Spooktacular returns to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay with a NEW character and treats!

Kandy's Spooktacular celebration at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is returning in 2026 with a NEW character to meet begining Saturday, September 12 through November 1, 2026. It will be celebrated on weekends from 12 pm-4 pm.

The best part is, it's included with admission! We always attend on opening weekend to explore and help you map out a spooktacular day!

What is Spooktacular at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay?

Spooktacular 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: Kandy's Spooktacular, which is going on now and beginning in October; you can celebrate Halloween at Sesame Street Safari of Fun, too!

Both events are included with admission. You can purchase a 2027 Fun Card now and get the rest of 2026 for free!

While you're there, pop on over to explore the ALL-NEW Lion & Hyena Ridge!

What to Expect at Halloween Harvest and Kandy's Sweetacular:

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 Spooktacular 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!

Before we dive deep into the magic behind the event, here are the activity highlights from Busch Gardens:

• ALL-NEW! The Music of Mr. Skelly: Straight off the page from one of Kandy’s drawings, Mr. Skelly makes his debut at Spooktacular. Armed with his trusty violin, Mr. Skelly is a marvelous mentor of melodies and a bone-a-fide music teacher. While he may be an expert in music, sharing his love of the craft with guests while he plays his violin, he is less successful at being spooky, making him proof that Halloween doesn’t have to be frightening to be frightfully fun.
• Trick-or-Treating: Dive into the Halloween spirit with festive trick-or-treat stations at Kandy’s Spooktacular Celebration—grab a bag and enjoy the sweetest seasonal treats from Goldfish® and YumEarth®!
• Spooktacular Costume Parade: Join the fun at the Spooktacular Costume Parade, where colorful costumes light up the catwalk, and every kid gets their time to shine like a Halloween star. No matter their age or if they’re wearing a costume or not, all kids are welcome to walk the runway.
• Kit & Kat’s Black Cat Dance Party: Get into the Halloween spirit at Kit & Kat’s Dance Party, where spooky beats and playful dance moves turn every step into a ghoulishly good time for the whole family!
• Spooky Kooky Science: Professor Pufflemintz is the never predictable, anything is possible, sometimes puzzled but always positive Professor of Science. As one of Kandy’s instructors from the Magic Conservatory, Professor Pufflemintz is here to share her science endeavors with every Spooktacular guest through eccentric and festive science experiments.
• Storytime: Situated next to Kandy’s picture-perfect pumpkin patch, guests will be immersed in the popular story “Room on the Broom,” where everybody has a place and everyone belongs.
• Kid-friendly Halloween Photo Spots: Located on the Festival Walkway, charming fall photo spots offer picturesque backdrops, perfect for capturing unforgettable memories to post and share.

Should my kids dress up in costume?

Absolutely! We always see a few kids dress up for Spooktacular; however, many do not since it's still pretty hot outside this time of year (we do call Florida home, after all).

Come as you are and just simply enjoy the experience!

There is a sweet Costume Parade area where kids can strut their stuff on the runway. And no, you don't need a costume to walk the catwalk. It's really sweet, and it makes the kids feel pretty special, and you can't beat that!

What's there to do at Spooktacular at Busch Gardens? 

This is your child's chance to go trick-or-treating, so don't forget a reusable bag for treats. You can also purchase a reusable bag in the event area if you don't have one handy.

There are several trick-or-treat stations. Last year, the kids got treats like Milk cookies, Smarties, stickers, and even play foam.

We suggest arriving right at noon so you can be a part of the opening ceremony at the front gate and walk in with Kandy the witch and her friends.

Kandy is a 9-year-old witch in training who also helps lead the Costume Parade and even takes the stage for a Halloween-themed Story Time as she reads a childhood favorite, “Room on the Broom”.

It's a really sweet storytime. As she reads each page from her own book, her friends flip through the pages of a HUGE book so kids can read along too.

After storytime, you and the kids can join Kandy for a quick meet-and-greet and photos, but you'll also see her throughout the event area posing for photos.

Speaking of great pics, there are several areas to capture a great photo, including a few spots where you can surround yourself with magical-looking bubbles filled with fog. The kids loved dancing in the cloud of bubbles and popping them.

The characters also love to stop and pose for photos!

There is a map at the entrance of the Spooktacular area so you can ‘map' out your adventure. It's not a huge area, so don't be too intimidated.

Spooktacular is an event you and the kids can get through pretty quickly so you can enjoy your day at the park whether it's riding the roller coasters like Iron Gwazi, connecting with the animals, and/or heading over to celebrate Sesame Street Safari of Fun Kids Weekends in October!

As we mentioned, the event is ready to welcome you and the kids on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. through October 31, 2026. Enjoy and have fun with it, and be sure the camera is fully charged!

Learn more here about how to take advantage of a Busch Gardens annual pass to get the most out of your visit!

If you're looking for even MORE family-friendly fall fun like a pumpkin patch in Tampa Bay, head here next. And if you want to explore some of the Tampa Bay area's spookiest events, our media partners at Tampa Bay Date Night Guide have you covered with their guide to the 20+ Spookiest Halloween Events in Tampa Bay.

Creating the Magic Behind Kandy's Spooktacular

Kandy's Spooktacular 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,” Malissa Spencer with Busch Gardens 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 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 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!