What Halloween and fall events are happening in Guelph, Elora, and Fergus in 2026?
The biggest Halloween events in Guelph this year are Elora’s Monster March on Saturday, October 17 and the Fergus Halloween Haunt Street Walk on Saturday, October 24. Market Haunt at the Guelph Farmers’ Market also falls on October 24, and Downtown Guelph Trick-or-Treat lands on Halloween itself, Saturday, October 31. In between, you’ve got night mazes at Strom’s Farm and Fergus Ghost Walks. There’s also a murder mystery at the Wellington County Museum, the Riverside Park Scareousel, and a free jack-o’-lantern walk in Fergus on November 1.
By Cody St. Jacques | October 13, 2026
Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, which means two full weekends of events and a third one tacked on at the end. Families can realistically fit in a parade, a farm, a street walk, and proper trick-or-treating without ever taking a school night hit. Everyone else gets a 19+ party, a ghost walk, and a bar crawl with their name on it.
I pulled this list from the organizers’ own pages wherever I could, and I’ve noted the handful of events where I could only confirm details through a third-party listing. Times and tickets do change, so give the event page a quick look before you load everyone into the car.
Here’s the short version if you only plan one thing per weekend:
- October 17: Monster March in Elora (free, costumes encouraged, pets welcome)
- October 24: Fergus Halloween Haunt Street Walk in the morning, St. Jacobs Pumpkin Palooza in the afternoon, Market Haunt at night (19+)
- October 31: Downtown Guelph Trick-or-Treat from noon, then your own street after dark
- November 1: Pumpkin Walk at the Wellington County Museum, where your carved pumpkin gets one last night in the spotlight
Halloween Events in Guelph: The Can’t-Miss Picks
Strom’s Farm & Bakery — Harvest Fun Area and Night Maze
5089 Wellington Road 32, Guelph
If you only do one fall farm trip, make it Strom’s. The 5-acre corn maze has over 5 km of paths. Part of every admission goes to a local charity, and this year it’s the Ontario Autism Program at St. Joseph’s Health Centre Guelph.
- Harvest Fun Area: Weekends 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (last entry 4 p.m.) and Wednesday to Friday 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (last entry 3:30 p.m.), running through October 31
- Night Maze: October 17, 21–24, and 28–30, 6–9:30 p.m. (last entry 8 p.m.). Each night has a theme — glow nights on the 21st and 28th, line dancing on the 22nd and 29th, and live music or performers on the weekends.
Also, bring a flashlight and leave the dog at home; Strom’s has a no-pets policy.
Halloween Scareousel — Saturday, October 24
Riverside Park, 709 Woolwich Street
Meanwhile, the City’s 1919 carousel gets one spooky last spin before winter. The 2026 date is on the City’s events calendar. Past years have run 6–9 p.m. with treats and a Guelph Food Bank donation drive, so confirm the hours at guelph.ca before you go. Fair warning for anyone sensitive to it: past years have used strobe lighting.
Market Haunt — Saturday, October 24, 7 p.m.–midnight
Guelph Farmers’ Market, 2 Gordon Street
This one is for the grown-ups. It’s a 19+ costume party in the historic market building with live music from C.I.D, OLEXA, and Animal Boy, followed by DJ Summerr to close the night. Tickets are pay-what-you-can at $15, $20, $30, or $45, and there are tacos, churros, and local drinks on site.
Downtown Guelph Trick-or-Treat — Saturday, October 31, from noon
Downtown Guelph
This is one of the most popular Halloween events in Guelph, now in its ninth year. In fact, more than 50 downtown businesses hand out candy until supplies run out. Since Halloween is on a Saturday, this is the easiest way to get a head start (and a sugar head start) before the evening rounds on your own street. The Downtown Guelph Business Association posts an online map closer to the date.
More Halloween Events in Guelph
- Wicked Witches Halloween Market — listed for Friday, October 23 from 6 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion, 57 Watson Parkway South. Free admission in past years.
- FrightCrawl Guelph — a 19+ downtown bar crawl running October 29, 30, and 31, with tickets from $15.
- Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics — listed for October 30 at Royal City Mission Church, 50 Quebec Street.
However, I couldn’t confirm the Wicked Witches and Candlelight details on the organizers’ own sites yet, so double-check those before you plan around them.
Monster Month in Elora and Fergus
Elora and Fergus are the villages next to Guelph, and they go all-in every October. Their own month of events adds to the list of Halloween events in Guelph and the surrounding area. Tim Murton’s Twilight Zoo — a collection of lantern monsters made of wire, cheesecloth, and paper — takes over the village streets. Meanwhile, Sensational Elora builds a full month of events around it. Proceeds from many of them support the Centre Wellington Food Bank.
If you’re thinking about a move to Centre Wellington, this is honestly one of the best times to visit. You get to see downtown Elora and Fergus on a busy evening, not just a quiet Tuesday afternoon. I made the same point in my piece on why Fergus works for first-time buyers and investors — spend a night there before you spend your down payment there.
Monster March — Saturday, October 17
Downtown Elora
The headliner. It’s a free, non-motorized costume parade where anyone can march, pets included. Marshalling starts at 6 p.m. at MacDonald Square, and the parade steps off at 6:30. It wraps with a “mini-mash” in Bissell Park with treats and judging of the Wicked Wagons. Volunteers collect food bank donations along the route, so bring a non-perishable or two.
Candlelight Elora — Thursday, October 22
Downtown Elora
A free evening where downtown storefronts are decorated and lit by candlelight, with shops and restaurants open late. It’s the low-key, date-night option of the month.
Fergus Halloween Haunt Street Walk & Wytch Folk Market — Saturday, October 24, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Downtown Fergus
Trick-or-treating happens in daylight on St. Andrew Street, with free candy from 10 a.m. to noon, the Fergus Dancing Witches, and the Wytch Folk Market running until 2 p.m. The downtown Fergus merchants put this one on, and it’s free.
More Monster Month highlights
- Fergus Ghost Walks — $20, 8–9:30 p.m. on October 16, 17, 23, 29, and 30. Actors and historians lead a lantern walk through downtown Fergus. Tickets are at The Bookery.
- Meet the Monsters walking tours — $10, with evening and afternoon dates all month, run through Elora Distilling Company.
- Murder Mystery at the Museum — $50, October 16, 17, and 23 at the Wellington County Museum and Archives. This year’s plot involves 1975, disco, ghosts, and (somehow) pirates.
- Cemetery Tours — October 23 at 7 and 9 p.m. at the museum, exploring the history of the former County Poor House. $15 plus HST, registration required.
- Haunted Hub — October 24, noon to 5 p.m., $5, with pumpkin decorating, games, and trick-or-treating, hosted by Big Brothers Big Sisters Centre Wellington and the Community Resource Centre.
- Hallow’Tots — October 30, 10–11 a.m., free for little ones with crafts, sensory play, and trick-or-treating. Only 50 spots, so register early.
- The Almost Hip Halloween Party — October 30 at the Elora Legion, $25 in advance or $30 at the door, with prizes for best costume.
- Elora Mill Gate House Trick-or-Treating — Halloween night, 6–8 p.m., free.
Pumpkin Walk — Sunday, November 1
Wellington County Museum and Archives
Don’t toss your jack-o’-lantern. Drop it off at the museum’s Heritage Barn between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., then come back from 6 to 8 p.m. to walk the rows of lit pumpkins and find yours. Additionally, the Sensational Soup Off and Empty Bowls fundraiser run the same afternoon from 1 to 3:30 p.m.
Worth the Drive: A Few Picks Toward K-W
Most of the Halloween events in Guelph and Centre Wellington will cover your weekend. However, if your crew wants more, a couple of nearby options stand out:
- St. Jacobs Pumpkin Palooza — Saturday, October 24: Now a daytime event that runs until 6 p.m., with free pumpkin carving from 2 to 4 p.m. (200 pumpkins, first come, first served) and trick-or-treating through the village from 4 to 5 p.m.
- Halloween light show at the Old Post Office in Cambridge: A free projection show lights up the building’s façade, with music you can tune into on FM 92.5 from your car.
- Cursed Curiosities and Cocktails at Castle Kilbride, Baden — October 30: Ghost stories, cursed artifacts, and a signature cocktail or mocktail.
- Screampark at Bingemans, Kitchener: Six haunted attractions with live actors. This is the one for the friend who says nothing scares them.
A Quick Note If You’re Selling This Fall
A few sellers have asked me whether listing around Halloween is a mistake. It isn’t, but a couple of things are worth planning for.
- Keep the decor light for listing photos. A pumpkin on the porch reads as cozy. A seven-foot animatronic skeleton reads as “what else are they hiding?”
- Think about photo timing. Photos taken in late October can look dated by mid-November once the leaves are gone. If you’re listing soon, shoot early and be ready to refresh the exterior shot.
- Showings on October 31 are tough. Plan around the evening if you can.
If you’re weighing a fall or winter listing, my guide to preparing to sell your home in Guelph this winter walks through the rest. The September 2026 Guelph market update also shows where prices and selling times are sitting right now.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Monster March in Elora in 2026?
The Monster March is on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Marshalling starts at 6 p.m. at MacDonald Square, and the parade begins at 6:30 p.m. It’s free, open to anyone in costume (pets included), and finishes with a mini-mash in Bissell Park.
When is Downtown Guelph Trick-or-Treat this year?
Downtown Guelph Trick-or-Treat is on Saturday, October 31, 2026, starting at noon and running until supplies last. More than 50 downtown businesses are taking part, and it’s free for all ages.
Is there a corn maze near Guelph?
Yes. Strom’s Farm & Bakery at 5089 Wellington Road 32 has a 5-acre corn maze with over 5 km of paths, open through October 31. It also runs night mazes on select evenings from October 17 to 30, from 6 to 9:30 p.m.
What’s happening in Fergus for Halloween?
Fergus hosts the free Halloween Haunt Street Walk and Wytch Folk Market on Saturday, October 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., plus $20 lantern-lit Fergus Ghost Walks on several October evenings. The Pumpkin Walk at the Wellington County Museum and Archives on November 1 lets you display your jack-o’-lantern one last time.
Are there adult-only Halloween events in Guelph?
Yes. Market Haunt at the Guelph Farmers’ Market on October 24 is a 19+ costume party with live music, and FrightCrawl runs 19+ bar crawls downtown from October 29 to 31. In Elora, the Legion’s Almost Hip Halloween Party on October 30 is another option for a night out.
Make the Most of It
Halloween on a Saturday is a gift, so pick your weekend for these Halloween events in Guelph, check the event page, and get out there. Elora and Fergus are worth the short drive at least once this month, even if it’s just to see the monsters.
And if a fall drive through Centre Wellington — or a walk around your own Guelph neighbourhood — has you thinking about a move, I’m happy to talk it through. No pressure, no pitch, just straight answers. Reach out anytime.
About Cody St. Jacques
Cody St. Jacques is a real estate agent in Guelph, Ontario with over a decade of experience and 1,000+ transactions across resale and preconstruction. Backed by great mentors and a full team of industry experts, he’s built his reputation on honest, no-hype advice that buyers and sellers trust during one of the biggest decisions of their lives.
Whether you’re buying or selling in Guelph and the surrounding area, Cody focuses on one client at a time — guiding you through the market and the process from start to finish.
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