Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so trick-or-treaters get a full evening and the city’s haunts get one big final weekend. Several of the best spooky outings around HRM run only on select nights, and some sell tickets a week at a time, so it pays to plan now.

The Bluenose Ghosts Festival is back at Alderney Landing, 2 Ochterloney St. in Dartmouth. It runs 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 9 to 11 and Oct. 15 to 18, then every night from Oct. 21 to 31. The main draw is the Manor Motel Haunted House at $15. There’s also a $5 Crypt Ride, which the festival warns is “not for the claustrophobic,” a $5 escape room, $10 spiritual readings paid to the reader directly, and a free selfie park. You pay at the door.

Across the harbour, the Halifax Citadel’s candlelit ghost tours lead you through tunnels, passageways and old prison cells with a costumed interpreter. They start at 8 p.m. at the main gate and last about 70 minutes. Tourism Nova Scotia lists public tours on select Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 30, at $23.29 including tax and fees. Online tickets go on sale Sundays at noon for the following week, and a few may be sold at the kiosk from 7 to 8 p.m. on the night. The Citadel’s own page still says 2026 dates are “coming soon,” so check before you head up the hill.

If you’d rather walk the streets, The Halifax Ghost Walk leaves the Old Town Clock at 8:30 p.m. and ends on the waterfront near the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, about an hour and 40 minutes later. It runs seven nights a week until Nov. 15. Tickets are $30 for adults, $20 for youth, students and seniors, and $15 for kids five to 12, and you have to reserve ahead by email.

For younger kids, the Museum of Natural History holds its annual Halloween party on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Expect puppet shows and bug cooking, and costumes are encouraged. It’s included with admission, and kids five and under get in free.

Grown-ups after something different can try the Halifax Paranormal Symposium at the Halifax Tower Hotel on Lakelands Boulevard. It runs two days of talks and workshops, with psychics and mediums on site. The organizer’s site hasn’t posted exact dates, but Tourism Nova Scotia lists it for Oct. 17 and 18.

On the night itself, Halifax Regional Police’s Halloween advice is the familiar list, and it holds up. Trick-or-treat in a group, and work one side of the street before crossing to the other. Wear something bright and reflective, carry a flashlight, and have an adult check the candy before anyone eats it. Police ask drivers to slow down in residential areas and take extra care backing out of driveways. If you’re handing out treats, they suggest a well-lit doorway with nothing to trip over, commercially wrapped snacks only, and pets kept inside.

Keep an eye on the forecast too. Last year a heavy rainfall warning landed on Halloween itself, and Emergency Management NS told families to brace for a stormy night.

The Bluenose Ghosts Festival’s last night is Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31.