Beware! of the Square, Celina's free Halloween festival, returns Oct. 24 with trick-or-treating, a haunted manor and circus acts built around a Vintage Halloween theme.

The festival runs from 4 to 9 p.m. on the Downtown Square, according to the City of Celina's Life in Celina page. The early start is intentional: younger children and parents can arrive while it's still light, while older kids and adults can hit the haunted manor after dark, the Celina Current reported.

Attractions include a free Kid Zone, more than 60 market vendors and Cirque du Beware, a lineup of balancing acts, juggling and aerial performances scheduled throughout the evening. The festival is connected to the Greater Celina Chamber of Commerce and has drawn families from well beyond city limits in past years, according to the Celina Current.

Pumpkin contest entries due next week

The 4th Annual Pumpkin Carving & Decorating Contest, presented by Sinacola, is accepting entries at Celina City Hall, 142 N. Ohio St. Drop-off runs Monday, Oct. 19, through Thursday, Oct. 22, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Friday Night Market wraps 2026 season

Before the Halloween festival, two Celina Friday Night Market sessions close out the year. The first is Friday, Oct. 9, from 6 to 9 p.m. on the Downtown Square. Admission is free. Oct. 9 falls on a Celina ISD teacher inservice day, so students are off school.

The final market of 2026 lands Nov. 6.

Each market features more than 60 vendors selling homemade, handmade and homegrown goods, plus food trucks and live music on the Rodeo Soccer Club Stage. The City of Celina organizes the monthly series, which traces back to 2014 when founder Michelle Baggett launched it with 12 vendors under the name Celina Ladies & Friends.

"My dream is that we can provide residents with opportunities to purchase locally grown produce and handmade products from local artisans," Baggett said on the market's official page.

The market also carries on a piece of Celina history. Free monthly raffle drawings honor the "Saturdays on the Square" tradition from the 1940s and 1950s, part of the city's Celina150 celebration.

Upcoming community calendar

  • Friday, Oct. 9 — Celina Friday Night Market, 6–9 p.m., Downtown Square
  • Monday, Oct. 19 – Thursday, Oct. 22 — Pumpkin contest drop-off, 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Celina City Hall, 142 N. Ohio St.
  • Oct. 24 — Beware! of the Square, 4–9 p.m., Downtown Celina
  • Nov. 6 — Final Celina Friday Night Market of 2026, 6–9 p.m., Downtown Square