Halloween falls on a Saturday this year. Morrisville's two big free celebrations are both on the Thursday before it, Oct. 29, one week from today. Park West Village's Fall Festival runs from 4 to 8 p.m. The Town of Morrisville's Boo Bash at Morrisville Community Park runs from 6 to 8 p.m.
The two events overlap by two hours and end at the same time. Park West opens two hours earlier, so you can do both in one night if you go in the right order. A Halloween storytime at the library that morning makes it a full day for families with very young children.
The day at a glance
| Time | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 10:30 to 11 a.m. | Toddler Storytime, Halloween theme, costumes welcome | Morrisville Community Library, 310 Town Hall Drive |
| 4 to 8 p.m. | Park West Village Fall Festival | Park West Village |
| 6 to 8 p.m. | Boo Bash | Morrisville Community Park, 1520 Morrisville Parkway |
The morning storytime is free and runs 30 minutes, which suits toddlers who will be in bed before the evening events end. If your little one has two costumes, or one that won't survive a whole day, this is a low-pressure place to try the first one out.
Why Park West comes first
According to Park West Village, the Fall Festival includes free trick-or-treating across the whole center, a live performance by The Embers featuring Craig Woolard, and costume contests. The event page lists the hours but not the time of the band's set, so check the center's page closer to the date if seeing The Embers is a priority.
The order works out on its own. Park West has two hours to itself before Boo Bash opens. A family that arrives around 4 p.m. can trick-or-treat at the stores while it is still light out and leave around 6 p.m. for the park. If you want the costume contests or the full concert, you can stay at Park West all evening. If your kids are mainly after candy and face paint, splitting the night between the two works well.
Trick-or-treating across the center also takes you past some new businesses. More on those below, since several are good dinner options.
Then Boo Bash, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The Town calls Boo Bash a family-friendly event for all ages. Here is what's on the Town's Boo Bash page:
- Candy stations run by local businesses and organizations, each with its own table and activities
- Balloon twisting, first come, first served while supplies last
- Face painting
- Pumpkin voting at the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources tent, for pumpkins decorated by Town departments
- Free apple cider at the same tent
- Food trucks Sweet Treats Express and Little Halo's
- A Sensory Relaxation Station with fidget toys, calming sensory items and fans, for children who need a quiet break
Since balloon twisting is first come, first served, the late arrival from Park West costs you something. If balloons matter more to your crew than the concert, head over closer to 6 p.m.
The Town asks families to use the sensory tent only when they need it so it stays open for the children who rely on it most. The tent is not a play area, and children must be supervised there.
The local names at the candy tables
The participating list reads like a directory of Morrisville and west Cary businesses. Among the names the Town lists are Cheers n Paint, Orsetta Woodworks, Prickly Bear, Ice Breaker Snoballs, Steamoji Cary, Cozy Panda Event Co, CutsRClips Salon, Horseman Publishing, Cleaned Fresh, MoonMoon Girl Universe, Sweet Treat Express Cotton Candy, and Jyoti's face painting, henna and balloons. Community groups at the tables include Triangle Fellowship Church and the Sigma Xi Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. If your children come home with a coupon or a craft from one of these tables, it may lead you to a local shop you hadn't tried yet.
Parking, and the Town's preferred way in
Boo Bash parking is at Morrisville Elementary School, 1519 Morrisville Parkway. Police officers will be at the crossing between the school and the park to help families get across safely. Accessible parking is available at the park itself, but the Town describes it as limited.
The Town also suggests that people who live nearby walk to the event on the greenway. If you're coming from Park West, you'll probably drive and use the school lot. If you skip Park West and live within greenway reach of the park, walking saves you the parking hunt, and the walk home is usually when tired kids finally slow down.
Where to eat before, between or after
The evening runs past dinnertime, and Park West Village looks different this year than it did last Halloween. Several of the changes are restaurants.
Shake Shack opened at 1600 Village Market Place on May 13, 2026, as the News & Observer reported. It is already inside the festival footprint, so you can eat before or after trick-or-treating at the center without moving the car.
Pho Kitchen at 1024 Market Center Drive is listed as now open in Park West Village's news feed, but its directory page on the same site still shows "Coming Soon." Call ahead before you count on a bowl of pho to warm up on a cool evening.
Super Chix opened next to Wegmans at 1125 Hatches Pond Lane on July 7, 2026, according to Fast Casual. WRAL noted that the Texas-based chicken-and-custard chain had a couple of other North Carolina locations, and that this was its first in the Triangle. Frozen custard after a night of candy is excessive. On Halloween week, that's allowed.
Bad Daddy's is relocating
If Bad Daddy's Burger Bar is your usual Park West stop, its location has changed. WRAL reported that the Morrisville restaurant closed temporarily on July 1 to move across the street into the former Hickory Tavern space. Construction was expected to finish in August, and the old building is being demolished for apartments. Before you plan dinner there on Oct. 29, call or check the restaurant's own channels for current hours at the new space.
Other new names around Park West
Trick-or-treating across the center will take you past a few more businesses that are new since last fall:
- Fade Pro Barbershop at 1508 Village Market Place, which Park West listed as now open in September
- Moxie Salon and Beauty Bar at 1009 Market Center Drive, which the center lists with daily hours
- Atlantic Union Bank at 1000 Village Market Place, added to the center's directory in September with weekday hours
None of them are food stops, but they're part of why the walk around Park West this year doesn't look the same as last year's.
A simple plan for the day
- 10:30 a.m. Toddler Storytime at Morrisville Community Library, if you have a little one. Costumes welcome.
- 4 p.m. Arrive at Park West Village to trick-or-treat at the stores while it's still light.
- Around 5 p.m. Eat early at Shake Shack, or stay for the costume contests and the Embers set.
- Around 6 p.m. Drive to the Morrisville Elementary lot at 1519 Morrisville Parkway, or walk over on the greenway if you live nearby, and cross with the officers' help to Boo Bash.
- 6 to 8 p.m. Candy stations, face painting, pumpkin voting and apple cider, with the Sensory Relaxation Station there if anyone needs a break.
Both events end at 8 p.m., so the real decision is how long to stay at Park West before heading to the park. Families who want balloons before supplies run out should leave Park West early. Families who came for the music should stay later.
If you're thinking about a home in Morrisville and want to talk through what matters most to your family, from a quick drive to Park West to a greenway walk to the park, I'd be glad to help. Amanda Williams is always happy to talk about Morrisville. Let's Connect.
