Plan your October in North Texas with these spirited events – KERA News

Maybe it's our way of welcoming cooler temperatures and pumpkin spice everything, but North Texans absolutely love to celebrate fall. Besides the fall festivals there are concerts, haunted houses, pumpkin patches and of course, trick-or-treating.

KERA's Art&Seek calendar is absolutely loaded with October happenings. To help you plan, weve gathered all the best events and created a special October theme, that way you wont miss out on a thing.

Heres sampling of whats coming up.

Oct. 1

The Smashing Pumpkins

What better way to kick off the month of October than a trip back to the '90s with Alternative/Indi band The Smashing Pumpkins. Jane's Addiction opens for the group at the American Airlines Center on Saturday.

Make a Pumpkin at Vetro Glassblowing Studio

If you dont feel like smashing pumpkins, you can make one out of glass. Thats right, throughout the month of October you can experience the ancient art of glassblowing at Vetro Glassblowing Studio in Grapevine. Here's how it works: Pick a color, apply it to the hot molten glass, and then watch a professional glassblower finish your one-of-a-kind pumpkin.

Frightsn Lights in Frisco

Part haunted house, part pumpkin patch and part Instagram-worthy photo opt, this Halloween experience ticks all the boxes. A creepy walk features thousands of intricately carved jack-o-lanterns and a gallery of your favorite monsters are brought to life as giant-sized lanterns and lights. While you're there, enjoy games, rides, and the Headless Horsemans Haunted Hay Maze. Frights n' Nights runs Thursdays through Sundays until Oct. 31.

Oct. 7

The Bride of Frankenstein Goes Malibu

Dr. Frankenstein has decided surfer brains are exactly what he needs to upgrade his monsters. Since everyone knows the best surfer brains can be found in Malibu, he packs up Mr. and Mrs. Monster and heads to California. Things are great until the doctors archenemy, Dracula shows up with some of his cranky cronies. The wacky monster mashup is at Art Centre Theatre in Plano until Fridays and Saturdays through October 16.

Mesquite Meander

Get primed for Halloween with a living history tour at the historic Mesquite Cemetery. Actors portray long-passed Mesquite residents who tell their stories among the tombstones.

Oct. 14

West End Zombie Crawl

Drop off the kids and join your fellow undead for the 1st Annual West End Zombie Crawl. Retrieve your passport at the check in location and roam participating West End locations for free themed drinks. The event also includes a body painting station, 3 DJs spinning music, a scavenger hunt and a costume contest.

Oct. 21

Le Ballet de Dracula

If you thought ballet was all Sugar Plum Fairies and dancing snowflakes, think again. LakeCities Ballet's Le Ballet de Dracula will definitely put you in the Halloween spirit. Its the classic story of the famous vampire, but told with dancing gypsies, bats, vampire brides and Dracula himself. This show does for Halloween what The Nutcracker did for Christmas. There are only three performances at the MCL Grand in Lewisville, and tickets sell out fast, so take my advice and get your tickets now.

Oct. 28

Trick-or-Treat on Downtown Streets

Sure, you can go trick-or-treating in your neighborhood, but for something really different join Downtown Dallas, Inc. for Trick-or-Treat on Downtown Streets. Everyone (adults, kids, pets) is invited to this 4th annual event that starts at Main Street Garden Park. A map of all participating downtown businesses will be provided and each local retailer on the map will create a fun Halloween station handing out treats for all.

Silent Disco Halloween Bash

Put on your dancing shoes and head to Sammons Park in Dallas for a Halloween Bash. DJs spinning perfect tunes and themed cocktails make this a party you won't want to miss. Be sure to enter the costume contest for a chance to win prizes.

Dentons Day of the Dead Festival

This annual community festival is described by the organizers as "little harvest fest, a little Dia de los Muertos, a little Halloween, and a lot of Denton magic." There will be games and food vendors plus a variety of entertainment on hand including music and dancing. Don't miss the twilight lantern parade, and the coffin races. The quirky, community get-together happens this Friday and Saturday on Hickory and Industrial Street in beautiful downtown Denton.

Cirque du Horror

If you're looking for old-timey Halloween fun that's just a touch macabre, look no further than Cirque du Horror. The family-friendly tent show located on E. Oak Street in Denton is an original Halloween musical that features songs, dancing and poetry. Catch performances Oct. 28 through Oct. 30.

Oct. 29

Dia de los Muertos en Fort Worth

Artes de la Rosa's annual Dia de los Muertos Festival in Fort Worth's Northside neighborhood honors those loved ones who have passed. The celebration starts on Saturday morning with a parade that leads to Marine Park followed by a family-friendly festival that features mariachi music, ballet folklorico, arts and crafts and theatrical performances.

Dallas Zombie Crawl

Join over 500 members of your fellow undead for annual Dallas Zombie Crawl! Come in costume and roam the streets of Deep Ellum stopping in and out of over 10+ bars and nightclubs with one all-access pass.

Halloween at the Park

This annual family-friendly extravaganza at Farmers Branch Historical Park and features midway style carnival games, bounce houses and tons of food vendors. If you want something a little bit scary, check out the Haunted Hedge. It's best for ages 9 and older. But don't worry, there's also Boo-Ville, a not-so-scary area with activities for little monsters 5 and under.

Pumpkin Patches!

It just isnt fall without a pumpkin patch. Here are just a few perfect patches youll want to peruse this October.

Autumn at the Arboretum

The Dallas Arboretum has a bumper crop of pumpkins--over 100,000 and that makes it the ideal place to capture the perfect fall photo. The theme the garden has chosen this year is A Fall Fairy Tale, which means you can snap selfies on Cinderellas carriage or in the themed pumpkin houses in the Pumpkin Village. Other displays showcase classic tales like Jack and The Beanstalk, The Three Little Pigs and The Sword in the Stone. There's even a magic carpet ride selfie experience from One Thousand and One Nights.

Big Orange Pumpkin Farm at Preston Trail Farms

Pick a green pumpkin right off the vine at this working farm, just a 40-minute drive from Plano. Experience the country life as you take a hayride, explore a 6-foot hay maze, ride the farm train, or pet some farm animals. And if you miss your chance to go before Halloween, no worries. This patch is open daily through Nov. 23.

Pumpkin Nights

The organizers of Pumpkin Nights decided that Christmas shouldn't get all the love when it comes to light displays, so they created a half-mile walking path full of lights with a definite pumpkiny flair. Some of the displays include the Forbidden Pumpkin City, a pirates cove, and fantastical lands featuring over 3,000 hand-carved real and artificial pumpkins. Pumpkin Nights happens nightly through Oct. 30 at Howell Farms in Arlington. Be sure to get your tickets in advance because they sell out quickly.

Yesterland Farm in Canton

This Christmas Tree/Pumpkin farm is packed to the gills with fall fun. There are rides for the kids, a candy cabin, a three-acre corn maze, pig races and of course miles and miles of pumpkins. There's also an after-hours Fright Farm where you can get into a paintball fight with zombies, or take a scary hayride. Open weekends through Nov. 6.

Mainstay Farm in Cleburne

Celebrate the 2022 fall season with a visit to the biggest backyard in Texas. Enjoy food, music and over 40 attractions, including a jumping pillow, a tubing slide and a Ferris wheel. Pick out a pumpkin in the pumpkin patch, and then relax under the trees with a glass of Mainstay Farm wine.

Got a tip? Email Therese Powell attpowell@kera.org.You can follow her on Twitter@TheresePowell13

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Plan your October in North Texas with these spirited events - KERA News

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