Carved pumpkins, QR-code voting, and a pedestrian street that looks like a small-town Halloween movie — just up the Foley Beach Express from the sand.
Hey locals and beach dreamers! Downtown OWA is rolling out its first-ever Pumpkins on Parade beginning Thursday, October 1, 2026. Local businesses turn ordinary pumpkins into one-of-a-kind displays that show off their brand, personality, or industry. You stroll the pedestrian streets, scan the QR codes, and vote for your favorite. The winner is OWA’s first Pumpkins on Parade Champion.
Admission is free. The displays run through October as a month-long community competition — not a one-night pop-up. Official details live at visitowa.com/pumpkins-on-parade and on the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach calendar at gulfshores.com.
OWA Parks & Resort sits in Foley at 101-N South OWA Blvd., Foley, AL 36535 — northwest corner of the Foley Beach Express and County Road 20. Downtown OWA is open seven days a week and is outside the ticketed Tropic Falls gates, so you can walk the pumpkin trail without buying a park ticket. Parking on site is complimentary.
How Pumpkins on Parade Works
- When: Displays begin October 1 and stay up through the Halloween season.
- Where: Pedestrian-only streets of Downtown OWA in Foley.
- Cost: Free to walk, look, photograph, and vote.
- Voting: Scan the QR codes posted with each pumpkin and pick your favorite. Every vote counts toward the champion title.
- Who carved them: Local businesses. If a shop wants in, OWA asks them to email the events team through visitowa.com.
Make a Night of It — Halloween at OWA 2026
Pumpkins on Parade is the backdrop. The rest of October at Downtown OWA fills in around it. Confirm nights and hours on visitowa.com/halloween-at-owa before you drive, because some events are weekends-only.
- Oktoberfest — Saturday, October 4. German-inspired food, games, and brews.
- Howl-O-Ween — Saturday, October 11, about 2:00–8:00 p.m. A Halloween celebration for dogs, plus kids’ games at the splashpad and alcoves.
- Monster Bash — Saturday, October 25. Costume energy, kids’ activities, and downtown trick-or-treat stations.
- Little Creatures’ Ball — Thursday, October 30. A dress-up evening aimed at kids.
- Candy Crawl — Friday, October 31. Downtown shops hand out candy on a car-free street. Live music and entertainment typically run with it.
- Wag-O-Ween — Friday, October 31. Pet costume contest and a Halloween dog parade. Sign-up for furry friends is about $10.
- Primal Fear — select nights September 25 through October 31. Ticketed haunted attraction in Downtown OWA, about $15–$35 depending on the night. Optional zombie laser tag add-on about $7. Not for little kids.
Tropic Falls (the theme park and indoor water park) is separate and ticketed. Downtown dining, shopping, the fountain, and the pumpkin trail are the free layer most families actually use on a weeknight.
Other October Dates Worth Parking on the Calendar
If you are already in town for pumpkins, these sit on the same fall calendar:
- Saturday, October 17 — City of Gulf Shores Haunted Hustle at Gulf Place Town Green and Public Beach. 5K, Wicked Walk costume parade, Monster Dash on the sand. Festivities start around 4:00 p.m.
- Saturday, October 24 — Trek or Treat at Gulf State Park.
- Thursday, October 30 — Treats on the Trail at Gulf State Park (candy on the paved trails; strollers and wagons work).
Why a Foley Pumpkin Walk Matters for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Real Estate
OWA is not on the sand. That is the point.
Foley sits about 15–20 minutes north of Gulf Place and The Wharf. Visitors who come for the beach still end up at Downtown OWA for dinner, a show, a water-park day, or a free fall stroll like this one. Locals use it the same way — an easy night out that does not require fighting Beach Boulevard traffic.
That pattern is what buyers should notice. A coastal market that stays busy after Labor Day is a stronger market. Shrimp Festival fills Gulf Place in mid-October. Haunted Hustle takes the public beach a week later. Pumpkins, candy crawls, and weekend events keep Foley and the Beach Express corridor moving the rest of the month. Hotels, condos, and well-managed vacation homes stay in play because the calendar does not go quiet on October 1.
If you are shopping for a primary home, Foley and the neighborhoods between OWA and the water give you year-round restaurants and entertainment without giving up a short drive to the Gulf. If you are shopping for a second home or a rental in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach, events like this are part of why October occupancy is not an afterthought.
Same story we see with the airport, festival weekends, and the year-round lifeguard announcement: more reasons to visit in the shoulder season = more demand for the right house in the right spot.
Planning the Visit (or the Next Purchase)
If you are coming for the pumpkins:
- Start at Downtown OWA after 4:00 p.m. if you want the carved displays to glow for photos.
- Park on site — complimentary lots off South OWA Boulevard.
- You do not need a Tropic Falls ticket to walk the street or vote.
- Pair it with dinner downtown, then head back to the beach. Or flip it: beach morning, Foley evening.
- Check visitowa.com for the current weekend schedule before you leave. Halloween nights shift.
If you are thinking bigger — a place you can use for weekends like this and rent when you are not here — look at how you actually live on this coast. Some buyers want to walk to the Gulf. Some want a quieter street and a 15-minute shot down the Beach Express to both the sand and OWA. I live here and I work here. I can tell you which inventory matches which version of that life.
Call or text me at 251-233-9790 or email Lorraine@gulfshoresconnect.com. Let’s find the Gulf Shores or Orange Beach home that fits the life you want on this coast.
— Lorraine Gatti, The Gatti Team
Gulf Shores • Orange Beach
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