Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance is thrilled to be bringing back an in-person Skeleton Festival for 2023! This family-friendly festival will feature trick-or-treating, costume contests, Sip & Stroll, and more!  

Featured Activities

Trick-or-Treating at 40+ downtown businesses

Costume Contest (begins at 3:30 PM)

Sip & Stroll

Edgar Allan POE-try Contest

TRICK-OR-TREAT

Give your family plenty of time to pick up candy before the costume contest and pumpkin showdown begin on Court Square by starting your trick-or-treat adventure on Liberty & Mason Street businesses during this pre-festival promotion.

Participating Liberty and Mason Street businesses will be giving out treat bags to the first 30 visitors at each location starting at 1 PM! Treat bags will be filled with toys, candy and possibly $10 Downtown Dollars inside! First come, first served while supplies last!

Trick-or-treating will continue until 5 PM with other participating businesses giving out candy starting at 2 PM. There are over 40 businesses handing out candy this year, check back soon for the official candy map and grab a print copy from HDR info booth on Court Square Saturday, October 7.

COSTUME CONTEST

Come to Skeleton Festival dressed your best and sign up for the in-person costume contest on the Court Square lawn! This competition is open to all ages (and species!). A judging committee will select the winners of the following categories.

CATEGORIES

Pet

Pre-K (under 5)

Elementary School (5 – 11 years old)

Middle/High School (11 – 18  years old)

Adult (18+ years old)

Duo/ Group

Learn more about this year’s HUGE prizes on our Instagram here.

How to Enter

To enter, sign up at Court Square on the day of the event. The costume contest will be taking place from ~3:30 – 4:30 PM.

HDR reserves the right to disqualify contestants. Fraudulent activities and inappropriate submissions will be monitored and lead to disqualification.

SIP & STROLL

Sip & Stroll is an element of our events that replaces the usual beer garden. Adults aged 21+ can purchase a beer, wine, or cocktails at a participating brewery, cidery, or restaurant and enjoy it while strolling downtown. 

EDGAR ALLAN POE-TRY CONTEST

Bust out those writing quills and get ready to join us for a new contest open to all ages! The public is invited to submit short-form poems inspired by the American poet Edgar Allan Poe or otherwise have a Halloween or fall theme. Submissons are due via the online form below by Sunday, October 1 at 11:59 PM.

Rules & Procedures

Enter Contest

Date:   Saturday, October 7, 2023, from 2 – 5 PM

Location: Various locations in Harrisonburg 

Click here for more information