Downtown St. Petersburg seen from the pier in December 2024. Location photograph; not a photograph of Halloween on Central.
Photo: Rishabh Tatiraju / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image source · Usage rights
Halloween on Central 2026 returns to St. Petersburg on Sunday, October 25, 2026, from noon to 5 p.m. The sixth annual festival closes 22 blocks of Central Avenue to vehicles, from Martin Luther King Jr. Street to 31st Street, across the EDGE and Grand Central districts.
There is no admission charge, according to St Pete Catalyst’s event listing. Expect a street festival with costumes, vendors, music and trick-or-treating. Pick a starting point before you arrive: walking the whole route is a different outing from spending an afternoon in one zone.
Halloween on Central 2026 at a glance
- Date: Sunday, October 25, 2026
- Hours: Noon to 5 p.m.
- Route: Central Avenue, MLK to 31st Street
- Transit: PSTA fixed-route buses are fare-free during the event
Choose your part of Central Avenue
The organizer's current map and zone descriptions are the best place to plan your walk. Kooky Spooky covers 9th through 16th streets. The vendor village continues from 16th through 21st streets. The Family Zone occupies the 2600 and 2700 blocks. The organizer also lists a sensory area offering tools, non-edible trick-or-treat items and a place to take a break. A classic car show is listed on the 3000 block.
If you are bringing children, choose a nearby meeting point everyone can find again. If your group wants different activities, agree on where to reconnect before splitting up. Save the event map on your phone rather than relying on somebody remembering the block number.
Getting there and getting home
The organizer says PSTA's fixed-route service will be free during the festival. That promise covers the event window; it should not be read as free fares for the entire day. The same page lists SunRunner service between the beach and downtown every 15 minutes at peak times, continuing until midnight.
Use the linked transit information to check the stops and return trip that fit your plans. A bus running until midnight does not mean every route runs that late. If you drive, consult the organizer's parking information and avoid planning a pickup on the closed stretch.
Staying after the festival
The street festival finishes at 5 p.m. For drinks afterward, the Grand Central District directory lists Dirty Laundry at 1742 Central Avenue, Trophy Fish at 2060 Central Avenue and Grand Central Brewhouse at 2340 Central Avenue. Nearby options south of Central include Cage Brewing at 2001 First Avenue South and 3 Daughters Brewing at 222 22nd Street South.
Choose a place near the end of your walk, then check its Sunday hours and reservation rules directly. Look at the venue's own schedule if you want live music or a DJ after the festival.
Before heading out, take one last look at the official event page for map updates.
