Theme parks

Cedar Point HalloWeekends 2026: A Day-Trip Guide from Youngstown

HalloWeekends runs on select days through Nov. 1, 2026. Here's how far Cedar Point is from the Valley, what's different by day and by night, and the season-pass deadline to know about.

Updated · 2 min read · By the Valley Weekender team

Millennium Force roller coaster towering over the trees at Cedar Point
Millennium Force, Cedar Point, Sandusky · Photo: Coasterman1234, CC BY-SA 3.0
On this page
  1. Fun by day, fright by night
  2. Making the trip from the Valley
  3. Is a season pass worth it?
  4. Closer alternative

Cedar Point's HalloWeekends, presented by Snickers, is the biggest Halloween event in Ohio and one of the best reasons to make the drive to Sandusky in the fall. The 2026 run is in its final stretch: it runs on select days and nights from Sept. 17 through Nov. 1, 2026.

Need to know
  • Dates: Select days and nights, Sept. 17–Nov. 1, 2026. It isn't open every day, so check the official calendar before you leave.
  • Drive from Youngstown: About 124 miles, roughly 2½ hours, mostly via the Ohio Turnpike (I-80/I-90).
  • Season: The 29th season of HalloWeekends.
  • Pass deadline: Cedar Point says Gold Pass prices go up on Nov. 2. The pass covers the rest of this season and all of 2027, plus free parking.

Fun by day, fright by night

HalloWeekends is really two events in one park:

  • Daytime ("Fun Without the Fear"): family-friendly Halloween attractions, shows, seasonal food and drinks, and activities for little kids. If your kids are under 10, this is the part to plan around.
  • After dark ("Fear After Dark"): haunted mazes, scare zones and monsters roaming the midways across the 364-acre peninsula. Haunted attractions may need add-on tickets, so check the HalloWeekends add-ons page.

Making the trip from the Valley

  • Leave early. With a 2½-hour drive each way, families doing just the daytime event should aim to arrive at opening.
  • Staying for the haunts? You'll be driving home late. Cedar Point's own hotels (including Hotel Breakers and Castaway Bay) and Sandusky hotels are an option for a two-day trip.
  • Dress warmly. Lake Erie wind makes the peninsula noticeably colder than Youngstown after sunset.
  • Check scheduled ride closures. Cedar Point posts them on its website, and some coasters may not run in high wind or cold.

Is a season pass worth it?

If you'll go more than once next year, maybe. Cedar Point is promoting its Gold Pass, good for the rest of 2026 and all of 2027 with free parking, and says the price goes up on Nov. 2. Prices change during sales, so compare the current pass and daily-ticket prices on cedarpoint.com before you buy.

Closer alternative

Kennywood near Pittsburgh is about 50 miles closer and runs Phantom Fall Fest through Nov. 1. Read our Kennywood guide, or see the full list of haunts near Youngstown.

Keep exploring

All guides