Spooktacular Fun in Montana’s Yellowstone Country
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October festivities are perfect for family-focused vacations, and Montana’s Yellowstone Country has a bounty of activities to enjoy. Autumn is a fantastic time to visit, with fewer crowds, cooler temperatures, and a slower pace. And, you’ll find the dining, shopping, and live entertainment to be as robust as ever! We’ve highlighted some of our favorite activities across the region, but for a full list, be sure to visit our events page.
West Yellowstone
West Yellowstone offers fun each week with events like an Enchanted Treats Class, Pumpkin Painting Workshop and a Trunk and Treat Extravaganza. You can find more information here. While here, be sure to make a stop at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, where you can learn about live grizzly bears, wolves, river otters, and raptures up close.
Big Sky
In Big Sky, the Haunted Peaks Fall Festival isn’t just for the little ones, it kicks off with a Skull and Roses Ball for the grownups, followed by a Mini Monster Mash Kids Party, a Dia de Los Muertos celebration, a Mexican holiday honoring and remembering loved ones who have passed, plus a fun run, featured horror films, a costume concert pub crawl (yes, that is one event!) and more!
Photos at fall festival
Belgrade
In Belgrade, the Zombie Walk takes place Oct. 24, where kids can dress up, paint their faces, and walk through Lewis and Clark Park. Trick or Treat the Street is on Halloween, where kids can trick or treat from local businesses and non-profits on Main Street. This tradition is also happening in Three Forks and Downtown Bozeman!
Bozeman
Also in Bozeman, the Anderson School Haunted House will be open Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. They have yet to announce this year’s theme but watch their Facebook page for updates! The Bozeman Maze is another local favorite, along with Fall Festival Farm Visits at Gallatin Valley Botanical. Enjoy hayrides to pick out your pumpkins, fresh-pressed apple cider and visit the farm animals. (You do need reservations, so call ahead!)
For those who really want to lean in, you can learn how to be a ghost hunter at the Bozeman Paranormal Society’s Paranormal History Walking Tour. Or, take the family to Museum of the Rockies' Grossology Halloween Family Day, Sat. Oct. 11. Pick up your Grossology Passport and explore creepy crawly critters, wild chemistry experiments, and the ickiest parts of science. Costumes encouraged.
Livingston
Livingston’s Oktoberfest takes place on Oct. 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. on 2nd Street, featuring interactive activities for adults and kids, autumn drink and food specials, food trucks and live accordion music. Costumes encouraged!
Other Events Around the Region
Big Timber hosts the Halloween Parade of Costumes on Halloween, or if you’re in Red Lodge, they’ll be trick-or-treating downtown. In Stillwater County, the Harvest Festival is an excellent place for kids, offering games, hayrides, a scavenger hunt, a photo booth, and more!