IMG_0913 Edison and Ford Winter Estates Fall Festival
(Photo Courtesy Edison and Ford Winter Estates)
October is an exciting time of year for Southwest Florida kids. In Naples, Naples Zoo at Caribbean Garden’s annual Halloween gets wild with spooky spirit.
In Bonita Springs, Farmer Mike’s U-Pick annual fall festival brings back cherished traditions, including its noteworthy corn mazes and pumpkin patches.
And in Fort Myers, the youth production of The Addams Family Young @ Part at Alliance for the Arts invites everyone to join in on the family’s zaniness.
Sept. 29-30th; Oct. 1
The Addams Family Young @ Part at Alliance for the Arts, Fort Myers
Carmen Crussard, co-founder of City Scenes Theater Co. in Cape Coral, directs this middle-school cast of thespians. Join a grown-up Wednesday as she falls in love and deals with the rest of her eclectic family in this Youth Theatre production of the Broadway musical.
Sept. 29 — Nov. 5
Farmer Mike’s U-Pick 9th Annual Fall Festival and Corn Mazes, Various Locations
A Southwest Florida tradition: Usher in the spooky season in this pumpkin patch with hayrides and a haunted corn maze in Bonita Springs.
This year, the beloved farm opens a Fort Myers location on October 7 with a family-friendly maze for the young’uns (and the young at heart).
Sept. 30; Oct. 1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, and 28-29
Southern Fresh Farms’s Annual Fall Festival, Fort Myers
Visit Southern Fresh Farms in Fort Myers for their annual fall festival and indulge in local food trucks, vendors and farm tours with the family. The nonprofit operation’s mission is to educate the community on agriculture. A $5 parking fee supports improvements to the farm’s parking lots, following a successful $20,000 GoFundMe campaign for rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Ian last year.
Oct. 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 26 & 28
Halloween Nights at the Wonder Gardens, Bonita Springs
The gardens’ first ever recurring spooky event—occurring Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the month—brings photo ops, holiday decorations and animal enrichment activities. Join in the festivities (included with the price of admission) and visit the 300-plus reptiles and birds in a new setting.
Oct. 11
Disney Junior Live on Tour: Costume Palooza at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers
With hit songs—and new original tunes—from the Disney network’s beloved shows, the Costume Palooza show features singing, dancing and acrobatics from your favorite Disney and Marvel characters. Join the classic Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cast as well as the newly beloved Doc McStuffins, Firebuds, Super Kitties and Marvel’s Spidey and friends for a night of toe-tapping performances.
Oct. 12-14
Disney’s The Jungle Book Kids at CMON, Naples
Gulfshore Playhouse partners with The Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples to present a co-educational production of the classic children’s tale about a young boy who’s raised in the jungle and learns about life through his animal friends. Performances unfold within CMON’s amphitheater.
Oct. 13-16
Boo at the Zoo at Naples Zoo
Don’t miss the chance to see a completely transformed Naples Zoo. This year’s event turns the venue into a living storybook, with costumed characters, trick-or-treating and a magic show. Attendees can sail with pirates on the Pirate Expedition Cruise, prance with mini unicorns and play in the KidZone. The best part: Kids in costume get in for free.
Oct. 13-31
Lakes Park’s Fall Festival, Fort Myers
Climb aboard the park’s express train for a spooky-themed ride with dancing lights and displays. After the train ride, be sure to visit the pumpkin patch for halloween inflatables and hayrides. For the creative minds, submit your own DIY scarecrow into the annual 2023 Scarecrows in the Park contest. Follow this year’s “Movie Characters” theme to match the scarecrow red carpet.
Oct. 14
Crazy Cryptids Family Day, Naples
The Halloween special, meant for kids aged 5-12, invites littles into the world of mythical creatures and for ghoulish fun. Dive deep into the lore of monsters, such as the skunk ape, jackalope and chupacabra.
Oct. 14
Fashion Night at the Museum at CMON, Naples
The Designer’s Accomplice founder Chelsea Provenzano hosts this red-carpet event for the kids. Children create their own accessories in this workshop, including a hard-case box purse and cat-eye sunglasses to strut the runway. Parents watch their littles strike a pose on this glamorous evening.
Oct. 14
Art In Park: Pumpkin Painting at Fleischmann Park, Naples
Grab white and orange gourds and paint your best Jack-o’-lantern in this annual fall event. All supplies are included, and littles get to leave with a sweet treat.
Oct. 14
Science Saturday at IMAG History & Science Center, Fort Myers
On first Saturdays, visit the IMAG History & Science Center for special STEM shows and learning activities. This month’s event coincides with the annular solar eclipse, and IMAG offers a live viewing with educators to give an in-depth peek at the astronomical spectacle. The science center provides special eclipse glasses to safely watch the event and also broadcasts the occurrence live on their Google Earth wall to watch separately.
Oct. 19
Wicked Walk at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Fort Myers
Enter if you dare: More than 150 students from Lee County Public Schools take over the arts center in this immersive, ghoulish experience. Hear ghost stories, view creepy installations, and watch out for frightening theatrical displays.
Oct. 21
Pure Florida’s Spooky Fun Halloween Science Show & Kids Cruise at Tin City Docks, Naples
Dress like a mad scientist and join Village School of Naples STEAM coach Glen Beitman as he gets his hands dirty with gooey slime and foggy experiments. After, board the M/V Double Sunshine for a late-morning cruise. Kiddos take home personal experiments—and Halloween candy, of course.
Oct. 27
Avow-Loween Trunk or Treat, Naples
Parade next to your favorite Star Wars characters and snag candy grab-bags as you stroll between decorated trunks. After, join the local fire station to meet the firefighters and take a tour of their truck.
Oct. 27
City of Cape Coral’s Trunk or Treat
Join the City of Cape Coral for a special Halloween-themed night complete with vendors, trunk-or-treat activities and a screening of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Oct. 27
InPlay’s Boo Bash, Naples
InPlay gives adults a parents’ night out with their Boo Bash. Children age 5 and up can enjoy a few hours of Halloween fun decorating zombie cupcakes, making monster headbands, competing in mummy-themed costume contests, eating pizza and playing at the facility’s three-story indoor playground.
Oct. 28
Fall Festival at Edison and Ford Winter Estates, Fort Myers
In the second-annual autumnal event, littles romp in the pumpkin patch for the perfect gourd (which they can paint onsite), hone their lumberjack skills with inflatable axe-throwing, and play dress-up with face painting and fairy hair. Parents browse the booths of 30 local arts and crafts vendors, and everyone gets a shot at climbing the estate's historic banyan tree.
Oct. 28
Paws and Pumpkins: A Halloween Howl at Baker Park, Naples
Epilepsy Alliance Florida raises awareness for the neurological condition with their 2023 Walk for Epilepsy. Bring the kiddos and their friends to enjoy trick or treating, face painting, pumpkin decorating and costume contests for everyone—including the pets—all while supporting a good cause.
Oct. 28
Fall Fest at Paradise Coast Sports Complex, Naples
The athletic facility’s great lawn transforms into an autumnal destination with festive activities, including hayrides, bounce houses, face painting, a scavenger hunt and costume parade. Bring the whole family for extra fun.
Oct. 28
Spooktacular Night in Estero
Park your broomstick in Estero Park to enjoy food trucks, trunk-or-treat activities and a screening of the Disney Channel classic Halloweentown. The movie follows 13-year-old Marnie, a young girl who discovers she’s a witch when her grandmother comes for a visit on Halloween night and must travel to a new world to save her family’s hometown.
Oct. 29
Hogwarts Halloween: Family Concert at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers
Witches, wizards and muggles unite—costumes and all—for this magical concert with Gulf Coast Symphony, featuring fan-favorite holiday tunes. Before the show, littles can explore the Music Discovery Zone, where budding musicians play orchestra instruments.