Family Fun Guide: New Orleans Fall & Halloween Edition
Welcome to our ultimate NOLA Family-Friendly Halloween guide! We've hand-picked the best free neighborhood walk-bys, top pumpkin patches, and family festivals across the Crescent City and surrounding suburbs.
👻 FREE Halloween Displays and Family-Friendly Events 👻
The Skeleton House
📍 6000 St. Charles Ave, Uptown | ⏱️ All Month Long (24/7 View)
Historic St.Charles lawn filled with dozens of witty, humorously themed skeletons. A must-see NOLA family tradition!
Bernie Baxter’s Sideshow
📍 44 Vivian Ct, Algiers | ⏱️ Display open all October
New Orleans' longest-running free home haunt. Offers a kid-friendly yard display all month long and mild walk-throughs on peak weekends. Donations appreciated!
Krewe of BOO! Parade
📍 French Quarter & Warehouse District | ⏱️ Saturday, October 24th - Early Evening
Official NOLA Halloween parade! Features 3D floats, marching groups, and throws like candy, plush toys, and light-up trinkets.
Boo Carré Halloween Haunt
📍 Historic French Market District | ⏱️ October 24th from 11am - 4pm
Live music, children's craft tables, costume contest, trick-or-treating at market stalls, and a Spooky Second Line parade.
Ghost Manor Light Show
📍 State & Claiborne Streets sidewalk view, Uptown | ⏱️ October 15-18, 22-25, 29-31 from 7pm-10pm
Elaborate, non-scary automated light-and-music hologram projection display on a grand private residence.
Unite Foster Care Ministry Halloween Party
📍 209 Lafayette Street. Gretna | ⏱️ October 30th from 6pm-8pm
Activities, food and fun!
Freret Street Festival
📍 Freret Street | ⏱️ October 31st from 11am-6pm
6 blocks of festival fun!
🚗 FREE Community Trunk-or-Treats 🚗
Trunk-or-Treat at Lafreniere
📍 3000 Downs Blvd, Metairie ⏱️ Sat, Oct 24 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Decorated car trunks, trick-or-treating, music, and costume contests inside safe park grounds.
Autism Society of Greater New Orleans
📍 Westwego Farmers Market, 484 Sala Avenue ⏱️ October 17th, 2026 11am-2pm
Inclusive Halloween Fun! Booths with treats and non-food goodies, free eye exams and sensory-inclusive haircuts.
Ochsner Children's "Say Boo to the Flu" Trunk-or-Treat
📍 1315 Jefferson Highway, New Orleans ⏱️ Wednesday, October 14, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m
Pediatric physicians, advanced practice providers, and staff will host decorated trunks and hand out candy and goodies. Pediatric flu shots will be available for children 6 months and older
North Cross Fall Fest
📍 311 Highway 21, Madisonville ⏱️ Sun, Oct 25 | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Trunk-or-treating, hayrides, outdoor carnival games, and seasonal chili cook-off.
St. Mark's Trunk-or-Treat
📍 3245 Manhattan Blvd, Harvey ⏱️ Halloween Night (Oct 31) | 6:00 PM
Held right alongside their church pumpkin patch for a safe Westbank trick-or-treat option on Halloween night.
🎃 FREE Local Pumpkin Patches 🎃
Glitter Pumpkin Patch
📍 NOLA Craft Culture (127 S. Solomon St, Mid-City) ⏱️ Oct 10th-11th, 17th-18th from 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Local NOLA favorite featuring handcrafted glittered faux-pumpkins, kid glitter crafts, local vendor stalls, and photo ops.
Patch on the Blvd
📍 Williams Blvd Baptist Church (3000 Williams Blvd, Kenner) ⏱️ Daily in October | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Co-sponsored by Williams Blvd. Baptist Church & LA State Police Troop B. Features pumpkins of all sizes and family photo setups.
First Presbyterian Patch (Free Entry)
📍 5401 S. Claiborne Ave, Uptown ⏱️ Mon-Fri 3-7PM | Sat 10AM-7PM | Sun 1-7PM
A 20+ year Uptown tradition supporting local homeless outreach! Features 35+ varieties of pumpkins and photo setups.
St. Andrew's Patch
📍 1031 S. Carrollton Ave, Uptown⏱️ Mid-to-Late October Daily through Dusk
Located right on the streetcar line, offering a wide assortment of pumpkins, baked goods, and cozy picture spots.
St. Augustine’s Patch
📍 3412 Haring Rd, Metairie ⏱️ Mid-October through Oct 31 | 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Spacious suburban pumpkin patch with long operating hours, ideal for after-school visits.
Woodland Church Patch
📍 5837 Berkley Dr, Algiers / Westbank⏱️ Oct 5–31 | Mon-Fri 12-6PM | Sat 9AM-6PM
Westbank pumpkin patch featuring seasonal portrait backdrops, story times, and specialty gourds.
👻 (Not-Free) Family-Friendly Events 👻
The LASPCA Carnival
📍Louisiana LSPCA 1700 Mardi Gras Boulevard, New Orleans | ⏱️ Saturday, October 24th 2026. VIP from 12-1pm and General admission from 1-4pm.
Music, food and the ultimate carnival experience! Come support our animals!
Ghosts in the Oaks ($30-$35, Kids under 2 are free)
Or WIN tickets! Click here to enter our GIVEAWAY! deadline to enter is Oct 11th, 2026)
📍 Carousel Gardens, City Park | ⏱️ October 15-18th, 2026. 5-6pm early admission and 6-9pm General admission.
Trick-or-treat trail, amusement park rides, arts, crafts and pumpkin decorating!
Boo at the Zoo ($38) and Lil Boo Friday
($32)
📍 Audubon Zoo | ⏱️ October 17th, 2026 from 10am to 6:30pm
Trick-or-treat stations, animal encounters, games, and ghost train rides across the zoo grounds (Discounted for Audubon members).
Family Concert Halloween Spooktacular ($25 and kids under 15 are free)
📍 Roussel Hall, Loyola University | ⏱️ October 17th, 2026 Doors open at 10:15am
Wear costumes and come to a family-friendly concert! Concert is approximately 60min, then people and children are encouraged to see the instruments and ask questions.
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