Halloween in Sedona falls on a Saturday this year, and in town it’s mostly a family night: costumes, candy and a busy Uptown. That’s lovely if you have kids. If you’re coming as a couple, you probably want the atmosphere of the season without the crowds.
Good news: Sedona does the grown-up version of late October very well. A real ghost town up the road, a Day of the Dead celebration in the arts village, a full moon over the red rocks and long, cool evenings built for a fireplace. Here’s how to put it together.
What’s Actually Happening Around Halloween 2026
These are the confirmed dates worth planning around:
| Date | Event | Why couples should care |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, Oct 17 | Sedona Lantern Festival, Sedona Mago Retreat, 3 to 8:30 p.m. | Floating lanterns on a lake at dusk. Quiet and moving. |
| Sun, Oct 18 | Howl-O-Ween Costume Parade, Tlaquepaque, 10 a.m. to noon | Dogs in costumes. Pure charm, especially if you’ve brought yours. |
| Sun, Oct 25 | Full Hunter’s Moon | Moonrise over red rock, no ticket required. |
| Thu, Oct 29 to Sun, Nov 1 | Day of the Dead and the Marigold Mural Project, Tlaquepaque, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Altars, installations and a community remembrance wall. |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Uptown Trick or Treat, 5 to 8 p.m. | Great for families. Plan around it if you want quiet. |
One more date: the rest of the country turns its clocks back on the night of Halloween, but Arizona doesn’t. If you’re flying home on Sunday, November 1, check your departure time twice.
The Spooky Day Trip: Jerome, Arizona’s “Ghost City”
If you want one genuinely eerie outing, drive to Jerome. It’s about 50 minutes from West Sedona through Cottonwood, climbing up the side of Cleopatra Hill. Once nicknamed the “Billion Dollar Copper Camp,” the old mining town now goes by “Ghost City,” and it leans into the reputation every October.
Go in the afternoon, stay for dusk. Walk the steep main streets, browse the galleries, and take in the view across the Verde Valley toward Sedona’s red rocks while the light fades.
Take a ghost walk, or don’t. Several companies run evening ghost tours, typically about an hour on foot through the town’s most storied buildings. Some are heavy on history, some on gadgets like EMF readers. Read the description before you book, depending on which you’d enjoy more.
Have dinner at the Jerome Grand Hotel. The hotel is a former hospital perched above town, with a long-standing reputation as Jerome’s most haunted building, and it goes all out with Halloween décor. Its restaurant, The Asylum, makes a fitting Halloween-season dinner. Reserve ahead.
Plan the drive back. State Route 89A down from Jerome is winding and dark. Eat early enough that you aren’t making the drive tired.
Day of the Dead at Tlaquepaque
Tlaquepaque, Sedona’s arts and shopping village, marks Día de los Muertos every year, and it’s one of the most beautiful things happening in town this season. From October 29 through November 1, the Marigold Mural Project invites visitors to paint a tribute to a lost loved one on a 26-foot community remembrance wall, with paints and brushes provided. Large installations and altars fill the courtyards around the main days of the celebration.
A note on tone: Day of the Dead is a Mexican tradition of remembrance and celebration of loved ones, not a costume party. Come to walk, look and, if you like, bring a photo for the altars. It’s a surprisingly tender thing to do together.
A Full Moon Night (Costume Optional)
The full Hunter’s Moon falls on October 25, and the moon rises near sunset on the nights around it. You don’t need a guided tour. Find a spot with an open eastern view, bring a blanket and something warm to drink, and watch the moon come up over the rock. Late October evenings get cold quickly after dark, so dress for 40-something degrees even if the afternoon was warm.
If the night sky makes you curious about stranger things, our post on Sedona’s mysterious skies and UFO sighting spots is the right Halloween-week reading.
A Sample Halloween Weekend for Two
Friday, October 30
- Arrive by mid-afternoon and do nothing for two hours.
- Golden hour on your patio, then an early dinner in West Sedona.
Saturday, October 31
- Slow morning, then a late-morning walk on a quiet trail.
- Afternoon in Tlaquepaque for Day of the Dead and the Marigold Mural.
- Skip Uptown between 5 and 8 p.m. unless you want the trick-or-treat energy. Book a later dinner away from Uptown, or come back for a fireside night in.
Sunday, November 1
- Gentle yoga or a sound bath before checkout.
- Leave for Jerome after lunch if you’re heading home via the Verde Valley, or save Jerome for a Friday afternoon arrival instead.
Arriving the weekend before? Swap in the Lantern Festival on October 17. It’s about 40 minutes southwest of downtown Sedona, partly on forest roads the retreat itself notes are poorly lit, so arrive in daylight. Admission has been free with registration, with lanterns available to purchase.
Where Not to Be on Halloween Night
Uptown, 5 to 8 p.m. Wonderful for families, but parking and sidewalks fill up. If you’re dining in Uptown, book after 8.
On unfamiliar trails after dark. A full-moon walk sounds romantic until someone twists an ankle on slickrock. Keep night outings to viewpoints you’ve seen in daylight.
Anywhere without a reservation. Halloween weekend overlaps with a busy fall season. If you want a particular restaurant, book it now.
For more couples ideas beyond Halloween, see our guides to romantic Sedona experiences for couples and easy couples dates after sunset.
Come Back to Somewhere Quiet
The best part of a grown-up Halloween is how the evening ends: away from the crowds, somewhere warm. Arroyo Pinion sits in West Sedona, away from the Uptown trick-or-treat rush, so coming back on Halloween night feels like leaving the noise at the door. Rooms with a fireplace and patio make a cold late-October night the best part of the trip, and if you’d like to start the weekend by slowing down together, a sound bath or an hour in the Salt Room on Saturday afternoon sets the tone before Tlaquepaque.
