Halloween events in Knoxville 2026

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from Downtown Knoxville’s Halloween events list, the City of Knoxville events calendar, the Knoxville Chamber calendar and the organizers linked below.

Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, and the last two weeks of October are full downtown. Zombies dance on Market Square on Oct. 24, the city’s Scare on the Square is Oct. 29, the Tennessee Theatre screens The Rocky Horror Picture Show at 11 p.m. Oct. 30, and the Old City throws its costume parties on Halloween night.

Looking for when to take the children door to door, Trick or Treat on the Square or Boo! at the Zoo? That is all on our trick-or-treat hours page. Pumpkin patches and corn mazes are on our fall festivals page.

Who to call

• Emergencies: 911
• Knoxville Police Department non-emergency: 865-215-4010
• Road closures and city events: Knoxville 311, 865-215-4311
• Downtown event list: Downtown Knoxville

The dates

Family events

• Frontier Frights at Marble Springs: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Marble Springs State Historic Site, 1220 W. Gov. John Sevier Highway. Free. Listing
• Old City Fall Market: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, in the Old City, with local vendors, live music and pumpkins to take home. Old City Association
• Beardsley Farm Harvest Festival: 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at Beardsley Community Farm, 1741 Reynolds St. Free. Listing
• Scare on the Square: 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, on Market Square. The city lists it as family-friendly, with live music from Teen Spirit, supporting the Empty Stocking Fund. City listing
• Monsters at the Museum: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Museum of East Tennessee History. Free, with Halloween crafts, story times, walking tours and trick-or-treating; costumes welcome. Museum page

Zombies on Market Square: Oct. 24

The 17th annual Thrill the World is at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, on Market Square: a dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” timed with groups around the world. Dress as a zombie and learn the steps from the organizers’ choreography video beforehand. It runs with the Knoxville Creature Gathering, 5:30 to 10 p.m., which the city lists with vendors and a charity walk for Helping Mamas Knoxville. Downtown Knoxville, city listing

Ghost tours and spooky nights out

• Haunted Knoxville Ghost Tours: hands-on Paranormal Adventure Tours that the company has run since 2010. Public tours are Friday and Saturday nights, and the Downtown Knoxville list says they run every Friday and Saturday in October, visiting Market Square sites. Private tours are sold as packages. 865-377-9677. Book online
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show: 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at the Tennessee Theatre, an annual tradition. Come dressed as a character for a chance at door prizes. Tickets
• Escape Game Knoxville: “The Final Evaluation,” a 75-minute asylum-themed escape room at 815 S. Central St. Bookings are private and need a reservation. 865-279-6181. Book
• Horror films at Regal Riviera, 510 S. Gay St., through October. Showtimes

Halloween night for adults: Oct. 31

• Freaker’s Ball Pub Crawl: Southbound, Hanna’s Old City, Old City Sports Bar, Wagon Wheel and Cowboy Cantina, all in the Old City, with live music. One wristband, sold at the door that day, covers all five. Each bar holds a silent costume contest, starting at Cowboy Cantina at 8:45 p.m. and ending at Southbound at 12:45 a.m. Details
• Halloween Bar Crawl: nine Market Square and Gay Street venues, ticketed. Tickets
• House of BOOOS: from 9 p.m. at Pour Taproom, 207 W. Jackson Ave., with house music and a costume contest.
• Brother Werewolf: Brother Wolf, 108 W. Jackson Ave., turns into a Halloween pop-up bar through Monday, Nov. 2.

Haunted houses and trunk-or-treats

We list a haunted attraction or a trunk-or-treat here once the organizer posts the date, time and address on its own page. Churches, schools and community groups usually post trunk-or-treats a week or two ahead. Send yours through our contact page and we will add it.

What this means for you

• Downtown is busiest on Oct. 24, Oct. 29 and Oct. 31. Park in a city garage; the Downtown Knoxville site shows live space counts for the Market Square, Locust Street, Main Avenue and State Street garages. See our getting around guide.
• Halloween falls on a Saturday, so children have no school the next morning and the bars run late. Plan a ride home.

Related: things to do this month, trick-or-treat hours and fall festivals and pumpkin patches.

Frequently asked questions

What Halloween events are in Knoxville in 2026?

The biggest downtown dates are the Knoxville Creature Gathering and Thrill the World on Market Square Saturday, Oct. 24, Scare on the Square Thursday, Oct. 29, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Tennessee Theatre at 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30.

When is Thrill the World in Knoxville?

The 17th annual Thrill the World zombie dance to Thriller is at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, on Market Square, alongside the Knoxville Creature Gathering.

Are there ghost tours in Knoxville?

Yes. Haunted Knoxville Ghost Tours runs public Paranormal Adventure Tours on Friday and Saturday nights, with private tours on other nights; call 865-377-9677 or book online.

Where can adults celebrate Halloween in Knoxville?

The Old City’s Freaker’s Ball Pub Crawl and a Market Square and Gay Street bar crawl are both Saturday, Oct. 31, and Brother Wolf runs its Brother Werewolf pop-up bar through Nov. 2.

What are the trick-or-treat hours in Knoxville?

The city sets no official hours. Trick or Treat on the Square is 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31; see our trick-or-treat hours page for the details.