South Belters celebrate fall, Halloween
The autumn season is here, and several local organizations, schools and churches across the South Belt community have officially announced their public family events for the coming weeks.
From trunk-or-treat events to aviation adventures, residents have a variety of safe, family-friendly options to celebrate across the neighborhood.
The following is the schedule of publicly announced fall and Halloween events taking place in the South Belt area for the 2026 season (in chronological order):
– St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church (Friday, Oct. 23): Located at 11011 Hall Road, St. Luke is hosting its community Trunk or Treat and Chili Cook-Off beginning at 6:30 p.m. The evening features music, vehicle candy stations and family activities.
– Precinct 2 Constable Jerry Garcia (Saturday, Oct. 24): Due to early voting, this year’s Precinct 2 Trunk or Treat event has moved. This year’s event will take place at San Jacinto College South, 13735 Beamer. Now in its fourth year, the event will take place from 4:30 to 7 p.m.
– Lone Star Flight Museum (Saturday, Oct. 24): The museum, located at 11551 Aerospace Ave., hosts its popular annual Halloween in the Hangar from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Children aged 10 and under who arrive in costume receive free admission. The aviation-themed celebration features trick-or-treating among historic aircraft, pumpkin catapult challenges, bat glider building, and pumpkin parachute drops.
– CrossRoads UMC (Saturday, Oct. 24): CrossRoads United Methodist Church, 10030 Scarsdale Blvd., will host a community Trunk or Treat from 6 to 8 p.m. Organizers invite families to enjoy an evening of candy, costumes, decorated vehicles and family activities. The event is open to the public.
– Sagemont Church (Sunday, Oct. 25): Sagemont Church, 11300 Beltway 8, will host its Fall Family Fun Night from 5 to 7 p.m. at the cross on campus at the church grounds. The event is free and open to the general public. It will feature a large Trunk-or-Treat, inflatables, food trucks and family giveaways.
– H-E-B Blackhawk (Wednesday, Oct. 28): In partnership with the South Belt-Ellington Chamber of Commerce, the H-E-B location at 9828 Blackhawk Blvd. will host its community Trunk or Treat event from 5 to 7 p.m., offering a safe outdoor trick-or-treating environment for local neighborhood children.
– Melillo Middle School (Thursday, Oct. 29): Dr. Dixie Melillo Middle School, located at 9220 Hughes Road, has officially scheduled a public community Trunk or Treat from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
– Atkinson Elementary (Friday, Oct. 30): Atkinson Elementary, located at 9602 Kingspoint Road, is welcoming families to its annual Fall Festival from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The campus event includes games, food and an ”all you can play” activity wristband option.
– South Belt Church (Saturday, Oct. 31): For Halloween night, South Belt Church at 13100 Beamer Road will host its signature Candy Boo-Nanza from 6 to 8 p.m. The festival is entirely free, open to the public and will be held completely indoors, serving as a rain-or-shine neighborhood alternative for traditional trick-or-treating.
– Independence Park (Saturday, Oct. 31): Just a short drive away, Independence Patk, located at 3449 Pearland Parkway, will host its 15th annual Trick or Treat Trail on Halloween night from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Free and open to the public, the event will feature local businesses lining the trail to hand out treats, alongside food trucks and inflatables.
Changes and cancellations
Several traditional venues have altered their programming this year. San Jacinto College has consolidated its seasonal public activities to the North campus (hosting a Fall Fest on Oct. 30), meaning no public autumn festival will take place at the South campus this season.
Additionally, Space Center Houston is not running its Galaxy Frights weekend program this October, focusing instead on daytime STEM camps.
Due to ongoing space constraints, the Southeast Fire Department will also skip its historical community Halloween gathering.
In a break from tradition, there is no publically listed trick-or-treat event at Almeda Mall scheduled for this year.
Event to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary
NASA will maintain a heavy presence at the 42nd annual Wings Over Houston Airshow, set for Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Ellington Airport.
One of Houston’s largest annual outdoor events, this year’s show features a T-38 flyover demonstration, marking the first in-air appearance of a NASA T-38 jet at the airshow. Additional participation includes the Freedom 250 F-5 jet team and an MiG-29UB Fulcrum flown by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.
Isaacman created the five-jet Freedom 250 F-5 team to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, and the jets sport a commemorative red, white and blue paint scheme. Isaacman will also fly an MiG-29UB, a two-seat trainer version of the Soviet-designed fighter, in a solo afterburner demonstration, then join the F-5s in a five-ship formation.
“Houston is Space City, and NASA aircraft have called Ellington home for decades,” said Bill Roach, executive director of Wings Over Houston. “This year, our guests can experience that legacy up close, from the Freedom 250 jets roaring overhead to NASA aircraft they can walk right up to on the ramp.
Clear Lake-area residents are seeing them fly over their homes and businesses, but not up this close.”
On the ground, NASA will have a large presence on the show grounds, including a T-38 on static display and a 30-foot interactive. NASA’s mobile exhibit delivers an immersive multimedia experience highlighting Johnson Space Center’s programs, and features high‑resolution displays, hands‑on activities, a spacesuit photo opportunity and a touchable Moon rock.
Ellington is home to NASA Johnson Space Center’s aircraft operations, including the T-38 jets used for astronaut training, the WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft and the Gulfstream V research jet. The fleet also includes the Super Guppy, which carries oversized spacecraft hardware and is based at El Paso International Airport.
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds headline the event. Other performers include the United Airlines 777 demonstration; the U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, KC-46A Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotanker; Tora! Tora! Tora!; the RE/MAX Skydive Team; Shane McGillis Aerobatics; the NextGen Eagles aerobatic team; The Pink Jet; and a Vietnam Heritage Tribute led by the Collings Foundation’s F-4D Phantom II, the world’s only airworthy example.
Other special elements of this year’s event include a drive-in-style show Friday, Oct. 30; the Legends & Heroes tent; and the Veterans Business Marketplace.
To learn more about ticket options, display aircraft, event attractions, travel accommodations, sponsorship or volunteer opportunities, visit www.wingsoverhouston.com.
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