Today, Thursday, October 22, from 4 to 6 p.m., the Bond Park Boathouse at 190 Bond Park Drive takes carved pumpkins for Friday's Pumpkin Flotilla. On Friday evening those jack-o'-lanterns float across Bond Park Lake while people watch from the shoreline, and the Town says they are usually left on the water and relit Saturday night.
That relighting does more for planning the week than it first seems to. Cary's Halloween calendar is split between two parks. Bond Park keeps one continuous evening going around its lake on both Friday and Saturday. Downtown Cary Park and The Cary Theater run the film side of the week, from a zombie short-film contest on the Great Lawn to the annual Rocky Horror Movie Party on Chatham Street. If you choose a park first, the rest of the week mostly sorts itself out.
Today's Drop-Off Has Rules, and They Are Specific
The flotilla only works because residents bring the pumpkins. The Town supplies the light and the floating device. Everything else comes from home, and pumpkins that don't meet the guidelines go to decorate the waterfront instead of the lake. Before you head to the boathouse, check the Town's list:
- Size. About the size of a soccer ball and around eight pounds after carving. Mini and extra-large pumpkins can't go on the flotilla.
- Prep at home. Gut and carve it before you arrive, and bring the lid. Pumpkins attach through the base.
- Nothing artificial. Paint, glitter, marker, food dye, paper, plastic, light bulbs, candles and personal floats all rule a pumpkin out.
- Timing. Drop-off runs from 4 to 6 p.m. The number of floats is limited and they go first-come, first-served.
- It stays. The Town keeps contributed pumpkins and does not return them.
Rule three is the one that catches people. A carving that looks finished on the kitchen counter with a tea light inside gets turned away for that tea light. The Town lights every pumpkin on the lake itself.
Friday: Bond Park Stays Busy From Late Afternoon to Late Evening
The flotilla runs Friday, October 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. While everyone waits for sunset there is live music, food trucks and boat rentals. Rentals run from 4 to 6:15 p.m., and the last boat goes out at 5:45. The Town describes this as Cary's only pumpkin flotilla. The Town's page has a route map with viewing areas around the lake.
The evening continues once the pumpkins are on the water. At 7 p.m., when the flotilla ends, the Haunted Walk opens at the Bond Park Challenge Course, 801 High House Road, and runs until 10:30. The Cary Teen Council plans and runs it. Admission is $5 a person and free for children five and under. Tickets are sold onsite only, by cash or card, starting at 6:30 p.m., and light concessions are available.
Downtown has its own Friday program. Here is how the two parks' schedules line up:
| Friday, Oct. 23 | Bond Park | Downtown Cary Park |
|---|---|---|
| 4:00 p.m. | Boat rentals open | |
| 5:00 p.m. | Flotilla begins, with music and food trucks | |
| 6:00 p.m. | Zombie-themed activities begin | |
| 6:30 p.m. | Haunted Walk tickets go on sale | |
| 7:00 p.m. | Flotilla ends; Haunted Walk opens | Costume and Brain Eating Contest registration opens |
| 7:30 p.m. | Kids Costume Contest | |
| 8:00 p.m. | Zombiepalooza short films | |
| 8:30 p.m. | Zombie Musical Chairs | |
| 8:45 p.m. | Audience Award for Best Zombie Short | |
| 10:30 p.m. | Haunted Walk closes |
Zombiepalooza is The Cary Theater's 11th annual zombie short-film competition. It is free and held on the Great Lawn at Downtown Cary Park, and Triangle-area filmmakers and residents were invited to submit. The kids' costume contest, for ages 17 and under, is new this year. Spots are limited and registration is required, first-come, first-served. If the weather turns, everything moves indoors to The Cary Theater. The Cary's October page says this year's zombies are "playing sports."
Look at the timing. The flotilla ends at 7 and the short films start at 8, so you can watch the pumpkins at dusk and still be on the Great Lawn for the films. Families who want to stay in one place can do the same at Bond Park by going from the shoreline straight to the Haunted Walk.
Saturday: Two Hotels, and a Second Look at the Lake
On Saturday the split is sharper, and hotels show up twice.
Downtown, Downtown Scary Park: Haunted Hotel runs from 2 to 10:30 p.m. The Family Pumpkin Carve is on Frantz Square Lawn from 2 to 6 p.m., with pumpkins for sale while they last. Pre-movie activities run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Academy Plaza and the Gathering House. Then the Great Lawn Pavilion hosts a hotel-themed double feature: The Haunted Mansion at 7:30 and Poltergeist at 9:30, both rated PG. The activities are open to the public and suitable for all ages, and you can bring your own food. Visit Raleigh lists admission as free.
The second hotel is at Page-Walker Arts & History Center, 119 Ambassador Loop, where the Cary Players present Haunting at the Old Hotel. Ghosts and storytellers recreate eerie local legends with historic intrigue and humor. Tickets are $20, there are shows at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., the recommended age is 11 and up, and light refreshments follow. Its older audience sits well against the all-ages double feature on the Great Lawn.
Saturday is also the better night at Bond Park for anyone who missed Friday. The Haunted Walk is back from 7 to 10:30 p.m. with the same $5 onsite tickets. If the Town follows its usual practice, the flotilla pumpkins will be relit as a stationary display you can view from the Bond Park Boathouse waterfront. Saturday at Bond Park means no crowd along the shoreline, the same jack-o'-lanterns, and a haunted walk afterward.
The Cary Theater Covers the Rest of the Week
On weeknights the film side moves indoors. The Cary Theater at 122 E. Chatham Street is running a horror-comedy series this month that starts on drop-off day:
- Thursday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m.: Shaun of the Dead, rated R, introduced by host Glen Haley.
- Saturday, Oct. 24, 1 p.m.: The 'Burbs, rated PG. It's the family-friendly matinee, and it starts an hour before the pumpkin carve opens at Downtown Cary Park.
- Wednesday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m.: The Spider Labyrinth, not rated. Cult-film historian Dr. Will Dodson introduces it and stays for a talk after the film.
- Thursday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m.: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, rated R.
- Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30 and 31, 8 p.m.: the theater's annual Rocky Horror Picture Show Movie Party, rated R.
For Rocky Horror, the theater hands out prop bags and doesn't allow outside props. Film seating is general admission. Tickets bought online or by phone through Etix carry a $2-per-ticket convenience fee, which you avoid by buying in person at the box office. If you live close enough to walk to Chatham Street, the box office is the cheaper way to get your tickets.
Monday Changes the Mood on the Great Lawn
Two days after the double feature, the Great Lawn Pavilion hosts a very different evening. The Downtown Cary Park Diwali Celebration runs Monday, October 26, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at 327 S. Academy Street. Admission is free. Councilmember Sarika Bansal opens with remarks. Ishana Dance Co, Dhol Tasha and Leela Dance Co perform, and DJ Rang plays before and after the show. The event is open to the public and suitable for all ages.
It is Cary's second Diwali celebration of the month. Hum Sub Diwali was held at Koka Booth Amphitheatre on October 10. Hum Sub, Inc. presents it with support from the Town and the United Arts Council. Monday's celebration is a smaller evening that fits in after work.
After Halloween, the Lights Move to Symphony Lake
Bond Park's pumpkins are one evening on the water. The next lake display lasts most of the winter. The NC Chinese Lantern Festival returns to Koka Booth Amphitheatre, 8003 Regency Parkway, for its eleventh year, from November 21, 2026, through January 10, 2027. Chinese artisans have made all-new lantern displays, and there are cultural performances on the main stage every night. Normal hours are 6 to 10 p.m. daily, and it's closed Christmas Day. The Twilight Session opens the gates at 4:30 p.m. for golden-hour light and smaller crowds. Availability is limited and discounts don't apply. On December 1, a Sensory-Friendly Night offers lower-volume music, reduced attendance, no strobe or flashing lights, and a designated Quiet Area. Sunday-through-Thursday discounts for military, seniors 55 and up, and college students don't apply on Fridays, Saturdays or holidays.
For today's drop-off, the deadline is 6 p.m. at the Bond Park Boathouse, and the pumpkin should be gutted, lidded and free of candles.
At Hodge & Kittrell Sotheby's International Realty, we've spent decades watching Cary's seasons come and go, from the lake at Bond Park to the lawn on Academy Street. If this week has you wondering what your own home near either park is worth, we'd be glad to help. Request Your Instant Home Valuation.
