🎃 Austin’s Halloween 2025: Festivities, 6th Street Closures, and a Moment of Reflection
Halloween night is here, and Austin is alive with costumes, lights, music, and the kind of creative energy only this city can deliver. Tonight — Oct. 31, 2025 — also marks a quieter, more sober anniversary: the tenth year since the devastating Onion Creek flood. As Austinites celebrate, many will also pause to remember and reflect.
👻 What’s Happening Around Town
Family-friendly
- Pumpkin Nights at Pioneer Farms — themed pumpkin installations and kid-friendly trails through the evening.
- Trick or Treat on the Trail — a car-free trick-or-treat experience for families (check local parks or event pages for exact locations and times).
- Zoo/Conservatory Halloween events — many local attractions host early-evening, family-focused festivities.
Immersive & seasonal
- Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail — immersive walking experience at a local nature venue; pre-ticketing often required.
- Pumpkin patches & corn mazes — daytime-to-evening seasonal staples in greater Austin.
Nightlife & adults
- East 6th Street & Rainey Street bar events — costume contests, pop-up DJ nights, and themed cocktails.
- Bar crawls & pop‑ups — numerous ticketed crawls and hosted nights; expect closed-door capacity limits at popular venues.
🚧 Downtown: 6th Street Street Closures & What to Expect
Expect:
- Partial closures along East 6th Street and many cross streets within the main entertainment district. Pedestrian corridors will be enforced with barricades and temporary fencing.
Drivers — Keep an eye out for pedestrians. 👁️
— nhtsagov (@NHTSAgov) October 30, 2025
Pedestrians — make sure you're SEEN this Halloween. 🧟 pic.twitter.com/guBjCMFz6Q
- Tow‑away zones for vehicles parked inside designated closures.
- Increased officer presence, temporary concrete barriers, and crowd‑control fencing.
Practical advice:
- Park several blocks away and use rideshare or public transit for the last mile.
- Confirm real‑time closures and detours on the City of Austin’s Special Event Street Closures page before you leave.
Be safe and be seen this Halloween! 🎃
— ATX Transportation and Public Works (@austinmobility) October 30, 2025
👻 Trick-or-treat with a group of friends/family
💡 Plan a route in well-lit areas with sidewalks/crosswalks
🔦 Carry flashlights & wear reflective gear pic.twitter.com/DqSBkrmu8T
One more day until Halloween! Make sure to follow these safety tips when you’re driving to and from your destinations tomorrow night! #Happy Halloween #TrickOrTreat
— Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) October 31, 2025
———-
¡Solo queda un día para Halloween! ¡Asegúrate de seguir estos consejos de seguridad cuando conduzcas… pic.twitter.com/cpseLReWIj
🦇 Halloween Safety Tips
- Keep valuables out of sight in parked cars; towing rises with crowding.
- Carry a flashlight or wear reflective items if you’ll be walking after dark.
- Pace alcohol consumption and never leave drinks unattended.
- Use sidewalks and marked crosswalks — avoid alleys and unlit routes.
- Set a meeting spot/team check‑in time in case phones get spotty.
- If weather turns, avoid creek banks and low‑water crossings.
Free Candy Refills!
🌧 Ten Years Since the Onion Creek Flood — A Quick Reflection
Tonight also marks the 10th anniversary of the 2015 Onion Creek flood — a catastrophic event that crested far above flood stage, destroyed homes, and took lives. Over the past decade, Austin and Travis County invested in mitigation efforts, expanded buy‑out programs for homes in floodplains, and upgraded early‑warning systems.
🕯️ Today marks 10 years since the 2015 Halloween flood in Onion Creek. Together with our partners, City of Austin Government issued a proclamation to honor the lives forever changed by that tragic event. Floods can be devastating to individuals and can reshape whole communities. pic.twitter.com/Xn1jJk6T5f
— Austin Watershed Protection (@AustinWatershed) October 30, 2025
That memory is woven into the city’s approach to public safety: the same intensity that fuels costume creativity also powers community preparedness. Consider adding a small memorial note, community resource links, or contact info for local flood‑preparedness programs in the sidebar.
✅ Quick Checklist
- Confirm event ticketing and capacity limits.
- Check the City of Austin closures page before driving downtown.
- Charge phones and share a meeting point with friends.
- Dress in layers and wear comfortable shoes.
- Keep an eye on the weather radar — Austin storms can arrive quickly.
Ideal Halloween/trick-or-treat forecast, y'all.
— Avery Tomasco (@averytomascowx) October 30, 2025
Super spooky stuff lurking in the woods, watch out for that after Saturday afternoon #atxwx #txwx pic.twitter.com/3bWwMemK5e
What’s your favorite Halloween candy?
Police on Thursday morning arrested a student accused of having a gun on a Pflugerville School District bus.
Two children were taken to a hospital after being hit by a car while walking in a crosswalk in Kyle.
One person died early Thursday in a crash.
#ATXTrafficFatality FINAL Rollover Collision at 3009 Stratford Dr (07:50). 2 vehicle collision with 1 vehicle that rolled into a ravine. #ATCEMSMedics have pronounced an adult patient deceased on scene. No other information available, EMS is no longer on scene. pic.twitter.com/E4TB0xjhtN
— ATCEMS (@ATCEMS) October 30, 2025
A house fire northwest of the city yesterday was safely extinguished.
Austin police are asking for the public’s help locating a suspect involved in the hit-and-run crash involving a pedestrian two weeks ago.
Also, APD is looking for a man who robbed a Dollar General store last week.
Williamson County authorities are looking for a man wanted in connection with the sexual assault of a child.
Travis County officials say the deadline to apply for debris removal assistance is today.
Today is the final day of early voting before Election Day on Tuesday.
Yes, you can. (Austin American-Statesman)
Through Thursday, 10.14% of 904,768 registered voters in Travis County have cast ballots so far. (Travis County Clerk)
This month, I crisscrossed Texas to get out the VOTE!
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 30, 2025
Texans can lower property taxes, make communities safer, empower parents, and secure our elections.
Early voting ends TOMORROW.
Election Day is next Tuesday.
Let’s keep Texas strong—go vote! pic.twitter.com/wYjoMW9l8u
Gov. Greg Abbott has instructed the Texas Rangers to investigate the City of Elgin.
The governor claims there have been serious accusations about the use of taxpayer resources.
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: DAY 31
Austin’s air traffic control tower is operating significantly below its necessary staffing levels, with approximately half the number of controllers recommended by the Federal Aviation Administration and the controllers’ union. This severe shortage has necessitated months of mandatory overtime, requiring controllers to work demanding six-day schedules with rotating shifts. The financial strain escalated this week as the government shutdown, active since October 1st, resulted in these controllers receiving no wages on their latest bi-weekly paychecks. (KUT 90.5)
Several airlines are donating food and wages to those federal workers.
Protecting the heartbeat of America means protecting healthcare for each family – deserving of investment, not indifference. pic.twitter.com/oOVRaHqrMC
— Lloyd Doggett (@RepLloydDoggett) October 30, 2025
Cornyn Sounds Alarm on SNAP Funding Cliff as 3.5M Texans Stand to Lose B… https://t.co/JT5fCyhdwB via @YouTube
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) October 31, 2025
Charities are seeing a wave of clients seeking groceries ahead of today’s suspension of federal food benefits. Waco has a high food insecurity rate already. (Texas Tribune)
A federal judge indicated Thursday she is inclined to take steps to ensure that federal food assistance keeps flowing to 42 million Americans who depend on it. (Texas Public Radio)
PODCAST
As the federal government shutdown stretches past four weeks, its impact is hitting home in Austin. Starting tomorrow, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be paused, leaving many families uncertain about how they’ll put food on the table, and food banks racing to fill the gap. On today’s Friday News Round Up host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by producer Elissa Castles and senior account executive Dan Weinstock to discuss what this means for our community and how Austinites are stepping up to help.
Plus, the team digs into reports of whooping cough spreading at an Austin middle school, why Elon Musk’s company is removing safety crews from its Robotaxis, and of course our weekend plans.
Austin Fire and Travis County Fire Rescue have increased staffing levels as they closely monitor weather patterns, with conditions deemed ripe for potential wildfires.
WEATHER
THURSDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
A raw look at the devastation following Hurricane Melissa‘s catastrophic assault on the island of Jamaica.
While the U.S. Department of Agriculture is cutting funding for the food assistance program SNAP on November 1, the Texas Department of Agriculture said Wednesday funding for school meals will continue. (Texas Public Radio)
Texas health care premiums may skyrocket next year.
Local residents are suing the City of Dallas for enforcing 89 ordinances that the city itself admitted are in violation of the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act and the Texas Constitution. (Texas Scorecard)
Houston has a $330 million budget shortfall. Meanwhile, Austin is hoping to add more city services through Proposition Q without pulling from reserves or going into what had originally been projected as a $33.4 million deficit. (Texas Standard)
Just over a year after Phil McGraw left his long-running CBS show to launch his own venture, Merit Street Media is officially collapsing.
A U.S. bankruptcy judge ordered the company’s case to be converted to Chapter 7 liquidation on Tuesday. This means McGraw must now sell off the network’s assets to satisfy his creditors. One of the most eager creditors waiting to get paid is the Professional Bull Riders of America.
The LGBTQ+ Advisory Board and the City of San Antonio are gearing up for a fight to save the Rainbow Crosswalk.
With 17 constitutional amendments on the ballot next week, state officials are reminding Texans what to expect at the polls. We’ll talk with the Texas Secretary of State’s Office about dos and don’ts while voting.
Both Austin and Houston are facing financial strain, but their solutions couldn’t be more different: One wants to raise taxes, while the other wants to hold the line.
Austin DJ Laurie Gallardo, host of the podcast “SPF 1000: Vampire Sunscreen,” discusses Latinx goth culture, its roots in border life and the darker side of music and identity.
(Episode from October 30, 2025)
Gateway Church founder Robert Morris, who started his career in Longview is now asking a court to dismiss him from a civil suit.
H-E-B says one of the glow-up bracelet sticks sold in a 12-pack should not be used and returned by customers for a full refund.
SPORTS
THURSDAY NIGHT SCORES
Anderson 56, Lockhart 22
Hutto 35, Vista Ridge 34
Travis 52, Northeast 7
LASA 6, San Antonio Cornerstone 62
NBA: The San Antonio Spurs remain undefeated.
WWWWW@FrostBank | #sponsored pic.twitter.com/tuZFjwklzz
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 31, 2025
San Antonio center Victor Wembanyama released years of frustration for this storied franchise with a fiery scream after the Spurs held on to beat the Miami Heat on Thursday night
San Antonio defeated Miami 107-101 and set a franchise record by opening the season 5-0. (Yahoo! Sports)
ON THE SCHEDULE
San Antonio, Dallas and Houston are all off tonight.
On to Saturday. pic.twitter.com/hvUxc4UTMo
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) October 31, 2025
NHL: Anthony Cirelli scored 2:36 into overtime to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to their fourth straight win, 2-1 over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night. (Yahoo! Sports)
The Stars have tonight off.
The Longhorns return home tomorrow. It’s been a while.
Been a long 42 days 🤘 pic.twitter.com/5QxF2oE0qV
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 31, 2025
Texas Football HEALTHY For Top 10 Vanderbilt? | LIVE | 10/31/25
BOO!
Think Austin is just live music and BBQ? Think again. Beneath the city’s funky charm and food trucks lies a chilling underworld of ghosts, legends, and downright creepy encounters. In this video, we explore the most haunted places in Austin—from the Driskill Hotel where spirits check in but don’t check out, to abandoned schools and ghostly saloons where the past refuses to stay buried.
