Orlando is leaning hard into fall this week, with spooky season announcements, live performances, and a feel-good charity moment up in Gainesville all competing for your attention. Whether you're planning your Halloween itinerary or just looking for something fun to do, here's what's happening around Central Florida right now.

  • Halloween Horror Nights fans will want to know that the Deathly Afraid necklace is back for 2026 — the $20 light-up accessory lets scareactors know to ease up on the frights, though it does come with a few caveats worth reading before you buy.
  • SeaWorld is going full throwback this fall: Howl-O-Scream 2026 has a '90s theme, complete with five haunted houses, six scare zones, and a menu of neon cocktails and nostalgia-fueled bites.
  • If you're heading to Universal this September, plan accordingly — park hours are shorter than usual as Halloween Horror Nights cuts Universal Studios Florida days down, and neighboring parks aren't filling the gap much.
  • Orlando's performing arts scene is getting into the Halloween spirit too, with vampire comedies and silent horror films backed by live orchestras among the spooky shows lined up across the city this fall.
  • Orlando Health is making preventive care a little more festive with Sip & Screen mammogram events at three Central Florida hospitals, offering mocktails and snacks alongside screenings through October.
  • For a broader look at the week ahead, the full Orlando weekly roundup covers after-hours theme park nights, stadium updates, and early Halloween previews all in one place.
  • Up in Gainesville, Florida football royalty made headlines when Steve Spurrier, Tim Tebow, and Danny Wuerffel reunited to raise $1 million for a children's nonprofit — a feel-good moment for Gator fans everywhere.
  • And for families, Gatorland's Gators, Ghosts and Goblins is back for its eighth year this October, running weekends with kid-friendly Halloween fun starting October 10.

There's no shortage of things to do around Orlando this week — bookmark your favorites now before the fall calendar fills up fast.