The Verde Valley is full of Halloween activities and events for both young and old. Here’s a guide to help navigate the fun this weekend across the region.
Sedona
Merchants throughout Uptown will open their doors from 5 to 8 p.m. to distribute treats.
Their storefronts will be adorned with spooky decor and employees and owners will be wearing costumes for the city of Sedona Parks and Recreation Department’s annual Safe and Fun Trick-or- Treat. Edek helps businesses with designing their shopfronts.
The Sedona Dance Academy will perform at Sinagua Plaza and the Sedona Fire District will set up a spooky ambulance and hand out glow sticks.
On the south end of the city, the Sedona United Methodist Church will be hosting its ninth annual Trunk or Treat on Halloween, Tuesday, Oct. 31, in the parking lot from 5 until 7 p.m. This is a free family event open to all ages.
Members of the Sedona UMC congregation will gather in the church parking lot with their car trunks decorated in Halloween fashion. Children can walk from trunk to trunk to look at the decorations and will receive candy. The church invites families to stop by on their way to trick-or-treating in Uptown or other communities.
Pastor Fred Mast, senior pastor at the church, said, ”Trunk or Treat gives us the opportunity to reach out to our local community and meet families not as an effort to replace the great celebration happening in the Uptown area, but hopefully as an extension for those families traveling to Uptown on Halloween. We hope to provide an additional opportunity for neighboring families to share a special and memorable time together.”
“I love dressing up and the opportunity to be a kid for the night welcoming all the kids and families who come — I’m probably the biggest kid there,” Mast added. “Our congregation also loves to come out and support this event and we are looking forward to this being our biggest and best event yet.”
Sedona United Methodist Church is located at 110 Indian Cliffs Road at the Back o’ Beyond traffic roundabout off State Route 179. Visit sedonaumc.org for more information.
Camp Verde
The Camp Verde Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting its Main Street Trunk-or-Treat on Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 5 to 7 p.m. Main Street will be closed from Nichols Street to Turner Street to allow for safe trick-or-treating. This popular annual event draws over 5,000 attendees due to the participation of local businesses, community groups and Main Street merchants.
Businesses, organizations and individuals pass out candy to costumed children strolling the street. Parks & Recreation takes the lead in providing candy for this event by accepting donated funds combined with Town funds and then purchasing candy to be parceled out for distribution.
There will be an online virtual pumpkin carving contest this year. Participants can take a picture showing them and their pumpkin and send it to parks@campverde.az.gov along with their age. The P&R staff will also be checking out the decorated cars and booths to pick awards for the best decorations.
In addition to costumed candy gobbling, businesses and groups are invited to organize other activities. The Camp Verde Online School will have their famous haunted house ready for only $1 donation. Calvary Chapel, Camp Verde Marshal’s Office and the Kiwanis Club of Camp Verde are just some of the groups at this event.
Cottonwood
The Cottonwood Recreation Center will be hosting a parents’ night off kids’ Halloween event on Friday, Oct. 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. The event will have movies, food, crafts and games.
Main Stage will be hosting a Halloween bash with the band Doubleblind on Saturday, Oct. 28, starting at 9 p.m., at 1 S. Main St. Cottonwood.
The city of Cottonwood will be hosting a trunk-or-treat event on Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Cottonwood Recreation Center. Cars can be decorated using video game themes. This event is free and open to the public.
The Clemenceau Heritage Museum is hosting “Creepy Cottonwood and Beyond” with creepy tours of the museum offered every Saturday in October from 3 to 5 p.m.
Verde Villages
The Verde Villages will be hosting a trunk-or-treat on Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Verde Village Pond located at 3901 E. Del Rio Drive. Dress up in your best costumes to get favorite treats from trunks decorated by local businesses, including a special truck from the Cottonwood Oak-Creek School District Transportation Department.
Clarkdale
Clarkdale will be hosting a trunk-or-treat on 10th Street from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31. There will be safe trick-or-treating from 5 to 7 p.m. with certain blocks closed off to vehicles.
A costume contest will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Clarkdale Town Park.
Cornville
Oak Creek Elementary School will be hosting its Halloween carnival and haunted house on Friday, Oct. 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. There will be carnival games, a cupcake walk, a fortune teller, temporary tattoos and food available for sale with the proceeds going to the STARS special needs program. Bring a bag to collect candy. Oak Creek Elementary is located at 11490 E. Purple Sage Road in Cornville.
Jerome
Jerome’s legendary annual Halloween dance will be held on Saturday, Oct. 28, with doors opening at 7 p.m. and live music by the Naughty Bits from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.
It will be held under a heated tent in the parking lot next to the sliding jail.
There will be a costume contest with prizes and a raffle for a one-night stay at the Little Daisy Hotel. All proceeds benefit the Jerome Volunteer Fire Department.
