The Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center is inviting families back to Cutler Bay for its annual Halloween bash on Oct. 23, and this year's headliner is a pair of free Spooky Symphony performances packed with music from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Men in Black, Pokémon Go, Beetlejuice and Pirates of the Caribbean. Halloween 2026 Featuring the Spooky Symphony kicks off at 6 p.m., with admission free and general admission, first-come, first-served for every part of the event.
According to Miami's Community News, tickets are expected to be available starting Oct. 9 through MossCenter.org, at the Moss Center box office, or by calling (786) 573-5300. The Spooky Symphony itself runs twice, at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on the main stage, with each performance lasting 45 minutes and pairing seasonal musical arrangements with imagery projected on a giant screen. The Alhambra Orchestra is scheduled to perform alongside the Greater Miami Youth Symphony for the kid-friendly program.
The Alhambra Orchestra, founded in 1990, is a community ensemble that presents 10 to 12 public performances a year, nearly all free. Halloween is one of its recurring family programs: the orchestra says its annual Halloween concert draws about 1,580 attendees, primarily families and children. That community-oriented work gives the free Cutler Bay event a broader role than a seasonal concert alone. The orchestra’s history and mission describe its programming and Halloween audience.
The Greater Miami Youth Symphony was founded in 1958 to complement school music programs and has grown into a year-round program serving more than 600 young musicians from birth through age 18. Its partnership with the Alhambra Orchestra on Spooky Symphony dates to at least 2010, making the joint Halloween performance a longstanding collaboration between the youth ensemble and the community orchestra. The youth symphony’s history traces both milestones.
Dance Parties, a Costume Parade and Live Performances
The Miami Children's Museum will host a Halloween dance party in the Black Box Theater, kicking off with a “Learn a Dance!” session from 6 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a children's costume parade from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. DJ dance parties are set for 7:30 to 8 p.m. and again from 8:30 to 9 p.m., bookending a second “Learn a Dance!” session from 8 to 8:30 p.m.
Over in the Lab Theater, which the station's report notes carries a maximum seating capacity of 129, three local dance groups take turns on stage. Mater Bay Academy's Rayettes perform at 6:15 and 6:45 p.m., Adrenaline Dance Company follows at 7:15 and 7:45 p.m., and South Dade Senior High's Sapphires dance team closes things out at 8:15 and 8:45 p.m. Seating there is also general admission and first-come, first-served.
Movie Night on the Lawn and Candy All Evening
Families can settle in on the back lawn for a screening of Monsters, Inc., running from 7:15 to 8:45 p.m., and guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Halloween coloring activities will be offered in a classroom from 6 to 9 p.m., and candy giveaways continue throughout the event while supplies last.
Guests who need accommodations, including accessible formats, sign-language interpreters or CART services, can reach Stephanie Aponte at (786) 573-5314 or [email protected], with requests submitted five days in advance.
A Longstanding Community Partnership
The Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center is managed by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and receives funding support from the Office of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, with a mission centered on presenting and supporting arts and culture while providing community access to the arts. Halloween 2026 Featuring the Spooky Symphony is sponsored by The Children's Trust, which partners with the Moss Center on the free celebration. The Children's Trust was established by local voters in 2002 and permanently reauthorized by 86% of voters in 2008, and it funds hundreds of programs across thousands of sites in Miami-Dade, supported by ad valorem property taxes.
The Children’s Trust, identified as the event sponsor, was created after Miami-Dade voters approved a referendum in 2002. It is funded through property taxes and partners with the community to invest in programs intended to improve the lives of children and families across the county. Its support of a free, family-focused arts event fits within a wider countywide mission that includes funding children’s and youth programs. The Trust’s mission and background explain how it was established and how it works.
The Cutler Bay venue opened in 2011 as the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center and was renamed for former County Commissioner Dennis C. Moss in 2022. Moss represented District 9 from 1993 to 2020, and his advocacy helped bring the center to South Miami-Dade. The county describes the facility as a multidisciplinary performing-arts venue with a 961-seat main theater, a smaller theater and outdoor lawn space—spaces that make the event’s mix of stage shows and outdoor activities possible. The center’s history outlines the name change and Moss’s role; Miami-Dade County’s facility profile describes the venue.
This year's format tracks closely with last year's version of the event. The 2025 Halloween celebration, held on Oct. 24, 2025, also offered free, general-admission, first-come, first-served access and featured two Spooky Symphony performances at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., alongside a haunted house, candy giveaways, dance performances, a film screening and Halloween-themed coloring activities.
