The season of crisp nights, haunted tales and glowing jack-o-lanterns is here. If you love autumn adventures, there are many fun Halloween experiences in Northern Ontario. From kid-friendly daytime pumpkin festivals to ghostly hikes that begin at nightfall, prepare to celebrate the spooky season.
Whether you live in Sudbury, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Parry Sound or somewhere in between, there are pumpkin patches and hauntingly fun events near you. Here are 11 things to do in Northern Ontario this fall that will trick (or treat) you into the Halloween spirit.
Pumpkinfest At Gammondale Farm
Address: 426 McCluskey Dr., Slate River Valley, ON
Celebrate the magic of autumn at Fammondale Farm’s annual Pumpkinfest, located in a scenic valley at the base of Candy Mountain. Browse piles of pumpkins to pick your ideal porch decor and participate in over 20 themed attractions. Some of the activities include a pumpkin train, corn toss, monster forest maze, horse rides, and Canada’s largest pumpkin catapult. There are new attractions like farm hoppers to look forward to this year. Plus, you can feast on treats like sliced caramel apples and mini donuts.
Visit on weekends from September 30 to October 29, including Thanksgiving Monday. Tickets are $19.75 each, with children under two years old free. Buy your tickets online in advance to ensure admission.
Blezard Valley Fields Of Fear
Address: 2777 Main St., Greater Sudbury, ON
Dive right into Halloween season at a premiere scream park hosting two haunted attractions and a fun zone full of activities. Enter The Hostel if you dare — this intense haunt is in a century-old schoolhouse. The Kooky Circus is a new haunted funhouse full of frights and carnival mirrors. Will you find your way out?
After the scares, you can have fun playing midway games, join the outdoor movie nights and stroll the makers’ market.
Opening on October 6, 2023, you can visit on Friday through Sunday evenings until October 29. Admission is $15 per attraction or $25 for a haunt pass; reserve online for front-of-line ticket access. You can purchase game tokens, as well as some concessions on-site.
Halloween At Dynamic Earth
Address: 122 Big Nickel Rd., Sudbury, ON
Halloween at Dynamic Earth is back. This October, you can experience Pumpkinferno, a path of beautifully carved pumpkins that look like twinkling art. There will be three new themed displays and a scavenger hunt activity.
This year, there are new things to enjoy, including Ghost Hunting, where you can learn about paranormal investigation instruments. In addition to Light Up Your Halloween, a workshop to learn about circuits and bring home your paper night light. Taste new flavours of insects at the Bug Bistro or grab some food at the Copper Cauldron and roast marshmallows by a campfire.
Experience Halloween at Dynamic Earth on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from October 6 through 29, 2023. Admission tickets are $14 per person or $12 for members, and flex tickets are an additional $2 each so that you can visit any night during the event.
Pumpkin Hunt And Haunted Forest
Address: Copeman Tree Farms, 66 Bloomfield Rd., Sundridge, ON
Bring the little ones to Copeman Tree Farms for the daytime Pumpkin Hunt, where they can find gourds. Each child receives a pie-sized pumpkin and can participate in painting it, along with cookie decorating, a maze, a train ride and wagon rides. Larger pumpkins for carving will be available to buy (cash only), as well as refreshments. The hunt takes place on September 30 and October 7, 2023. Tickets are $15 for kids and $10 per adult, each including a hot dog and drink.
If you’re an adult who prefers a good scare, visit later in the day on October 28 for the creepy Haunted Forest. There is no chicken exit, so pack all your courage as you navigate this forest trail full of frights. Guided by dim lanterns, the outdoor path is eerie enough without the added jump scares, hidden voices and terrifying surprises. Warm up with a hot drink and food once your heart rate returns to normal.
Haunted Hikes
Address: Hiawatha Highlands, Landslide Rd., Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Embark on an evening hike through a forest as dusk rolls in and the night sky begins to fade to black. You’ll follow a guide along the tree-lined trail as they narrate terrifying tales full of horrible characters and unexpected twists. The theme is switched up each year, and 2023 will be full of witchcraft, ancient rituals, and invoked spirits for Haunted Hikes: Séance. The hike is rated easy and lasts about an hour and a half.
These horrifying hiking tours full of spirits and echoing incantations occur Friday and Saturday nights throughout October, and tickets cost $30 (plus tax) per person. The price also includes a small snack.
The Great Pumpkin Hunt
Address: Kivi Park, 4472 Long Lake Rd., Greater Sudbury, ON
Embark on an epic Halloween hunt, with over 1000 pumpkins hidden around Kivi Park. Get dressed in your best costume and go on a scavenger hunt on October 21, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Scan the QR code at the trailhead and follow the hunt along the one-kilometre walking trail, taking photos with discovered items as you spot them. There are prizes at the end and each family gets to go home with one pumpkin.
The event promises to be even larger than last year and will have a sponsor village full of games and activities. Enjoy a s’more station, enter the costume contest, play chilling corn hole, visit the bowling alley, and more.
Haunted Heights Trail
Address: 1764 Kathleen St., Val Caron, ON
Experience a classic outdoor haunted trail where screaming is encouraged. What started as a fun way to spook family and friends has become a Halloween attraction for the community, full of creepy props and jump scares. Navigate the dark and scary surprises along this almost kilometre-long path.
Admission is $10 per person, or bring two non-perishable food donations for a $7 ticket. Hauntings take place starting at 8 p.m. on October 14, 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28, 2023, weather permitting.
Mindemoya Haunted Trail
Address: Pioneer Museum, 2207 Hwy. 551, Mindemoya, ON
For one night only, keep your eyes peeled for clowns lurking behind nearby trees at the Carnival of Terror. This Halloween attraction is a classic haunted house-type experience full of jump scares, frightening light displays and sound effects.
The circus-themed haunt occurs on October 28, 2023, and admission will be $5 cash at the gate. Tickets are sold in half-hour time blocks from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., with the earliest two tours featuring some remaining daylight and therefore are less scary.
Craig Haven Farm And Gardens
Address: 826054 Sawmill Rd., Hudson Twp., New Liskeard, ON
Wander through a pumpkin patch, selecting from gourds of all sizes and colours at this fall farm. Hop on a wagon to ride along a two-kilometre bush trail festively decorated for Halloween, which stops at a giant sand hill where the little ones can climb on and play. There is also a corn maze, a playground, miniature goats, a fire pit and a café to buy refreshments.
Fall weekend activities open for the season on September 23 and 24 and run through October.
Pumpkin Festivities At Leisure Farms
Address: 744 Quesnel Rd., Sturgeon Falls, ON
Experience a quintessential fall day on the farm, exploring a pumpkin patch and enjoying outdoor activities. You can navigate a haunted barn, jump on a bounce pillow, wander through a corn maze, warm up by a bonfire, take a tractor ride, and sling pumpkins from a cannon. Pick out a pie pumpkin to decorate and grab a cookie; all included with your entry ticket.
If you have a weekday available, visit for a Campfire Picnic, including the corn maze and other activities. For those who dare, check out the Adult Fright Night on October 14 for some chills.
Regular pumpkin festivities kick off on September 30 and continue each weekend until the end of October. The admission fee for access to all activities is $22 per person, and tickets can be booked online.
Haunted Fort Night Tours
Address: 1350 King Rd., Thunder Bay, ON
Fort William Historical Park transforms into the eerie William’s Town each October. Enjoy a haunted walking tour, hearing a spine-tingling tale of a creature who lurks in the shadows.
These evening tours take place Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from October 5 to 28, 2023, for multiple time slots beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale online on September 8 at 10 a.m. and in 2022; they sold out within a couple of hours so get your reservation done quickly. The cost is $20 per person.
Celebrate fall and bring your CAA Membership
CAA Members can save wherever they adventure, and Memberships start from just $30 a year. Enjoy discounts when dining out on your road trip or fill up the car and save 3 cents a litre on fuel. You can view the list of 126,000 partner locations worldwide online.