Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and Bozeman spreads it across three days. Downtown trick-or-treating is Friday, Oct. 30. On Saturday, Oct. 31, the Winter Farmers' Market opens at 9 a.m. and the Bobcats kick off at 1 p.m. The leftover pumpkins wait one more week for Nov. 7, which is also when the Bridger Ski Foundation opens its ski swap. Here's how those days fit together.
Downtown's night is Friday, Oct. 30
The Downtown Bozeman Association's 2026 trick-or-treating page puts the event on Friday, Oct. 30, from 4 to 6 p.m. More than 100 downtown businesses are handing out treats. Last year it fell on Halloween itself. The 2025 recap dates it Friday, Oct. 31, 4 to 6 p.m. So the time and the weekday are the same as last year. Only the date has moved, and it now lands a day before the costumes would usually come out.
The Main Street closure is back for a second year. The DBA announced it in October 2025 and cited safety concerns and how popular the event has become. This year's page repeats the closure from Grand to Church, from about 3 to 7 p.m., and spells out the parking rule:
"No parking will be allowed along the closed section. Vehicles must be moved before 3 PM or after 7 PM; those left in place will need to remain parked during the event."
If you work downtown and normally park on Main, move your car before 3 p.m. or plan to leave after 7 p.m. Bozeman Police and Fire will be along the route with the DBA. The event runs rain, snow, or shine.
The rest of Friday's calendar runs from a morning event for little kids to evening events for adults:
| Time | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. | Early Learning Spooktacular | Museum of the Rockies, 600 W. Kagy Blvd. |
| 4 to 6 p.m. | Downtown Bozeman Trick-or-Treating | Main Street, Grand to Church |
| 6 to 9 p.m. | Pour and Gore: A Haunted Masquerade, 21+ | Museum of the Rockies |
| 7 p.m. | Montana Ballet Company, Un/Dead & Un/Forgiven | The Ellen Theatre, 17 W. Main St. |
| Evening | The Dresser | The Emerson's Crawford Stage, 111 S. Grand Ave. |
The Museum of the Rockies calendar describes the morning Spooktacular as costumes, sensory play, crafts, and hands-on activities for young children. The museum lists it ending at 1:30 p.m., but Bozeman Magazine's listing says 1 p.m., so go with the museum's time. Two newer exhibits are up while you're there. Popnology runs through Jan. 11, 2027, and Chisel & Razor: Art, Entrepreneurship, and the Lewis Family opened Oct. 17 and stays through September 2027. The evening Pour and Gore masquerade is for ages 21 and up and requires registration.
Friday is a downtown evening for adults too. The Montana Ballet Company's Un/Dead & Un/Forgiven opens at the Ellen at 7 p.m. that night. The Dresser plays the Emerson Oct. 23 and 24 and again Oct. 28 through 31. If you'd like dinner on Main before a show, keep the closure in mind. Plan to arrive after the street reopens at about 7 p.m., or walk in from a side street.
Saturday, Oct. 31 starts at the fairgrounds and ends at the Ellen
With downtown trick-or-treating on Friday, Halloween itself is a regular fall Saturday in Bozeman, and a busy one.
The Bozeman Winter Farmers' Market opened its season Sept. 26, and Oct. 31 is on its schedule. It runs 9 a.m. to noon at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds, usually in Exhibit Building 4. Farmers started the market and still run it. On some starred dates the market moves to Exhibit Building 1 or 3, so check the printable calendar before you go.
An hour after the market closes, Montana State hosts Cal Poly at 1 p.m. The official schedule lists it as Ag/Military Appreciation day, on TV on Scripps and ESPN+. After that game, Bobcat Stadium doesn't host another game for three weeks. The Bobcats play at Idaho State on Nov. 7 and at Northern Colorado on Nov. 14, then come home Nov. 21 to play Montana. The team won six of its first seven games, and its only loss was by one point at Idaho on Oct. 2. That makes the Halloween game the last chance to see the Bobcats at home before the Montana game.
A 1 p.m. kickoff leaves the late afternoon and evening open. The ballet's second night at the Ellen starts at 7 p.m. The Dresser also closes its run at the Emerson that day. On a Saturday Halloween, you can go to the market in the morning, the game in the afternoon and the theater at night.
The Saturday before is for sorting out costumes
On Saturday, Oct. 24, two free events make costume prep easier. The Refillery Supply Co. is holding a Halloween costume swap from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 601 E. Cottonwood St. The Bozeman Public Library at 626 E. Main St. has a Family Kitchen Lab called Creepy Treats from 2 to 3 p.m. Weber State is in town that day too, with a 1 p.m. kickoff at Bobcat Stadium. That's back-to-back home Saturdays for the Bobcats right before Halloween.
Nov. 7 is when Halloween clears out and winter gear comes in
Pumpkins carved for Friday and Saturday won't keep long. Happy Trash Can's 11th annual Pumpkin Smash is Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It's free, all ages are welcome, and this year it runs at two sites. The west side event listing on Bozone names both spots:
- East side: Story Mill Park, Dumke Pavilion, 698 Bridger Drive
- West side: Bozeman Sports Complex, 4600 Baxter Lane
Happy Trash Can composts the pumpkins locally after the event. Bring them in whole, then smash, stomp or toss them on site. With the west side site, Baxter Lane households no longer have to drive across town to Story Mill.
That same morning, the Bridger Ski Foundation Ski Swap opens at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds. This is its 58th year, and it brings in more than 10,000 items of alpine, Nordic, snowboard and backcountry gear. Here's the schedule, including the consignment deadlines:
- By Nov. 3: Register consignment items online for $1 each. After that the fee rises to $3, and the dropoff window is later.
- Friday, Nov. 6: Consignment dropoff runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. if you registered by Nov. 3, or 1 to 7 p.m. if you registered later. Bring cash for the fees.
- Saturday, Nov. 7: Early entry is 8 to 10 a.m. The public sale runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a $5 entry fee, cash or Venmo. Children under 12 get in free.
- Sunday, Nov. 8: The sale continues from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A quarter of sales goes to the Bridger Ski Foundation. The nonprofit has run ski programs, scholarships and free community winter trails in the Gallatin Valley since 1936. The timing works for local skiers. Bridger Bowl's events page lists Dec. 11 as its projected opening day, and that date isn't confirmed. That leaves about five weeks between the swap and the first chairlift ride to get new boots fitted.
The swap and the farmers' market are both at the fairgrounds, and the market's printable calendar lists Nov. 7. Some event listings leave Nov. 7 out of their date lists, though, so check with the market before you plan to do both. The Bobcats play at Idaho State at 4 p.m. that day, so you won't be choosing between the swap and a home game.
If you're going to the Story Mill site, check the road closures. The City of Bozeman's street report shows McIlhattan Road fully closed between Manley and Story Mill roads until early November. Valley View Veterinary Hospital and Snowfall Park are still open by way of Manley Road. "Early November" could still include Nov. 7. Check the report that week before you load the truck bed with pumpkins.
At Chelsea Stewart Real Estate, we keep Bozeman's calendar close because it shapes the rhythm of every block we work in, from Main Street to Baxter Lane. If your fall clean-out has you wondering what your home is worth before winter, request a free home valuation and we'll put a Bozeman number to it.
