In Powell this year, most of Halloween happens on October 24 and 25. That weekend, downtown businesses hand out candy, the City runs its trunk-or-treat at Adventure Park, and the Columbus Zoo holds its last Boo at the Zoo days and the last night of its Lantern Festival. Halloween itself falls on a Saturday, and the City has given it two hours, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Here's how the next three weeks line up, starting with what's already open.
Before the big weekend, the Zoo is the main event
The season north of Powell Road is already well underway. Boo at the Zoo runs on Saturdays and Sundays only, and four of its eight dates are left: October 17 and 18, then October 24 and 25. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and it's included with Zoo admission.
This year everything is in the Adventure Cove region. The Zoo lists two new features. Rave at the Grave is a DJ dance party. The new Trick or Treat Trail has 11 candy stops, plus two "teal pumpkin" stations that hand out non-candy alternatives, which helps if someone in your group has a food allergy. Returning features include giant pumpkin carving, Jesse's Jack-O-Lantern Journey, Henry's Character Craze Hay Maze, the Imaginarium Fun House and the Halloween Hoedown with the Oak Ridge Bears. The Zoo suggests saving its Adventure Cove map to your phone before you go.
The quieter weekday option is on Wednesday, October 21, at 9:30 a.m. The Zoo is holding a birthday enrichment for Oliver, its Asian elephant calf, and it's also included with admission. It's the only Zoo event on this list that falls on a weekday morning.
After dark, the Lantern Festival runs Thursday through Sunday from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. It starts after the Zoo closes for the day. You can buy a festival-only ticket or add Zoo admission at a discount. The Zoo describes more than 70 sets of lanterns, and this year it has added dinosaur lanterns alongside the animal scenes. The last night is October 25, the same Sunday Boo at the Zoo ends.
Both Zoo events end six days before Halloween, on the same weekend Powell's downtown and City events take place.
Saturday, October 24, starts downtown
Visit Powell calls it Powelloween. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., downtown businesses hand out candy, and the listing says kids, teens and adults in costume are all welcome. You don't need to register, but candy is first come, first served, so bring a bag and arrive early.
At 1:15 p.m., Escape Into Fiction at 50 South Liberty Street holds a kid-friendly Halloween storytime that runs until 1:45. The bookstore planned it with Visit Powell to follow the trick-or-treating. Finn and Roe is also holding its six-year anniversary sale on October 23 and 24, with books, home goods and clothing, and asks shoppers to bring their own bags. Visit Powell adds that downtown restaurants may serve Halloween-themed drinks and beer that weekend.
All of that fits into about three hours on Saturday. You can be at Adventure Cove when the Zoo's gates close at 6 p.m. and still have plenty of time before the lanterns light up at 7:30.
Sunday, October 25, is when the three calendars overlap
On Sunday, all three organizers have something going on. Here's the full weekend in one place:
| Time | Saturday, Oct 24 | Sunday, Oct 25 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 a.m.–6 p.m. | Boo at the Zoo, Adventure Cove | Boo at the Zoo, final day |
| 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Powelloween downtown trick-or-treat | Books N Brews, Ill Mannered Brewing Co. |
| 1:15–1:45 p.m. | Halloween storytime, Escape Into Fiction | |
| 4–6 p.m. | Candy by the Carload, Adventure Park | |
| 7:30–10:30 p.m. | Lantern Festival | Lantern Festival, final night |
Sunday starts slowly. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Books N Brews group meets at Ill Mannered Brewing Co., 38 Grace Drive. The October reading list is spooky: The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell, Remain by M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks, Weyward by Emilia Hart, and a bonus pick, The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer. The organizers say you're welcome even if you haven't finished any of them.
The City's own event is in the late afternoon. Candy by the Carload runs from 4 to 6 p.m. at Adventure Park, 260 Adventure Park Drive. It's a free trunk-or-treat with Powell community organizations, open to everyone, with no registration. Columbus DanceArts Academy will perform its Halloween Hip Hop show throughout the event, with chances for kids to learn the moves and dance along. The City's listing doesn't mention parking or a rain plan, so check the City's event page again that week.
Sunday is also the last day for both Zoo events. A family could do Boo at the Zoo in the morning, Candy by the Carload at four and the lanterns after dark. That's a lot for one day. Sunday night is the last chance to see the dinosaur lanterns, and the Zoo's Halloween season ends that same day.
Then Halloween gets two hours on a Saturday
A week later, on Saturday, October 31, City trick-or-treat runs from 6 to 8 p.m. The Powell-Olentangy Journal reported the same window on September 28.
If you live in Liberty Township, wait for official word. As of mid-October, we couldn't find 2026 trick-or-treat hours from the township or from local news. The township calendar page we found is still last year's listing, so don't assume last year's hours apply.
One more thing to watch before the 31st is what's happening to the streets and paths themselves. On September 1, City Council awarded the 2026 Street and Path Maintenance Program to Strawser Paving Co., the only bidder, for a $2.996 million base bid. That's $146,226 more than the city's $2.85 million construction budget, and the City is covering the difference from its Shared Use Path Additions Program. Delaware Source reported City Manager Andy White's memo to council:
"This would be a record level of annual investment in the city's roadways and paths for the city of Powell, and will improve many long-standing, needed roadway and pathway repairs."
The list includes downtown and neighborhood streets plus several shared-use paths. North Liberty Street, Thornbury Lane, Zion Drive, Wagon Trail North and East, Andover Drive, Donerail Avenue and Murphy Parkway from Powell Road to Wagon Trail East are set for resurfacing. Path work covers Salisbury Drive, Sawmill Parkway, Zion Drive, Powell Road from Sawmill Parkway to Traditions Way, Library Park, Laurel Valley Drive North, Grandshire Drive, and Powell Road South at Arbor Ridge Park.
The City hasn't posted a street-by-street schedule. It describes two phases, the first with a 90-day contract duration and the second with a 60-day window scheduled while school is out. It also says to expect temporary traffic restrictions and that schedules will be shared as they're set. According to the Powell-Olentangy Journal, affected residents get written notice a week ahead, door hangers 48 hours before work and a two-week notice on the City website. With those notice periods, a door hanger or a City website posting is the earliest sign that work on your street is coming.
After the costumes come off
Powell's next two events are already on the calendar. The Chamber farmers market ended its season on October 3 at 240 N. Liberty St. The Zoo's Wildlights runs from November 20, 2026, to January 3, 2027. New this year are Starlight Safari animal sculptures, a Starlight Constellation Quest and Bricktopia LEGO builds. Holidays in Powell, which is free, takes over Village Green Park on Saturday, December 5, from 4 to 7 p.m., with the tree lighting at 6.
None of these pages show a publish date, so check each listing again before you head out.
Wondering whether your street is on Powell's 2026 paving list and how that work might affect a sale or purchase you're planning? The Shoaf Team follows Powell's city projects closely and can explain what's planned near you. Schedule a free consultation.
