Dallas families looking for a free, low-key Halloween outing have a date circled on the calendar: Saturday, October 31, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., when Stage Fright: A Halloween Family Festival takes over Sammons Park on the AT&T Performing Arts Center campus. Now in its fifth year, the festival packs a DJ dance party, a costume contest, a petting zoo and more into a morning built for kids and their grown-ups.
The event is presented by the AT&T Performing Arts Center and hosted in collaboration with the Dallas Police Department's Office of Community Affairs, according to the center's own event listing on attpac.org. Sammons Park sits on the Arts District campus, and admission is free, a detail that KXT 91.7 frames as central to the center's mission, noting that making the event completely free is about expanding access.
Festival-goers can expect creepy creatures from the Dallas Zoo, carnival bites from JBW Vending, and an SPCA of Texas booth stocked with adoptable pets, per attpac.org. The station's report adds that the morning is designed around a DJ dance party, costume contest, petting zoo and puppy kisses from the SPCA of Texas booth, giving families plenty to do before lunchtime.
Spooky Performances and a Lesson in Zombie Moves
Students from Personalized Learning Preparatory at J.W. Ray Learning Center are set to deliver a spooky musical performance as part of the festival, according to attpac.org. Choreographer Daunte “Cheesy” Borner will also be on hand to teach attendees iconic zombie dance moves, giving the event a participatory twist beyond the usual costume parade.
Kids curious about law enforcement can get a hands-on introduction to the Dallas Police Department through a stick-r-treat activity, where visiting different units earns a sticker, per the same account. It's a continuation of the department's Office of Community Affairs partnership with the festival, blending Halloween fun with a bit of community outreach.
Practical Details for Families Heading to Sammons Park
A few house rules apply this year. Strollers are allowed in Sammons Park specifically for this event, an exception the venue doesn't typically extend, according to attpac.org. Outside food and beverages are not permitted, though water bottles containing water are allowed in.
Stage Fright is one piece of a bigger push from the AT&T Performing Arts Center, which announced its 2026–2027 free festival series this year, featuring six public events running from fall 2026 through spring 2027, as reported by CW33 Dallas. That outlet notes the series offers free admission for all six events. The Latinidad Festival on October 3, 2026, was the first event in the series, followed by Stage Fright on October 31. Event details remain subject to change due to weather or other concerns, according to attpac.org, so families planning to attend may want to check the listing before heading out on October 31.
