Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, which means the whole last stretch of October is fair game. It's also my favourite time of year, for purely selfless reasons: as a responsible parent, I collect a modest dad tax on every bag of candy that comes through the door. Strictly out of concern for my kids' health, of course. And with four of them, that's a lot of health to protect. More candy for me. I mean them.
Here's what's happening around the West Island, from free city events to one very committed house in Dorval.
Look for 🧒 to spot the kid-friendly ones.
Pointe-Claire
Pointe-Claire has put together the fullest lineup in the area this year, spread across the whole month.
Night Falls at Stewart Hall (sold out) 🧒
Friday, October 16, 6:30 p.m. · Stewart Hall Cultural Centre
A flashlight tour through Stewart Hall, followed by local ghost stories about the house and Pointe-Claire Village. It's aimed at ages 6 to 12 and it's bilingual. Registration is now full, so this one's only for those who already have a spot.
Saturday, October 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. · Centre Court, CF Fairview Pointe-Claire
Back for a second year: a trick-or-treat trail through participating stores, plus face painting and a photo booth. Admission is $5, and all proceeds go to the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation. The activities take one to two hours, so check in by 1 p.m.
Family Halloween Day 🧒
Sunday, October 25, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. · Olive-Urquhart Sports Centre, 230 Brunswick Blvd.
Giant games, roaming characters, wax hand-making, a photo booth and a Hocus Pocus scavenger hunt. Hot chocolate, candy, popcorn and cotton candy are free; there's also a BBQ, an espresso station and a cookie cart if you want to stay a while.
Witches' Dance
Friday, October 30, 3:15 p.m. · Pointe-Claire Central Library, 100 Douglas-Shand Ave.
The city's witches and wizards take over the front of the library for a dance. If it rains, it moves inside.
Valois Village Trick-or-Treat 🧒
Saturday, October 31, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. · Donegani Ave., Valois Village
The Valois Village Merchants Association is back with its sixth annual Halloween, a daytime trick-or-treat along the village's shops. Participating merchants, restaurants and businesses will put a poster in their windows and doors to show they're handing out candy, so look for the poster as you go.
Zombie Walk 🧒
Saturday, October 31 · Pointe-Claire Central Library
Now in its fourth year. From 1 to 3 p.m., there's zombie makeup for ages 0 to 17, plus accessories and a station to "zombify" your clothes — bring an old shirt you don't mind ruining, and come early so the paint has time to dry. At 3 p.m., everyone heads out together from in front of the library, and the walk itself is open to all ages.
Dorval
Cabinet of Curiosities: Forgotten Wonders 🧒
October 17 to November 1 · Peter B. Yeomans Cultural Centre
A free Halloween exhibition of strange objects and odd curiosities, open weekdays from 1 to 9 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The big day is Saturday, October 24, from 1 to 4 p.m., with candy, face painting, workshops and an art activity led by artist Aube Stuff, so come in costume. It pairs well with Mad Science's "Watt's Up?" kiosk at the Dorval Library, a short walk away, where a Van de Graaff generator makes hair stand on end from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. That one's free and drop-in too.
Movie: Death Becomes Her
Friday, October 23, 2 p.m. · Dorval Library
A free afternoon screening of the Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn cult classic about two rivals, a youth potion and some very inconvenient immortality. Advance registration is required.
Halloween at the DASC 🧒
October 23 to 29 · Dorval Aquatic and Sports Complex
The complex gets a Halloween makeover for the week. Kids 12 and under who come to a swimming lesson or an open pool or gym activity get their name in a draw for one of three jars of candy, drawn October 30.
The Halloween Circus at Les Jardins Dorval 🧒
Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, noon to 4 p.m. · Les Jardins Dorval, 352 Dorval Ave.
The mall goes full big top for the weekend. There's an intro to circus arts workshop (juggling, diabolo, spinning plates, slackline and more), a wooden puppet craft table, face painting and a photo booth. Commerce Dorval also has a booth where you can decorate a pumpkin to take home.
Halloween on Ice 🧒
Sunday, October 25, 2 to 4 p.m. · Westwood Sports Centre
Free. Westwood turns into a school of wizardry for the afternoon, with skating in costume, mysterious characters and treats. Bring your skates and your best cloak.
The Halloween House on Pine Beach
Friday, October 30, 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, October 31, 4 to 9 p.m. · 580 Pine Beach, Dorval
Ivan Dow opens up his Pine Beach yard as a walk-through haunted house. Last year it was about a 15-minute walk past dragons, monsters, giant spiders, robots and a maze, with admission by voluntary donation to local charities (Sun Youth and West Island Citizen Advocacy).
Pierrefonds-Roxboro
Halloween Night 🧒
Friday, October 23 · Millennium Park, Pierrefonds Cultural Centre and Pierrefonds Library
The borough's free Halloween night is back for its fifth year. The main draw is an animated forest in Millennium Park (6 to 9 p.m.), a glowing path full of strange creatures. Over at the Cultural Centre there are outdoor games and face painting (6 to 9:45 p.m.), plus a sweet treat truck ($), and the library stays open late for crafts, tattoos and airbrush (5:30 to 8:30 p.m.). The teen haunted house is already full.
Halloween Skate 🧒
Sunday, October 25, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. · Sportplexe Pierrefonds
An open skate in costume, with candy handed out. It's $1 for kids 12 and under and $3 for adults. Leave the masks and anything that drags below the ankle at home.
Dollard-des-Ormeaux
Halloween on Ice 🧒
Saturday, October 24, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. · Civic Centre Arenas
Skating in costume, plus a haunted house run by Cégep Gérald-Godin's theatre group. There's also candy, temporary tattoos, reptiles, a library story time and a crazy-scientist station with the Fairview Centennial scouts. Admission is $2 in costume or $3 without, cash only, and everyone entering pays. Skate and helmet rentals are limited, and helmets are required for kids 12 and under.
Kirkland
Halloween on Ice 🧒
Saturday, October 24 · Kirkland Arena, 16950 Hymus Blvd.
Two sessions: all ages from 6:30 to 7:50 p.m., then teens only (12 to 17) from 8 to 9:20 p.m. No registration needed, just bring a costume and skates.
Beaconsfield
K-pop, Mysteries and Chills at Centennial 🧒
Saturday, October 24, 2 to 4:45 p.m. · Centennial Park
Free and drop-in. It opens at 2 p.m. with Bonne Fortune, a puppet installation full of mysterious creatures, followed by a Halloween concert from The K-Hunters Show at 3 p.m. and photos with the performers until 4:45. If it rains, everything moves to Beaconsfield United Church.
Baie-D'Urfé
Spooky Pirate Ship and Haunted Castaway Campsite 🧒
Saturday, October 24, 5 to 7 p.m. · Red Barn
Free, indoors and out: a pirate ship, face painting, two short LED light shows, cotton candy and indoor games, with coffee for the grown-ups. The Junior Council and Scouts are running a haunted castaway campsite on the grounds.
Senneville
Halloween Party
Sunday, October 18, 1 p.m. · George-McLeish Community Centre
An afternoon party with games and prizes, a costume contest, a Halloween craft station and themed contests like freeze dance, plus a few spooky surprises. Come in your best costume. Registration is through your Voilà! account on the village's portal, so sign in there to save your spot.
Île-Bizard
Potion Hunt at PACE Farm 🧒
Saturdays and Sundays through October 31, 4:30 p.m. · PACE Farm
A one-hour quest around the farm to collect ingredients and brew a magic potion, recommended for ages 4 to 8. Booking is required, and spots for each date open 21 days ahead.
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
Spooky Nights at John Abbott College 🧒
Friday, October 30, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. · Agora, Casgrain Building, John Abbott College
The John Abbott Space Club's annual Halloween night, with a space twist. It's free and geared to kids, so come in costume.
Halloween in Sainte-Anne 🧒
Saturday, October 31, 12:30 to 9 p.m. · Peter-Williamson Chalet, Harpell Centre and around town
The afternoon starts with papier-mâché mask making (12:30 to 2 p.m., ages 6 to 12) and Halloween cake decorating (1 to 3 p.m.); both have limited spots and need registration. Free face painting runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Then from 6 to 9 p.m., a mobile fleet drives through town handing out candy to young residents.
After dark
The Addams Family Farewell Ball
Saturday, October 24, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. · Sarto-Desnoyers Community Centre, Dorval
The Addamses have decided Dorval is far too pleasant to live in, so they're throwing one last party on the way out. Adults 18 and up, with a DJ, snacks, a photo booth, a cash bar and prizes for the best costumes. It's free, but you need a reservation, and those are open to residents and non-residents alike, online or in person at the SDCC, Surrey or the DASC.
Halloween Party at Macallans
Friday, October 30, 7 p.m. · Macallans Pub, Dorval
A costume night with a Black Sabbath tribute band.
On the 31st
If you're handing out candy, Pointe-Claire has free "Accessible Property" signs at City Hall, the Recreation Building and the Central Library, to let families know your door is easy to reach. And a teal pumpkin on the step tells allergy families you've got non-food treats.
Not done with fall yet?
Our West Island Fall Bucket List has 15 ideas for the season, including:
Verger Labonté's Halloween corn mazes on October 30 and 31, with one night for ages 13+ and one for younger kids
A walk through the fall colours on 25 km of trails at the Morgan Arboretum
Fall at the Ecomuseum Zoo, running until November 15
Know of something we missed? Let us know at [email protected]
