Drifted Fest 2026: Dallas’s Halloween Night Music Festival
If you’re looking for the centerpiece Halloween event in Dallas this year, it’s Drifted Fest, an open-air electronic music festival taking over Strauss Square at the AT&T Performing Arts Center (2403 Flora St, Dallas) on Halloween night, Saturday, October 31, 2026.
Now in its second edition — after debuting at Panther Island in Fort Worth in 2025 — Drifted Fest brings 10 straight hours of house and techno to downtown Dallas across three curated environments:
- Mainstage — the open-air amphitheater at Strauss Square
- Techno Bunker — a darker, bass-heavy indoor stage
- Silent Disco — a 3-channel silent disco experience
The 2026 artist lineup is still being revealed, with reveals rolling out on the official mainstage roster ahead of the event. The festival is presented by Techno Ka House, a Dallas-based house and techno community known for local parties, boat parties, and events across North Texas.
Good to know before you go:
- Date & hours: October 31, 2026, with gates opening in the early afternoon and music running into the night
- Venue access: A short walk from the Pearl/Arts District DART Rail station, minutes from Downtown Dallas, Uptown, and both DFW Airport and Dallas Love Field
- Admission: All ages, with minors required to be accompanied by an adult; a 21+ bar is available with valid government ID
- Attire: Halloween costumes and festival fashion are encouraged
- Entry policy: Clear bags and small clutch purses only, for faster security lines
- Tickets: GA, GA+, VIP, and VIP+ passes are available through priority presale, which locks in the lowest early rate and includes automatic entry to win a VIP+ backstage upgrade
Because Drifted Fest lands directly on Halloween night in the heart of downtown, it’s easy to pair with an earlier haunted house visit or costume dinner and still make it to the gates by early afternoon. Presale passes are capacity-limited, so registering ahead of the public on-sale is the best way to guarantee a spot.
Ready for Halloween night in Dallas?
Join the Drifted Fest presale for priority access, guaranteed presale pricing, and a chance to win a VIP+ backstage upgrade before general tickets go on sale.
JOIN THE PRESALE ↗When Does Halloween Season Start in Dallas?
Dallas’s Halloween season typically kicks off in mid-to-late September and runs through November 1, with most haunted attractions operating on weekends early in the season and nightly during the final week before Halloween. If you want the widest pick of dates and the shortest lines, plan your haunted house visits for late September or early October. If you’re chasing the biggest parties and block events, circle the last two weekends of October and Halloween night itself, which falls on a Saturday in 2026.
Best Haunted Houses Near Dallas
North Texas has one of the deepest haunt scenes in the country, with several Dallas–Fort Worth attractions holding national recognition. Here are the standouts.
Dark Hour Haunted House (Plano)
Dark Hour is a DFW mainstay known for elaborate set design and a rotating storyline built around a haunted asylum theme. It’s one of the most talked-about haunts in the Dallas area and draws crowds throughout the fall, so weekday visits or advance tickets are worth considering if you want shorter lines. Location: 701 Taylor Drive, Plano.
Cutting Edge Haunted House (Fort Worth)
Built inside a century-old former meatpacking plant, Cutting Edge has held Guinness World Records recognition for being one of the largest walk-through haunted houses anywhere. It’s a short drive from Dallas and consistently ranks among the top haunted attractions in the country. Location: 1701 E. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth.
Forest of Shadows (Dallas)
From the studio behind Dallas’s Astra Lumina light experience, Forest of Shadows transforms Trinity Forest Adventure Park into an immersive, illusion-heavy walk through the woods, with shifting lights and disorienting effects rather than jump-scare gore. It’s a strong pick for anyone who wants atmosphere over blood and guts. Location: 1800 Dowdy Ferry Road, Dallas.
Screams Halloween Theme Park (Waxahachie)
Set on the Scarborough Renaissance Festival grounds, Screams combines multiple haunted houses — including a post-apocalyptic castle and a haunted hotel — with a clown-themed maze, a zombie-infested area, a full-service restaurant, and karaoke for anyone who needs a breather between scares.
Hangman’s House of Horrors (Fort Worth)
A longtime North Texas haunt that leans into local legend, Hangman’s builds its scares around Texas folklore and reportedly notorious figures and locations. It also raises money for local charities, giving your scream session a bit of a purpose.
Thrillvania Haunted House Park (Terrell)
A genuine haunted “park” spread across 50 acres east of Dallas, Thrillvania houses three separate attractions in one visit, making it a good option if you want to maximize scares in a single outing.
Planning tip: Ticket prices for Dallas-area haunted houses generally range from about $20 to $60 depending on the attraction and date, and popular nights sell out — especially the final weekend before Halloween. Buying tickets online in advance is almost always cheaper and faster than paying at the door.
Dallas Halloween Parties and Nightlife
If your idea of Halloween is a costume, a cocktail, and a dance floor, Dallas doesn’t disappoint.
- Dallas Halloween Block Party (Cedar Springs) is the city’s biggest street celebration for the holiday, taking over the 3900 block of Cedar Springs Road with live music, drag performances, a costume runway, and specialty cocktails. It’s free to enter (18+, with 21+ required for alcohol).
- Bar crawls pop up all over the city throughout October, from Deep Ellum to the City Center District, with several running the weekend before Halloween and again on Halloween day itself for those who want two shots at the costume contest circuit.
- Joe Bob’s Halloween Spooktacular at the historic Texas Theatre is an only-in-Dallas option: a dusk-to-dawn Halloween party built around horror movie marathons, comedy magic, and burlesque performances, typically held on Halloween night.
Family-Friendly Halloween Events in Dallas
Not every Dallas Halloween event is designed to terrify. Families have plenty of options too.
- Trick or Treat on Downtown Streets — An annual Halloween-night tradition organized by Downtown Dallas, Inc., where kids and families walk the streets of downtown collecting treats from local businesses in a safe, controlled setting.
- Trunk-or-treat events — Church parking lots, shopping centers, and neighborhood associations across Dallas–Fort Worth host trunk-or-treats through October, usually free and geared toward younger kids who aren’t ready for a full haunted house.
- Pumpkin patches and corn mazes — Several farms within driving distance of Dallas offer hayrides, corn mazes, and “not-so-scary” haunted trails aimed at families, typically running weekends throughout October.
- Ghost tours — Dallas and nearby Fort Worth both run walking ghost tours that lean into local history rather than gore, a good middle-ground option for older kids and teens.
Quick Tips for Halloween in Dallas
- Book early. The most popular haunted houses and ticketed parties sell out well before Halloween weekend — booking two to three weeks ahead is a safe bet.
- Check age and content guidance. Many of the scariest haunted houses in the Dallas area involve intense special effects, physical contact, or strobe lighting, and aren’t recommended for young kids.
- Watch the weather. Texas Halloweens can swing from hot to cold within the same week, so check the forecast before you commit to a costume.
- Plan parking ahead of time, especially for events in Deep Ellum, Cedar Springs, and downtown Dallas, where street closures are common on Halloween weekend.
- Spread your visits out. With events running from late September through November 1, you don’t have to cram everything into one weekend.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest Halloween night event in Dallas?
Drifted Fest, held October 31, 2026 at Strauss Square at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, is Dallas’s marquee Halloween night music festival — 10 hours of house and techno across three stages in the heart of downtown. For street-festival energy earlier in the month, the Dallas Halloween Block Party on Cedar Springs Road is also among the city’s largest celebrations.
Is Halloween in Dallas only celebrated on October 31?
No. Halloween events across Dallas typically run from mid-September through the end of October, with haunted houses, ghost tours, and pumpkin patches spread across several weekends before everything culminates on Halloween night itself.
What’s the scariest haunted house near Dallas?
Cutting Edge Haunted House in Fort Worth is widely regarded as one of the most intense in the region, having held Guinness World Records recognition for its size, alongside Dark Hour in Plano and Thrillvania in Terrell.
Are there Halloween events for young kids in Dallas?
Yes — trunk-or-treats, downtown trick-or-treating events, and “not-so-scary” pumpkin patches are held throughout the Dallas area and are designed specifically with younger children in mind. Drifted Fest is an all-ages event, though minors must be accompanied by an adult and the bar is 21+.
How do I get tickets to Drifted Fest?
Register for priority presale access on driftedfest.com to lock in the lowest early rate, get a two-hour early access window ahead of general on-sale, and be automatically entered to win a VIP+ backstage upgrade.