Now this is how you do Halloween, folks.
Courtesy Bonnet House
Your dog could win a costume prize at a historic Fort Lauderdale estate, all while you plot multiple food truck stops, a photo booth session and some dance floor moves.
And that’s only one angle of the Halloween fun here, folks.
Bonnet House Museum & Gardens is hosting Halloween Fest on Saturday, October 31, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., bringing a trick-or-treat trail, live DJ entertainment, a costume runway and plenty of treats to its 35-acre subtropical setting. Families, friends and pets are invited, and one especially fabulous seven-foot gator will be ready for her biggest debut yet.
The festivities unfold at 900 North Birch Road in Fort Lauderdale. Admission is $25 for adults, $8 for children ages 6–17 and free for children 5 and younger. With five hours of daytime fun, there’s ample opportunity to celebrate before the neighborhood doorbell marathon begins.
Courtesy Bonnet House
Courtesy Bonnet House
Start with the Trick-or-Treat Trail, presented by Event Bliss and the Fort Lauderdale Garden Club, then make the rounds for face painting and a photo booth by Elegant Party Rentals. Celebrity Entertainment supplies the live DJ soundtrack, so those carefully assembled costumes can get some dance-floor mileage, too.
Speaking of costumes, the spooky runway welcomes children, adults and pets, with prizes including local overnight hotel stays and gift cards. That tiny superhero cape you bought for the dog? Well, it finally has a higher calling.
Also commanding attention is Bonnie Gator, Bonnet House’s new seven-foot-tall mascot, making her Halloween debut. Her elaborate look draws inspiration from the estate’s flowers, wildlife and natural beauty, crowned with a signature lily pad bonnet. She is a total vibe, y’all.
She’ll greet families and pose for photos as she begins her ambassador duties. Honestly and just saying, a gator with that much botanical style deserves her own fan club
For a savory-to-sweet food crawl, the lineup includes The Greek Gyro Truck, The Mexican Taco Truck and Lina’s Batch Macarons. Snow cones, cotton candy and popcorn are also on the announced menu.
Between the candy collecting and costume watching, you can also catch Hidden In Plain Sight: Bonnet House Museum & Gardens. The new 27-minute documentary screens in the Caretakers Cottage, exploring the historic estate’s history, art and legacy. Note that guided and self-guided house tours will not be available during Halloween Fest.
Alongside the businesses and organizations credited above, event sponsors also include B Ocean Resort, Salty Paws Coastal Crochet, Spiral Moments Photo Booth and City Home.
So, bring the family, give the costumes a proper debut and definitely save some camera-roll space for Bonnie.
This article was written by Jesse Scott as part of a Contributed Content agreement with Bonnet House.
