Friday is the big trick-or-treat night in Valpo, with stops at more than 100 downtown businesses. After dark Friday, there are Poe stories at Lemon Lake, the Portage Haunted Hayride and Criminally Insane at the Old Sheriff’s House in Crown Point. Saturday is Pumpkin Walk and Coffin Cup day on our own Main Street, plus Halloween in the Dunes. Sunday keeps it easy with cornmeal at Deep River and a police trunk or treat in Crown Point.
We’re the shop on South Main in Crown Point. We checked every stop below against the town, park or organizer page on Wednesday, Oct. 21. All times are Central Time, which Lake and Porter counties use. Plans change, so open the official link before you head out.
The weekend at a glance
| Day | Event | Time (Central) | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | Downtown Valpo Trick-or-Treat | 4 to 6 p.m. | Downtown Valparaiso |
| Fri | Campfire and Owl Prowl | 5:45 to 7:15 p.m. | Oak Ridge Prairie, 301 S. Colfax St., Griffith |
| Fri | Poe in the Park: Dark Stories in the Dark | 6 to 8 p.m. | Lemon Lake County Park, Shelter 2, 6322 W. 133rd Ave., Crown Point |
| Fri and Sat | Portage Haunted Hayride | Starts 6:30 p.m. | Woodland Park, 2100 Willowcreek Road, Portage |
| Fri and Sat | Criminally Insane Haunted House | 7 to 11 p.m. | Old Sheriff’s House and Jail, Crown Point |
| Sat | Pumpkin Walk and the first Coffin Cup | Walk 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., races 1 p.m. | Downtown square and Main Street, Crown Point |
| Sat | Halloween in the Dunes | Hay rides noon to 3 p.m., trick-or-treating 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. | Indiana Dunes State Park, 1600 N. 25 E., Chesterton |
| Sun | Cornmeal in the Making | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Deep River County Park, 9410 Old Lincoln Highway, Hobart |
| Sun | Crown Point Police Trunk or Treat | 1 to 3 p.m. | Center Ross Park, 851 Center Ross Road, Crown Point |
Friday, October 23
Downtown Valpo Trick-or-Treat
Downtown Valparaiso trick-or-treat runs Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. The organizers list more than 100 local businesses and groups handing out candy downtown. It happens rain or shine, so pack an umbrella if the sky looks iffy. The event page lists every stop if you want to plan a route.
Official: Valparaiso Events: Downtown Trick-or-Treat.
More on Valpo past Halloween in our Valparaiso town guide and the Real Estate USA guide to Valparaiso Indiana homes.
Campfire and Owl Prowl at Oak Ridge Prairie, Griffith
Lake County Parks hosts a Campfire and Owl Prowl Friday from 5:45 to 7:15 p.m. at Oak Ridge Prairie, 301 S. Colfax St., Griffith. You sit by the fire under dark skies and listen for owls. It is $7 per person and registration is required, so sign up through the parks page before you go.
Official: Lake County Parks: Campfire and Owl Prowl.
If Griffith is on your list, read our Griffith town guide and the Real Estate USA guide to Griffith Indiana homes.
Poe in the Park at Lemon Lake, Crown Point
Storyteller Grant Fitch reads Edgar Allan Poe Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Shelter 2, at the back of Lemon Lake County Park, 6322 W. 133rd Ave., Crown Point. Admission is $5 per person. Lake County Parks sells advance tickets online and takes cash only at the door.
Official: Lake County Parks: Poe in the Park.
Portage Haunted Hayride at Woodland Park, Friday and Saturday
Portage Parks runs its Haunted Hayride at Woodland Park, 2100 Willowcreek Road, Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 22 to 24. This weekend that means Friday and Saturday. Rides start at 6:30 p.m. and the parks calendar lists 9:30 p.m. as the end time, but the department says it closes the line once it hits capacity for the night, so get there early. Four tractors run all evening. The line goes through Oakwood Hall. Concessions and food trucks are on site. Watch the Portage Parks Facebook page for line and weather updates.
Official: Portage Parks: Haunted Hayride and the Portage Parks October calendar.
For Portage past the hayride, see our Portage town guide and the Real Estate USA guide to Portage Indiana homes.
Criminally Insane Haunted House, Crown Point, Friday and Saturday
The Old Sheriff’s House and Jail runs Criminally Insane Haunted House from 7 to 11 p.m. on Oct. 23 and 24. After this weekend, only Oct. 30 is left. Admission is $15. Tickets are online and at the door. For younger kids, Not So Scary Kids Day is free Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Official: Old Sheriff’s House Foundation. Times, price and Kids Day are in the city Weekly Message.
Saturday, October 24
Pumpkin Walk and the first Coffin Cup, downtown Crown Point
This one is right outside our door. The City of Crown Point and the Crown Point Library host the Pumpkin Walk, trick-or-treating around the downtown square, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Then the first Crown Point Coffin Cup races on Main Street between Joliet and Clark streets at 1 p.m. The city says all proceeds go to charity.
Plan around the street closures. South Main Street closes between Joliet and Clark streets for both events, and Clark Street closes from Main to East streets.
Official: City of Crown Point: Weekly Message (Weekend Events Oct. 22).
Crown Point is home base for us. Our Crown Point town guide and the Real Estate USA guide to Crown Point Indiana homes are the next read if a move is on your mind.
Halloween in the Dunes at Indiana Dunes State Park
Indiana Dunes State Park, 1600 N. 25 E., Chesterton, fills Saturday with Halloween programs. Hay rides leave the campground gate from noon to 3 p.m. and run to the beach and back. Ride tickets are sold at the gate. Pumpkin decorating is 1 to 2 p.m. at the Nature Center, with free pumpkins from Friends of Indiana Dunes while supplies last. Trick-or-treating in the campground runs 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Programs are free after the park entrance fee. Children under 12 need an adult. The state calendar prints these times in Eastern Time, one hour later than the Central times above. Parking near the Nature Center fills fast on busy days.
Official: Indiana DNR: Halloween in the Dunes, Hay Rides and Trick-or-Treating. Schedule also on the Friends of Indiana Dunes events page.
If the dunes side of Porter County is on your list, read our Chesterton town guide and the Real Estate USA guide to Chesterton Indiana homes.
Sunday, October 25
Cornmeal in the Making at Deep River County Park, Hobart
Lake County Parks hosts Cornmeal in the Making Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Deep River County Park, 9410 Old Lincoln Highway, Hobart. Step inside the historic Wood’s Mill to watch corn being ground, try the demonstrations and hands-on activities, and browse the General Store and Visitor Center. It is free. Come and go at your own pace.
Official: Lake County Parks: Cornmeal in the Making.
If Hobart is on your list, read our Hobart town guide and the Real Estate USA guide to Hobart Indiana homes.
Crown Point Police Trunk or Treat at Center Ross Park
The Crown Point Police Department hosts Trunk or Treat Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. at Center Ross Park, 851 Center Ross Road. The city lists it as free and open to all ages. Costumes are encouraged.
Official: City of Crown Point: Weekly Message (Weekend Events Oct. 22).
If one town keeps pulling you back
Pick the town that felt easy and see what’s for sale there. Search homes for sale on realest.com. Every town guide we keep is on our communities page.
When you want to talk it through, start on Buy or Sell, send a short question through Ask Realest, or call the shop at (219) 801-0432.
Planning past this weekend? Real Estate USA keeps a longer October 2026 events calendar for the region and a guide to where to see fall color in Northwest Indiana.
Questions about this weekend in Northwest Indiana
What is happening in Northwest Indiana this weekend, Oct. 23 to 25, 2026?
Friday has Downtown Valpo Trick-or-Treat, an owl prowl in Griffith, Poe stories at Lemon Lake, the Portage Haunted Hayride and Criminally Insane at the Old Sheriff’s House in Crown Point. Saturday has the Crown Point Pumpkin Walk, the first Coffin Cup races and Halloween in the Dunes at Indiana Dunes State Park. Sunday has Cornmeal in the Making at Deep River County Park in Hobart and the Crown Point Police Trunk or Treat.
What is there to do in Crown Point this weekend?
The Pumpkin Walk circles the downtown square Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the first Coffin Cup races run on Main Street at 1 p.m. Criminally Insane at the Old Sheriff’s House runs Friday and Saturday from 7 to 11 p.m. for $15, with a free Not So Scary Kids Day Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The police department hosts a free Trunk or Treat Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. at Center Ross Park.
Are there free events in Northwest Indiana this weekend?
Yes. Downtown Valpo Trick-or-Treat on Friday, Not So Scary Kids Day at the Old Sheriff’s House on Saturday, Cornmeal in the Making at Deep River County Park on Sunday and the Crown Point Police Trunk or Treat on Sunday are all free. Halloween in the Dunes programs are free after the state park entrance fee, except hay ride tickets, which are sold at the campground gate.
What time zone are Northwest Indiana event times in?
Central Time. Lake and Porter counties keep Central Time, the same as Chicago and one hour behind Indianapolis. The state events calendar shows Indiana Dunes State Park times in Eastern Time, but the park lists its programs in Central Time, so every time in this post is Central.
Where can I search homes if one of these towns feels right?
Search homes for sale on Realest.com. Then read our town guide and the Real Estate USA living guide for that town. Call the shop on South Main at (219) 801-0432 when you want a Realtor walking it with you.
Does Realest run these events?
No. Towns, parks departments, nonprofits and local businesses run them. We check each official page and post one list from our shop at 112 S. Main St., Suite B, in Crown Point.
Talk to the shop
Realest, 112 S. Main St., Suite B, Crown Point, IN 46307
(219) 801-0432. Love Thy Neighbor.
Sources
- Valparaiso Events: Downtown Trick-or-Treat, Oct. 23, 2026
- Lake County Parks: Campfire and Owl Prowl, Oct. 23, 2026
- Lake County Parks: Poe in the Park, Dark Stories in the Dark, Oct. 23, 2026
- Portage Parks: Haunted Hayride, Oct. 22 to 24, 2026 (Woodland Park)
- Portage Parks: October 2026 calendar (Hayride 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Oct. 22 to 24)
- Old Sheriff’s House Foundation: Criminally Insane Haunted House, October 2026
- City of Crown Point: Weekly Message, Weekend Events Oct. 22, 2026 (Criminally Insane, Kids Day, Pumpkin Walk, Coffin Cup, police Trunk or Treat)
- Indiana DNR: Halloween in the Dunes, Oct. 24, 2026
- Indiana DNR: Hay Rides, Indiana Dunes State Park, Oct. 24, 2026
- Indiana DNR: Trick-or-Treating, Indiana Dunes State Park, Oct. 24, 2026
- Friends of Indiana Dunes: 24th Annual Halloween Fun schedule
- Lake County Parks: Cornmeal in the Making, Oct. 25, 2026
Times and details can change. The official page wins.
Top photo: South Main Street in Crown Point by Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped. It shows the 200 block of South Main in downtown Crown Point, a short walk from Saturday’s Pumpkin Walk and Coffin Cup.