Halloween week in Apex: Spooky Tails for dogs Oct. 28, Witches Night Out and the Mayor's Costume Awards Oct. 30, Tour of Frights and Scarecrow Row to Oct. 31.

Last checked Oct. 25, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Dates come from the Town of Apex Halloween page and each event’s own page. Check the organizer’s page before you go.

Updated Oct. 25: the Goblin’s Groove dance on Oct. 24 is past; the town has added the Mayor’s Costume Awards to Witches Night Out, 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 30.

Halloween falls on a Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, and the Town of Apex fills the last three weeks of October with free and low-cost events. What is left: a nightly decorated-house drive, a park full of scarecrows, a costume night for dogs and a late shopping night on Salem Street. Questions about town events go to Apex Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources at 919-249-3402.

Trick-or-treat hours and safety tips are on a separate page: see trick-or-treat hours in Apex.

At a glance

Date Event Where Cost
Nightly through Oct. 31, 6 to 9 p.m. Tour of Frights Across town Free
Oct. 23-31 Scarecrow Row Apex Community Park, 2200 Laura Duncan Road Free
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 5 to 7 p.m. Spooky Tails Apex Nature Park, 2600 Evans Road Free
Friday, Oct. 30, 5 to 9 p.m. Witches Night Out, with the Mayor’s Costume Awards 6 to 9 p.m. Salem Street, downtown Free to walk

Tour of Frights

The town’s Tour of Frights runs Oct. 10-31, every night from 6 to 9 p.m. It maps Apex homes and businesses with some of the best Halloween and fall decorations onto three routes, orange, purple and green, so you can see the most stops in one drive. The town notes that weather may affect displays with animatronics. A printable map (PDF) is on the town’s site, and the seasonal tours page links a Google Map for each route.

Scarecrow Row at Apex Community Park

Scarecrows decorated by local families and groups line Apex Community Park, 2200 Laura Duncan Road, the week of Oct. 31, according to the town’s Halloween page. Bring a flashlight if you visit after dark; the park closes at 10 p.m.

Goblin’s Groove Family Dance (past)

The town’s parent and child Halloween dance at The Halle was Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. It returns each October; the event page lists the next one.

Spooky Tails for dogs

5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Apex Nature Park, 2600 Evans Road. Part of the town’s new Paws and Rec series, it brings vendors with treats, free custom pet portraits and poetry, organized trail walks, a donation drive and raffle, and a dog costume contest with prizes. Dogs must be current on vaccinations, including rabies, and stay on a non-retractable leash no longer than six feet. Owners sign the town’s canine event waiver before taking part.

Witches Night Out downtown

5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, on Salem Street. Downtown businesses stay open late with Halloween experiences and promotions, according to Apex Economic Development. The town’s calendar also lists the Mayor’s Costume Awards, live on Salem Street from 6 to 9 p.m. during the event. Questions go to Bailey Robertson, the town’s marketing coordinator, at 919-249-1046. North Salem Street is one-way southbound during the Salem Streetscape work.

Also at The Halle

On Wednesday, Oct. 28, The Halle hosts ghost stories with storyteller Donna Washington: “A Little Shiver” for children at 6 p.m. and “Of Blood and Bone” for adults 18 and older at 8:30 p.m. Details are on our things to do this month page.

Haunted houses, trunk-or-treats and pumpkin patches

As of Oct. 25, the town’s calendar listed no town-run trunk-or-treat or haunted house in Apex. Nearby, Phillips Farms of Cary runs the separate Phillips Haunted Farm, and Hill Ridge Farms in Youngsville keeps its pumpkin festival open to Nov. 6; both are covered with farm hours on our fall festivals and pumpkin patches guide. Churches and neighborhood groups that hold a public trunk-or-treat can send the date, time and place to hello@peakcitynews.com and we will add it to the trick-or-treat page.

What this means for you

  • Halloween weekend: Witches Night Out on Friday, Oct. 30, then trick-or-treating on Saturday, Oct. 31. Scarecrow Row and the Tour of Frights both run through Halloween night.
  • Trash day: Halloween is not a pickup holiday, so trash and recycling run on the normal schedule. See our trash and recycling guide.
  • Clocks: Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. Set clocks back an hour.

Related: trick-or-treat hours, fall festivals and pumpkin patches, Thanksgiving in Apex and holiday lights and Christmas events.

Frequently asked questions

What Halloween events are in Apex in 2026?

The town runs the Tour of Frights nightly through Oct. 31, Scarecrow Row at Apex Community Park through Oct. 31, Spooky Tails for dogs on Oct. 28 and Witches Night Out downtown on Oct. 30, with the Mayor’s Costume Awards. The Goblin’s Groove Family Dance was Oct. 24.

What time is Witches Night Out in Apex?

5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, on Salem Street downtown. The town calendar lists the Mayor’s Costume Awards there from 6 to 9 p.m.

What is the Tour of Frights in Apex?

It is the town’s map of homes and businesses with the best Halloween and fall decorations, open every night from 6 to 9 p.m. through Oct. 31, with orange, purple and green driving routes.

When is trick-or-treating in Apex?

Apex does not set hours. Children trick-or-treat on Halloween itself, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. Our trick-or-treat page has the details and safety tips.