St. Petersburg’s biggest Halloween street party returns next Sunday, and this one is built less like a single event site and more like a temporary city within the city.

Halloween on Central takes over Central Avenue on Sunday, October 25, from noon to 5 p.m., closing roughly 22 blocks to vehicle traffic for a free, family-friendly festival.

The route stretches from the Edge District through Grand Central, creating nearly two miles of costumes, candy, music, vendors and activities.

Organizers are calling the 2026 edition the event’s sixth year, with thousands of attendees expected to move through the two business districts over the course of the afternoon.

The appeal is the variety.

There is no single stage or attraction that defines Halloween on Central.

Instead, the festival is broken into different activity zones, including family programming, vendors, entertainment, food trucks and specialty attractions spread along Central Avenue.

The Family Zone returns in the 2600 and 2700 blocks, while a sensory area gives guests a quieter place to take a break and access non-food trick-or-treat options.

The Voodoo Vendor Village fills several blocks with local sellers, and the 3000 block is scheduled to host a classic car show.

Other attractions include costume contests, dance contests, DJs, roaming performers, food-truck hubs, dog costume contests and wiener dog races.

For families, that means you can build the afternoon around the parts that fit your group instead of trying to see everything.

Young children may be happiest near the family and candy areas, while adults may spend more time browsing local businesses, vendors and entertainment.

Transportation is one of the event’s most useful features.

PSTA fixed-route bus service will be fare-free throughout the event day.

The SunRunner is the most obvious option for people coming from downtown St. Petersburg, St. Pete Beach or points in between, and organizers say peak service runs about every 15 minutes.

That matters because Central Avenue itself becomes the event space, so driving directly into the heart of the festival is not realistic.

Using transit can save visitors from spending the first part of the afternoon hunting for parking several blocks away.

People who do drive should plan to park outside the closed section and walk in.

Comfortable shoes are a good idea, because seeing even half the festival means covering a lot of Central Avenue.

Costumes are encouraged but not required, and the event is designed for people of all ages.

Pet owners can bring dogs into the celebration too, especially if they want to participate in the dog-focused activities.

For local businesses along Central, the event also functions as a giant open-house afternoon, putting thousands of pedestrians directly in front of restaurants, shops and neighborhood businesses.

That connection to the business districts is a big reason Halloween on Central feels different from a park festival.

It turns the street itself into the attraction and gives visitors a reason to rediscover a long stretch of St. Petersburg at walking speed.

If your family wants a free Halloween outing with enough variety to fill several hours, this is one of the strongest choices on the October 25 calendar.

Official information: Halloween on Central, Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, and PSTA.