Haunt the Hills with us! Trick-or-treat on the Lawn at Wald Park with our local businesses and enjoy games and bounce houses. Dress in your best family-friendly costume for the Costume Contest and bring your carved or decorated pumpkin to enter the Pumpkin Contest. We'll end the night with a Halloween movie!
Friday, October 23, 2026
Wald Park
Trick-or-Treating & Bounce Houses: 4:30-6:00 pm
Pumpkin Contest: displayed and voting 4:30-5:45 pm.
Costume Contest: 6:00 pm
Winners announced at approximately 6:20 pm
Halloween Movie-Casper (1995): 6:30 pm
Costume Contest:
We'll start gathering at the stage at 5:45 pm for a Costume Parade around the lawn at 6:00 pm. Our panel of judges will each choose 6 finalists out of the parade. Once all finalists have been selected, they will line up in front of the stage for final judging and announcement of winners.
Free to participate
Two Age Categories: Ages 0-9 and Ages 10-18
Prizes awarded in each category for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place
Judges will be selecting the winners based on creativity, originality and visual impact. Â Retail costumes are fine to enter but additional weight will be given to costumes that are hand-crafted or demonstrate creative assembly. Â Parent/Child costumes are encouraged but judging will be based on the costume of the child. Â All costumes must be appropriate for a family event with young children.
Pumpkin Contest:
Bring your carved or decorated pumpkin to enter the Pumpkin Contest! When you arrive at Haunt the Hills, register at the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce table where you will receive your contest number and be directed where to place your pumpkin. Signs with the voting website link will be on the table and in event programs. Voting ends at 5:45 pm. Winners will be announced with the winners of the Costume Contest at approximately 6:20 pm.
- Free to participate
- Bring your already carved or decorated pumpkin to enter.
- You will be able to take your pumpkin when you leave.
- You do not have to be present to win.
- If registering multiple people, please fill out a form for each person.
- Pre-register here.
Presented by:
Alabama Power Company
AmFirst
AmWaste
Autumn Air
Avadian Credit Union
B.L. Harbert International
Baptist Health
Birmingham Christian Family
Carr, Riggs & Ingram, CPA
Champion Tree Service
Elite Skin
First Horizon Bank
FirstBank
Friedman, Dazzio & Zulanas, P.C.
Grandview Medical Center
HomeRN Hoover Vestavia
HOTWORX Vestavia Hills
Jackson Thornton, CPAs
John Henley State Farm Insurance
Leaf & Petal
Liberty Park Joint Venture
Livano Liberty Park/The Filmont
Mark Yanosky Orthodontics
Medical Properties Trust
Mercedes-Benz of Birmingham
Next Level AVL
Payroll & Benefit Solutions
Pillar Chiropractic
Regions Bank
River Bank & Trust
Robins & Morton
S&S Custom Home Designs
Sentry Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Generator
Shades Mountain Baptist Church
SouthPoint Bank
Spire
StoneCreek Dental Care
Taylor Burton Company
TriaVision
UAB St. Vincents
United Community Bank
Vestavia Bowl
Vestavia Dental
Vestavia Hills Magazine
Vestavia Hills Methodist Church
Vestavia Pediatrics
Vestavia Voice
The Welch Group
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a cost to attend?
Haunt the Hills is free to attend. The only cost is purchasing food and drinks from the food trucks.
Where can I park for the event?
Parking is available at the Wald Park parking lots, as well as West Elementary and the Board of Education.
Are pets allowed at Haunt the Hills?
Yes, pets are welcome at Haunt the Hills.
How do I become a vendor/sponsor for Haunt the Hills?
Please reach out to the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce for sponsorship information. We do require sponsors to be Chamber members. Only sponsors will be allowed to hand out candy, promotional items or materials at the event.
How do I enter the Costume Contest?
Jump into the Costume Parade at 6:00 pm. Our panel of judges will each be selecting 6 finalists out of the parade. Finalists will line up in front of the stage for final judging. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will be chosen from each of the 2 age categories: ages 0-9 and ages 10-18.
How do I enter the Pumpkin Contest?
The contest has 2 categories: Carved and Decorated. Bring your finished pumpkin to the Chamber's table under the front pavilion. You will fill out the registration form and be assigned a number for your pumpkin. We will have a table for you to set your pumpkin on with your number where people will be able to view them during the event and signs with QR codes directing people to a website to vote for their favorites. Voting ends at 5:45 pm and the winners will be announced at 6:00 pm when the Costume Contest begins.
Where are the food trucks located?
The food trucks and vendors are parked in the parking lot on the side of the lawn and in the grassy space next to the batting cage.
What food trucks will be at the event?
Our food vendors are: Bruster's Ice Cream, Kona Ice, Davenport's Pizza, The Ridge and Zaxby's.
Where are the restrooms?
Restrooms are available in the batting cage building next to the Lawn, on the backside of the concession stand building, and the upper level playground above the stage.
What happens if it rains?
We carefully watch the weather forecast and will announce here on our website and on our social media outlets if we need to move to our rain date.
