Check out this list of events happening in the Des Moines area this Halloween weekend, October 28-31. We’ve curated the 20 events that we found most interesting and listed them here for you. Looking for live music this weekend? We’ve got a separate guide for that. Click here to check it out.

Disclaimer: Events are subject to change or sell out. Please contact the businesses directly to confirm availability via the links below.

Featured Image: Photo by Britt Fowler on Unsplash

  • Friday, October 28, 7-10 p.m. 
  • The Picker Knows, 1208 Grand Avenue, West Des Moines

Feeling like a bit of antiquing and shopping? We always love The Picker Knows.  Head to the old Dahls where The Picker Knows resides for a night of scares, shopping, and most of all FUN ✨. They are having a costume contest with the winner receiving a $200 gift card to the store so make sure to have your best costume ready 👀 Also vendors will be handing out candy throughout the store so bring the family!

All the details.

Halloween Costume + Dance Party at Art Terrarium 

  • Friday, October 28, 7-9 p.m. 
  • Art Terrarium,106 11th St., Des Moines, IA 50309

Kick your Halloween weekend off at Art Terrarium!! They’ll have @dj_jaideknight bringing the hot dance tunes, complimentary drinks + BYOB encouraged and a costume contest! Show up for a chance to win a $50 gift card for Best Botanical costume or Best Overall! Snag your $5 ticket online or pay $5 card or cash at the door. 👻

All the details + buy a ticket

Glow Flow at Rooted Yoga + Fitness

  • Friday, October 28, 6:30 p.m. 
  • Rooted Yoga + Fitness, 2708 Beaver Ave, Des Moines, IA 50310
 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Rooted Yoga + Fitness (@rootedyogaandfitness)

  • Weekends, Through October 30
  • Adventureland, 3200 Adventureland Dr, Altoona, IA 50009

“Phantom Fall Fest is Adventureland’s new Halloween event for everyone! It features Iowa’s best thrills, rides and attractions, specialty food & drink options, and bone-chilling haunts and scare zones after dark.”

check it out.

Scare DSM

  • Friday and Saturday Nights in October, 7:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m. 
  • 97 Indiana Ave, Des Moines, IA 50314

If you’re looking for the classic pop-up Halloween haunted house, head to Scare DSM. $20 per ticket.  There’s currently a DSM Hummingbirds special deal for this so check that out: “ScareDSM is BACK with VIP tickets for you and a guest to attend Night of the Living DRAG on Thursday, October 20. You’ll get to experience the haunted house as well!” Sign up for Hummingbirds: https://www.thehummingbirds.co/instagram. Let us know how scary it is! 

All the details.

  • October 28-31, 7 p.m. 
  • Linn’s Supermarket 3805 6th Ave, Des Moines, IA 50313

Anybody else remember this from high school days? Linn’s Supermarket is still doing it’s thing as a classic haunted house destination for this spooky season. Linn’s is a huge haunted house that you can expect to walk through for 20+ minutes. Admission is $20! Voted Best Haunted House by readers of Cityview. 

Get all the details.
  • Through October 30, 7:30 – 10:30 p.m.
  • Adventureland, 3200 Adventureland Dr, Altoona, IA 50009

This gives us major teenage nostalgia, but it’s a solid experience for a traditional haunted house night since it’s been going on for 25 years. Sleepy Hollow’s Haunted Scream Park opens at 7:00 p.m. and admissions closes at 10:30pm.

check it out.

2022 48 Hour Horror Project Des Moines

  • Friday, October 28, 7:00 p.m.
  • Iowa Historical Building Auditorium, 600 East Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50319

It’ll be a scary good time at the Best of Horror Screening and Awards ceremony for the 2022 48 Hour Horror Project Des Moines! See the top horror films from this year’s entries and find out all of the winners. A costume contest with a cash prize will be held.  Refreshments Included. Free parking available in the parking ramp at East Grand and Pennsylvania.

Saturday, October 29

FAMILY FRIENDLY: Trick or Trees at Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden 

  • Saturday, October 29, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Greater Des Moines BOOtanical Garden, 909 Robert D. Ray Dr, Des Moines, IA 50309

Join the Des Moines Botanical Garden for Trick or Trees, presented by @voya Saturday, October 29 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. for this festive event fun for all ages!⁠ 🎃 Enjoy activities, entertainment, and trick-or-treating in the BOOtanical Garden.⁠ 🦇 Participate in creeptastic educational activities about trees and spooky botanicals.⁠ 👻 Costume are encouraged!⁠

all the details.

FAMILY FRIENDLY: Halloween at Storyhouse Bookpub

  • Saturday, Oct. 29, 11 a.m. 
  • Storyhouse Bookpub, 505 E Grand Ave Suite 102, Des Moines, IA 50309

“Bring the kiddos for face-painting by @dainty.knotts.art + playfully spooky storytime + paper bag monster crafts.  Dainty Knotts will transform us all into pumpkins 🎃 and witch hats 🧙‍♀️ and ghosties 👻, oh my! She’ll also have some of her spooky book prints for ya. Enjoy our 20% off “Cider-Walk” sale all day where we’re putting some excellent titles on sale to browse while sippin’ on some spiced cider to complete your autumnal October lifestyle cozy bookworm style. ☕️”

More details.

Boos & Brews 5K from Iowa Brewery Run

  • Saturday, October 29, 12 p.m.
  • Fox Brewing, 103 S 11th St, West Des Moines, IA 50265
 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Iowa Brewery Running Series (@iabreweryrun)

Makers, Bakers & Boos at Peace Tree Brewing Co.

  • Saturday, October 29, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. 
  • Peace Tree Brewing Co. 317 E Court Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309
All the details.
  • Saturday, October 29, 5-10 p.m. 
  • Confluence Brewing Company, 1235 Thomas Beck Road, Des Moines, IA 50315

Show up in costume and get your first beer free! They’ll have a photo booth set up from 5-9 p.m.so everyone can leave with a FREE photo strip to remember the night! You’ll also be able to share the photos directly to your favorite social media sites right from the booth.  Make sure to stick around for the costume contest at 7 p.m. Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place!

All the details.

LAST WEEKEND: DSM Biergarten Opens in Water Works 

  • Thursday: 2-10pm, Friday: 2-10pm, Saturday: 12-10pm, Sunday: 12-10pm
  • Lauridsen Ampitheater, Water Works Park, 2201 George Flagg Pkwy, Des Moines, IA 50321
  • Thursdays – Sundays through October!
“Willkommen im Des Moines Biergarten! Set among the mature trees of Water Works Park, Des Moines Biergarten is a family-friendly popup German-themed beer garden offering steins of beer and German inspired eats. Join us every Thursday through Sunday in September and October.”
 
all the details.

Costume Show at Teehee’s Comedy Club

  • Saturday, October 29, 9:30 p.m. 
  • Teehee’s Comedy Club, 1433 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309

Costume Show! 1st 2nd and 3rd place prizes! 1st place: 1 free tattoo to “Harm None” tattoo by Ace Wilde (palm sized tattoo on arm or leg) 2nd place: $50 gift card to Rogue Planet Records located off the 42nd Ave exit on 235 3rd place: 2 Free tickets to a comedy show of your choice at Teehee’s Comedy Club.

Buy tickets.

Inner Space Halloween Party

  • Saturday, October 29, 7-10 p.m. 
  • Inner Space,1251 Keosauqua Way, Des Moines, Iowa 50309

Come check out Inner Space on your spooky tour around town. Admission include ecstatic dance, tarot readings, costume party, kombucha, treats, and more. This is a sober event and no alcohol will be on-site. 

all the details.

Sunday, October 30

  • Saturday’s in October: 9 am – 6 pm
  • Sunday’s in October: Noon – 6 pm

This is a favorite kids friendly pumpkin patch. The land has an on-farm store, u-pick apples, u-pick pumpkins, gourds, beautiful mums, apple cider, cider donuts, orchard-fresh food, & “Fun Farm” activities for all ages. There is NO Admission Fee to visit our on-farm store, barnyard, and pumpkin patch, but there are paid activities once you’re there! 

All the details.

Final Fall Fling at Reclaimed DSM

  • Sunday, October 30, 11 – 4 p.m. 
  • Reclaimed DSM, 500 E Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309
Reclaimed and @509cityvintage will open our doors and host a gathering, celebrating you and all your support and encouragement. Join us Sunday dressed in your favorite costume and treat yourself to 10% savings on vintage goodies.
 
Check it out.

Kids Art Class + Face Painting at The Slow Down Coffee Co. 

  • Sunday, October 30, 2 – 4 p.m. 
  • The Slow Down Coffee Co, 3613 6th Ave, Des Moines, IA 50313
 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by The Slow Down Coffee Co. (@slowdowndsm)

FINAL WEEKEND: U-Pick Apples and Pumpkins at Storybook Orchard 

  • All weekend – 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. 
  • 12832 Royal Orchard Drive, Story City, IA, 50248

About 40 miles north of Des Moines is this recommended orchard to stroll through for a lower key u-pick experience. If you head there, let us know what you think!

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  • Sunday, October 30, 1-3 p.m. 
  • Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312

This year, the Des Moines Art Center, in collaboration with Iowa Artist Miriam AlarcĂłn Avila, will infuse la lucha into our annual Day of the Dead Celebration, honoring Our Luchadores Ancestors..join for a day of food, activities, and entertainment in this festive fusion of Mexican traditions. Let us be together and share in the lucha of our ancestors and community!”

all the details

TRICK-OR-TREAT Night aka “Beggar’s Night”

  • Sunday, October 30, 6-8 p.m. 
  • Beggars night all around the Des Moines metro area

This is when the kids, and not-so-little kids, go trick-or-treating house by house in most neighborhoods in Des Moines – NOT Monday night. You might hear this referred to as “Beggar’s Night.” It’s a whole Des Moines thing. Here’s a Register article on this very Des Moines tradition. 

Des Moines Register breakdown

🧡🖤Monday, October 31 🧡🖤

Halloween On The Hill 

After a two-year pandemic hiatus, Halloween on the Hill (HOTH) returns as Des Moines’s premier Halloween night event – October 31 from 6:30-8:30 pm.  Residents of the historic Sherman Hill neighborhood will be going all out to decorate their homes with spooky scenes while collecting donations for the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry.
 
Use this as an excuse to check out the neigborhood!

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