Looking for things to do this weekend in Merced, Atwater, Turlock, Winton, and McSwain? October 30 to November 1, 2026 is Halloween weekend, and Merced County is going all in: a family fun run at Lake Yosemite, the final nights of two pumpkin patches, free trunk-or-treats and community gatherings, two farmers markets, live music, and a haunted house finale. Every event below is real, dated for this exact weekend, and linked to an official source.
This is the last weekend of October, and the county closes out pumpkin season with a full calendar. Friday opens gently with storytime, a free afternoon trunk-or-treat in Turlock, and a haunted house finale at Merced College. Saturday, Halloween itself, is the centerpiece: markets in the morning, a lakefront race, a library Boo Bash, a last night at the corn maze, and community gatherings after dark. Sunday resets slow with a free museum, cranes at the refuge, and one more pumpkin patch day in Atwater. Missed last weekend? Revisit our guide to October 23-25 for Zoo Boo, the Cops for Critters car show, and the Downtown Turlock Ghost Walk.
Friday, October 30
Friday is the warm-up: a free storytime and a family trunk-or-treat in the afternoon, then a haunted house finale and a live show at night. If your Halloween weekend starts a night early, this is the day for it.
Tiny Tales storytime at Merced Main Library
For families, the Merced County Library calendar lists Tiny Tales at the Merced Main Library (2100 O Street) on Fridays from 10:30 to 11:30 AM, with a story time followed by a craft for children ages 3 to 6 with a caregiver. Friday, October 30 is a regular date on the weekly schedule, and the program is free. It is a calm way to start the Halloween weekend close to the farmers market route in Merced.
Cogir of Turlock Trunk-or-Treat
In the afternoon, the Cogir of Turlock Trunk-or-Treat runs Friday, October 30 from 3:00 to 5:00 PM in Turlock. The organizer lists it as free and family-friendly, with pumpkin painting, a kids' costume contest, a photo area, refreshments, and a candy bus. Check the official event page for the exact address before you go.
Merced College Haunted House, final night
Friday evening, the Merced College Haunted House closes its run at the Merced College Theater with a final night from 6:30 to 10:00 PM. Admission is $10, and it is one of the last chances this season to walk through the student-run scare house. The college's official event page has the exact times and ticket details.
Nineteen Minutes Later at The Merced Theatre
For a night out in downtown Merced, The Merced Theatre, the restored Art Kamangar Center at 301 W Main Street, hosts Nineteen Minutes Later at 8:00 PM Friday, October 30 as part of the band's autumn theatre run. The Colorado alternative-rock group brings a live show to the historic house; tickets and show details are on the theatre's official events page.
Free trunk-or-treat in Livingston
Just north on Highway 99, the LDS Ward in Livingston hosts a free trunk-or-treat Friday, October 30 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at 110 W Summitt Street. It is listed among the county's family Halloween events; check with organizers for the latest details before you head over.
Saturday, October 31
Saturday is Halloween itself, and the county's lineup runs from morning markets to midnight parties: two farmers markets, a lakefront family race, a free trunk-or-treat, a library Boo Bash, a last night at the corn maze, and community gatherings after dark.
Merced and Turlock farmers markets
Both markets run on Saturday, October 31. The Merced Certified Farmers Market runs from 8:00 to 11:00 AM at 16th and Canal Street in downtown Merced. The Turlock Certified Farmers Market runs the same morning from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Main Street between Palm and Center in Turlock. Late October brings pomegranates, winter squash, pumpkins, and the last peppers and cut flowers of the season to the stands.
Boys & Girls Club trunk-or-treat
The Boys & Girls Club of Merced County trunk-or-treat runs Saturday, October 31 from 10:00 AM to noon at 615 W 15th Street in Merced. It is a free, family-friendly Halloween gathering with trick-or-treating and games, open to the community, and the UC Merced Community Engagement Center recruits volunteers to help run it. Costumed kids can start the day trunk to trunk before the afternoon events.
Merced Main Library Boo Bash
Downtown, the Merced Main Library Boo Bash runs Saturday, October 31 from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM at 2100 O Street. Admission is free, with Halloween games, crafts, and a scavenger hunt for children, teen horror trivia, and a Día de los Muertos picture-frame craft for adults from 2:30 to 4:00 PM. It is an all-ages way to keep the day moving after the morning market.
Monster Mash Dash and Zombie Zoom at Lake Yosemite
For an active Halloween morning, the Monster Mash Dash and Zombie Zoom runs Saturday, October 31 from 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM at Lake Yosemite (5715 North Lake Road, Merced). The schedule includes a 400-meter Zoom Zoom event for kids plus 5K and 10K Monster Dash races, with registration from about $22 depending on the event you enter. Costumes are welcome, and the day is billed as family- and kids-friendly. The course loops the reservoir on the same roads where Lake Yosemite Regional Park's fall colors are at their best.
R.A.M. Farms final flashlight night, Turlock
R.A.M. Farms at 716 N Daubenberger Road in Turlock runs its final night of the season on Saturday, October 31 from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, with Freaky Flashlight Nights lighting the corn maze at dusk. Entry to the pumpkin patch itself is free, and the corn maze requires a ticket of about $12 to $16. It is the last chance to walk the maze before the farm closes for the season.
Hunter Farms Halloween Night, Atwater
North of the air base, Hunter Farms Pumpkin Patch at 2989 N Southern Pacific Avenue in Atwater hosts its advertised Halloween Night on Saturday, October 31, and stays open through Sunday, November 1. Expect pumpkins, gourds, and chrysanthemums alongside the holiday celebration; the farm's official page has hours and event details for the day.
Community gatherings Saturday evening
After the afternoon events, the free community gatherings start. Halloween With The Community runs 5:00 to 7:00 PM on Marshall Lane in Merced, hosted by Babe's BBQ N' Filipino Cuisine with free admission listed on its official Eventbrite page. The Merced County Halloween events roundup also lists the Merced Harvest Carnival at Christian Life Center (650 E Olive Avenue) from 5:00 to 8:00 PM and the Yosemite Church Fall Family Fun Night from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, a free trunk-or-treat with a decorated-vehicle trunk contest plus free hot dogs, tacos, popcorn, and cotton candy. For adults after the kids are done, Merced After Dark at 443 W 18th Street (8:00 PM, 21+) and a party at Bodega57 downtown (9:00 PM) round out Halloween night, both listed on Eventbrite.
Sunday, November 1
Sunday is the slow reset after Halloween: a free afternoon at the courthouse museum, an unhurried drive to the refuge for cranes, Castle Air Museum in Atwater, and one last day of pumpkin picking before the farms close for the season.
Merced County Courthouse Museum
In the center of Merced, the Merced County Courthouse Museum at 21st and N Streets is free to enter and open from 1:00 to 4:00 PM, including Sunday, November 1. The rooms of the historic 1875 courthouse hold rotating exhibits on county history, and it sits just off the downtown blocks where the morning market runs.
Merced National Wildlife Refuge
A short drive southwest of Winton, the Merced National Wildlife Refuge off Sandy Mush Road is free to visit, with a five-mile auto tour route and four nature trails. Sandhill crane numbers build through October toward a winter peak of roughly 20,000 birds, so a late-afternoon drive on Sunday is the classic way to see them. The refuge posts free evening sandhill crane fly-in programs on its official events page, so check the dates before you go.
Castle Air Museum and Hunter Farms, Atwater
In Atwater, Castle Air Museum is open daily from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM for a self-guided walk among Cold War-era aircraft, a solid indoor-outdoor option for a Sunday. And if the kids want one more pumpkin patch stop, Hunter Farms Pumpkin Patch on North Southern Pacific Avenue marks its last day of the season on Sunday, November 1 before closing for the year.
However you spend it, Halloween weekend is a strong one to get out in Merced County: a haunted house, live music, two farmers markets, a family race, pumpkin patches, free community gatherings, a free museum, and cranes on the wetlands, all within a short drive of Winton, Atwater, McSwain, and the rest of the county. Our free things to do guide for October 31 to November 1 rounds up the no-cost picks for the same weekend, our kids and teen activities post covers the family calendar in detail, and the farmers market report for the week of October 22 keeps the market hours straight. For the season's color and crane progress, the seasonal nature report for the week of October 20 tracks where the flocks are building. Find the whole archive of past guides under the Weekend Guide category on the blog so you never miss a Friday.
Why a Vibrant Weekend Scene Matters for Home Sellers
A Halloween weekend that includes a haunted house, a live show, two farmers markets, a family race, pumpkin patches, free community gatherings, a free museum, and a national wildlife refuge tells a strong story about life in Merced County. These are communities rich with recreation and quality-of-life amenities, and that is exactly what buyers experience when they tour your neighborhood.
Whether you are at the market on Canal Street, running the kids' dash at Lake Yosemite, or watching cranes settle in at the refuge, you are living the local story that sells homes. When it is time to list, having an agent who knows these communities from the inside out makes the difference between a for-sale sign and a sold sign. If you are considering selling your home in Merced County, schedule a free consultation with Monica Franks, The Seller's Agent, and learn more about Monica's approach on her about page.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Weekend in Merced
What's happening this weekend in Merced?
October 30 to November 1, 2026 is Halloween weekend, and Merced County is full: the Merced College Haunted House and Nineteen Minutes Later at The Merced Theatre on Friday, the Merced and Turlock farmers markets, the Boys & Girls Club trunk-or-treat, the Merced Main Library Boo Bash, and the Monster Mash Dash at Lake Yosemite on Saturday, then the free Courthouse Museum, the Merced National Wildlife Refuge, and Castle Air Museum on Sunday. Every event below links to its official source so you can confirm details before you go.
Are the Merced and Turlock farmers markets open on Halloween, Saturday October 31?
Yes. The Merced Certified Farmers Market runs every Saturday from 8:00 to 11:00 AM at 16th and Canal Street in downtown Merced, and the Turlock Certified Farmers Market runs every Saturday from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Main Street between Palm and Center, so both are open on Saturday, October 31. Late October brings pomegranates, winter squash, pumpkins, peppers, and cut flowers to the stands.
What free Halloween events are happening for families in Merced County on October 31?
Plenty. The Boys & Girls Club of Merced County hosts a free trunk-or-treat from 10:00 AM to noon at 615 W 15th Street in Merced. The Merced Main Library Boo Bash runs from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM at 2100 O Street with games, crafts, and a scavenger hunt. In the evening, Halloween With The Community on Marshall Lane runs from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, and the Yosemite Church Fall Family Fun Night runs from 6:00 to 8:00 PM with a decorated-vehicle trunk contest and free food.
Is the R.A.M. Farms pumpkin patch open on Halloween weekend?
Yes for Friday and Saturday. The 2026 season at R.A.M. Farms at 716 N Daubenberger Road in Turlock runs through October 31, with Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31 open from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM during Freaky Flashlight Nights. Entry to the pumpkin patch itself is free, and the corn maze requires a ticket of about $12 to $16. Sunday, November 1 falls after the advertised season end, so check with the farm before planning a Sunday trip.
Is the Merced County Courthouse Museum open Sunday, November 1?
Yes. The Merced County Courthouse Museum at 21st and N Streets is free to enter and open Wednesday through Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 PM, so Sunday, November 1 works for an unhurried afternoon. The Merced National Wildlife Refuge is free to visit any day for crane viewing, and Castle Air Museum in Atwater is open daily from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
The Seller's Agent. Monica combines deep Merced County market knowledge with a polished, confident approach that gets results for home sellers across the Central Valley. Serving Merced, Atwater, McSwain, Livingston, Turlock, Winton, Chowchilla, Catheys Valley, and Mariposa.
The Seller's Agent. Who You Choose Matters.
Enjoy a full Halloween weekend out in Merced County. And when you are ready to talk about your home, Monica is here: a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your goals and what your property could achieve in today's market. Call (209) 345-3836 or use the form below.
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