For three years running, Ashland's Halloween started at Owen Marina on the second Saturday of October. In 2026 Mahoney State Park isn't holding that party. The holiday hasn't disappeared, though. It's been split into four events on three different October weekends, run by three different hosts. If you plan around one afternoon at the park, you'll miss most of them.
The afternoon that used to anchor the month
The event was called "Halloween is Brewing with Fun." It ran from 2 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 14, 2023, Oct. 12, 2024, and Oct. 11, 2025, every time at Owen Marina. Each year had the same lineup: games, pumpkin carving, a costume parade, naturalist programs, a campfire, and a trolley ride past the decorated campsites. It was two hours long, it happened in one spot, and families with kids, campers and anyone who just wanted to see the campsites all ended up at the same marina.
On Sept. 28, the park's official page posted this notice:
"Mahoney State Park will not be hosting organized Halloween activities in 2026. Campers are encouraged to celebrate Halloween in a more informal, self-guided way by decorating their campsites and trick-of-treating in the campground."
Nebraska Game and Parks hasn't given a reason for the change at Mahoney. Branched Oak State Recreation Area, northwest of Lincoln, posted nearly the same notice for 2026 and said its decision was made "to better support visitor safety." That explanation is Branched Oak's, though, and Mahoney hasn't said whether it applies there too.
Campers can still decorate their sites and go trick-or-treating around the campground. What's missing is the organized afternoon at the marina.
The second Saturday still has something on it
The park didn't drop Halloween completely. On Saturday, Oct. 10, the second Saturday of the month and the slot the marina party used to fill, the James Family Conservatory and Nature Center is hosting a "Halloween Happenings Open House" with an osteology theme. Drop in anytime between 1 and 4 p.m. Kids can identify owl bones, look inside an owl pellet, sketch a skull, and see snake and bat skeletons. The program is free, but you'll need a state park vehicle permit to get in.
It's a different kind of afternoon. You won't find a costume parade or a trolley. It's quieter and more hands-on, and it suits the kid who'd rather hold a skull than wear one. Because people drop in over a three-hour window, it also spreads visitors out more than a two-hour party at one marina.
Two other things are on the Mahoney calendar this month. Adults 18 and older can attend Wise & Wild at the same Nature Center on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 10 a.m. The Activity Center, which includes the indoor playground and the Venture Climb rock wall, was closed Sept. 28 and is closed again Oct. 1 and 2 for a roof replacement. It reopens Oct. 3, with designated parking and entrances for the public. If your October usually includes a rainy-day trip to the climbing wall, it's back by the first weekend.
October, one weekend at a time
With the marina party off the calendar, Ashland's Halloween events now spread across most of the month. Here's the full lineup in order:
- Tuesday, Oct. 6, 10 a.m. Wise & Wild for adults at the Mahoney Nature Center.
- Saturday, Oct. 10, 1 to 4 p.m. The Halloween Happenings osteology open house at the James Family Conservatory and Nature Center. It's free with a park permit.
- Saturday, Oct. 17, 7 to 11 p.m. Haunted Hangars: Night of Flights and Spirits at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum. It's for ages 21 and up.
- Saturday, Oct. 24, 2 to 7 p.m. Freaky Frolics, the Chamber's trick-or-treat on Silver Street and beyond.
- Sunday, Oct. 25, noon to 2 p.m. Flight of Fright at the SAC Museum. It needs a general admission ticket.
Under the old setup, a family could cover Halloween with one afternoon at the park. This year it's four separate stops. Families with young kids have three of them, on Oct. 10, 24 and 25, and adults get a night of their own on the 17th.
The SAC Museum takes both ends of the age range
Just down Park Highway from Mahoney, the SAC Museum is running two very different Halloween events eight days apart.
Haunted Hangars, on Oct. 17, takes the museum after dark for adults 21 and older. The museum lists paranormal demonstrations, mysterious artifacts from its collections, a costume contest, a DJ and dancing, spooky movie screenings, and local food trucks and breweries. Mahoney's old marina afternoon was built for families, so Ashland hasn't had a nearby Halloween night aimed at adults until now.
Flight of Fright, on Sunday, Oct. 25, is the family version. Candy gets launched from 13 historic aircraft, and staff and volunteers dress up as everything from superheroes and princesses to World War II re-enactors. The museum opens at 11 a.m., and the candy drops start at noon and last until the supply runs out, so get there early. Bring a bag, and buy general admission tickets for Oct. 25 ahead of time. The museum's ticket pages don't list this year's prices yet, so check when you book.
Flight of Fright falls the day after Freaky Frolics. Families can trick-or-treat on Silver Street Saturday afternoon and walk under bombers collecting candy Sunday at noon.
Silver Street gets the biggest Saturday
The Ashland Chamber of Commerce describes Freaky Frolics as "lots of Halloween activities and fun for children and parents." It runs from 2 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, on Silver Street and the surrounding blocks. Of everything on the month's calendar, it has the longest window and the most kid-friendly format. It's also the only event held downtown, where you're already within a block or two of places to eat.
Here's where to stop before or after:
- Cheri O's Coffee Shop and Ice Cream, 1404 Silver Street, serves coffee, ice cream, breakfast and lunch.
- Glacial Till's Ashland Cider House & Tasting Room, 1419 Silver St., pours cider and wine, serves food, and is open year-round.
- Breadeaux Pizza, 1425 Silver St., is open daily and takes orders by phone, which helps when the kids are done at 7.
- Fariner Bakery, around the corner at 120 North 14th Street, posts weekly hours. Its October calendar lists events at the bakery on Oct. 9 and 17 and at Fariner The Wine Bar on Oct. 12.
- BW's Pub & Grill, 115 N. 14th St., is a pub and grill with posted weekly hours.
A little farther out, Ashland Brewing Company sits at 810 S. 9th Ave., where Highways 6 and 66 meet. It opened on June 19, 2025, so this is its second Halloween season in town.
One status update for anyone planning a steak dinner on Highway 6. Ruhlman's Steakhouse, at 603 U.S. Highway 6, closed temporarily for renovations and rebranding. As of Grow Omaha's late-August report, ownership hadn't announced a reopening date or a new name. The same report says the restaurant has been operating for four years and moved into its current building in July 2024. Its Facebook page is the best place to check for news before you go.
The calendar keeps going on Silver Street
October's Halloween events end at the museum, but downtown keeps going on Saturdays straight through the holidays. Here's what the Chamber lists next:
- Nov. 14: Christmas Open House, all day on Silver Street
- Nov. 21: Fall Art Walk through the downtown galleries, shops and eateries
- Nov. 28: Small Business Saturday
- Dec. 12: Hometown Christmas and Light Parade, with s'mores, live music and the annual parade
The Chamber's page doesn't print a year next to these dates, and it says details can change without notice. Every date does fall on a Saturday in 2026. Check with the Chamber at visitashland.org before you plan around one, and confirm Mahoney's events on the Nebraska Game and Parks calendar and the SAC Museum's events on its own page.
If you're new to Ashland, or you're showing visiting family around this fall, we'd love to help. At Selling Sisters, we keep track of what's open, what's changed, and which Saturday has what going on, and we're glad to pass it along. Schedule a consultation and we'll share what we know about this part of Saunders County.
