Halloween in Annecy 2026: castles, spooky tales and family outings

Annecy doesn’t do Halloween as a street party. There is no big parade and no neighbourhood decked out end to end. Instead, the festival lives in the castles around town, in libraries and community centres, and honestly that suits it. Children get stories, investigations and dressing up; grown-ups get a night at the cinema and a murder to solve. Here is our pick, taken on 12 October 2026 from the Lake Annecy Tourist Office’s event pages, with the dates and times they publish. The events are organised for a French-speaking public, which matters less than you’d think for a costumed disco or a castle full of bats.

The calendar

Halloween falls on Saturday 31 October 2026, in the middle of the French Toussaint school holidays, which run from Saturday 17 October to Monday 2 November 2026 for all three zones. So the events spread over two weeks: the castles put up their decorations from the first holiday weekend, the free workshops cluster on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and the last weekend, 31 October and 1 November, gathers the most festive dates.

In the castles

Clermont castle dresses up for the whole holiday, 17 October to 1 November, from 10 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 to 5:30 pm, from age 5. Bats and potions in the rooms, an art installation of shadow and light where you sit and listen to the sounds of a forest at night, a game to spot the film and cartoon references hidden in the decor, and a booklet for families to explore the castle. On Wednesdays 21 and 28 October, 1:30 to 5 pm, a drop-in workshop has children making masks inspired by Renaissance monsters. Good news for families: the page lists free entry for under-8s.

Montrottier castle, in Lovagny, has a longer programme:

• Halloween tales, on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 29 October, at 10:30 am or 2 pm: 45 minutes of stories inside the castle, from age 5.
• A Halloween origami workshop, daily from 17 to 31 October, 10:30 am to noon and 2 to 4:30 pm, from age 5.
• A giant Cluedo, on Friday 23 October at 6 pm, from age 8: find out who stole the vampire’s sweets, by way of the castle’s secret passages. The tourist office gives a running time of two hours.
• Memoriz d’Halloween, on Saturday 31 October, 6 to 7:45 pm: an immersive murder investigation, this time for adults only.

Free, and made for little ones

In Annecy itself there is plenty that costs nothing, as long as you pick the right day.

• At Le Cairn, in Meythet: a little monsters’ disco on Thursday 22 October, 9 am to noon (come in costume, bring the family), then Halloween stories on Wednesday 28 October, 3:30 to 4:15 pm, with sign-up at reception or online. Both free.
• At La Prairie library: a board game and video game day themed on zombies and vampires on Wednesday 21 October, 10 am to 6 pm, then a drop-in craft workshop on Tuesday 27 October, 2:30 to 4:30 pm. Free.
• In the Amap Le Petit Chaperon Vert vegetable garden: Halloween tales and legends among the squashes and cabbages, about the garden’s unloved little creatures, on Wednesday 28 October, 10 to 11:30 am. Free, run by the town of Annecy.
• In Duingt, at the Salle Charles Polliand: a Día de los Muertos-themed Halloween party on Friday 30 October, 2:30 to 7 pm, with a life-size escape game, games, face painting and a refreshment stand. Free.

If you don’t mind paying, the Nouvelles Galeries d’Annecy also run clay workshops for children from age 4 (Wednesdays 21 and 28 October) and a storytelling session for toddlers from age 3 (Thursday 22 October), booked online.

The weekend of 31 October

• The Criq’Parc treasure hunt, in Saint-Jorioz, on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November, 10 am to 6 pm: the park is redecorated, and the treasure hunt is free for children in costume who have paid admission. Booking required, by email, phone or online.
• La Nuit de l’horreur at L’Auditorium in Seynod, on Saturday 31 October: four horror films that inspired Stranger Things, shown in the original version with French subtitles, from Super 8 at 8:30 pm to The Thing at 3:30 am, with an 80s dress code and breakfast for those who last the night. One for genre fans.
• Memoriz d’Halloween at Montrottier, the same evening at 6 pm, for adults (see above).

Our tips

• Book Montrottier early. The tales, the Cluedo and Memoriz all go through online booking: with only two sessions of tales and a single Cluedo evening, places are limited.
• Save Clermont for a grey day. It is the only event open every day of the holidays, indoors, and it pairs well with a morning in the old town. Our Annecy in the rain guide has more ideas.
• Check the page the day before. These events are run by very different organisers (the département, a private castle, a community centre, a library, local associations), so a time can move. Every event above links, in the sources at the foot of the page, to its tourist office page.

The rest of the holidays

Halloween only takes up a few days. Our Toussaint holidays guide covers what stays open around the lake and what closes just before, Annecy in October sets the scene for the season, and Annecy with kids fills in the family side. New dates go into our what’s on page week by week.

A Halloween weekend comes together around two or three fixed times and the day’s weather. Our Annecy-specialised AI concierge writes your days hour by hour from your answers, with the verified events on your dates and a rain plan B. Day 1 is free →