Muahahaha! Come in, Fuquay. We’ve been expecting you. Americans will spend an estimated $4.1 billion on Halloween candy this year, proving that no matter what the economy does, we will always find room in the budget for things we swear we’re buying for the kids.
Downtown’s nearly 100 candy stops get things started Friday. After that, trade the sugar rush for scary movies at Track Record, live music at Aviator, or Tuesday’s pumpkin-carving contest at My Way, where a pint comes with your entry. Here’s the week ahead. We won’t ask how many bags made it to the porch.
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— First Sip Fuquay Team
THE SHORT LIST
Start Here: Your Weekend Lineup
If you only read one thing this week, make it this. The biggest stuff happening across town this week:
Trick-or-Treat Downtown | Friday, 2:00-5:00 PM: Nearly 100 businesses across both downtown districts hand out candy during a free, rain-or-shine afternoon.
Pumpkin Flotilla at Bond Park | Cary, Friday, 5:00-7:00 PM: Carved jack-o'-lanterns float across Bond Lake at twilight, with food trucks and boat rentals.
Scary Movie Night at Track Record Vinyl | Friday, 5:30-10:00 PM: The shop stays open late and screens horror movies on retro televisions after downtown trick-or-treating.
Movie Night with the Goats: Frankenweenie | Friday, 6:00-8:00 PM: An outdoor movie, costumed goats and a $6 ticket at Smith Farm Goat Sanctuary.
Fright Night Haunted Trail | Saturday, 4:00-10:00 PM: A kid-friendly trail runs before dark, followed by scarier tours beginning around 7:00.
Pumpkin Carving Competition | Tuesday, 6:00-8:00 PM: My Way supplies the pumpkin, tools and a NoDa beer for competitors 21 and older
FRIDAY
🍬 Nearly 100 downtown doors are handing out candy
Image Credit: Fuquay-Varina Downtown Association
Trick-or-Treat Downtown | Downtown Fuquay-Varina | Friday, October 23, 2:00-5:00 PM | Free
Nearly 100 participating businesses across the Fuquay and Varina downtown districts will display participation posters and hand out treats Friday afternoon. Costumes are encouraged, admission is free and the Downtown Association says the event will run rain or shine.
The three-hour window leaves enough time to work through both districts without approaching candy collection like a timed athletic event. Start near one end of a district and follow the posters rather than driving between individual stops. Arriving near 2:00 also gives younger trick-or-treaters more room before the after-school crowd reaches downtown. A 4:45 arrival is still technically attendance, but it puts a lot of faith in the remaining candy supply.
FRIDAY
👻 Jack-o'-lanterns take over Bond Lake in Cary
Image Credit: carync.gov
Pumpkin Flotilla at Bond Park | Bond Park Boathouse, Cary | Friday, October 23, 5:00-7:00 PM
Cary's Pumpkin Flotilla sends carved jack-o'-lanterns across Bond Lake at twilight. Food trucks and boat rentals round out the evening, and the town says boats are available from 4:00-6:15 PM, with the last boat going out at 5:45. The display is at the Bond Park Boathouse, 801 High House Road.
You do not need to bring a pumpkin to enjoy the view. The drop-off window was Thursday; Friday is for finding a place along the lake and watching the flotilla. It is a Cary detour with a clear payoff if your ideal Halloween plan involves more glowing water than jump scares.
FRIDAY
🎬 Track Record screens scary movies
Image Credit: Track Record Vinyl Shop
Scary Movie Night | Track Record Vinyl Shop & Listening Lounge | Friday, October 23, 5:30-10:00 PM
Track Record told First Sip directly that it will show multiple horror films on retro televisions Friday night, immediately after downtown's Trick-or-Treat event. The shop is extending its hours until 10:00 PM. The venue did not name the individual films or provide an admission price.
At 115 N. Main Street, it is an easy next stop if you are already downtown and want a drink, a browse through the records, and a less formal movie night. You can arrive after the candy crowd has moved on and let the old televisions handle the Halloween atmosphere. The linked shop page provides the address and business details; the event information came from Track Record's October email to First Sip.
FRIDAY
🐐 Frankenweenie gets a goat audience
Image Credit: Smith Farm Goat Sanctuary
Movie Night & Costume Party with the Goats: Frankenweenie | Smith Farm Goat Sanctuary | Friday, October 23, 6:00-8:00 PM | $6 plus fee
Smith Farm Goat Sanctuary is projecting Frankenweenie in its main field, with a handful of goats mingling among the audience. The goats will be in costume, and human costumes are encouraged. Popcorn, snacks, soda and water will be sold, though guests may also bring their own food and drinks. Each attendee over age 1 needs a ticket.
Bring a camping chair, blanket or towel because the sanctuary does not provide seating. The movie is scheduled to begin about 15 minutes after the 6:00 start, and the gate closes at that point. The sanctuary also asks guests not to arrive more than ten minutes early. That creates a narrow but manageable arrival window, assuming nobody decides at 5:47 that their costume requires additional goat-level detail.
SATURDAY
🎃 My Way supplies pumpkin carving and beer
Image Credit: My Way Tavern (Edited)
My Way Tavern's First Annual Pumpkin Carving Competition | My Way Tavern Fuquay-Varina | Tuesday, October 27, 6:00-8:00 PM | $25 plus fees
My Way Tavern and NoDa Brewing are setting up a two-hour pumpkin-carving competition Tuesday evening. The organizer lists entry at $25 before ticketing fees. That includes a pumpkin, carving kit and a pint of NoDa Gordgeous for competitors who are at least 21. First-, second- and third-place prizes are also on the line.
Because the materials are included, this requires less preparation than the usual kitchen-table carving operation. Arrive near 6:00 to claim the full work window and give yourself time to finish before judging. A detailed design is welcome. Spending the first 40 minutes reconsidering the eyebrows is a personal choice.
SATURDAY
💀 Haunted trail has two different versions
Image Credit: Unsplash (Edited)
Fright Night Haunted Trail | American Legion Post 116 | Saturday, October 24, 4:00-10:00 PM
Fright Night divides Saturday into two different Halloween experiences. From 4:00-6:00 PM, the trail stays kid-friendly and adds games and activities. The darker version begins around 7:00 PM, with the final tour scheduled for 10:00. Food and cotton candy will be available during the event.
Scout Troop 75 and the Fuquay-Varina High School Interact Club are helping host the event, with proceeds supporting hurricane-relief work in Western North Carolina. Families aiming for the lighter version should arrive well before 6:00 rather than assuming the trail changes gradually. Those coming for the scares can skip the daylight session and head over after dinner. Same location, very different walk through the woods.
LIVE TUNES
🎶 Your Weekend Music Calendar
Image Credit: Sam Trebing
Friday, October 23
Sam Trebing at Aviator TapHouse - Friday, 7:00-10:00 PM: Rock at the TapHouse, one of three local sets beginning at 7:00.
Jack Spades Duo at Aviator Ready Room Stage - Friday, 7:00-10:00 PM: Acoustic pop and outlaw Texas country inside the Ready Room.
Lydia St. George Band at Aviator Pizza Pub - Friday, 7:00-10:00 PM: Rock and pop on the Pizza Pub stage.
Stuart Smalley Trio at Aviator Hangar Bar Stage - Friday, 8:30-11:30 PM: Rock and pop in the latest confirmed Friday slot.
Saturday, October 24
Mojofoot at Aviator Amphitheater - Saturday, 5:00-8:00 PM: Music from the 1980s and 1990s outside before the indoor stages take over.
Confidence Kryptonite at Aviator Pizza Pub - Saturday, 7:00-10:00 PM: Rock at the Pizza Pub
Joe's Cousin One Man Band at Oaklyn Springs Brewery - Saturday, 7:00 PM: A named brewery set away from the four-stage Aviator cluster.
Proton Jones at Aviator TapHouse - Saturday, 7:00-10:00 PM: Pop and rock at the TapHouse.
80's Unleashed at Aviator Hangar Bar Stage - Saturday, 8:00-11:00 PM: Rock on the brewery campus for the later option.
Sunday, October 25
Pat Tyler at Aviator TapHouse - Sunday, 2:00-5:00 PM: Pop and rock during the afternoon TapHouse slot.
Story Charlemagne at Oaklyn Springs Brewery - Sunday, 3:00 PM: A separate named afternoon performance at the North Main brewery.
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THE REST
Honorable mentions for the week
FV Ghost Tours 2026 | Friday, 8:00 PM; Saturday, 9:00 PM; Sunday, 7:30 PM: A one-hour, one-mile walk through downtown ghost stories, true crime, cryptids and local lore. Tickets start at $33.94.
Hilltop-Needmore Park Bird Walk | Saturday, 8:30-10:30 AM: A free Wake Audubon outing with no experience required. Registration is limited to 20, and the October meeting point has changed to the Community Center.
A Night of Magic with the Goats | Saturday, 4:00-5:30 PM: Vince Mannella performs an outdoor illusion show while the sanctuary’s smallest goats mingle with the audience. Tickets are $15 for ages 0-11 and $24 for ages 12 and older.
N.C. State Fair | Raleigh, Friday-Sunday: The final weekend brings the new 230-foot America 250 Wheel, more than 80 new foods and the Village of Yesteryear’s 75th anniversary. Gates open at 9:00 AM daily.
Fuquay-Varina Chamber Open House | Tuesday, 2:00-5:00 PM: Drinks from BoozeHound Mobile Bar, pumpkin bowling and a chance to win a $250 sponsorship credit. No RSVP is required.
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