Halloween Events on the Outer Banks
2025 Outer Banks Halloween Events
HALLOWEEN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – OCT. 2-4 at The Pioneer Theater
Halloween Daily News is excited to announce the resurrection of the Halloween International Film Festival in 2025, showcasing shorts and feature works from around the world that celebrate the strange, the unusual, and the horror of the most hallowed of seasons, taking place on the historic and haunted Outer Banks, North Carolina, at a legendary theater that dates back over a century.
The festival features three days of independent horror and Halloween-themed films from around the world, as well as networking opportunities and extensive media exposure, all taking place as the kickoff event for the town of Manteo’s Halloween Island festivities, during which area restaurants, bars, and businesses transform into Halloween popups for October.
Films selected for the festival are shown on the big screen at The Pioneer Theater in Manteo, NC, including Q&A sessions with attending filmmakers, nightly meet and greets, photo ops on our Orange Carpet, an outdoor Halloween vendor market, and numerous Halloween Island festivities happening each day in easy walking distance throughout Downtown Manteo. Our iconic host venue dates back to 1918, originally showing silent films in the earliest days of moviemaking, later opening its current location in 1934, and is a truly independent cinematic landmark in itself.
A portion of proceeds from this year’s festival will be donated to A Pathway Forward, a locally based nonprofit charity that supports veterans.
The Halloween International Film Festival Resurrected is happening October 2-4, 2025 at The Pioneer Theater in Manteo, on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, presented by Halloween Daily News and sponsored by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.
HALLOWEEN ISLAND – OCT. 3-31, Downtown Manteo Social District
Halloween Island officially kicks off on October 3, featuring 13 bars transformed into Halloween-themed pop-ups in the Downtown Manteo Social District, with events and specials happening every Friday and Saturday through October 31.
The 2025 Halloween Island 13 bars are:
GHOST COLONY TAVERN – A Pop-Up Haunted House Bar by Lost Colony Tavern
NOUVEINS – A Pop-Up Vampire Bar by NouVines
PHANTOM’S – A Pop-Up Phantom Bar by Old Tom’s
DEAD SAILORS SOCIETY – A Pop-Up Ghost Ship Bar by Outer Banks Distilling
PLATFORM 15 8/7 – A Pop-Up Harry Potter Bar by 1587 Lounge
MUERTEGA’Z – A Pop-Up Skeleton Bar by Ortega’z
FRANKENTENDER – A Pop-Up Mad Scientist Bar by Firetender
MIMI’S MURDER HUT – A Pop-Up Movie Maniacs Bar by Mimi’s Tiki Hut
MONSTER CINEMA – A Pop-Up Monster Bar by The Pioneer Theater
POOR WITCHARD’S – A Pop-Up Witchcraft Bar by Poor Richard’s
VICKI B’S, VICKI B’S, VICKI B’S – A Pop-Up Beetlejuice Bar by Vicki B’s
WITCHES ON THE SCUPPERNONG – A Pop-Up Potions Bar by Vinyards on the Scuppernong
MADAME OLIVE’S – A Haunted Mansion Bar by Olives
OUTER BANKS HALLOWEEN PARADE – OCT. 26 at Aviation Park, Kill Devil Hills
The 12th Annual Outer Banks Halloween Parade of Costumes returns to Aviation Park in Kill Devil Hills on Sunday, October 26, 2025, sponsored by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, Halloween Daily News, and OBX Entertainment.
The free, family friendly Halloween party is open to all ages, starting at 2:00 p.m. with trick or treating provided by local nonprofit organizations and area businesses around the frog pond at Aviation Park, plus various decorated vehicles and props on display throughout the park for photos. The short walking parade will begin at 3:00 p.m., followed immediately by the judging ceremony for the Best In Show costumes in three categories; age 12 and under, age 13 and up, and groups.
Group photo ops of each category’s entries will take place prior to the final judging.
Halloween Daily News will once again document the entire event, with exclusive Parade highlights to be featured on the HDN YouTube channel and watched by over 80,000 subscribers around the world. The three Best In Show winners will also each be interviewed and photographed by Halloween Daily News for a special feature on the channel.
Founded in 2014, the Outer Banks Halloween Parade is the largest Halloween event on the Outer Banks, drawing hundreds of participants and onlookers each year, while showcasing many of the area’s nonprofit organizations.
As always, admission to the event is free and everyone, walking in the Parade or not, is encouraged to wear a costume in the spirit of the Halloween season. Politically themed costumes are not permitted.
Registration to walk in the parade is also free. Those interested in participating can register on site at Aviation Park starting at 2:00 p.m. on Oct. 26, or pre-register online at obxentertainment.com/registration starting in mid-October.
This is a rain or shine event.
Free public parking for Parade participants, spectators, and attendees is available at the neighboring First Flight schools.
The 2025 Outer Banks Halloween Parade is sponsored by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, OBX Entertainment, and Halloween Daily News.
RSVP on the official Facebook event page here!
You can watch exclusive footage of the full 2024 Outer Banks Halloween Parade of Costumes and the preparty festivities, as well as the costume contest judging ceremony and Best In Show winners interviews in the videos below, and then scroll down to view our gallery of more than 100 exclusive photos from the event.
FOR SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION, TO VOLUNTEER, OR FOR NONPROFITS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING, CONTACT US AT [email protected].
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