At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, the youngest kids at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park will line up for a costume contest while the underwater theater gets ready for an 8 p.m. show called "The Pumpkin King." In downtown Brooksville, the Halloween Howl will be in its last half hour, with fire trucks parked for Touch-A-Truck and trick-or-treaters working the storefronts.
During the day, Weeki Wachee is running at its leanest. The slides are closed, the river cruise isn't running, and there's one mermaid show a day. So the season has moved into two other slots: the park's ticketed Halloween nights, and a downtown Brooksville calendar that comes back to the same intersection under the water tower roughly once a month until New Year's Eve.
Saturday, October 24, hour by hour
This is the last weekend of Wild 'N' Wicked Nights. The Friends of Weeki Wachee run it Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23 and 24, from 7 to 11 p.m. Brooksville Main Street's free Halloween Howl and HCSO Safety Fun Fest falls on that same Saturday, 4 to 8 p.m. downtown. The two events overlap for only one hour, so you can do both in one evening.
| Time | Where | What's happening |
|---|---|---|
| 1:30 p.m. | Weeki Wachee Underwater Theater | The day's only regular mermaid show, on the Oct. 12–25 schedule |
| 4–8 p.m. | Downtown Brooksville | Halloween Howl: trick-or-treating, first responders, costume contests for adults, kids and pets, food trucks, face painting, Touch-A-Truck |
| 7–10:30 p.m. | Weeki Wachee, Halloween Town | Non-scary fall carnival with prizes, kids' mazes, mermaid photo spots |
| 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 p.m. | Weeki Wachee | Children's costume contests for ages 0–3, 4–7 and 8–12 |
| 8, 9, 10 p.m. | Weeki Wachee Underwater Theater | "The Pumpkin King" underwater show |
| 7–10:45 p.m. | Weeki Wachee | Toy Factory Haunted House and Jack's Tree Lot Haunted Maze |
A family that stays downtown until the Howl wraps up can still catch the 9 or 10 p.m. Pumpkin King show and the 9:30 costume contest for ages 8 to 12. The night-event schedule says the Toy Factory and Jack's Tree Lot are not handicapped accessible and are recommended for older children and adults. That leaves Halloween Town as the stop for younger kids. "Scary Stories You Tell in the Dark" runs at 7:45, 8:45 and 9:45 p.m. if you have teenagers who've outgrown the carnival.
Plan the tickets ahead of time. On the Friends of Weeki Wachee event page, admission is $12 per person for ages 3 and up, sold only through Eventbrite. There are no walk-up sales, and annual passholders don't get free entry or a discount. If you hold a park pass and plan to just show up Saturday night, you won't get in.
Why the daytime park feels smaller this month
The Halloween nights matter more this year because the daytime park has fewer things running than many locals expect. The details are on the Florida State Parks attractions schedule and the park page.
- Mermaid shows. The usual schedule is 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily. From Oct. 12 through Oct. 25 there's one show at 1:30 p.m. Theater doors open 30 minutes before showtime, seating is first-come, first-served, and the doors close once the theater is full.
- Buccaneer Bay. The state schedule lists the water slides and lazy river as closed for the season starting Sept. 28, 2026. The operator's Buccaneer Bay page listed weekend operation through Sept. 30. Either way, both dates have passed. The beach and swimming are still open daily, and the kiddie pool is closed for renovations.
- Wilderness River Cruise. A notice on the state park page says the cruise was paused during daytime hours effective Dec. 12, 2025, because of low water levels. As of mid-October, the park's attractions FAQ still lists it as not operating because of low water.
- Still running. The Ranger Experience show at Discovery Point runs at 10 a.m., noon and 2:15 p.m. The park is open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is $13 for adults, $8 for ages 6 to 12, and free for ages 5 and under.
The river numbers fit with the cruise staying docked. The USGS gauge on the Weeki Wachee River near Brooksville read 147 cubic feet per second just after midnight on Oct. 15, 2026. Over 33 years of records, the median flow for that date is 173 cfs and the 25th percentile is 155. So the river is running in the bottom quarter of its normal range for mid-October. Earlier this year, the Southwest Florida Water Management District reported a regional rainfall deficit of 13.7 inches and falling aquifer, river and lake levels in a March 24, 2026 release. USGS readings are provisional, and the park hasn't tied the pause to any one gauge reading. Still, the low flow helps explain why the cruise isn't back yet.
The river is still open to paddlers, with a cap
You can still get on the water if you paddle it yourself. The park operator's 2026 boating FAQs set a park-mandated limit of 70 launches per hour and strongly recommend reservations, including for private boats. On the river, you can't get out of your vessel or swim, and motorized boats, alcohol, pets other than service dogs, and disposable items are all prohibited.
The downstream end works differently. Hernando County lists Rogers Park on Shoal Line Boulevard as open 24/7, with a boat ramp and a canoe and kayak launch. The county doesn't rent kayaks there, so you'll need to bring your own. More changes are coming to Rogers Park. A county notice from May 2026 proposed shade over the playground, ADA restroom upgrades, new sidewalks and an accessible route at 7244 Shoal Line Blvd. That notice is a proposal with no construction date, so for now the park looks the same as it did.
Up the coast, Alfred McKethan/Pine Island Park changed its schedule this summer. Since July 6, 2026, it opens at 10 a.m. and stays open daily until sunset. If you're used to an earlier start, check the new hours before you go.
Once Halloween is over, the calendar moves to Brooksville
After Oct. 24, Weeki Wachee has nothing comparable on its fall schedule, and Brooksville Main Street takes over the calendar. The Downtown Street Market sets up at Historic S. Brooksville Avenue and Liberty Street, under the water tower, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a new theme each month. Here's what's posted on the Brooksville Main Street events calendar through the end of the year:
- Friday Night Live, Friday, Nov. 13, 6:30–9:30 p.m. The Gaturz play the Hernando Park Bandshell at 205 E. Fort Dade Ave.
- Downtown Street Market: Thankful Friendsgiving, Saturday, Nov. 21, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. At the water tower intersection.
- Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Listed on the calendar, with details still to come.
- Christmas on Main, Saturday, Dec. 5, 3–9 p.m. Plans include a craft market, entertainment, Santa photos, and a courthouse tree lighting around 7 p.m.
- Family Sensory Christmas Celebration, Friday, Dec. 18, 5–9 p.m. Free, at Hernando Park.
- NYE Tangerine Ball Drop, Thursday, Dec. 31, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. More details are pending.
Most of these events land on the same corner or a block away at Hernando Park, and the street markets and Halloween Howl are free, unlike the ticketed nights at Weeki Wachee. The Howl starts that pattern on Oct. 24, with the same corner hosting something almost every month through New Year's Eve.
If you're heading downtown from the south side of town, there's a new stop on the way. Chipotle opened Sept. 16 at 1185 S. Broad St. with a Chipotlane drive-thru lane, open daily 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to Tampa Bay Beacons. In Spring Hill, Colombia Que Chimba Cafe at 3452 Deltona Blvd. was already serving by early August, based on its state inspection record. The Spring Hill Farmers Market at 3021 Commercial Way lists 40 to 80 vendors a week, but its fall hours aren't posted, so check before you go.
Still waiting on a date
The Brooksville Christmas Parade and the Hernando Beach Christmas Boat Parade aren't on the calendars above, so watch for organizers to post 2026 dates. The Weeki Wachee River Cruise is in a similar spot, since the park still lists it as not operating. Several items on the Main Street calendar also say "more details soon," so times and features for Small Business Saturday, Christmas on Main and the ball drop could change before those weekends.
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