Here’s a run-through of the most spooktacular Halloween events coming up this October. Keep checking the list below as we will be adding more family-friendly events as we dig them up!
You’ll also find that many parents at local Swiss schools now get together to take the children trick or treating on Halloween night, so make sure you check with your local Association de parents d’élèves and your neighbours to see if they are organizing something in your area.
PRACTICAL TIP: if you’re looking for the perfect Halloween costume for your cheeky munchkins, remember that you can check with your local toy library. Many ludothèques in Geneva and Vaud stock kids dress-up costumes that can be hired for a nominal price for up to 2-3 weeks. Not all of them offer this service but it’s definitely worth checking!
- Saturday 10th October 2015: Scary Night at the Castle at the Château de Chillon in Veytaux near Montreux (VD). From 5pm to 11pm your little night owls can take part in this night-time adventure at one of Switzerland’s most breath-taking medieval fortresses. The castle will be lit with torches and filled with music, scary activities and a ghostly light installation on the castle’s walls by light designer Gerry Hofstetter. Entry is 15CHF per person or 35CHF for family tickets, free entry for children under 6.
- Saturday 10th October 2015: Les Potirons en Fête in Ornex (France) at the Salle Lavergne. If you’re taking part in their annual competition for the best carved pumpkin then you have to be there at 10am. For everyone else, the party will run from 2pm to 6pm with fun kids workshops, donkey rides, face painting, bouncy castles and much more. A HUGE thank you to Tamara Moon for sharing this info!
- Thursday 15th October 2015: Fête pré-Halloween at the Ballon-Müller shop in Villars-Ste-Croix, near Lausanne (Croix-du-Péage 1 – Centre commercial NEW ADOC). From 10am until 4pm there will be pumpkin sculptures, free activities, face-painting and pumpkin soup from 11.30am. FREE ENTRY.
- Saturday 17th October 2015: Halloween at Fort l’Ecluse on the Route de Genève in Léaz, Pays de Gex (France). From 5pm to 11pm your little witches and ghosts will take over the castle! Take part in all the activities including magician shows, face painting and eerie night tours of the fort. Entry tickets are 3 euros per person.
- 19th-23rd October 2015: Halloween Fun at Gymboree for 3 to 5 year olds at Gymboree in Grand-Sacconex (Geneva). This fun Halloween camp for 3 to 5 year olds will run from the 19th to the 23th of October from 9h00 to 12h00 (with drop-off between 8h30 and 9h00). Amongst the usual Gymboree activities kids will be having lots of Halloween fun! The cost is CHF 66 per morning. You can enrol for one or more sessions, please book your space in advance.
- Wednesday 21st October 2015: Halloween cupcakes workshop for children aged 4+ at Cupcakes & the City in Geneva (Rue des Vollandes 15, Eaux-Vives). The workshop will run from 3.30pm until 5.30pm and the price is 45CHF per child. Places must be booked in advance at 022 700 2843.
- Saturday 24th October 2015: Fête de la courge at the CPO Ouchy in Lausanne (chemin Beau-Rivage 2). From 4pm until 8pm pumpkins and all things Halloween will be at the heart of this great family event: enjoy the spooky face-painting sessions, pumpkin carving workshops, games, ghosts train and more fun activities for children of all ages. FREE ENTRY, but workshops and activities will require a nominal fee between 1CHf and 5CHF.
- Saturday 24th October 2015: Children’s Costume Parade in Château-d’Oex (Pays-d’Enhaut). A colorful parade and witches story-time for kids are the centrepiece of this great family event. The day’s programme will include pumpkin carving workshops and clown performances from 11am, followed by the kids parade at 5.30pm and giant afternoon snack for all at 6pm. FREE ENTRY, Château-d’Oex is 140 km from Geneva.
- Wednesday 28th & Saturday 31st October 2015: Atelier enfants Halloween at Schilliger Gland. This pumpkin-carving drop-in sessions will allow children to carve up their own spooky Halloween decoration and then take it home! The sessions will run from 10am until 4pm, tickets are 15CHF per child. No advance booking required.
- Wednesday 28th October 2015: Halloween pumpkin carving workshops for kids at the Botanic garden centre in St-Genis Pouilly (Zone de l’allondon, Rue de la Faucille, 01630 Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France). There will be a session at 2pm and one at 4.30pm. Places must be booked in advance directly in store or at +33 4 50 28 29 00.
- Friday 30th October 2015: Dancing Party – Horror Night, exclusively for older children aged 12 to 16 at the Maison Vaudagne in Meyrin (16 Avenue de Vaudagne). The party will run from 8pm until 11pm, proof of identity required.
- Friday 30th October 2015: Soirée Halloween at Vitam’ Ludic in Neydens (France). This spooktacular Halloween party for children aged 5+ will begin at 7.30pm and finish at 9.30pm, there will be a competition for the scariest costumes, a baby disco, buffet and drinks. The party is suitable from age 5 and reserved only for kids. The price is 15 euros per child. Places must be booked in advance at the Vitam’Ludic office or on their website.
- 30th & 31st October 2015: Special Escalade Nocturne to celebrate Halloween at the Parc Aventure des Evaux in Geneva. If the weather is good, put on your scariest Halloween costume and join other monsters from 1pm to 4pm with no advance booking required. From 6pm to 11pm the scary party continues with an Halloween raclette party, live music and accrobranche nocturne but it is mandatory to book your place in advance at office@parcaventuregeneve.com. Spooky dress-up costumes are de rigueur!
- Saturday 31st October 2015: Halloween Night at the Maison de Quartier de Carouge (3, rue de la Tambourine). From 5pm until 8pm children aged 6+ can take part in the ghosts’ train, followed by a repas canadienne from 7pm, where everyone brings a dish to share. FREE ENTRY.
- Saturday 31st October 2015: Halloween party at Yatouland in Vernier (22 chemin des Batailles, Geneva) from 2pm until 8pm. There will be scary face-painting, Halloween activities and a competition for the best Halloween costume! Tickets cost 15CHF per person.
- Saturday 31st October 2015: Kids Halloween at Capocaccia in Geneva from 3pm to 6pm. Capocaccia will be turning their first floor into a spooky Halloween extravaganza for children, complete with a special Halloween-themed buffet and a face-painting artist at their disposal to get ready for trick or treating. The price is 10CHF per child. Parents will be served ‘mignardises’ while they wait for their little monsters to get made-up & ready to go trick or treating.
- Saturday 31st October 2015: Halloween cupcakes workshop for children aged 4+ at Cupcakes & the City in Geneva (Rue des Vollandes 15, Eaux-Vives). The workshop will run from 3.30pm until 5.30pm and the price is 45CHF per child. Places must be booked in advance at 022 700 2843.
- Saturday 31st October 2015: Halloween Party by S’Cool from 6pm until 1am at Les Chèvres de la Touvière farm in Meinier (La Touvière – Route du Carre d’Aval 10 – 1252 Meinier – Geneva). A fab indoor party for the whole family at this lovely farm on the outskirts of Geneva. The price of 45CHF for adults and 20CHF for children (aged 4 to 12) will include Halloween buffet, music and free organic apple juice for all kids who are dressed-up for Halloween. Places must be booked in advance at 079 9596964.
- Saturday 31st October 2015: Atelier enfants Halloween at Schilliger Gland. This pumpkin-carving drop-in sessions will allow children to carve up their own spooky Halloween decoration and then take it home! The sessions will run from 10am until 4pm, tickets are 15CHF per child. No advance booking required.
- Saturday 31st October 2015: Halloween party at the Jayland indoor play centre in Villars-Sainte-Croix near Lausanne (VD). Spooky activities and Halloween fun from 7.45pm until 9.45pm, with free entry to all children dressed-up in their scariest Halloween costumes.
- Saturday 31st October 2015: Courges en fête at the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville in Echallens (VD) from 9am until midday. As well as pumpkin carving activities and pumpkin soup there will be cakes and a best-Halloween-costume competition! FREE ENTRY.
- Saturday 31st October 2015: Atelier découpe de citrouille pour Halloween ! from 2.30pm at the Ancienne école de Fenières in Thoiry (766 rue de Fenières – France). Bring your own pumpkin and learn how to carve it into a scary Halloween monster! Donations of 3 euros per child gratefully accepted, Halloween snack will be included.
- Saturday 31st October 2015: free Halloween activities in Divonne-les-Bains (France) starting from 2pm. Join other children at the Rêve de Coccinelle toy shop (284 Grand rue) from 2pm for scary story time, giant games or head for the Office de Tourisme for Halloween face-painting, devils’ bowling and much more! FREE ENTRY.
- Saturday 31st October 2015: Halloween in Leysin, which will include a candy treasure hunt for younger children and a walk in the woods of fear only for the brave! This is quite a frightening activity so better suited to older children.
- 31st October-1st November 2015: Weekend Halloween evening dinner and Halloween Sunday brunch at the Restaurant Les Granges Pro Natura in Geneva (Centre Nature du Vallon de l’Allondon – 150, rte de l’Allondon – 1283 Dardagny). The frightfully nice Halloween dinner will take place on Saturday 31st of October from 6pm until 10pm and will include free activities for kids (adult menu 35CHF; kids menu 15CHF per person). The Sunday brunch on the 1st of November will run from 10am until 3pm with all-you-can-eat buffet at 45CHF (per adult and price-per-age for kids) as well as free Halloween activities for kids. Places must be booked in advance at lesgranges@pronatura.ch or by phone at 022 753 16 00.
- 31st October-1st November 2015: Halloween Party at the Parc Pré Vert – Signal de Bougy in Bougy-Villars (VD). The Halloween celebrations at Signal de Bougy will take place on Saturday 31st of October and Sunday 1st of November. FREE ENTRY to all activities and no advance booking necessary.Saturday 31st October – scary face-painting sessions from midday until 3pmSunday 1st November – Clown Olive show from 10am until 11.30am…
scary face-painting sessions from midday until 3pm
Kids parade at 2.45pm
Halloween show at 3pm
- 31st October-2nd November 2015: Halloween Party at C l’Aventure indoor play centre in Annemasse (France). There will be various Halloween activities throughout the month of October but for a proper Halloween night party make sure you are there on Halloween weekend from 10am to 7pm, ready to be spooked! There will be a pumpkin treasure hunt, face-painting and a best-Halloween-costume competition. All children dressed-up for Halloween will receive a free go-kart coin. Click here to see our previous post about C l’Aventure.
- Saturday 7th November 2015: La nuit des chocottes. If you live in Divonne-les-Bains the children will enjoy taking part in this special Halloween celebration taking place between the Hippodrome and the Lac de Divonne. Starting at 4.30pm, there will be special tours every 10 minutes, guiding the kids by age groups through various fun and scary activities lasting between 1 and 2 hours, depending on their age group. Children will remain under their parents’ responsibility at all times. Tickets are 8 euros per child, but can be purchased in advance at the Mairie de Divonne for 5 euros.
