MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — Official citywide trick-or-treat is 5–7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. The zoo, downtown Franklin Street, and trunk-or-treat stops fill the weeks before.
WIMS Radio published a roundup Oct. 15. The city’s Boo at the Zoo page matches the Oct. 17 zoo details.
| Event | When | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boo at the Zoo | Sat., Oct. 17 · 10 a.m.–4 p.m. | Washington Park Zoo | Adults $12; ages 2–11 $10; advance tickets recommended |
| Franciscan Health Trunk-or-Treat | Fri., Oct. 23 · 4:30–6:30 p.m. | 301 W. Homer St. | Check-in 4 p.m. |
| Trick-or-Treat on Franklin Street | Sat., Oct. 24 · 2–5 p.m. | Downtown (7th & Franklin) | Business treats 3–5 p.m.; costume contests; food trucks |
| YMCA Trunk-or-Treat | Sat., Oct. 24 · 2–4 p.m. | Elston YMCA parking lot | Free |
| Orak Shrine Trunk-or-Treat | Sun., Oct. 25 · 4–6 p.m. | 3848 N. Frontage Rd. | Open to the public |
| Wolfie’s Night Out | Wed., Oct. 28 · 6:30–8 p.m. | Ames Field | Free; MCAS students with a parent/guardian |
| Citywide trick-or-treat | Sat., Oct. 31 · 5–7 p.m. | Citywide | Porch light on = candy; police patrols planned |
| Halloween Fun Fair | Sat., Oct. 31 · 5–9 p.m. | H.O.P.E. Community Center | Free; games, karaoke, youth vendors |
Boo at the Zoo (Oct. 17)
Washington Park Zoo hosts the season opener Saturday. The city calls it a “merry, not scary” day with costume-friendly trick-or-treat stations, photo spots, decorations, and animal enrichment.
- Gates open 10 a.m.; last admission 3:30 p.m.; trick-or-treating ends 4 p.m.
- Address: 115 Lake Shore Dr.
- Zoo members get free admission but needed an event ticket from the zoo office before Oct. 11, the city page says.
- Rain or shine; severe-weather cancelations get a refund or day pass.
Tickets: City Boo at the Zoo page (Eventbrite link on that page). Zoo office: (219) 873-1510.
Downtown and trunk-or-treats
Franklin Street’s Oct. 24 afternoon includes costume contests for people and pets, live music, a Thriller dance, food trucks, and treats at participating businesses from 3–5 p.m., WIMS reported. Artspace’s free Haunted Halls: Alien Encounters is also listed for that day.
Separate trunk-or-treats land at Franciscan Health (Oct. 23), the Elston YMCA (Oct. 24), and Orak Shrine (Oct. 25). Michigan City Area Schools hosts Wolfie’s Night Out at Ames Field on Oct. 28 for students with a parent or guardian (educatemc.net).
Halloween night
Official citywide hours are 5–7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Residents handing out candy are asked to leave porch lights on; those sitting out should leave them off. Michigan City Police say they will increase patrols during those hours, per WIMS.
A free Halloween Fun Fair runs the same evening at the H.O.P.E. Community Center, 222 McClelland Ave., with games, karaoke, and youth vendors, WIMS reported.
Safety tips (from the WIMS roundup / MCPD)
- Plan a familiar route; kids travel in groups with an adult.
- Flashlights, visible costumes, sidewalks and crosswalks.
- Visit lit homes only; adults check candy before kids eat it.
- Drivers: slow down and watch for pedestrians.
Michigan City’s window (5–7 p.m.) is shorter than Valparaiso and Hobart’s 5–8 p.m. hours reported earlier this week.
Photo credit
¹ Hero: Washington Park Zoo Tower, Michigan City — Chris Light, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. File photo; not from Boo at the Zoo 2026. ² Inline: Franklin Street, downtown Michigan City — Nyttend, Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Place landmark for the Oct. 24 downtown event. ³ Inline: Trick-or-treaters near RAF Croughton, England, Oct. 31, 2023 — U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jessica Avallone, Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Illustrative; not photography from Michigan City.
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