Halloween isn’t until Oct. 31, but Denton is already in the spooky spirit.
Last year, the city hosted its first Denton Halloween, with the North Texas city’s historic downtown transformed into a real-life Halloween town for the entire month of October.
The 31 Days of Denton Halloween brought 660,000 people to the immersive Halloween experience in 2024.
Every day featured a spooky activity for visitors to attend, which included holiday inspired movie screenings, a pumpkin-drop Blocktober party, bar crawls and other free events that took place at over 15 different themed locations around the city.
That success led Denton to pursue an official designation as the Halloween Capital of Texas.
State Rep. Richard Hayes, who is from Denton, filed a resolution in late February to make it a reality.
“With the City of Denton’s own proclamation renaming the city ‘Halloween, Texas’ for the month of October, it’s clear that this is more than a local event— it’s a statewide celebration of culture and creativity," said Hayes in a written statement earlier this year. “I’m honored to carry this resolution forward and ensure that Denton receives the recognition it has earned as Texas’ official Halloween Capital.”
The resolution made it through the Texas House committee for Culture, Recreation and Tourism, and Denton was officially named the Halloween Capital of Texas during the state’s 89th legislative session.
The designation of Halloween Capital of Texas will remain in effect for a 10-year period ending in 2035. It replaces Denton’s prior title as the Redbud Capital.
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