There are some awesome family events this week to get you ready for the fun holiday! Here is a list of Halloween happenings through this weekend.

— Community Halloween Carnival and Haunted House @ Metz Recreation Center
Thursday, October 15, 5:30 – 8 p.m.
Join the fun at the annual Metz Halloween Carnival that includes music, door prizes and a costume contest.
Games will be $0.25 a ticket, and entry to the haunted house will cost $1. Haunted House opens at 6:30 p.m., and the costume contest begins at 7:30 p.m.

— Boo at the Zoo @ Austin Zoo
Fridays & Saturdays through October 30, 6:30-9 p.m.
Wear a costume, ride the Haunted Train, explore the Haunted House and see the animals by the glow of your flashlight! Austin Zoo will be illuminated and decorated for the occasion. Tickets are $12.50 and include a train pass and unlimited Haunted House visits. You can call 512-288-1490 to order tickets.

— Haunted Halloween Trails @ Pioneer Farms
Fridays & Saturdays through October 24, 7-10 p.m.
This year’s theme will be “Grimm’s Ghostly Tales,” featuring three separate spooky trails each night — one for young children (amusing, rated G), another for those who want spooky surprises (rated PG) and a scary, scary trail for the adventurous (frights galore, rated PG-13).  Spook lights, ghoulish stories, pumpkins, food, drinks and souvenirs promise to add to the fun. Palm readers and fortune tellers will be on site all nights to give visitors a peek into their past or future. Admission is $12 a person, which you can purchase online here.

— Spooktober 5K & Fall Fest @ Austin State Supported Living Center
Saturday, October 17, race starts at 9 a.m., Fall Festival runs from 10 a.m. -1 p.m.
Head out to a fun 5K or Kids 1K for a great cause or just attend the annual Fall Festival that will feature live performances, food trucks games, prize drawings and much more! Click here for info about registering for the race.

— Octoberama @ Mathews Elementary School
Saturday, October 17, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
All are welcome! Enjoy games, inflatables, live music, local food vendors, a silent auction, and fun forthe whole family. Free at attend. Find out more here.

— Family Fest @ The Quarries Church
Saturday, October 17, 5 – 7 p.m.
At Family Fest you will find such activities as…..carnival games, petting zoo, go karts, obstacle course, sports activities, face painting, concessions, prizes and more. This is a free event.

— Leander’s Fall Fun Festival @ Leander Fire Department
Saturday, October 17, 5:30-10 p.m.
The Leander Fire Department has carnival style games, vendors, food, haunted house, silent auction and more at this family event.  All proceeds go to our Health & Safety Fund and the Benevolent Fund.  Tickets for games start at just $.50 and touring the Tower of Terror is only $5!

— The Pumpkin Express @ Austin Steam Train
Sunday, October 18, departs at 11 a.m., returns at 2:30 p.m.
The Pumpkin Express takes you to the sleepy town of Bertram where we will step off for 30 minutes to pick a pumpkin from the Depot Pumpkin Patch. Kids of all ages will enjoy a chat with Farmer Brown, take a tour of the historic 1912 train depot and sip apple cider. This ride is 3.5 hours round trip with a 30 minute layover. Tickets start at $26.

— Fall Fun Festival @ Ashley’s Playhouse
Sunday, October 18, 1-4 p.m.
Enjoy a bounce house, games, playhouse tours, train rides and more BYOP: Bring your own pumpkins for decorating with our supplies! Or, be one of the first 200 kids in line to receive a FREE mini pumpkin from APH!

For a big list of events throughout the whole month of October, check out this list –> Family Friendly Halloween Events in Austin!

Looking for pumpkin patches? Check out this list of where to find pumpkins in the Austin area.

Have fun!