In Ankeny, Halloween is spread across October 2026. Uptown's historic district has had its lights on since October 1. Uptown's trunk-or-treat comes three weeks before the real date. The District at Prairie Trail holds its own trick-or-treat the evening before. The neighborhood door-to-door night is Saturday, October 31. Each of these happens at a different address on a different day, and they barely overlap. With a calendar, a family can go to every one of them.
Some free city evenings fall in the first two weeks too, and a few changes around town affect how you get to all of it. Here's the month in order.
Three Halloweens, Three Addresses
| Date | Event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 1–31 | Fright Lights | Uptown historic district | Nightly |
| Thu., Oct. 8 | Halloween in Uptown | 601 SW 3rd St. | 4–8 p.m. |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | Trick or Treat in The District | The District at Prairie Trail | 4–7 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Citywide Trick-or-Treat | Neighborhoods across Ankeny | 6–8 p.m. |
Each event has its own setting and hours. Uptown's is a Thursday evening on the historic blocks. The District's is a Friday afternoon that runs into the evening, among Prairie Trail's shops and restaurants. The city's window is the familiar two hours on the porch. None of them overlap, so you don't have to pick one.
Uptown Starts First and Stays Lit the Longest
The Uptown Ankeny Farmers Market wrapped its 2026 season on September 26. It had run Saturdays from May 23, 8 a.m. to noon, at 715 W 1st St. With no Saturday market, Uptown's October activity moves to the evenings.
Fright Lights gives you a reason to go. Spooky light displays glow every night from October 1 through October 31 across Uptown's historic district. It runs all month, so you can see it on a dinner walk or a short drive any evening. It also works as a low-key outing for younger kids who aren't ready for a crowd.
Uptown's biggest night is Halloween in Uptown, on Thursday, October 8, from 4 to 8 p.m. at 601 SW 3rd St. Organizers list four blocks of trunk-or-treating, a costume contest and rides on the Uptown Express. It comes more than three weeks before October 31, so costumes bought in late September get worn early and can be worn again at the end of the month.
The City Fills the Early Weeks With Free Evenings
The first two weeks of October also have free city events that families can plan around, and they sit right next to the Uptown dates on the calendar.
The Ankeny Fire Department is holding two open houses at Fire Department Headquarters, 120 NW Ash Drive, both from 6 to 8 p.m.:
- Tuesday, Oct. 6: a free, sensory-friendly open house
- Wednesday, Oct. 7: a free open house for all ages
The sensory-friendly evening comes first, which helps families who'd rather see the trucks before the bigger crowd shows up the next night. The all-ages night is the evening before Halloween in Uptown, so Wednesday and Thursday make back-to-back outings.
On Saturday, October 10, the city's free Fall Movie Under the Stars shows Hocus Pocus at Wagner Park, 410 W First Street. Dessert trucks start at 5:15 p.m., and the movie begins at dusk. Wagner Park is on W First Street, the same street as the Uptown market's address, so you can see Fright Lights before or after the movie without moving the car.
So the first part of the month centers on Uptown and its nearby streets. Lights run every night. There are two open-house evenings on Ash Drive, a trunk-or-treat on Thursday the 8th, and a movie on Saturday the 10th.
Prairie Trail Takes the Second Half
After October 10, the calendar is quiet until the last weekend, when the action shifts to the south side of town.
The District at Prairie Trail hosts a free family Trick or Treat on Friday, October 30, from 4 to 7 p.m. Participating businesses will hand out candy and treats and offer deals for parents. It starts in the late afternoon, which works for younger kids and leaves Saturday night for the neighborhoods.
The District already had a busy fall. The 22nd annual Des Moines' Original Oktoberfest was held there September 25 and 26. If you want dinner after trick-or-treating on the 30th, Toyo Ramen & Japanese Street Food has been open since January 1, 2026, at 1615 S.W. Main St., Suite 106.
On Saturday, October 31, the city calendar sets citywide trick-or-treat from 6 to 8 p.m. Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, so the door-to-door night doesn't run into a school or work night. It comes after a Friday afternoon at The District, with the Uptown events finished weeks earlier.
Getting Around Town This Month
Some changes around town affect how you'll get to all of this.
Gay Lea Wilson Trail closure. The city posted a notice on September 30 that the trail is closed just south of Casey's at 1515 SE Corporate Woods Drive for culvert work. The work is expected to take up to 15 working days, and the timing depends on the weather. The city has posted a detour. If your usual October walk or ride uses that stretch, plan on the detour for at least the first half of the month.
SE Creekview Drive extension. The city announced on August 28 that Creekview is complete north of SE Oralabor Road. The extension adds a two-lane road, sidewalk, storm sewer and streetlights. If you live on the southeast side, it's a newly finished route with sidewalks and lighting just as the evenings get darker earlier.
A new coffee stop on the north side. A Des Moines Register report dated September 8 said the Ankeny Dutch Bros, the chain's second Iowa location, was scheduled to open September 9. A local guide lists its address as 315 NW 36th Drive. Check its current hours before you plan a stop.
Experience Park, still ahead. The city lists Phase 2 of the High Trestle Trail Experience Park as a 2026 project. Plans include a coaster-style side path of about 882 feet, two natural play areas, and benches and bins. The city page gives a construction start but no opening date.
Future parks and trails like this also came up in the September vote. On September 8, 64% of Ankeny voters approved a local option sales tax that raises the citywide rate from 6% to 7% on January 1, 2027. Groceries, rent, gasoline, prescription medicine and vehicles are exempt. The city estimates the tax will bring in more than $12 million a year. Half will go to property tax relief, and the other half to capital projects including streets, parks and trails, public safety equipment and public facilities. The city says it will build the new revenue into the FY 2028 budget and mark funded projects with signs.
When You Want a Farm Instead
Ankeny's October events are mostly evening events in town. For pumpkin patches and corn mazes, you'll need a short drive.
- Center Grove Orchard, Cambridge. At 32835 610th Ave., off I-35 at Exit 102, it offers apple and pumpkin picking plus a corn maze. The orchard puts the drive at about 25 minutes from Ankeny, and local estimates run closer to 20. Pumpkin Fest runs October 1 through November 6, open daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with select late nights until 9 p.m.
- Pumpkinville and Cornmaze, Mitchellville. At 618 Center Ave. South, it has two corn mazes and hayrack rides. It's closed Mondays and open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The 2026 listing doesn't give a final date for the season.
The middle of the month is open in town, between the Hocus Pocus screening on the 10th and The District's trick-or-treat on the 30th. Those weekends are a good time for an orchard trip. Center Grove's Pumpkin Fest runs into November, so a late-October visit still works.
If a fall like this has you thinking about which part of Ankeny works best for what you're looking for, whether that's walking distance to Uptown's lights, a short drive to Prairie Trail, or a quieter street for October 31, I'm glad to talk through it. Reach out to Dan Rozga anytime. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
