INSIDE LOOK: The ALL-NEW Halloween Harvest at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Spooky season is officially here! On the same weekend Busch Gardens Tampa Bay launched its 25th anniversary of Howl-O-Scream, it unveiled a new celebration event for kids of all ages: Halloween Harvest. Kids can go trick-or-treating, show off their costumes, snap photos with fun characters, and more!
We got a peek on opening day and even got a chance to speak with Melissa Spencer, a mom of two and senior creative manager for entertainment at Busch Gardens, whose team dreamed up this whimsical event for your family!
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So, let’s dive into this celebration of friendship, fun, and candy!
What is Halloween Harvest at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay?
Halloween Harvest is a kid-friendly Halloween-themed event being celebrated on weekends at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in the Festival Walkway area of the park (near Iron Gwazi). There are two ways to celebrate –with Kandy’s Sweetacular, which is going on now and beginning in October, Halloween at Sesame Street Safari of Fun.
The event is included with admission. You can purchase a 2025 Fun Card now and get the rest of 2024 for free!
Halloween Harvest Event Dates:
- Kandy’s Sweetacular Celebration: Sept. 7-Oct. 27 from 12 pm-4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and Oct. 31
- Halloween at Sesame Street Safari of Fun: Oct. 5-27 from 12 pm-4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays and Thurs., and Oct. 31
Things to Do at Halloween Harvest
You can arrive at the gates of the Festival Walkway a few minutes before 12 pm to experience the magical opening of Kandy’s Sweetacular.
Who is Kandy? She is a 9.5-year-old witch in training who has brought a spectacular part of the world to Busch Gardens!
You’ll be greeted by Kandy and her pals as they welcome their guests to her Sweetacular Celebration. Kids can immediately begin trick-or-treating at one of several trick-or-treat stations. Spencer tells us kids can absolutely visit the trick-or-treat stations more than once!
You can bring your own bag for candy, but there are some available for purchase at the event in case you need an extra.
Before we dive deep into the magic behind the event, here are the activity highlight from Busch Gardens:
- Sweetacular Costume Parade: Join the fun at the Sweetacular Costume Parade, where colorful costumes light up the catwalk, and every kid gets their time to shine like a Halloween star.
- Jack-O-Lantern Scavenger Hunt: Join the Jack-O-Lantern Scavenger Hunt at Kandy’s Sweetacular Celebration and embark on a fun-filled adventure to find whimsical pumpkins hidden throughout the festival walkway.
- Taffy Twist’s Black Cat Dance Party: Get into the Halloween spirit at Taffy Twist’s Dance Party, where spooky beats and playful dance moves turn every step into a ghoulishly good time for the whole family!
- Storytime with Kandy: Nestled by Kandy’s enchanting pumpkin patch and bubbling cauldron, guests can join Kandy, the friendly young witch in training, for a magical reading of “Room on the Broom,” where everyone finds their place in the story.
- Meet Kandy’s friends: Time Piece, Alfred and Professor Pufflemintz
- Sesame Street Safari of Fun Halloween: Enjoy even more Halloween fun with your favorite Sesame Street friends dressed in their Halloween costumes, a Sesame Street-themed Halloween show and dance party, Halloween Storytime, a bat-themed scavenger hunt and festive photo opportunities. (Begins Saturday, Oct. 5)
- Fall Photo Spots: Discover charming fall photo spots around the park that offer picturesque backdrops, perfect for capturing unforgettable memories to post and share.
- Spooky Kooky Science: Professor Pufflemintz is the never predictable, anything is possible, sometimes puzzled but always positive Professor of Science.
Creating the Magic Behind Kandy’s Sweetacular
Kandy’s Sweetacular Celebration was born out of Spooktacular (which was first brought to Busch Gardens in 2022), but this reimagined event has even more candy, more decor, and more things to do! And here’s the sweetest part…it was inspired by real children here in Tampa Bay.
“When we first created this, three years ago, a lot of our market research was with our own family,” Spencer told us. “The dance party soundtrack– I played in my house, watched my children dance to it and what resonated with them. We have our own dance parties at night in my home. So we did all the things that we think children love. And we just wanted to be inclusive, especially with our costume parade of modeling your outfit of the day.”
The art wall featuring Kandy’s artwork was also inspired by Spencer’s daughters, now 9 and 11, and their gallery wall at home. In fact, she brought a picture of her gallery wall at home to use as inspiration for the display you’ll find at the event.
She may have shed a few tears as we talked about how her kids have grown up with this event over the last few years. As moms, we can’t help it. As a mom, it was also really cool to see how their childhood experiences are leaving a mark by bringing joy to other kids and families in our area.
“You watch them grow up here, from coming in their costumes to being very involved in the parade and every then turning into tweens, but they still have joy in this. So, it really appeals to everybody. And I think that’s what we love on the creative side most about it,” she said.
Be sure to keep an eye out for clues about what her team is dreaming up for next year! There’s another mural wall along one of the walkways as you head over to the dance party area. It’s a whimsical dinner party with character previews you mind get to meet next year, and each ghost represents someone on Spencer’s creative team!
Spencer added, “Kandy is always saying, I haven’t learned this yet, and that’s kind of our motto, too, right? We’re always saying yes, we can’t do this yet, but we will. So this one is really a labor of love for us.”
We can’t wait to see what they have in store for us in 2025!