An eerie aura settles over Denton, Texas, in October, turning its town square into a destination that attracts Halloween lovers from around the world. With more than 300 special events, delightfully spooky décor, and haunting art installations, 31 Days of Denton Halloween promises hair-raising fun for the whole family. In only its second year, the month-long celebration is wildly popular, leading state legislators to declare Denton the Halloween Capital of Texas.
“You can’t go to another place and have a similar experience,” says Dustin Sternbeck, the city of Denton’s chief communications officer. “We’ve commissioned many local artists to build unique elements that you can’t buy off store shelves, so that you won’t see these things anywhere else.” Plus, almost everything is free.
Eye-catching elements include a mad scientist, goggles glowing and mouth open wide, at the entrance to The MAZE, where guests explore a myriad of computer consoles and bump into 7-foot-tall mind-control rats, all created by a local artist.
The Garden of Villains pays homage to classic Scooby-Doo monsters, each created by a local costume designer and installed along a park path for a spooky stroll, and artists of all ages and skill levels contributed to the Scary Chairy Orchard at city hall, a collection of chairs, each individually decorated and donated for a whimsical tour.
One of the most popular art installations is the Haunted Hotlines—old-school phone booths “hidden” around the town square, decorated and designed to tell spooky stories. Those who dare to step inside can watch a short video and then pick up the receiver to hear a chilling message.
Origin Story
The idea for 31 Days of Halloween originated in late 2023 during a discussion about Christmas decorations on the town square. Noting another North Texas city long ago “cornered the market on Christmas,” Sternbeck says city officials realized there “was probably a better fit” for their community, known for being “North of Ordinary.”…