A Busy Halloween Weekend in Leelanau County | The Ticker

Leelanau County Prepares for a Rare Weekend Halloween Lineup

When Halloween lands squarely on a Friday and Saturday, communities across Michigan pull out all the stops. According to The Leelanau Ticker, Leelanau County is leaning into the rare weekend scheduling by organizing a sprawling slate of trick-or-treating events, haunted attractions, and business-hosted parties that stretch from Friday afternoon through late Saturday night.

A Busy Halloween Weekend in Leelanau County | The Ticker

Families looking to maximize their candy haul have multiple daytime and evening windows across the peninsula. The Leelanau County Government Center kicked off the weekend festivities with its annual trick-or-treating event on Friday afternoon from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. Simultaneously, local residential care facilities joined the rotation, including the Maple Valley Nursing Home in Maple City hosting afternoon visitors, followed by Northport Highlands on Saturday afternoon.

Trunk-or-Treats and Village Celebrations Fill Saturday

Saturday brings a dense schedule of community-led gatherings, starting with the Downtown Halloween Walk in Traverse City from 10:00 to 11:30 AM. Down the road in downtown Cedar, the local chamber of commerce runs a free public trunk-or-treat from 3:00 to 5:00 PM.

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In Leland, the local fire department uses its sirens to signal the official start and end of neighborhood trick-or-treating from 5:00 to 7:00 PM on Saturday. Further north, the Village Parking Lot Party in Northport acts as a major regional hub from 4:30 to 8:00 PM. The event features a trunk-or-treat, carnival treats like cotton candy and caramel apple nachos, a fortune teller, and a pumpkin carving and decorating competition. Families can also weigh candy bags to compete in a “most loot” contest after completing a village-wide business bingo card.

Additional evening options include the Empire Area Community Center and Empire United Methodist Church hosting a Trunk & Treat with free hot dogs and pork sliders from 5:00 to 6:30 PM, alongside the Frankfort-Elberta Area Chamber of Commerce event running down Main Street in Frankfort from 5:00 to 8:00 PM.

Local Businesses Host Parties, Concerts, and Costume Contests

Because the holiday falls on a weekend, regional wineries, distilleries, and taverns are leaning heavily into evening nightlife. Jacob’s Farm hosted a Friday night “Thriller Night” haunted corn maze featuring paid actors, while Cedar Tavern threw a costume party running into the night. The Bay Theatre offered a Friday screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show complete with props and audience participation.

Leelanau Sands Casino drew contestants to its gaming floor Friday evening with cash prizes and rewards play distributed across men’s, women’s, and group categories, alongside a dedicated prize for casino-themed costumes.

On Saturday, Northern Latitudes Distillery marks the 15th year of its “Boos & Booze” tradition across its Lake Leelanau and Suttons Bay tasting rooms. Here are a few happening around the county:

Bel Lago Winery in Cedar hosting a “Hallo-Wine” party with live music by Dominic Fortuna and discounted pizza on Saturday afternoon.
Heartwood Ciders celebrating its first Halloween with a family-friendly cidery party featuring a small trunk-or-treat and pumpkin painting.
VI Grill in Suttons Bay and Northport Pub & Grill both hosting late-night karaoke events and costume contests starting at 9:00 PM.