Last year, Hillsborough's ghost-story performance ran on a Saturday afternoon nearly two weeks before Halloween. This year it runs on Friday, October 30, the same evening as the downtown trick-or-treat, the police Trunk or Treat and the last Makers Market of the season. In past years, downtown Halloween was spread across separate dates. In 2026 it fits into about seven hours along a few blocks of Churton and King streets, and several of those events overlap.
What moved, and how far
For years, the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough ran the Spirits Tours, with ghost performances by the Orange Community Players. The last one on record was a 75-minute walking tour of downtown and the historic areas on October 18, 2024.
In 2025 the same partners replaced the walking tour with The Haunting Hour, a set of storytelling performances at historic Hughes Academy. That first year it had a Saturday of its own, October 18, 2025. Shows ran at 2, 3:30, 5, 6:30 and 8 p.m., and a free mini Fall Celebration ran at the Hillsborough Visitor Center from 1 to 8 p.m.
The 2026 version uses the same description word for word, including the line about the old tours:
"We've buried the old format, now join us for an immersive evening of storytelling, where ghostly tales and eerie legends unfold around you in a spine-tingling performance at the historic Hughes Academy."
The schedule is what changed. The afternoon shows are gone, the standalone Fall Celebration is gone, and the Alliance now lists the event as taking place "During the Hillsborough Art's Council's Last Fridays." Promotional copy still calls it "brand-new." In fact, 2026 is its second year, with a new date and a later schedule.
The evening, in order
This is how the published schedules stack up on October 30:
- 3 to 5 p.m.: Hillsborough Merchants Association Trick-or-Treat. Downtown businesses hand out candy along the business district.
- 4 to 6 p.m.: Hillsborough Police Department Trunk or Treat, in the parking lot behind the police department at 127 N. Churton St. Leashed, well-behaved pets are welcome. The department started the event in 2017 as an alternative to walking dark streets.
- 5 p.m.: First Haunting Hour performance at Hughes Academy. Later shows start at 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m.
- 5 p.m. onward: Tales from the Grave, a moonlit add-on walk through St. Matthew's Episcopal Church graveyard with extra performances.
- 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Last Fridays & the Art Walk on the North Lawn of the Old Orange County Courthouse. Expect live performances, the final Makers Market of the season, community groups, a Halloween craft table and a free paint-your-own-pumpkin activity while supplies last. Costumes are encouraged.
Where the windows pinch
The 5 o'clock hour is the tight spot. Trick-or-treat ends at 5, the Trunk or Treat runs until 6, the first Haunting Hour show starts at 5, and the courthouse lawn opens at 5:30.
Sunset timing adds another layer for families with young kids. The ticket page notes that the 5 and 6 p.m. performances are more child-friendly because they happen before sunset. Each performance is listed as an hour long, so a 5 p.m. show ends at about the time the Trunk or Treat lot closes. A household that wants a before-sunset show, candy from the merchants and the Trunk or Treat can do all three only by starting downtown at 3 and saving the Haunting Hour for 5 or 6. Otherwise, something gets dropped.
The late end of the night is less crowded but has its own quirk. The Alliance lists the event as running from 5 to 9 p.m., yet the last performance starts at 9 and the ticket page describes each show as an hour long. The 9 p.m. show will likely run until about 10, well after Last Fridays has packed up at 8:30.
The graveyard walk has two different published windows. The Alliance's event page gives Tales from the Grave as 5 to 8:30 p.m. The ticket page says slots are assigned when you arrive and run every 30 minutes from 5 to 9. If the graveyard is your priority, the earlier closing time is the safer one to plan around.
What the night costs
Last Fridays has no admission, no wristband and no VIP section, and the paint-your-own-pumpkin table is free while supplies last. The ticketed part of the night is The Haunting Hour and its Tales from the Grave add-on, and the price depends on which page you read.
| Ticket | Alliance event page | Zeffy checkout |
|---|---|---|
| Haunting Hour, general admission | $20 | $21.50, tax-inclusive |
| Haunting Hour, ages 5 to 12 | $10 | $10.75 |
| Tales from the Grave add-on | $10 | $10.75 |
The Alliance page lists the base prices, while Zeffy shows what you actually pay at checkout. An adult with the graveyard add-on comes to $32.25 through Zeffy.
Finding Hughes Academy, and where to park
According to the Alliance's own educational materials, Hughes Academy sits behind the Orange County Board of Education building at 200 E. King St. The ticket listing gives 150 E. King St., and the Alliance's event listing identifies that address as the Hillsborough Visitor Center. The two addresses are on the same stretch of East King, but your ticket confirmation should say which entrance to use.
As of early October, the Town had not posted an October 30 road-closure notice or any event-specific parking plan. Visit Hillsborough says an updated trick-or-treat map and schedule are still coming. Last year's merchant map is from 2024 and shouldn't be used for 2026. For now, the Town's standing downtown parking options are the Eno River Parking Deck, the Mayo Park Lot, the West King Street Lot and on-street spaces. With every event happening on the same evening, they will all fill on the same evening.
The museum on the same blocks
The Orange County Historical Museum at 201 N. Churton St. is on the same downtown stretch as the courthouse lawn and the police department lot. Its 2026 special exhibit, "United We Stand, Divided We Fall: Unity and Division in Orange County History," runs April through December. It looks at six themes, including commerce, service, learning and the arts.
The Haunting Hour's stories come from the same local history the museum collects. The exhibit is open through year's end, so it's a calmer way to cover that ground on a weekday after the Halloween crowds have gone.
The Friday also closes a season
October 30 is the end of the outdoor season, too. The Local Reporter's spring profile of Last Fridays noted that the Live on the Lawn Performance Series runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. May through October. October 30 was the last date on the 2026 list. In that piece, Hillsborough Arts Council executive director Heather Tatreau said she loves "to see the rhythm of the night."
The same article lists downtown spots that stay open around the art walk, including Nomad, Antonia's, Wooden Nickel, Serratore's Pizza, Saratoga Grill and Weaver Street Market, plus Rookery Bar and Yonder for later in the evening. For dessert it names the Town Scoop, Matthew's Chocolates and Whitt's Frozen Custard.
A few other dates sit around the 30th:
- Saturday, October 24: The River Park Concert at River Park, 140 E. Margaret Lane. The Town approved the event permit for noon to 8 p.m. One newspaper listing gives October 25, but the Town and the organizer, Triangle Music Alliance, both say the 24th.
- Every Saturday in October: Firefly Farms runs The Witch's Haunted Barn & Pumpkin Patch from noon to 7 p.m., rain or shine.
- Saturday, November 7: The new Hillsborough Harvest Festival on the Burwell School grounds, with music, local food vendors and makers.
- April 17, 2027: The next Hillsborough Handmade Parade, according to the Hillsborough Arts Council.
So the October 30 evening is also the last Makers Market, the last Live on the Lawn set and the only Haunting Hour of the year. Anyone who misses it will have to wait for the Harvest Festival on November 7.
We manage homes and help clients buy and sell around downtown Hillsborough, and we keep track of how the town's calendar changes from year to year. If you're thinking about a move to Orange County, or about renting out a home near Churton Street, Agile Property Management is glad to start a conversation.
