Fall Downtown Fest & Casket Races

Get ready for two days of quirky, spooky and family-friendly Halloween fun at Fall Downtown Fest in downtown Beaver Dam, happening Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31, 2026. From glowing parade entries and costumed runners to witches, creepy dolls and racing caskets flying down South Spring Street, this is not your ordinary fall festival.

The fun begins Friday evening with the Boo, Scoot & Boogie Parade & Dance Party, a light-up Halloween parade where costumes, bikes, wagons, UTVs and even four-legged friends illuminate downtown before the celebration continues with a dance party. Adults 21+ can keep the night going during the Monster Bar Crawl, featuring participating downtown establishments and plenty of Halloween spirit.

On Halloween Day, downtown Beaver Dam transforms into a full day of fall festivities for all ages. Families can enjoy Trick-or-Treating throughout downtown, the Chamber of Mystery, Witches Dance performances, costume contests, Scarecrows on Parade, a vendor market and food trucks, live entertainment, games and other family-friendly activities. The day gets even more delightfully unusual with the Inflatable Costume Races, Creepy Doll Contest and One-Mile Crazy Costume Fun Run.

But the signature event—and the one you won't want to miss—is the Casket Races. Teams bring their creativity, speed and questionable judgment to South Spring Street with homemade, themed racing caskets. Before the competition begins, teams show off their creations during the Grand Procession, then it's time to race. With four pushers, one rider and a crowd lining the street to cheer them on, the Casket Races combine competition, creativity and a healthy dose of dark humor into one unforgettable spectacle.

Whether you're bringing the kids for Halloween fun, gathering your friends for Friday night, or coming just to witness people willingly climb into homemade caskets and race them down a city street, Fall Downtown Fest is a uniquely Beaver Dam way to celebrate Halloween in Wisconsin.