Freehold Borough's Halloween Spooktacular is a full month of events put together by a volunteer committee. The schedule people actually use lives on two sites. The Borough's September 18 notice lists five dates. The committee's own pages carry the working details: a wristband line for the hayride, a 12:15 check-in at a racetrack parking lot for costume contestants, and house-contest judging that runs on its own schedule. Those details decide whether your afternoon goes smoothly.
Tonight, Friday, October 9, is the first big public night. The parade is on Sunday, October 25. Everything below falls between those two dates, along with how the event got this big.
One Parade Request in 1986
According to a 2025 account in Monmouth Community, it started when Ed Brock, the owner of Brock Farms, asked the Downtown Partnership Director to host a Halloween parade. The first one, in 1986, was small and mostly local kids in costumes. The parade came back every year and drew more participants each time. Residents then formed a Halloween Committee, now called the Spooktacular Committee. Its members are all volunteers, and they added events to the calendar one at a time.
Window painting, where students paint Halloween scenes on downtown storefronts, was one of the first additions. The jack-o'-lantern contest grew too. Spooktacular co-chair Judi Guy described it that way last year:
"The Jack-O-Lantern contest has grown to a full party with dance competitions, bounce houses, face painting, and games."
The committee still runs it this way. The Spooktacular's about page describes the organizers as Freehold community members and local volunteers, and it invites anyone to join the committee or help with events. The Borough's 2026 notice is full of calls for volunteers. The cornstalk placing on September 26 needed volunteers and offered community service hours. The Haunted Hayride is recruiting costumed "haunters" to scare riders on the wagons, also for service hours.
The 2026 Calendar, Start to Finish
This is the full run as the Borough and the committee list it. Several items are already happening this week.
| Date | Event | Where and when |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, Oct 8 | Student window painting begins | Downtown storefronts, 9 AM, Oct 15 rain date |
| Fri, Oct 9 | House-decorating contest entry deadline | Online via the committee |
| Fri, Oct 9 | Movie Night: Coco with a Thriller flash mob | 1 East Main Street, 7 PM, free |
| Oct 11 to 21 | House-decorating judging | Lights on from 5:30 PM |
| Sun, Oct 18 | Haunted Hayride | Wells Fargo lot, 72 West Main Street, 1 to 4 PM |
| Sat, Oct 24 | Monster Mash and pumpkin contest | Hall of Records, 6 to 8 PM |
| Sun, Oct 25 | Costume parade | Main Street, 1 PM |
Tonight's movie night is sponsored by Ellis Law in partnership with Downtown Freehold. The cornstalks that went up last month were sponsored by Especially for You Florist and Gift Shop.
The scarecrow contest is off this year. The committee's homepage says it is expected back in 2027. An older scarecrow page with 2024 dates is still online, so trust the homepage notice.
Decorated Houses Are Judged at Night
If your porch is entered, the house-decorating contest closed entries today, October 9. Judging runs October 11 through October 21, and the committee asks entrants to keep their lights on from 5:30 PM. Winners are announced at the Monster Mash on Saturday, October 24. That makes October 24 the night the house contest, the pumpkin contest and the year's honoree all come together in one place.
The Hayride Runs on Wristbands
The Borough notice gives a date and a time for the Haunted Hayride but no location. The committee's hayride page fills that in. It's in the Wells Fargo parking lot at 72 West Main Street, and like all Spooktacular events it's free.
Free doesn't mean you can just show up and ride. Wristbands with set ride times are handed out starting around 12:30 PM, an hour before the first wagon. There are a limited number, and each rider has to go at the time and color printed on their band. If you arrive at 3 PM, the good slots may already be gone.
The hayride page has one inconsistency. A block lower on the page still says "Saturday 10-17-26." The main listing and the Borough's schedule both say Sunday, October 18.
The Monster Mash Has an Honoree
The Monster Mash is the modern version of the jack-o'-lantern contest Judi Guy described. It runs from 6 to 8 PM on October 24 at the Hall of Records. This year it honors Coach Vic Conover, one of Freehold's "Unsung Heroes." The Borough calls him a friend, mentor, supporter and inspiration. Bring a carved or decorated pumpkin and get a photo taken with him. The pumpkin contest is judged by the people who attend, and the winners get prizes.
Parade Day Starts at the Raceway Lot
The parade is the event Ed Brock asked for, and in 2025 it drew more than 30 marching units, all six Freehold Regional High School bands, and thousands of spectators. Watching from the Main Street sidewalks takes no planning. Marching in the costume contest has a set order, and the morning starts away from Main Street.
Here's how the committee's parade page lays it out for contestants:
- Get to the Freehold Raceway parking lot at 130 Park Avenue and use the Manalapan entrance. Check-in starts promptly at 12:15 PM.
- Register for a number and pin it to your costume. All contestants need one.
- Wait in your category's area until judging is done. Judging happens in the Raceway lot and ends at 12:45 PM.
- Line up to march at 12:45 PM. The parade steps off at 1 PM.
- After the parade, go to the Hall of Records parking lot for free refreshments. Winners are announced there.
The categories are newborn to 2, 3 to 5, 6 to 8, 9 to 12, 13 and over, best group, families, and best pet. The page confirms prizes but doesn't list what they are, and it doesn't mention any advance registration form. The 2026 route is posted only as a map image on the parade page, so check the map there for exact turns instead of relying on last year's route.
From the hayride lot on West Main to the after-parade refreshments at the Hall of Records, almost every event is on or just off Main Street. The Hall of Records at 1 East Main Street hosts movie night, the Monster Mash and the parade awards.
Downtown Freehold's Separate October Events
Downtown Freehold runs its own events alongside the Spooktacular, and they use the same blocks.
Fall Flavor of Freehold is a walking tasting tour on Tuesday, October 13 and Wednesday, October 14, from 5:30 to 8 PM. Tickets are $25 per person. Check-in opens at 5 PM at the DowntownFreehold.com office in the lobby of 20 Court Street, where you get a Flavor of Freehold Passport for the evening's stops. Proceeds go to the Freehold Alliance, which works to prevent substance abuse. The organizers say it has sold out in past years. The 2026 participants haven't been announced. Past ones have included The American Hotel, Court Jester, Metropolitan Café, Solo Trattoria, Charkol, Saffron, Da Rosario, El Meson Café and Texas Mexican Restaurant.
The Eddie Testa Band Halloween Show plays the Hall of Records at 1 East Main Street on October 14 from 7:30 to 9:30 PM, the same night as the second tasting tour.
Oktoberfest, which was scheduled for October 4 on West Main Street, shows as canceled on Downtown Freehold's event page. No reason is given. The Friday farmers market is still listed in front of the Hall of Records from 11 AM to 4 PM.
For a broader picture of the borough beyond October, see our Freehold neighborhood guide and the Freehold Borough page.
Neighbors have been building this calendar since 1986, and Sackman Realty follows it closely because it's a big part of what a downtown Freehold address offers. If you're thinking about what your home near Main Street is worth, or want a team that knows these blocks, Get Started with us.
