Mill River Park Stamford: Halloween & Holiday Events 2026

On Saturday afternoon, the trick-or-treat trail through Mill River Park ends at the Nissen Carousel at 30 W. Broad St. The Mill River Park Collaborative's free Halloween Party runs from 3 to 5 p.m. It starts with a trunk-or-treat at Community Commons, follows a candy trail through the park, and finishes at the carousel with rides, music, games, crafts and photos with costumed characters. Families start at 1040 Washington Blvd. and register through the Collaborative's event page.

The calendar keeps going after Halloween. The carousel is open again the next morning, and every weekend after that. Downtown's best-known November and December events all happen within a short walk of it.

The Carousel Is the Fixed Point

The Collaborative lists the carousel as open all year on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at $2 a ride. Children under 42 inches ride with an adult, and the adult rides free. The carousel's own calendar shows the same hours on every weekend date from November 1 through December 5, 2026. Some 2026 listings also offer a six-ride pass for $10, which works out to about $1.67 a ride compared with the $2 single fare.

That matters because the big seasonal events each happen once and then move on, and most of them land near the park. Here is how the weeks between Halloween and the tree lighting line up against those carousel hours:

The weekend of November 14 and 15 is the only one with nothing big on the schedule, so it is the quietest stretch for a carousel visit in the whole run.

Around the Park, the Restaurants Changed

Several downtown and Harbor Point restaurants turned over in late summer. The Stamford Advocate reported that Fortina's Harbor Point location on Washington Boulevard served its last meals on August 31, after nearly 11 years. A week later, the Stamford Advocate reported that Quartiere had closed its Bank Street restaurant after five years. Fiesta on Main planned to move from 249 Main St. into that space at 51 Bank St., with an October 1 target.

The same team's seasonal pop-up, KIN Social, was still operating at the time of that report. CTbites lists it at 15 Harbor Point Road, serving globally inspired small plates and craft cocktails. CTbites also reported in August that 7th Street Burger was set to open in Stamford in November 2026. In 2025, the Stamford Advocate placed the planned location in the ShopRite Plaza.

For anyone planning a lunch around one of the November events, the downtown restaurant list from last spring is out of date. The carousel hours and the park schedule are the parts that still hold.

November 8 Packs Three Events Into One Morning

The second Sunday of the month is the busiest morning on the calendar. Fall Sunday Funday, the Collaborative's story-and-activity hour for toddlers and caregivers, runs from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Whittingham Discovery Center. The carousel opens at 9 a.m. that day as usual. The City of Stamford's October 16 update sets the 2026 Veterans Day Parade for November 8 at noon, with a ceremony following at 1 p.m.

A family can do the story hour, take a carousel ride, and still make the parade by noon. The first Funday, a week earlier on November 1, has the same 10 a.m. start without the parade. Before any of that, the Stamford Museum & Nature Center is hosting its "Spooky Universe" planetarium night on Thursday, October 29, from 6 to 8 p.m., at its Astronomy Center & Planetarium at 151 Scofieldtown Road.

Parade Weekend, and Last Year's Rink Opening

Stamford Downtown calls the Parade Spectacular the official start of the holiday season. This year it runs Sunday, November 22, from noon to 2 p.m., with giant helium balloons, marching bands and dance groups. The night before, the Giant Balloon Inflation Party runs from 3 to 6 p.m. on Hoyt Street at Summer Street, with live music, performances and an appearance by Santa. The carousel is open both days.

The rink is the open question. The Collaborative says the Cohen Ice Skating Center rink at the Cohen Display Fountain will reopen in late November and that opening-day details are coming. Last year, a CT Examiner listing gave November 22, 2025, as opening day, with a 5 to 10 p.m. session. That was parade weekend. Whether 2026 follows the same pattern is up to the Collaborative, and its rink page is the place to check.

Prices for this season have not been posted yet. For the 2025–26 season, the Collaborative listed admission at $10 per child and $12 per adult on weekdays, and $12 and $14 on weekends. Skate rentals cost extra. Regular hours last season were:

• Monday through Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m.
• Friday, 5 to 10 p.m.
• Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Those hours fill in the gap the carousel leaves. The carousel runs weekend daytimes only, while the rink ran every evening last season and opened at 11 a.m. on weekends. Once the ice is in, the park has something to do on a Tuesday night. Groups planning a skating party can book the rink through the Collaborative, and the package includes warming up afterward in the Dudley Williams Community Room with unlimited hot chocolate.

Heights & Lights Ends the Run at Latham Park

The last big event moves a few blocks north. Stamford Downtown has set Heights & Lights for December 6, 2026. Santa Claus, Rudolph, the Grinch and friends rappel 22 stories down Landmark Square, followed by fireworks. Then they march up Bedford Street to Latham Park for holiday music and the lighting of Stamford's Holiday Tree. A start time has not been posted.

The carousel's posted calendar currently runs through Saturday, December 5, the day before. Heights & Lights is on Sunday, December 6, from Landmark Square to Latham Park.

If friends or family are visiting for parade weekend or Heights & Lights and you'd like suggestions for where to go between events, Katie O'Grady & Team is glad to help. We follow Stamford's calendar closely, and if a move is on your mind for the new year, we would welcome the chance to schedule a complimentary listing consultation.