Dublin's Halloween Spooktacular is taking over Coffman Park this week, running rain or shine Thursday through Friday with a ticketed Trunk or Treat Trail, free park-wide entertainment, and a dedicated sensory-friendly hour for guests with special needs. Families are invited to attend in costume, and organizers say festive activities, entertainment, and treats await across the grounds.
According to City of Dublin, Ohio - Government, the event spans Thursday, Oct. 15, and Friday, Oct. 16. The Trunk or Treat Trail requires advance, complimentary tickets, and the event is scheduled from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Thursday and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Friday, according to the City of Dublin. Tickets are capped at five per household for children ages 2 to 12 and are scanned at the trail entrance on the south lawn of Coffman Park, per the city's ticketing portal.
Ticket demand has been high enough that the city staggered its release schedule. Reservations opened exclusively to Dublin residents on Oct. 5 before remaining tickets went to Dublin City Schools district residents and the general public on Oct. 8, with the city briefly pausing its online ticketing portal beforehand to ensure equal access. The city's event page lists the Trunk-or-Treat Trail as at capacity on both days.
More Than 20 Businesses Lining the Trail
Over 20 local businesses and community organizations are participating in this year's Trunk or Treat Trail, handing out candy and treats along the south lawn of Coffman Park, according to the city's ticketing site. The trail functions as an organized local alternative to traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating, giving families a controlled, walkable route through costumed vendors and community groups.
Beyond the ticketed trail, the Spooktacular offers a full slate of free attractions that don't require reservations. Those include live dance performances on the tennis courts, professional pumpkin carvers, a petting zoo, a comedy juggler, and a hay maze, all set up outdoors near the park's shelter houses, per the City of Dublin. A $5 Pumpkin Creations craft workshop is also available for families looking for a hands-on activity.
A Sensory-Friendly Window on Friday
Dublin has built in a dedicated sensory-friendly time slot on Friday from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m., featuring reduced lighting, lower sound levels, and smaller crowd capacity for guests with special sensory needs. The accommodation falls during the opening half-hour of Friday's festivities, giving neurodivergent attendees and their families a quieter window.
Coffman Park itself spans 105 acres in central Dublin and houses Dublin City Hall, the Dublin Community Recreation Center, an outdoor amphitheater, and the historic 1860s Fletcher Coffman Homestead, according to Visit Dublin. The park also hosts the annual Dublin Irish Festival, making it one of the city's busiest shared gathering spaces throughout the year. The recreation center at the park has been undergoing a separate multimillion-dollar renovation this fall, though that project is unrelated to this week's Halloween programming.
Official Trick-or-Treat Night Still Weeks Away
Families should not confuse the Spooktacular with Dublin's official citywide trick-or-treating, which is scheduled separately for Thursday, Oct. 29, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. That date follows guidelines set by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, which automatically schedules municipal trick-or-treating for the Thursday before Halloween whenever Oct. 31 falls on a weekend.
Dublin residents looking for even more Halloween programming can also check out Historic Dublin's separate Historic Happy Halloween Candy Trail, set for Saturday, Oct. 24, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. That event, reported by Columbus on the Cheap, features trick-or-treating at local shops along with a spooky dance party on the library plaza.
Composting Pumpkins and Candy Donations After the Fact
Once the costumes come off, Dublin is pushing a sustainability angle under its 2026 Go Green for Halloween initiative. The city is offering pumpkin composting drop-offs at its Service Center from Oct. 19 through Dec. 14, according to the City of Dublin. The program aligns with Dublin's broader goal of minimizing municipal landfill waste heading into the winter months.
