Weekend Roundup October 23-26

Holy Halloween, Batman – there was so much happening this weekend we felt the need for another MEGA edition of the Weekend Roundup! Our list of fun, free/cheap and family-friendly things to do has expanded this week to include some of the awesome seasonal events that only happen this time of year. For instance, what a gorgeous weekend to go on North AL Railroad Museum’s Fall Color Special train ride!

If you haven’t checked out our Fall Activity Guide yet, what are you waiting for? It’s the last weekend to visit a local pumpkin patch before Halloween (and make one of these adorable no-carve pumpkins if you have a toddler!). Speaking of pumpkin patches, a huge shoutout to our amazing Fall Guide sponsors, Lyon Family Farms!

• Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes & Hayrides
• Fall Festivals, Carnivals & Special Events
• Halloween Parties & General Spooky Fun
• Trick/Trunk or Treating in the Tennessee Valley

Concerts on the Dock

Friday from 6-9 PM
Cost: Free, $2 parking
Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment (map)

One of our favorite bands are playing CoD tonight – Megan Jean and the KFB will be there with their washboard & banjo! Imagine punk meets its Americana/folk counterpart and their goal is to make you dance. This nomadic band considers the road their home and they truly live to perform, so you can expect nothing short of a spectacular show. Bring your lawn chairs, picnics, kids & friendly dogs!

 

City of Decatur Trunk or Treat

Friday from 6-9 PM
Cost: 2 canned goods per kid
Ingalls Harbor, Decatur (map)

This annual event provides kids a great trick or treating opportunity along with serving the community! Admission is 2 cans of food per person for the CCC. Carnival game tickets are just 4 / $1! Costume Contests, Games, Prizes and much more! Visit the Decatur Parks & Rec website for more info.

Spooktacular Science at Sci-Quest

Friday & Saturday from 6-9 PM
Cost: $6/11 in advance, $7/13 at the door (members/non-members)
Sci-Quest Hands On Science Center (map)

This Friday OR Saturday you can attend this annual Spooktacular Science Halloween Party for all ages and meet some amazing special guests and see thrilling demonstrations. Visit the different Halloween activity stations and catch the popular Mystery Science Show. Make sure you dress up in your favorite Halloween outfit and enter the kids or adult (family friendly) costume contests with cool prizes. Spooktacular Science is fun for the whole family. Children 2 and under are free – our top Halloween pick for those with kids ages 6-12.

Go To a Fall Show

Friday – Sunday
Cost: ranges from $7 – $30
Various locations, see below

• Dr. Osborn’s Magical Laboratory – $7 per seat; The Tennessee Valley’s No. 1 Magical Mad Scientist is back with a new look, weird magic, and a load of great family fun! Limited Seating – shows are Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. Also wear your Halloween costume if you wish!
• The Addams Family – Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family — a man her parents have never met. Independent Music Productions puts on a great show, perfect for Halloween! Find showtimes & ticket prices here.
• Huntsville Ballet Company’s Firebird – Firebird centers on the thrilling journey of Prince Ivan, and the evil Kashchei the Immortal. This exciting and visually rich production is a treat for the whole family this Halloween weekend. Find showtimes & ticket prices here.

 

Bootanica in The Garden

Saturday from 10AM – 2PM
Cost: Included with general admission/membership
Huntsville Botanical Gardens (map)

We love Bootanica! It’s probably our top Halloween pick for those with kids ages 0-6. This family friendly day will be spook-tacularly fun for the whole family! A Parade of Costumes will take place at 11AM. There will be hay rides, hula hoop contests, pumpkin painting for the kids, and Steve the DJ helping with the Halloween fun. No pre-registration is required.

International Heritage Fest

Saturday from 10AM – 4PM
Cost: Included with general admission/membership
Burritt On the Mountain (map)

This melting pot of a festival includes cultures from many different countries, Native Americans, and early settlers. This is an opportunity for you to experience diverse Huntsville cultures through music, dance, food, crafts, and history. This day will include ethnic dancers, musicians, and crafts, artifacts and displays from different countries. A variety of ethnic foods will be available to purchase if you want to grab a bite for lunch. More info here.

 

Alabama Renaissance Faire

Saturday & Sunday
Cost: FREE
Wilson Park, Florence (map)

The 26th annual Alabama Renaissance Faire is a short drive away in Florence, AL but your kids will remember it for a LONG time. Princesses, knights, kings, & queens are bountiful and on display in their regalia, as are the peasants and squires! Without even realizing it, your family can learn quite a bit about life and times in the medieval & renaissance period. The opening ceremony of the faire is Saturday at 12:30, and the day will include demos, dancing, food, live music, and vendors. The hours are 10-6 on Saturday and from 12-6 on Sunday.

Head to a Fall Fest!

Saturday, times below
Cost: FREE

Get some mileage out of those costumes and enjoy a few of the awesome neighborhood Fall Festivals in town.
St. Mark’s Fall Fest goes from 10AM – 1 PM and all ages are welcome for this family friendly day of fun, games, face painting, and of course – candy! Come in costume and enjoy everything from apple bobbing, pumpkin pounding, cake walk, to hotdogs and popcorn. Aldersgate UMC’s Fall Festival is from 11AM – 2PM and is a Fall Block Party with inflatables, cotton candy, games, prizes and more! Finally the Harvest Fest at Pineview Baptist Church is Sunday from 3-6 PM and includes inflatables, free food, a petting zoo, pony rides, and prizes.

Stories of the Trees

Sunday at 2:00 PM
Cost: FREE
Spragins Hollow (map)

Introduce your family to the wonders of the tree canopy and understory at this guided hike by the North Alabama Land Trust. This hike is a 2.5 mile adventure on moderate terrain and will be led by Dr. Callie Schweitzer, a Land Trust Board member and a Supervisory Research Forester at US Forest Service. Sturdy shoes and layered clothing recommended. Bring water, trail snacks, charged phone, and camera. Please – all dogs must be on leads.

[box style=”lavender rounded” ]DISCLAIMER: We do our best at Rocket City Mom to provide accurate, useful information about events and activities. This information (such as times and locations) is gathered from user submissions, press releases, local newspapers, signs around town and word of mouth. While we always try to confirm details before they are posted here, sometimes details change or we are given inaccurate information. Whenever possible we link our write-ups to the source in which our information came from and strongly urge you to confirm details before you go, especially when it comes to outdoor events and weather. [/box]