Ijams Enchanted Forest 2026: A Gentle, Grade-A Halloween Night for the Under-12 Set
Hallo-Week runs October 21-28 at Ijams Nature Center in South Knoxville, and the night most families circle on the calendar is the Enchanted Forest on Sunday, October 25.
From 3-8 PM that day, the Nature Playscape at the Grayson Subaru Preserve (off Meads Quarry) turns into a candlelit trick-or-treat trail. The kids come in costume and work their way through seasonal crafts, games, and little candy stops scattered through the woods. Along the way they meet Ijams' Animal Ambassadors — owls, snakes, turtles, and the rest of the rescue crew — which is the part my crew always talks about on the drive home.
A few things worth knowing before you go:
Tickets are timed entry, and they sell out. Ijams has been clear that walk-up tickets are not available — you pick a time slot and book ahead. Last year the Enchanted Forest sold out well before the date, so if this is on your list, grab tickets as soon as they go on sale rather than waiting.
It's aimed at the not-too-scary end of Halloween. This is a friendly, family kind of event — costumes encouraged, crafts and games rather than jump-scares. It suits kids who are into the holiday but not ready for a haunted house.
The rest of Hallo-Week is mostly grownup-hours. The other nights skew evening and older: a spooky poetry slam Oct 21, a bat-house celebration Oct 22, haunted-history night hikes Oct 23, spooky trivia Oct 24, scary-story night, a night bike ride, and Ijams After Dark with the bug lights. They're fun, but the Enchanted Forest is the one built for the under-12 set.
It's a short drive from Maryville. Ijams is about 25-30 minutes up 129 into South Knoxville, at 2915 Island Home Avenue. Parking fills up fast for big event nights, so plan to arrive a little early.
If the Enchanted Forest sells out before you get to it, the free playground and quarry trails at Ijams are open all day anyway — we've turned worse disappointments into a good afternoon of climbing rocks and watching turtles. But honestly, this one is worth booking. It's one of the more unusual Halloween options we've got in the area, and the kids remember it for years.
Before you go: confirm exact ticket timing and prices on the Ijams website (ijams.org) — they update the event page as the date gets closer.