Your Halloween Celebration Just Got a Whole Lot More Spooktacular

Sioux Spectacular Comes to Downtown Sioux Falls!

If you're looking for a little Halloween fun that goes beyond the usual trick-or-treating, Sioux Falls has something spooky brewing downtown!

Sioux Spooktacular is taking over Jacobson Plaza, Lloyd Landing, and Falls Park beginning Friday, October 23, with a whole weekend of Halloween activities for the family. We're talking decorated skeletons, a Halloween skate party, a trick-or-treat trail, a pumpkin trot, and even some spooky surprises for your four-legged family members!

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The City of Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation Department is putting together the festivities, giving families plenty of opportunities to get outside, explore downtown, and make some Halloween memories.

Skeletons, Skates and Halloween Fun

First up, you'll want to check out the Sioux Spooktacular Skeletons display, opening at 4 p.m. Friday, October 23, inside the Jacobson Plaza Warming House.

City departments have been getting creative by decorating their own skeletons, and visitors can stroll through the display and vote for their favorite. The skeletons will stick around through Sunday, November 1, during skate rental hours. Best of all, checking them out is free!

If you'd rather get your Halloween groove on, head back Friday night for the Halloween Skate Party from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be music, lights, and a costume contest, so this is your chance to show off that Halloween outfit while rolling around the rink. All ages are welcome, and skate rentals are just $3.

Trick-or-Treating With a Downtown Twist

Saturday, October 24, brings one of the weekend's big events: Sioux Spooktacular Trail or Treat!

From 5 to 8 p.m., Jacobson Plaza and Lloyd Landing will be filled with treats, games, photo opportunities, and activities hosted by local businesses. And because our furry friends shouldn't have to miss out on all the fun, there will even be a separate area with treats for dogs!

There's no official starting point and no set route to follow. You can wander around at your own pace, visit the booths in whatever order you like, and enjoy the evening without feeling like you're racing against the clock.

Admission is free, and you don't need to register. Just bring the family, wear your costumes, and get ready for a sweet evening downtown.

Ready, Set, Pumpkin!

Sunday, October 25, brings a different kind of Halloween adventure with the Sioux Spooktacular Pumpkin Trot.

From 1 to 4 p.m., participants can dress up in costume and run or walk from Lloyd Landing to a pumpkin patch at The Falls open-air shelter. Once there, everyone gets to choose a pumpkin and carry it back to Lloyd Landing to decorate.

It's a fun way to get a little exercise, enjoy the fall weather, and take home a Halloween creation of your own.

You'll need to register in advance for this activity at the City of Sioux Falls Parks & Recreation website.

A Little Halloween Treat at The Lodge

All that Halloween fun is bound to work up an appetite, and The Lodge Bar & Grill is getting in on the festivities Saturday, October 24.

The restaurant will offer Halloween-themed food and drink specials, including smash burgers served on pumpkin-branded buns and a $5 Candy Corn Crush mocktail.

There's also a deal for families: Purchase an adult entree and receive a children's meal, including a side and drink, at no charge. A special Sioux Spooktacular happy hour will run from 4 p.m. until closing.

And keep an eye on The Falls Friday and Saturday nights, when the city will light up the waterfalls in festive Halloween colors!

A Spooky Surprise With a Serious Purpose

There's another activity happening during Saturday's Trail or Treat, but this one has a little public-health education mixed in with the candy.

The city's Public Health department will use the event to practice its response to a major medical emergency. Staff and volunteers will simulate how a point of dispensing, or POD, might operate during an emergency when people need to be screened and receive medication.

For the purposes of the exercise, children visiting the booth will receive one of two randomly assigned spooky hand stamps directing them to chocolate or fruity candy.

This is only a simulation. There will be no actual medical screenings or medication distribution.

The exercise will give staff and volunteers a chance to practice coordinating their efforts, managing the flow of participants, and keeping track of supplies in a large-scale emergency.

It's a behind-the-scenes look at how the city prepares to help the community when it matters most, all while keeping the Halloween fun going.

Make a Weekend of It!

With skeletons to admire, skates to lace up, treats to collect, and pumpkins to decorate, Sioux Spooktacular offers plenty of reasons to head downtown for a little Halloween fun.

Whether you pop in for one activity or make a whole weekend of it, Jacobson Plaza, Lloyd Landing, and Falls Park are ready to get into the spooky spirit!

South Dakota's Biggest Free Playground Is Open And Awesome!

Gallery Credit: Jacobson Plaza Sioux Falls-Ben Davis

Haunted Locations and Scary Legends Around Sioux Falls

Halloween is steeped in scary traditions. Trick-or-Treating, frightening costumes, local actors in "haunted" houses, and the pitch-black darkness of area corn mazes.

However, if we set out to find the real haunted areas what would we find? Over the last 30 years that I have lived in Sioux Falls, a few locations still gain attention as being haunted.

And yes, a handful of thrill-seeking people will show up on our favorite eerie night for what could be a viral video moment or experience a misty phantom first-hand.

Let's take a little tour of the more famous hauntings around Sioux Falls. Turn on the lights and cue the Cowardly Lion: "I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks..."

Gallery Credit: Danny V