
Weekend Three (Oct. 15 - Oct. 16)
You can spend an entire weekend shopping for Halloween knickknacks at local stores like Kreations Embroidery & Gifts, Accessory Zone, Expressions, and The Party Time Store,. Make a stop at Not Just Christmas and sift through their Halloween section. Here, you can find home décor to spiff up your space for trick-or-treaters or to set the mood for horror movie nights with friends.
Weekend Four (Oct. 21 - Oct. 23)
Oktoberfest at Crying Eagle Brewing Company is the ultimate chance to dress up for Halloween, play fun games, and drink your weight in craft beer. This five-day festival takes place on Oct. 18-22 at the brewery, and costumes are heavily encouraged.
On Saturday, Oct. 22 take a walk through the Spooky Kids Trail at Sam Houston Jones State Park. A thrilling kid-friendly walk through the deepest woods in the area.
Learn the history of Southwest Louisiana’s paranormal tales beginning Oct. 1 – Nov. 5, at the Imperial Calcasieu Museum. Their new Haunted Histories exhibit is the perfect Halloween experience for history buffs and supernaturalists. They say this exhibit may haunt you long after your visit.
Weekend Five (Oct. 28 - Oct. 31)
On Friday, Oct. 28, the Kiwanis Club of Lake Charles will host their annual Coats for Kids Spooktacular charity event at Crying Eagle Brewing Company. The goal of this event is to collect new and gently used coats of all sizes from attendees, which will be donated to 10 local charities. In exchange for a coat, participants will receive a free beer glass, a token to fill that glass with a beverage, and a raffle ticket. Costumes are encouraged.
On Saturday, Oct. 29, families can explore downtown Lake Charles at the Downtown Block Party Candy Crawl for a personable Halloween experience. This family-friendly event offers local music, art, food, local retail options, and safe trick-or-treating experiences for the little ones.
Also on Saturday, Oct. 29, join the Southwest Louisiana Firefighter Association for the long-awaited Halloween Pub Crawl. A three-mile run, walk, or crawl starting at Rikenjaks and ending at Panorama with 10 stops, and 10 free shots. Wear your favorite Halloween costume, Tutu's are encouraged.
Plan a weekend of thrills at the Golden Nugget Casino Resort by attending Voyage at Party by the Pool 2.0 on Saturday, Oct. 29. Voyage is a five-person band that is known for covering 80’s rock music and has been deemed as one of the top Journey tribute bands. Attendees are encouraged to wear costumes, and you can keep the Halloween celebrations going at the casino’s party lounge, Blue Martini.
If you want to give your family an opportunity to partake in traditional, light-hearted trick-or-treating, Monday, Oct 31st, look no further than the list below:
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Gilmore Acres – Sulphur
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Sale Street Baptist Chruch Trunk or Treat
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Spring Crossing
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Crestview Subdivision
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Keller Williams Realty Trunk or Treat
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Sam Houston Jones State Park Trunk or Treat
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Sensory Friendly Trunk or Treat
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Torchy's Tacos 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat
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Westlake Fall Fest - Trunk or Treat
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First United Methodist Chruch Trunk or Treat
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City of Lake Charles/Prien Lake Mall BOO-Tastic Bash
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St. John Lutheran Chruch Trunk or Treat
Weekend Six (Nov. 6)
Sunday, Nov. 6th, enjoy the Living History Cemetery Tour. You will be guided through four different cemeteries around town, led by tour guides dressed in time period costumes that embody the lives of deceased historic figures while you learn how they impacted Southwest Louisiana.
For a full list of things to do, eat, and experience in Southwest Louisiana, go to www.VisitLakeCharles.org.
