Burlington Spooky City 2026: Coffin Races and a Free Downtown Halloween, Saturday, October 31
Spooky City is Saturday, October 31, 2026, in downtown Burlington, and it’s free. The day starts at 9 AM with a Dia de los Muertos celebration in the Loop and kids’ activities at Bank CMG, and runs into the evening with a bar crawl from 3 to 7. The organizer’s schedule is on the Experience Burlington events page.
The 2 things to plan around: trick-or-treating at more than 60 downtown businesses from 11 to noon, and the coffin races on Pine Street from noon to 1:30 PM. Costumed teams carry decorated coffins down about a block and a half, dodging obstacles, with prizes for the fastest and the best dressed.
Burlington is about 30 minutes east of Lake Geneva. The races end early enough to drive back for Lake Geneva’s 3 to 6 PM trick-or-treat. The city’s own door-to-door trick-or-treat is 6 to 8 that night, the latest start in the area.
Hey Lake Lovers,
Burlington has been closing its downtown for Halloween for more than 30 years. The business trick-or-treat is the old part. The coffin races got bolted on a few years ago and took over.
This year it falls on Halloween itself. So you can do the whole morning in Burlington, drive home, and still catch door-to-door in Lake Geneva at 3.
Here’s the schedule, where to stand for the races, what to skip, and how to stack it with the rest of Halloween around the lake.
Spooky City at a glance
- When
- Saturday, October 31, 2026. Kids’ activities 9:30 to 11 AM, trick-or-treat 11 to noon, coffin races noon to 1:30, Spirit Walk 3 to 7 PM
- Where
- Downtown Burlington: Pine Street, Wehmhoff Square, the Loop. Streets are closed.
- Cost
- Free. Food trucks and the beer tent are cash or card on your own.
- Ages
- All ages through mid-afternoon. The Spirit Walk is adults.
- Book
- Nothing to reserve. Coffin race teams register in advance.
- Drive
- About 30 minutes from downtown Lake Geneva, Highway 50 east to Highway 36 north
- Parking
- Street parking off Pine and in the city lots. Pine Street itself is closed.
- Weather
- It’s in the street. Past years ran in the cold. Dress for it.
- Organizer
- Experience Burlington and the Spooky City committee. Text or call 262-210-1362.
Who it’s for, and when to show up
Come at 9:30. Pumpkin decorating, face painting and family photos at Bank CMG, then the free Scooby Doo short at the Plaza Theater. Costume parade at 10:45, candy at 11, home by 1.
Be on Pine Street by 11:45. The noon start is the parade and lineup; the racing follows. It’s done by 1:30.
Touch-a-Truck at Ace Hardware 10 to 2, the Ghostbusters Ectomobile on Pine from 10:30, dancing horses at 1. The races are the only thing worth their phone.
Show up at noon for the races, then the Loop Stage at 1 and the Low Daily beer garden from 1 to 4. The Spirit Walk bar crawl starts at 3.
Leave Burlington by 2. Highway 36 to Highway 50 is a 30-minute drive, and Lake Geneva starts at 3.
The Loop, 9 AM to 5 PM. Vendors, food and performers. It runs all day, so it fits around anything else.
The full Saturday schedule
- 9 AM to 5 PMDia de los Muertos celebration in the Loop
- 9:30 to 11 AMPumpkin decorating, family photos, face painting, games and the Hawgsdogs food truck at Bank CMG
- 9:30 AMFree Scooby Doo spooky short at the Plaza Theater
- 10 AM to 2 PMTouch-a-Truck at Ace Hardware
- 10:30 AM to 2 PMGhostbusters Ectomobile on Pine Street
- 10:45 AMKiddie costume parade from Wehmhoff Square down Pine Street
- 11 AM to noonTrick-or-treating at more than 60 downtown businesses
- 11 AM to noonAngela Puerta on the Loop Stage; street performers on Pine
- 11 AM to 1 PMFree hayrides, start and end at Bank CMG; free fortune teller booth in Wehmhoff Square
- 11 AM to 5 PMBeer tent with The Runaway
- Noon to 1:30 PMCoffin races, parade and crowning ceremony on Pine Street
- 1 to 2 PMAngela Puerta Trio on the Loop Stage
- 1 to 3 PMDancing horses on Pine Street
- 1 to 4 PMSunset Girl at the Low Daily beer garden
- 3 to 7 PM5th annual Spirit Walk for charity, benefiting Love Inc., at participating bars
- 6 to 8 PMCity of Burlington door-to-door trick-or-treat
From the organizer’s page, checked October 23. They say it’s subject to change.
What the coffin races are actually like
Teams of 4 or 5, in costume, get a coffin with handles. They decorate it, name it, and carry it down Pine Street against another team, around obstacles, while a few hundred people yell from the curb.
It started as fire departments and high school football teams racing each other. Now it’s businesses, clubs and whoever signs up. There are prizes for speed and separate prizes for the best coffin and the best-dressed team, so the slow ones are often the best part.
Plan on about 90 minutes from the noon parade to the crowning. The actual heats are short. Most of the time is the walk-up, the heckling and the awards.
Insider tips
Park on the west side of downtown and walk in. Pine Street is closed and the lots nearest it fill by 10. The city lots a few blocks out are fine.
The 11 to noon trick-or-treat is 1 hour and 60-plus stops. Pick a side of Pine and work it. You won’t hit every door and that’s fine.
Bring a bag that isn’t a pumpkin bucket. The shops hand out a lot, and a bucket tips over on a hayride.
Hawgsdogs is at Bank CMG from 9:30. If the kids are hungry at 11:30, that’s closer than anything on Pine during the races.
The beer tent opens at 11, an hour before the races.
Common mistakes
Arriving at noon for trick-or-treat. The shops stop at noon. Candy is 11 to 12, races are 12 to 1:30.
Driving down Pine Street. It’s closed. Follow the detour signs and don’t fight them.
Planning to do Spooky City and Burlington’s door-to-door. There’s a 4-hour gap. Fill it in Lake Geneva at 3, or stay for the Spirit Walk.
Underdressing. You’ll stand on pavement for 90 minutes watching the races. Late October in Burlington is jacket weather on a good year.
Make a day of it: Burlington, then Lake Geneva
- 9:15 AMLeave Lake Geneva. Highway 50 east to Highway 36 north, about 30 minutes.
- 9:45 AMPark west of downtown. Face painting and pumpkins at Bank CMG.
- 10:45 AMCostume parade from Wehmhoff Square.
- 11:00 AMTrick-or-treat Pine Street. Hayride from Bank CMG when the bag is full.
- 11:45 AMCurb spot on Pine for the races.
- 1:30 PMDone. Lunch from a truck, or drive and eat at home.
- 3:00 PMLake Geneva trick-or-treat, 3 to 6. Williams Bay and Fontana start at 4 if you’re running late.
- 6:00 PMDan Patch hayride’s last night, cash at the window, or a Halloween band. Both are in Monday’s post.
Spooky City vs. the rest of Halloween weekend
Spooky City & coffin races
- When
- Sat 9 AM to 7 PM
- Cost
- Free
- Ages
- All ages, adults after 3
- Book ahead?
- No
Lake Geneva trick-or-treat
- When
- Sat 3 to 6 PM
- Cost
- Free
- Ages
- Kids
- Book ahead?
- No
Dan Patch haunted hayride
- When
- Fri & Sat 6 to 11 PM
- Cost
- $25 / $10, cash
- Ages
- All ages early, scarier after 7
- Book ahead?
- Can’t
Trick-or-Treat Train, East Troy
- When
- Fri 5 & 6 PM
- Cost
- $29 to $32.50
- Ages
- All ages
- Book ahead?
- Yes
Baker House haunted tour
- When
- Thu to Sat, 7 PM
- Cost
- $20
- Ages
- 13+
- Book ahead?
- Yes
Fall Wine Walk, Lake Geneva
- When
- Sun noon to 4 PM
- Cost
- $45
- Ages
- 21+
- Book ahead?
- Yes
| Event | When | Cost | Ages | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spooky City & coffin races | Sat 9 AM to 7 PM | Free | All ages, adults after 3 | No |
| Lake Geneva trick-or-treat | Sat 3 to 6 PM | Free | Kids | No |
| Dan Patch haunted hayride | Fri & Sat 6 to 11 PM | $25 / $10, cash | All ages early, scarier after 7 | Can’t |
| Trick-or-Treat Train, East Troy | Fri 5 & 6 PM | $29 to $32.50 | All ages | Yes |
| Baker House haunted tour | Thu to Sat, 7 PM | $20 | 13+ | Yes |
| Fall Wine Walk, Lake Geneva | Sun noon to 4 PM | $45 | 21+ | Yes |
Pair it with
- Lake Geneva trick-or-treat, 3 to 6 PM. The timing works if you leave Burlington by 2.
- Dan Patch haunted hayride, 6 to 11 PM, behind the Emagine theater on Highway 120. Last night of the year. Cash only.
- Geneva Lake Distilling Halloween Party with The League of Erics, 5 to 9 PM, free. Tuesday’s live music post has every Halloween set.
- Fall Wine Walk Sunday, noon to 4 downtown, 21 and up. Clocks fall back overnight, so the morning’s easy.
- Burlington’s own community guide if you want to stay for dinner on the Fox River.
Missed it? The City of Burlington’s trick-or-treat still runs 6 to 8 PM that night, and Lake Geneva’s downtown Christmas events start in late November.
Frequently asked questions
When is Burlington Spooky City 2026?
Saturday, October 31, 2026, in downtown Burlington, Wisconsin. Kids’ activities start at 9:30 AM, trick-or-treating at downtown businesses runs 11 AM to noon, the coffin races are noon to 1:30 PM, and the adult Spirit Walk runs 3 to 7 PM.
What time are the Burlington coffin races?
Noon to 1:30 PM on Saturday, October 31, 2026, on Pine Street in downtown Burlington. The noon start includes the parade of teams; the heats and the crowning ceremony follow.
Is Spooky City free?
Yes. Admission, the business trick-or-treat, the hayrides, the fortune teller booth, the costume parade and the music stages are free. Food trucks and the beer tent are on your own.
How far is Burlington from Lake Geneva?
About 30 minutes by car. Take Highway 50 east from Lake Geneva to Highway 36, then north into downtown Burlington. The coffin races end at 1:30 PM, so you can get back for Lake Geneva’s 3 to 6 PM trick-or-treat.
Where do you park for Spooky City in Burlington?
Pine Street is closed for the event, so park in the city lots or on side streets a few blocks west of downtown and walk in. The spots closest to Pine fill by mid-morning.
What time is trick-or-treat in Burlington, Wisconsin in 2026?
The City of Burlington’s door-to-door trick-or-treat is Saturday, October 31, from 6 to 8 PM, after Spooky City. The downtown business trick-or-treat during Spooky City is earlier, 11 AM to noon.
Burlington, 30 minutes from the lake
Burlington is a river town with a working downtown, its own Halloween tradition and about 25 minutes to the Illinois line. Homes there tend to cost less than the Geneva Lake shoreline, and plenty of people split the difference with a place in between.
Kim and Joel Reyenga with eXp Realty are based in Williams Bay and work Burlington too. Read the Burlington Community Guide, or call and ask what’s for sale near downtown.
Kim and Joel Reyenga, eXp Realty, Williams Bay, Wisconsin. About Kim and Joel. Equal Housing Opportunity.
See you at the lake.
