Spooky Season is here in Tucson !
- T. M. Hoy
- Sep 18
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 21
Another year gone by, and the Season of the Dead is upon us !
Tucson, and the Sonoran Desert, comes alive during this liminal time - when the veil grows thin, and boundaries shift with the rising desert winds of autumn.
Here are the 'can't miss' events of the season (for all witches, warlocks, and Pagans, at least), plus a few interesting things you might have missed...
OF COURSE, starting things off, the Annual All Soul's Procession is kicking off on November 7th (the actual parade will be held on Sunday, the 9th).
Surprisingly (considering how often they get mentioned in tourist brochures and City guides!) they are NOT supported in ANY WAY by the City of Tucson, Pima County, or any other governmental org. So PLEASE - visit their website, and contribute a buck or two to help this fantastic and rather macabre Tucson tradition.
No Samhain would be complete without a trip to the Slaughterhouse !
This site IS, in fact, very haunted (several murders have occurred on the site, among other weird happenings over the years), but the folks running the show contribute their own creative and horrifying visions to the mix. Visit it near Grant Rd and the 10 Fwy - if you dare.
NOT for the faint hearted !!! Visit their site for tickets and full info...
A bit more sedate - but still filled with LOTS of interesting seasonal thrills, is the annual 4th Ave Trick or Treat event.
It is always interesting to check out the vendors, and since there are so many incredible local artists and artisans here, the 4th Ave Halloween event is definitely worth a look-see. Here's the site for the details: https://fourthavenue.org/signature-events/halloween/
And we would be doing you a disservice if we didn't mention Nightfall at Old Tucson.
A bit corny, perhaps, but Old Tucson DOES capture something of the Old West vibe, and there is more than a little sinister energy floating around from THOSE violent days !
While not an actual ghost adventure tour, for history buffs this is actually better.
The Presidio San Augustin Museum (the fort est. in 1775 that marked the founding of Tucson by the Spanish) hosts a walking tour through the heart of Tucson, that gives an excellent historical overview of some of the more notorious goings-on in the Ol' Naked Pueblo.
An excellent prelude to an actual ghost tour.
My all-time favorite coven and coffeehouse (members only) - the Celestia Collective, will be hosting a Samhain event - "Reap & Sow", coming on Oct. 31st - Nov. 2nd.
Always a great time - and fantastic people. Drop by and make your Samhain special.
The delightful folks at Mourning Star Curios (our new favorite oddity shop - equal parts witchy fun and macabre humor) are throwing a Halloween bash, with over 30 unique vendors - all local artists and artisans, and a lot of other fun stuff besides. I always love checking out the bizarre and strange things our artistic community here in Tucson creates - and this should be something special !
A great way to spend a lovely autumn Saturday night out.
I'll be adding more things as they come to my prying eyes - and if you have a suggestion, please leave a comment !
Blessed Be !
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