It’s one week until Halloween and all of the festive events will be unfolding in Downtown Cary with candy, costumes, and fun for all ages! With this being a special time of year, we put together a handful of Halloween fun to make it easier for you to know what’s happening and when! Get your costumes ready and join the fun, if you dare!

Zombiepalooza

October 24 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Downtown Cary Park

Zombiepalooza is The Cary Theater’s annual Zombie short film competition that takes place every October in downtown Cary, NC. The short films (< 5 min.) must be zombie-themed and family-friendly so they can be screened to an all-ages audience. The movie must also include creative use of this year’s prop, a Rubik’s Cube. So if you attended last year, you can expect brand-new films to entertain you!

Filmmakers of all ages and skill levels were encouraged to submit their short film back in late September, which should give audiences a fun variety of movies to watch as well!

Zombiepalooza will take place October 24, 2025 on the Downtown Cary Park’s Great Lawn and Great Lawn Pavilion. In the event of inclement weather, the festivities will move indoors to The Cary Theater. Remember, costumes are highly encouraged!

Attendees are encouraged to dress in their favorite costumes for Cary’s favorite night of cosplay. Prizes will be awarded for the best kid Halloween costume and the best adult Halloween costume. And yes, Zombiepalooza is free to attend! Just remember to bring a lawn chair or a picnic blanket for a comfortable viewing experience!

Pre-film activities will include:

6 – 7:30 p.m.: Zombie themed activities provided by Downtown Cary Park
7:00 p.m.: Halloween Costume Contest Sign-Up
7:30 p.m.: Halloween Costume Contest
8 p.m.: Zombiepalooza Short Film Competition presented by The Cary Theater
8:30 p.m.: Zombie Musical Chairs
8:45 – 9 p.m.: Awards Presentation for Best Zombie Short + People’s Choice

Downtown Scary Park: Haunted Hotel

October 25 @ 2:00 pm – 10:30 pm – Downtown Cary Park

“Check in” for a full day of Halloween fun with our afternoon Family Pumpkin Carving Party, featuring costumed characters and festive activities at Downtown Cary Park. As the sun sets, the spooky vibes continue with a hotel-themed movie double feature, starting with the family favorite Hotel Transylvania. Before the movies, enjoy “lobby-level” fun with themed activities and treats that will have you feeling right at home — if your home happens to be a haunted hotel! Later in the evening, brave adults can extend their stay for a screening of 1408 (PG-13), where you’ll discover that not every hotel offers a peaceful night’s sleep. Don’t miss this “suite” Halloween celebration!

Remember, Halloween costumes are HIGHLY encouraged!

Schedule for “Haunted Hotel”

2 – 6 p.m. | Pumpkin Carve
- Kids Area on Frantz Square Lawnwith Witch Hat Ring Toss, ‘Pumpkin Suds’, and Golf Tee Pumpkin Pounding
- Pumpkin Carving on Frantz Square Lawn
  - Interested in buying a pumpkin to carve? Follow these 3 steps! One, purchase a pumpkin ($5 each) at the tent on Frantz Square Lawn. Second, take your ticket to the pumpkin patch in the middle of Frantz Square Lawn and select your pumpkin(s). Lastly, carve away at a picnic table with the tools provided!
- Halloween Figurine Painting with Cozy Panda Event Co. on Academy Plaza (while supplies last)
2 – 9 p.m. | Food Trucks Available at Park St Courts
- Mr. Puebla Tacos
- Safari Eatz
- Baltic Bites
5 – 7 p.m. | Pre-screening activities throughout the Park
- ‘Casketerrariums’ with Garden & Gather on Academy Plaza
- Spooky Room Keychain Bedazzling at the Nest Pavilion
- Haunted Hand Puppets at the Nest Pavilion
- Eyeball Wall Pong at Park St Arena
- Candy Cornhole at Park St Arena
- Roving Characters: Maeve and Murray the Mummy from Hotel Transylvania!
Available Vendors throughout the Park
- 2 – 9 p.m.: Umbrella Dry Bar on Academy Plaza
- 5 – 8 p.m.: Spooky Pumpkins from Haunted Harvest Props on Academy Plaza
- 5 – 9 p.m.: Ella’s Popcorn on Academy Plaza
7:15 p.m. | Hotel Transylvania (PG) screening at the Great Lawn Pavilion
9 p.m. | 1408 (PG-13) screening at the Great Lawn Pavilion; 18+ recommended

Halloween at the Old Hotel

October 25 @ 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm – Page-Walker Arts and History Center

The haunted hotel theme is also happening on the other side of downtown!

Come enjoy eerie and spooky traditional tales that will give you a spooky shiver. Storyteller Jennifer Armstrong weaves fiddle, bagpipe, and songs throughout her stories. From haunted houses to unquiet graves, come enjoy a Halloween story treat. Recommended for ages 11+. Jennifer Armstrong is a singer, storyteller, piper and poet living in Asheville, North Carolina. She started at age five singing in a family band and was blessed with bedtime stories and lullabies and shares her legacy wherever she goes.

Tickets are $10 and available through ETIX and at The Cary Theater box office. Buy tickets for 6:30 p.m. or tickets for 8:30 p.m.

First Cary UMC Trunk or Treat

October 26 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm – First Cary United Methodist Church, 117 S Academy Street

Open to all interested, First Cary United Methodist Church will host a Trunk-or-Treat event in its parking lot. So make sure your costume is ready and looking good so you can get a head start on getting some candy!

Cary Police Department Trunk or Treat

October 30 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Downtown Cary Park, along Park Street

The Cary Police Department will also be hosting its Trunk or Treat event on Thursday evening, the day before Halloween! Wear your favorite Halloween costume and head down to the Park for some pre-Halloween trick-or-treating. The Cary Police Department (Downtown Team) hosts this family-friendly trunk-or-treat along Park Street.

This Trunk-or-Treat event is at Park Street, where the Farmers Market is held every Saturday Morning.

Scary Cary 2025: A Downtown Cary Bar Stroll

October 31 @ 12:00 pm – 12:00 am – Across Downtown Cary at participating locations

This Halloween, come to Scary Cary 2025 for a stroll around Downtown Cary’s, uh… dark side?

How it works: Pick up a map at a participating location or print your own here. On Friday, October 31, 2025, spend your evening wandering around the local haunts and trying out their Halloween festivities. Each location will have a sticker for your passport and offer Halloween-themed fun.

Those with six stickers (with Hearsay being one of them) will be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift certificate to MC Restaurant. Completed passports can be turned in at your last stop.

While you’re out, keep an eye on IG #scarycary2025. Post your costumes, your favorite costumes, or any zany things you see throughout the night.