Halloween in Sedona 2026: Day of the Dead, Trick-or-Treat and Wine

Halloween in Sedona is less haunted house and more of a long, colorful weekend: in 2026 Halloween lands on a Saturday, with free trick-or-treating in Uptown Sedona that evening, a new combined “Treat Street” in Old Town Cottonwood, and Tlaquepaque’s Day of the Dead celebration the next day, Sunday, November 1. Add a Day of the Dead festival in Flagstaff the weekend before and a wine country afternoon in between, and late October is one of our favorite times of the year to have friends and family in town.

We have been guiding in Sedona and the Verde Valley since 2004, and here is how we would put the weekend together, with the dates verified for this year.

Halloween weekend in Sedona 2026 at a glance

The calendar falls nicely this year. Here is what is on the books, in order:

Thursday, Oct. 29: The Marigold Mural Project opens at Tlaquepaque, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 31: Uptown Sedona Trick or Treat, 5 to 8 p.m.; Treat Street in Old Town Cottonwood, 5 to 7 p.m.; and, for grown-ups, a free Halloween party at Broome & Orchard’s, 9 p.m. to midnight.
Sunday, Nov. 1: Day of the Dead at Tlaquepaque, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The weekend before, Oct. 24–25: Celebraciones de la Gente at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

One quirk worth knowing: most of the country falls back from daylight saving time early on Sunday, November 1, but Arizona does not change its clocks. If you are flying in from elsewhere, your phone will sort it out, but double-check any reservation times you made from home before the switch. Sunsets are early by now, before 6 p.m., so plan outdoor time for the middle of the day.

Day of the Dead at Tlaquepaque: the heart of the weekend

If you only do one thing, make it Day of the Dead at Tlaquepaque. The arts and shopping village on State Route 179, with its stone courtyards, fountains and sycamores, is a natural setting for Día de los Muertos, the Mexican holiday honoring loved ones who have passed. This year it runs Sunday, November 1, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., throughout the village.

What to expect, based on Tlaquepaque’s own schedule:

Altars and installations. Traditional ofrendas and large-scale cultural installations throughout the village, with papel picado banners overhead and handcrafted la calaca figures. Tlaquepaque posts an interactive altar map on its event page, which is handy for finding them all.
Music and dance. Ballet Folklorico De Colores performs at 1 and 3 p.m. at Tlaquepaque North; Mosaico Flamenco plays 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Patio de las Campanas; and Jaleo plays 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Patio del Norte, plus roving entertainment.
Hands-on fun. Sugar skull decorating from 1 to 5 p.m. in Patio de las Campanas and face painting all day on Calle Independencia.
Food. Food vendors on Calle Independencia from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In past years, Visit Sedona has noted that visitors are welcome to bring flowers, photos, candles or a small personal object to the public altar in Patio del Norte. It is a moving thing to watch families add a picture of a grandparent, and you do not need any connection to the tradition to be welcome. Be respectful with cameras around people placing offerings.

The Marigold Mural Project. Before the main day, Tlaquepaque’s events calendar lists the Marigold Mural Project with artist Lovejoy starting Thursday, October 29, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Calle Independencia. Guests of all ages paint names, words and symbols onto a 26-foot community remembrance wall, and supplies are provided. In past years painting has continued daily through the main celebration, so if you arrive midweek you can add a tribute early and come back Sunday to see the wall filled in.

Parking. Tlaquepaque’s lot fills fast on festival days. Tlaquepaque runs a free shuttle all day from Uptown Sedona: park in the municipal lots in Uptown and catch it at the bus loading zone on SR 179. We strongly recommend it over circling the lot.

Trick-or-treating in Uptown Sedona and Old Town Cottonwood

If you have kids along, Halloween night itself is easy and free.

Uptown Sedona Trick or Treat. The City of Sedona’s Uptown Trick or Treat is a long-running local tradition. According to Sedona Monthly, it runs Saturday, October 31, from 5 to 8 p.m. with participating Uptown businesses handing out candy, and admission is free. Uptown is busy any Saturday night in fall, so park early or stay within walking distance.

Treat Street in Old Town Cottonwood. New for 2026, the City of Cottonwood and the Cottonwood Old Town Association are combining the city’s trunk-or-treat with Main Street trick-or-treating into one event, Treat Street, on Saturday, October 31, from 5 to 7 p.m. Families can trick-or-treat at participating Old Town businesses while decorated trunks line a closed section of Main Street; this year’s trunk theme is “heroes and villains.” Main Street closes to traffic at 2 p.m. and is expected to reopen by 8 p.m., with no curbside parking on Main between Pima and Yavapai streets. The Old Town Jail parking lot stays open. Earlier listings showed a separate trunk-or-treat at the Cottonwood Recreation Center, so check the City of Cottonwood’s site for the final plan.

Cottonwood is about 25 to 30 minutes from West Sedona, and it pairs well with an afternoon in the Old Town tasting rooms. Our walkable guide to Old Town Cottonwood wine tasting has the details. Just remember the street closure if you plan to drive in after 2 p.m.

Halloween for grown-ups

Sedona is not a big costume-party town, but there are options. Broome & Orchard’s at Hyatt Plaza in Uptown (101 N. SR 89A) is hosting a free-entry Halloween party Saturday, October 31, from 9 p.m. to midnight, with costumes, music, food and drinks. It is right in the middle of Uptown, so you can walk from the trick-or-treat crowd to dinner and on to the party without moving the car.

Many of the bars and restaurants in Uptown and West Sedona run their own costume nights and specials. Those change year to year, so check directly with the places you have in mind.

And for the ghost-story crowd, the old copper town of Jerome leans into its haunted reputation every October. Our Jerome Arizona day trip guide covers parking, the state historic park and what to expect on a busy Halloween weekend.

Day of the Dead in Flagstaff the weekend before

If you are in northern Arizona a week early, drive up to Flagstaff for Celebraciones de la Gente, Flagstaff’s best-known Día de los Muertos celebration, at the Museum of Northern Arizona on Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Organizers list headline performances by Mariachi Agave from Tucson and Ballet Folklorico de Colores, nearly two dozen candlelit ofrendas in the central courtyard, a “Courtyard After Dark” evening when the lights come down for the candles, sugar skull workshops (which sell out), lectures, loteria, food vendors and activities for kids.

The museum is on Fort Valley Road, north of downtown Flagstaff. From Sedona, figure roughly an hour each way through Oak Creek Canyon, and allow extra time on a fall weekend. Check the museum’s site for admission prices.

A Halloween weekend wine day in the Verde Valley

Here is the secret about Halloween weekend: the trick-or-treating and the Day of the Dead events are in the evening and on Sunday, which leaves Saturday daytime wide open. That is exactly when we like to be out in wine country.

By late October harvest is wrapping up in the Verde Valley, the cottonwoods along Oak Creek and the Verde River start turning gold, and midday on a tasting room patio is about as comfortable as Arizona gets. A Saturday wine day from roughly late morning to mid-afternoon puts you back in Sedona in time for Uptown trick-or-treating or an early dinner, and it means nobody in your group has to drive after tasting. Our guide to Sedona-area wineries and vineyards lays out the Page Springs, Cornville and Cottonwood options.

It is also a great weekend for a girls’ trip or a mother-daughter getaway: wine Saturday, costumes Saturday night, and a slow Sunday morning at Tlaquepaque with the altars and the Marigold Mural before you head home.

What to book, what to bring and when to go

What to book

Lodging, now. Halloween is a Saturday this year and the weekend overlaps with peak fall season, so rooms in Uptown and near Tlaquepaque will be tight.
Dinner on Saturday, Oct. 31. Uptown restaurants fill early on Halloween night. Reserve a table, ideally for after 8 p.m. if you have trick-or-treaters, or before 5 if you want to beat the crowd.
Your wine day. Saturdays in late October book up. Our Wine Tours of Sedona all-inclusive tours and SIP Sedona shuttle days both fill first on fall weekends. Larger groups should ask us about private group options.

What to bring

Layers. Sedona days are mild, but mornings and evenings after sunset get chilly by late October, and Flagstaff is several thousand feet higher and much colder.
Comfortable shoes for Tlaquepaque’s cobblestones and stairs.
Flowers, a photo or a candle if you would like to add to the public altar (Visit Sedona has noted candles have been sold on site in past years).
Costumes for the kids, and a bag for candy that is bigger than you think you need.

When to go

Day of the Dead: Arrive close to the 11 a.m. start on November 1 for easier parking and photos before the crowds, or plan around the 1 and 3 p.m. folklorico performances.
Trick-or-treating: The early part of each window is calmest with little ones.
Wine country: Saturday late morning through mid-afternoon, when the patios are warmest.

All events listed here were verified from the organizers and local press as of mid-October 2026; schedules can change, so check each event page the week of your trip.

Plan the rest of your weekend with us

If you would like help building the wine part of your Halloween weekend, call Sedona Wine Tours at (928) 504-2445 or email [email protected], and we will match you with the right tour for your crew.

However you spend the evenings, spend Saturday afternoon in Sedona wine country, and let our Tour Chooser find the tour that fits your group in about a minute.