So where in Houston will the zombies be having fun and the guest include Wolfman, Dracula and his son? We've found 15 unique places to celebrate.
- Spirits & Skeletons at the Museum of Natural Science! No plastic bones for this crowd, real fossils and mummies decorate the dance hall. With the entire Museum open you can shake your stuff with a stegosaurus, grab a drink with a skink and get spellbound by bewitching gems, all to live music and your favorite hits played by The Space Rockers with fantastic food trucks parked right outside. The event is Oct. 28.
- Stranger Things Party at Avant Garden Watch out for the Demogorgon! Explore the small town of Hawkins and the Upside Down as you dance to 80s music, toast to Barb with themed drinks, play arcade games and Dungeons & Dragons, and of course eat waffles. The event is Oct. 28.
- Zoo Boo at the Houston Zoo All little ghouls and goblins can celebrate Halloween at the Houston Zoo with activities that are fun for the entire family. There is a pumpkin patch, candy corners, a monster mural, a maze and of course animals! The Zoo Boo starts Oct. 13 and ends Oct. 29. On Oct. 13 and 21 there will be an outdoor spooky film festival.
- Scream on the Green Visitors will have a spooky good time at Houston's citywide costume contest and Halloween celebration for the whole family. There will be prizes, Halloween spectacle, a movie, music and more. Visitors can win candy and prizes playing FREE games. The event is Oct. 27 and admission is free.
- Truck or Treat Halloween Family Food Festival Kids of all ages will get to trick or treat at each vendor station, play on inflatables, enjoy live entertainers and more at Heritage Place Amphitheater. Adults get to enjoy 20 food vendors, market and boutique vendors, live music, and a variety of drinks. The event is Oct. 28.
- ArBOOretum at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center Oct. 21: Children learn about different creatures as they make their way through the trick-or-treat trail. Other activities include train rides, live owls and reptiles, a petting zoo, pony rides, pumpkin decorating, face painting and food trucks. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free (members), $15 (nonmembers). Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, 4501 Woodway Drive, Houston. 713-681-8433.
- Houston Zombie Walk Halloween Fest in The Heights Oct. 21: The 7th annual festival features live music, beer gardens, art vendors, food trucks, a costume contest and a kids' zone with a pumpkin patch, magician, carnival games, crafts and trick-or-treating. Event proceeds benefit the "Too Ghoul for School" scholarship fund. 5-10 p.m. Free (children under 12), $10 (adults). The Heights, 325 W. 19th St., Houston.
- Día de los Muertos at Lawndale Art Center Oct. 27-Nov. 2: Community members celebrate Día de los Muertos with a film screening (Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.), family-friendly fiesta (Oct. 28 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.) and musical and literary ofrenda (Oct. 30 at 5:30 p.m.). Admission is free to these three events.
- Saengerfest Mini Monster Bash at Saengerfest Park Oct. 28:The family-friendly Halloween carnival features games, prizes, trick-or-treating at downtown businesses and a costume contest for children under age 12. 1-4 p.m. Free. Saengerfest Park, 2302 Strand St., Galveston. 409-761-4102.
- Halloween Classic Car Show at the National Museum of Funeral History Oct. 28: More than 150 cars are on display, and food vendors, a live DJ, silent auction and children's activities are on-site. Prizes are awarded in a costume contest and for best decorated cars. Proceeds benefit Star of Hope, DePelchin Children's Center, Houston Food Bank, The Shriner's Burn Hospital, the USO and Morning Glory Ranch. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $3 (per person), $5 (per couple/family). National Museum of Funeral History, 415 Barren Springs Drive, Houston. 281-876-3063.
- Something Wicked-The Asylum at Sam Houston Race Park Oct. 28-29: Above & Beyond, Marshmello, Tiesto, Zeds Dead and RL Grime perform alongside several other artists throughout the weekend of eclectic live music. 3 p.m.-midnight (both nights). $100 (one-day pass), $160-$230 (two-day pass). Sam Houston Race Park, 7575 N. Sam Houston Parkway W., Houston.
- 'Ghost of Frankenstein' screening at Alamo Drafthouse Mason Park Oct. 29:The theater hosts a special screening of the 1942 classic horror film directed by Eric C. Kenton in which Dr. Frankenstein decides to replace a monster's brain with a normal one. 12:30 p.m. $9.74. Alamo Drafthouse Mason Park, 531 S. Mason Road, Katy. 281-492-6900.
- Ghostly Gardens at Moody Gardens Oct. 29: Trick-or-treating, crafts, face painting and a costume contest for children with prizes are all included in this family-friendly event. Families with a member in costume receive a special discount at $5 per attraction per person at the complex. 2-4 p.m. Free. Moody Gardens, 1 Hope Blvd., Galveston. 1-800-582-4673.
- Boo Bash at Traders Village Oct. 29: The 17th annual event features live music, trick-or-treating, a maze, magic show, face painting and Cy-Fair VFD trucks on display. 1-4 p.m. Free. Traders Village, 7979 N. Eldridge Parkway, Houston. 281-890-5500.
- Boos, Brews and Bridges at Under the Radar Brewery Oct. 31: Attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable should as HTXoutdoors and Bayou City Outdoors host a haunted walk across the glowing black and orange bridges of the Montrose District. Dogs are also welcome as Pup Squad Animal Rescue will be present. 6-9 p.m. Free. Under the Radar Brewery, 1506 Truxillo St., Houston.
The weeklong event closes with the retablo art silent auction and closing party (Nov. 2) where artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians, poets and dancers come together to raise funds for artistic programming. 7-10 p.m. $25 (members), $30 (nonmembers), $100 (VIP). Lawndale Art Center, 4912 Main St., Houston. 713-528-5858.