Two addresses on Highland Avenue carry most of October in the Eau Gallie Arts District. One is the Rossetter House Museum at 1320 Highland Ave., where hayrides load and costumes get judged. The other is Verdi EcoSchool at 1851 Highland Ave., an urban farm campus that becomes a horror set after dark this month.
The calendar is spread across a few websites, but much of the money goes to the same places. The scary ticket, the gentle ticket and the hayride ticket are all sold through Verdi EcoSchool's events page. The biggest brewery event of the fall, a month later, benefits the Eau Gallie Rotary Club. On most nights this season, a ticket in EGAD also counts as a donation to a neighborhood group.
The Dark Garden, and the Name on the Poster
The Dark Garden: Undergrowth is an immersive, interactive horror experience for ages 18 and up. It runs in seven sessions from Oct. 9 through Oct. 30, each from 7 to 10 p.m. The EGAD calendar lists Oct. 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24 and 30, so five evenings are left after tonight.
The listing names the venue as "Thornfield Nursery, 1851 Highland Avenue." Don't look for a plant nursery by that name. Thornfield Nursery is the abandoned site in the show's storyline, and you play an "EGAD Agent" sent in to investigate a spreading infection. The address belongs to Verdi EcoSchool, and that is where you go.
According to the ticket page on Zeffy, Mystery Club HQ produces the experience and proceeds go to Verdi EcoSchool, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Households with younger children or less tolerance for scares can book a second version on the same grounds:
| The Dark Garden: Undergrowth | The NOT SO SCARY Dark Garden: Undergrowth | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Ages 18 and up | Families; creepy, but no jump scares |
| Remaining dates | Oct. 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 | Oct. 16 and Oct. 24 |
| Hours | 7 to 10 p.m. | Oct. 16, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; Oct. 24, 5 to 6 p.m. |
| Ticket | $25, plus a $0.63 service fee | $10, plus a $0.25 service fee |
The family version's ticket listing doesn't give a minimum age. Verdi's own description calls it "a ton of not-too-scary fun for the whole family." You can buy either ticket on Verdi EcoSchool's events page.
The Oct. 24 family session is the one that ties into the district's main Halloween night.
Saturday, Oct. 24, Hour by Hour
Halloween in the District is on Saturday, Oct. 24, and most of the evening takes place on Highland Avenue. Space Coast Living's event listing gives this order:
- 4 to 5:30 p.m. Kids trick-or-treat at shops around EGAD.
- 5 to 6 p.m. The Not So Scary Dark Garden at Verdi EcoSchool, 1851 Highland Ave.
- 6 to 7 p.m. The costume contest at Rossetter House, with prizes in three categories: Most Creative, Best Individual, and Best Family or Group.
- Through 8 p.m. Hayrides leave from Rossetter House Museum, 1320 Highland Ave., and loop through the district.
- 7 to 10 p.m. The 18+ Dark Garden session at Verdi EcoSchool for older guests.
Hot apple cider, popcorn and dye-free cotton candy will be served throughout the evening. The listings don't give prize amounts for the costume contest.
Sources list different start times. Verdi's hayride page and Space Coast Living both say 4 p.m. The EGAD calendar lists 4:30 to 8 p.m. and gives Eau Gallie Square Park as the event location. If you're planning around trick-or-treating, count on the 4 p.m. start, since that block is listed as 4 to 5:30. Expect the costume contest and hayrides to be centered at Rossetter House, not the square.
The EGAD listing also mentions a shuttle to "some of the District's haunted attractions." The 2026 listings don't name its stops. The district's own Halloween page still shows last year's merchant route, so check with the organizers before treating it as this year's map.
The $7 Hayride Comes With Paperwork
The hayride is the part of the night most likely to sell out ahead of time. Verdi EcoSchool sells it as the "Spooky District Hayride," listed as a hayride and cemetery tour, for $7. The listing promises "some spooky history" and lists the Rossetter House Museum Office, 1320 Highland Ave., as the meeting point.
The listing sets two rules. A parent or guardian has to sign a waiver for any rider under 18, and everyone stays seated until a volunteer says it's time to get off. With a group of kids, sign the waiver before you get in line.
Hayride tickets, both Dark Garden tickets and the RSVP for the evening all go through Verdi's events page. So the school's campus works as the box office for Halloween in the District as well as a venue.
Verdi's Campus in Daylight
The farm has a daytime side that the haunted listings leave out. On Friday, Oct. 23, from 10 a.m. to noon, Verdi EcoSchool holds a General Store day on the 1851–1861 Highland Ave. campus. The calendar says the store sells fruit, vegetables and herbs grown on the urban farm, which it calls "BEYOND organic," along with handmade pottery and vintage clothes.
That morning falls between two Dark Garden nights, so the same grounds host a produce sale on Friday morning and a horror experience that evening. Pottery from that morning would make a good host gift if you're heading to a Halloween party on the 24th.
Intracoastal Brewing Company's Half of the Month
Intracoastal Brewing Company runs a separate October calendar that fits around the district's plans. Its events page lists:
- Intracoastal Night Market, Saturday, Oct. 17, 5 to 10 p.m. More than 20 vendors and live music.
- Mini Music Fest, Saturday, Oct. 24. It's on the same day as Halloween in the District, which helps if some of your group wants to skip the costumes.
- Fall Honey & Beer Pairing with LKC Honey, Sunday, Oct. 25. A ticketed, six-course pairing.
- Halloween Family Fun Night, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 4 to 8 p.m. Free and open to all ages, with wildlife education stations, free face painting, a balloon artist and a mini-market.
- Halloween at Intra, Saturday, Oct. 31, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Live music, plus a free, all-ages dog costume contest at 2 p.m. Categories are Best Single Dog, Best Dog Group, and Best Owner/Dog Combo.
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year. The last Dark Garden session is the night before, on Friday, Oct. 30, so the brewery's afternoon contest is the main dog-friendly event on Halloween itself. The Tuesday family night is useful for parents who want a costume outing before the weekend.
The brewery also has weekly events that continue after Halloween. The Intra Run Club meets every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in fall and winter, for a 1-mile or 3-mile run. Monday Night Trivia starts at 7 p.m.
Where the Season Leads in November
The pattern of local events paying for local groups continues after October. On Saturday, Nov. 14, from 1 to 5 p.m., the Rocky Water Brew Fest returns for its 12th year. The Eau Gallie Rotary Club and Intracoastal Brewing Company host it together. A ticket covers unlimited 2 to 4 oz. tastings from about 40 breweries around Florida and a commemorative glass, and local food trucks sell food on site.
All proceeds go to the Eau Gallie Rotary Club for charitable projects, locally and abroad. Tickets are sold at rockywaterbrewfest.com, in the Intracoastal taproom, and at Playalinda Brewing Company. The Rotary club meets every Tuesday from noon to 1:30 p.m., and the EGAD calendar lists those meetings alongside the Halloween events.
The district's regular evening comes back too. The First Friday Art Walk starts at 5:30 p.m. and includes gallery openings, performances and interactive installations. EGAD hasn't posted a November date yet, but under the monthly pattern it would fall on the first Friday of November.
Before You Head Out
Event details can change, especially for outdoor evenings in October. Two pages carry the most current information: the EGAD calendar, which also includes events from other organizations, and Verdi EcoSchool's events page, which sells the tickets. For the 18+ show, Verdi's listing calls the ticket your "agent clearance." It sold for $25 at last check.
Laura has lived on the Space Coast for more than 45 years, and Highland Avenue in October is one of the stretches she knows best. If friends or family are thinking about a move here and want to see the Eau Gallie Arts District on a busy Saturday, Laura Dowling Roy is happy to show them around. Let's Connect.
