What to Know Before You Go
The Colony’s Family Fright Fest returns on Saturday, October 24, 2026, running from 3 to 7 p.m. at Stewart Creek Park, 3700 Sparks Rd., The Colony, TX 75056. The event is free for Park Annual Pass holders and $15 per vehicle for everyone else — a flat rate that covers the full family regardless of how many kids pile out of the minivan.
This year’s version has been billed as a re-imagined take on the annual tradition, so even residents who attended in previous years can expect some changes to the format and atmosphere.
What’s on the Schedule
The four-hour block packs in a range of activities built for multiple age groups.
Hayrides anchor the evening and give families a chance to take a slow lap through the park while the sun drops and the temperatures — finally — become something a North Texan would call comfortable in late October.
Trick-or-treating runs throughout the event, so arriving on the earlier side of the 3 p.m. open is worth considering if you have young kids who fade fast.
Games and crafts round out the structured programming, giving children something to do between candy runs and costume comparisons.
The costume contest is divided into categories across age groups, meaning a toddler in a dragon suit is not competing against a teenager in a movie-quality horror makeup look. Specific category details and judging times have not been announced, so checking the city’s event page closer to the date is a practical step.
Food trucks will be on-site, which means dinner is handled. No need to feed the family before you leave the house.
Admission and Access
The $15-per-vehicle entry fee applies to anyone who does not hold a Park Annual Pass. That pass is issued through the city’s Parks and Recreation department and covers a household for the calendar year, so for families who use Stewart Creek Park regularly, the math on an annual pass tends to work out quickly.
Park Annual Pass holders enter at no additional charge. If you are unsure whether your pass is current, the Parks and Recreation department can confirm status before the event.
Stewart Creek Park sits at the eastern edge of The Colony near the Lake Lewisville shoreline. Sparks Road provides the primary access point. Parking will fill in as vehicles line up for entry, so arriving close to the 3 p.m. start rather than midway through the evening is advisable if a particular activity — the hayride queue, for instance — is a priority.
A Natural Bridge to the Rest of October
For families looking to stretch the Halloween season across the full month, the city has stacked the calendar with related programming. Spooky Stories and S’mores at Stewart Creek Park runs Friday, October 16, from 6 to 8 p.m., with storytellers from the Dallas Storytellers Guild leading the campfire program. That event is free and open to all ages, and it takes place at the same park, so families already comfortable with the location will find the setup familiar.
Family Fright Fest lands eight days later on the 24th, giving residents two distinct weekend options before Halloween proper arrives.
One More Logistics Note
The city has not announced rain contingency plans publicly as of this writing. Stewart Creek Park is an outdoor venue, and late-October weather in North Texas is generally cooperative but not guaranteed. Monitoring the city’s official channels and the Family Fright Fest event page in the days leading up to October 24 is the most direct way to catch any schedule updates.
For residents who track the city’s programming throughout the year, the Inside The Colony podcast — available on major podcast platforms — regularly features conversations about parks initiatives and seasonal events, and may include advance coverage of Fright Fest details as the date approaches.
