Candy, Costumes & Community Fun — Fright Night Returns Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026

Dress up in your spookiest, silliest, or most creative costume and bring the family for a frightfully fun night in Downtown Waxhaw.

From 4–6 p.m., downtown businesses will be handing out candy to all the little ghosts & goblins.

Local shops decorate their storefronts and join in the fun to make this one of Waxhaw’s favorite family traditions.

see what’s brewing.

FAMILY FRIGHTS & FUN, 4-6 PM

Free community favorites — perfect for families and little ghouls!

Join us for a spooktacular trick-or-treating event in Downtown Waxhaw on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 4-6 p.m.
Downtown businesses will welcome costumed visitors with open doors & candy bowls.
This free, family-friendly event offers a safe Halloween experience for ghouls & goblins of all ages.
📍 NEW Location: 216 W. North Main St. (near Jekyll & Hyde)
🕓 Time: 4–6 p.m. (categories by time slot)
Compete for the title of Best-Dressed Creature of the Night at Staci Howell State Farm Insurance’s annual Community Costume Contest!
Schedule:
- 4:00–4:30 PM: Ages 5 & under
- 4:30–5:00 PM: Ages 6–10
- 5:00–5:30 PM: Ages 11+
- 5:30–6:00 PM: Group & family
🏆 Winners announced at the end of each time slot.
✨ NEW location this year with more space and easier access — don’t miss it!
📍 W. North Main & N. Church St.
🕓 4–6 p.m.
More treats are waiting just around the corner! Waxhaw United Methodist Church is bringing Trunk or Treat right into the heart of Fright Night this year.
Stop by their setup along W. North Main and N. Church Street for even more candy, decorated trunks, and Halloween fun before continuing your trick-or-treating adventure through Downtown Waxhaw.
It’s just one more sweet stop to add to your Fright Night route!
📍 318 E. South Main St. (across from Emmet’s)
🕓 4–6 p.m.
Ready to climb for candy? Stop by Ladder Bokss, one of Downtown Waxhaw's newest fitness studios, for a Halloween Candy Ladder Challenge!
Try your hand at a fun ladder climb, earn a sweet treat & prize, and get a peek inside this unique new business focused on strength, movement, and flexibility.
📍 W. North Main St. (across from Mary O’Neill’s)
🕓 4–6 p.m.
Step right up...if you dare!
New to this year’s Fright Night, Carnival of Shadows invites you to take a walk on the spooky side with a short, family-friendly scare trail filled with eerie sights, unexpected surprises, and live scare actors along the way.
Designed with Fright Night’s younger crowd in mind, the experience will keep the scares fun and PG while still offering plenty of thrills for those brave enough to enter.
Saturday, October 24 | 4:30–7:00 p.m.
Downtown Waxhaw
FREE Admission | Donations Welcome
Carnival of Shadows is presented by Action For Good, a nonprofit organization focused on empowering individuals through volunteer service, leadership, and meaningful community impact.
While admission is completely free, guests who would like to support the cause are invited to make an optional donation.
All donations from Carnival of Shadows will benefit Action For Good’s The Market, an initiative working to establish a free grocery store serving senior veterans in need.
Come for the scares. Help support a good cause. And see if you’re brave enough to make it through the Carnival of Shadows!
📍 110 McDonald St.
🕓 4–6 p.m. (while supplies last)
Add some color to your Halloween! Stop by Waxhaw Taphouse for free pumpkin painting — the perfect way to show off your spooky artistic side before the sun sets.
📍 200 E. South Main St.
🕓 4–6 p.m.
The Waxhaw Woman’s Club is conjuring up a spellbinding stop for families with their annual Witches & Goblins Fright Night!
Enjoy festive crafts, games, activities, and treats — all bursting with Halloween spirit (while supplies last).

TWILIGHT TREATS & BEATS

The candy’s gone, but the fun lives on — perfect for families & night owls alike!

📍 E. North Main Street (near the pedestrian bridge)
🕓 6–9 PM
The fun doesn’t end when the candy runs out — it just kicks into high gear!
After trick-or-treating, stick around for a bloody good block party filled with music, food, and Halloween spirit.
🎶 Live Music
Enjoy live tunes by the pedestrian bridge
🍴 Food Truck
Grab a bite (or two!) from fan favorite:
• Road Crew by Middle James Brewing
Each year during Fright Night, our downtown businesses transform their storefronts into spooktacular works of art — and you get to decide who reigns supreme.
Vote online Oct. 24-31, 2026 for your favorite boo-tiful, creepy-cool, or fang-tastically festive storefront.
The winner of the coveted Pumpkin King Trophy and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes will be announced on Nov. 3.
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Thanks to Fright Night sponsor Comporium, this year's Business Decorating Contest winners will take home $500, $250, and $100 cash prizes, along with the coveted Pumpkin King Trophy!
Capture your frightfully fun memories at these themed photo backdrops!
🎃 The Bean & Belle — 103 W. South Main St.
🍷 Cork & Ale — 113 E. North Main St.
🍂 MONA Boutique — 108 E. South Main St.
Snap a spooky selfie or group pic and don’t forget to tag us: @downtownwaxhaw | #FrightNightWxw
You never know when they’ll appear… but you won’t want to miss them!
Stick around after trick-or-treating for spontaneous performances by the Waxhaw Mombies — a fun-loving group of moms who rise from the shadows each Halloween for spooky, silly, and seriously entertaining flash mob dances.
Haunted History Tours (almost sold out): Watch for our lantern-lit groups exploring downtown legends!
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Discover Waxhaw’s haunted past on a guided walking tour through 135+ years of spooky legends and lore.
- Tours at 6:30 PM, 7 PM, 8 PM, and 8:30 PM
- $20 per ticket | Space limited to 16 per tour
- Tickets on sale now!

AFTER HOURS HAUNTS

When the moon is high… the grown-up ghouls come out to play!

📍 110 McDonald St.
Enjoy cornhole out back, pumpkin painting in the beer garden, and live music with Darren Deese starting at 7:30 p.m.! Plus, catch the Witches Walk as it makes its way through downtown, ending at the Waxhaw Taphouse around 7:30 p.m.
📍 122 W. North Main St.
Show off your Halloween costume and raise a glass at GWR Waxhaw. Enjoy live music with Sweet Talkin’ Johnny starting at 8:00 p.m. No cover, just great music, good company, and pre-Halloween fun!
📍 216 W. North Main St. | ⏰ 8-11 PM | 🎟 Free Admission
You’re in for a ghoul-d time!
Dance the night away with a live DJ, enter the fang-tastic costume contest, and sip on boo-zy cocktails all night long.
Last year you packed the house, Waxhaw — dare you outdo it this year?
Learn more »

parking & street closures

Wondering where to park in Downtown Waxhaw for Fright Night? We’ve got you covered!

Click the image above to download our Fright Night street closure map and parking guide. Save it to your phone for easy access on the go!

Don't let parking haunt your Fright Night plans. Use this interactive Google map to locate free public parking lots and on-street spaces throughout Downtown Waxhaw.