Grayson County Halloween Events 2026: Gunter, Howe & Denison

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so the corridor’s towns have spread things out. Howe trick-or-treats early, on a Monday night. Denison holds its downtown trick-or-treat on Halloween itself, and Gunter’s pumpkin patch is open every day of the season. That means you can do one in each town without overlap.

This weekend in Gunter: pumpkins on Preston Road

Gunter · Oct. 23–25 and every day through Nov. 25

Big Orange Pumpkin Farm at Preston Trail Farms

15102 TX-289, Gunter, TX 75078 · (972) 382-4995

The pumpkin farm the Kimbrell family started in 1997 now runs on the Preston Trail Farms property on Preston Road. The farm lists the 2026 season as Sept. 19 through Nov. 25, open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. Weekday admission is $12 and includes a small pumpkin, feed for the petting farm, a hayride, the roping pen, the hay maze and photo spots. Weekend admission is $15 and includes the farm train, petting-farm feed, the hayride, the roping pen, the hay maze and photo spots. Children under 2 get in free, and well-behaved dogs on a leash are welcome.

The hay maze and petting farm keep little kids busy, and the hardware store, gift shop and cafe are on the same property if you need lunch or a reason to stay longer. Check the farm’s hours and admission page before you go, since prices can change during the season.

Best for: a daytime pumpkin-and-hayride outing with kids, any day of the week.

Read the Preston Trail Farms listing →

Pumpkins at the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm. Image source: Preston Trail Farms

Staying in Gunter Saturday night? The businesses on Wellness Row (Sunlit Sensations, Gunter Chiropractic and Aura Lagree) are hosting a free Gunter Halloween Movie Night on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 9 p.m. at 402 W. Walnut St. They are showing Halloweentown High outdoors, with lawn games, popcorn, light refreshments and a food truck. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Admission is free, but the hosts ask you to RSVP. For dinner before or after, see our Gunter restaurants guide.

Monday in Howe: trick-or-treat on Haning Street

Howe · Mon, Oct. 26 · 6–8:30 p.m.

Downtown Howe-lloween Festival

Downtown Howe, 110 E. Haning St., Howe, TX 75459

The Howe Area Chamber of Commerce is holding its 9th annual Downtown Howe-lloween Festival five days before Halloween. Kids go trick-or-treating from booth to booth as local businesses and vendors line downtown and hand out candy. The chamber’s page also lists food vendors and family activities. It is free for the public. The chamber closes Haning Street around 3 p.m. that Monday so vendors can set up, so plan to park off Haning and walk in.

Because it is on a Monday, this is a good pick if you want a full trick-or-treat night without fighting Halloween-night crowds. Costumes can come back out on Saturday.

Best for: an easy weeknight trick-or-treat in a walkable small-town downtown.

See the Howe Area Chamber event page →

The Welcome to Howe mural downtown. Image source: Montewalker1 (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Want dinner downtown first? Several Howe restaurants are on or near Haning Street. Browse the Howe restaurants guide, or follow our Corridor Weekend Eats route for a pizza stop on Haning.

“Halloween falls on a Saturday this year.”

Halloween night in Denison: Monsters on Main

Denison · Sat, Oct. 31 · 5:30–7 p.m.

Monsters on Main

Downtown Denison (Main Street) · costume contest at Heritage Park

The City of Denison’s yearly downtown trick-or-treat runs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Halloween. Downtown businesses and government departments hand out candy, and KXII reports that Main Street will be closed to traffic so kids can trick-or-treat. The all-ages costume contest is at Heritage Park, and judging starts at 7 p.m.

Heritage Park reopened on Oct. 15 after more than two years of construction, so Halloween night is a chance to see the rebuilt park with its new stage, surround-sound speakers and walking plaza.

Best for: Halloween-night trick-or-treating on a closed Main Street, plus a costume contest.

See the City of Denison event listing →

Downtown Denison, from KXII’s coverage of the Heritage Park reopening. Image source: KXII

Two more Denison dates are on the city calendar. The Denison Public Library’s Monster Trail runs Thursday, Oct. 22, from 6 to 8 p.m., which makes it an easy early outing for young kids. For adults, the city lists a downtown Zombie Crawl on Oct. 31: happy hour starts at 1 p.m., the crawl runs until midnight through downtown bars and lounges, and there are prizes for costumes. If you want a carhop burger before Monsters on Main, Watson’s Drive In is on West Main. More options are in the Denison restaurants guide.

Nearby: Van Alstyne trick-or-treat and costume ideas

If you are on the Van Alstyne side of the line, Van Alstyne’s Downtown Trick or Treat is Saturday, Oct. 24. The Van Alstyne Public Library calendar lists it from 5 to 7 p.m., while KXII’s Texoma Halloween roundup lists 4 to 7 p.m. with a costume contest at Dorothy Fielder Park at 4:30 p.m. Check with the city before you go. Still need a costume for the contests at Heritage Park or Dorothy Fielder Park? Our sister site Two Step & Tequila has a cowgirl Halloween costume built from clothes you will wear again.