Busch Gardens Spooktacular 2023: A Super Fun Halloween Celebration For All Ages!

With amazing rides, animals, and even Sesame Street characters, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is already a great place for families to visit during their Florida vacation.

However, during the fall, there’s even more fun to be had, thanks to the Busch Gardens Spooktacular – a not-too-spooky Halloween celebration that’s perfect for your tiniest ghosts and goblins!

Throughout select days in September and October, you’ll find exclusive events that kiddos will love, like a costume parade, trick-or-treating, and storytime in a pumpkin patch! The Sesame Street crew is getting in on the action, too, with special Sesame Street Kids’ Weekends in October.

Not unlike SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular, the Busch Gardens Spooktacular is one of the best kid-friendly Halloween parties in the area. Did we mention there will be candy??

Busch Gardens Spooktacular Dates

The Busch Gardens Spooktacular is back for another year of frighteningly good fun and will be taking place from September 8th through October 31st, 2023. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Festival Walkway, you’ll find a host of activities to participate in!

Saturdays and Sundays in October are especially delightful, as the Sesame Street gang will be out in full force for Sesame Street Kids’ Weekends. During these weekends, there are more shows and events for the little ones to enjoy, and each one is 100% Sesame Street themed.

While weekends tend to be busier (especially Saturdays), you might find fighting the crowds to be worthwhile if you’ve got a resident Elmo superfan. (I always liked Oscar the Grouch, myself.) That being said, if you want the park to be as quiet as possible, weekdays are your best bet, and there are still more than enough Spooktacular activities to please the little bitties!

Spooktacular Admission

One of the best things about the Busch Gardens Spooktacular is that it is included with park admission! A ticket to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is also a ticket to the Halloween hullabaloo. (Just be sure to check that the date of your visit falls within the Spooktacular celebration window!)

Spooktacular Fun for Everyone

There are several different activities happening throughout the day to get you into the spooky spirit!

Kandy’s World and Storytime

Meet Kandy, a spunky and kind witch-in-training! Kandy will share all sorts of tales about her experiences with magic – including the time she accidentally turned some friends into frogs! (Don’t worry, she’ll be careful not to turn you into one.) In addition to personal anecdotes, Kandy will also be hosting storytime in her pumpkin patch where you can gather ’round and listen to her read “Room on the Broom.”

Giving off some serious Studio Ghibli vibes (if you haven’t seen Kiki’s Delivery Service, definitely add it to your cozy movie line-up!), Kandy is a great spokeswitch for the Busch Gardens Spooktacular!

Spooktacular Costume Parade

Dress up in your spooky best, then strut your stuff on the Spooktacular catwalk! Kiddos ages 13 and under are welcome to come in costume and participate, but please refrain from dressing up if you’re older. (I know, it’s a bummer!) Keep in mind that no one is allowed to wear face paint into the park, but there will be face paint artists available to give you a truly bootiful makeover!

With costumes on and several cute backdrops in the park, you’ll have some great fall photo ops during the Busch Gardens Spooktacular!

Trick-or-Treat!

It’s all treats here at the Busch Gardens Spooktacular! Simply purchase a reusable treat bag at the park, and you’ll be set to participate in a candy-gathering extravaganza. Just be prepared for the inevitable sugar rush! (Parents get to take a “candy tax” from the goodies collected by their kiddos… right??)

Sesame Street Kids’ Weekend

The weekend just got even better! Get ready to hang out with Big Bird, Count von Count, Elmo, and the entire Sesame Street gang as they celebrate Halloween. In addition to all of the fun activities, this is also a great chance to get some super cute meet-and-greet photos with your favorite characters. (Many of them usually dress up in something special for Halloween!) Just head to the Sesame Street Safari of Fun area to join in the festivities!

Scavenger Hunt

From 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., you can test your observation skills in a Spooktacular round of I-Spy! Stop by Abby Cadabby’s Treasure Hut gift shop to pick up the scavenger hunt sheet. Can you find everything on the list??

Dance Party

Groove along to Halloween tunes at the Furry Friends Dance Party. Join your Sesame Street pals for an afternoon of dancing, singing, and being silly! With two possible parties to attend (12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.), your little ones might just be able to dance off some of that sugar-fueled energy… maybe.

Not Too Spooky Howl-O-Ween Radio Show

Watch the Sesame Street gang sing and dance to some of Count von Count’s favorite spooky songs! With showtimes at 11:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4:00 p.m., there’s some flexibility on where to fit this fun-filled show into your Busch Gardens schedule!

Storytime

Head to the Sunny Day Theater at 12:30 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. for Storytime with Sesame Street Friends. The only thing better than reading? Reading with your favorite furry friends!

Your Spooktacular Day at Busch Gardens

The Busch Gardens Spooktacular is a super fun event that further enhances the theme park experience. The activities are great things to do in between Busch Gardens rides or checking out the animal exhibits! Keep in mind that if you participate in the added festivities, it may be difficult to experience everything else in the park on the same day. And that’s totally okay!

The Spooktacular is definitely geared toward younger kiddos, but Busch Gardens Tampa Bay also hosts a nighttime event, the Howl-O-Scream, for grown-ups who prefer really scary stuff. (I’ll stick to the Spooktacular, thanks!)

Whether you just do one activity or all of them, the Spooktacular makes visiting Busch Gardens Tampa Bay an extra special experience during the fall. Hope to see you there!

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Have you been to the Busch Gardens Spooktacular? What was your favorite part? And what costumes did your kiddos wear? Let us know in the comments below!

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Featured photo: kirin_photo from Getty Images Signature via Canva