Florence Halloween Happenings, 2022

Trick or Treat! It’s time for Halloween, and it takes place not just in America, but all around the world. So here in Florence, instead of trick or treat, you can say dolcetto o scherzetto. 

Even though Halloween isn’t as widely celebrated in Europe, there are certainly more than a few events here in Florence that embrace the spooky festival. Even though Halloween may seem like a holiday celebrating death and the dead, it’s really the opposite! It’s all about life and facing the things that are commonly seen as frightening.

Ghosts don’t have to be feared, they can be friendly! Halloween is about celebrating each new year of life and embracing the spirits of those that have gone before us.

So let’s count the different ways we can all be involved in this entertaining and scary holiday!

To order or pick up fabulous Halloween cupcakes, pass by or phone the Vanilla Cake at 055/047 2755.  The bakery supplies most of the cafès in Florence with their delectable baked goods.

There will be a costumed Halloween run in Cascine Park on the night of October 31. Your child can test their bravery as they all run around dressed as witches, goblins, and more! It is a two-and-a-half-mile run, and the park will have been transformed into a dark forest while volunteers in makeup and costume will do their best to scare the kids! Registration has already started and will continue until 7:30 on the night of the event; visit the website.

And for concerts and parties for older people, there is a Halloween Festival at Viper Theater at via Pistoiese, 309. It’s called Florence Metal 2022, a rock concert that brings together six Italian bands, and it will be followed by a party with a DJ set. The headliners will be the Forgotten Tombs and Destrages, but the concert will also feature Inner Code, Runover, Barbarian, and Colonnelli. Tickets can be purchased for 20 euros.

Speaking of concerts, the Hard Rock Cafe will be celebrating Halloween, as they do every year here in Florence. On October 30, the establishment will host a magic show with refreshments for children and their families from 4 to 6 pm. The magic show by Francesco Micheloni will be full of apparitions, disappearances, tricks with colored scarves, and storytelling for the whole family. There will also be a makeup corner for the children that order off their special menu. This is an amazing, fun event perfect to celebrate Halloween together! Tickets for children cost 15 euros, and for adults are 20 euros. Information about this event can be found here: Hard Rock Cafe. 

Hard Rock has a few other special events for Halloween. The cafe is hosting a Kiss experience by a cover band on October 30 as well, by a band called Sonic Boom. Book a table now so you can attend this unmissable show! Along the lines of a more adult Halloween, On the 31st, Hard Rock Cafe offers a third event. It is the Highway to Hell Halloween Party, where costumes are welcome and a special concert will be played, along with free makeup and a special menu! You can arrive at the party at 8, 8:30, 0r 9 pm.

There is also a spooky Halloween evening at the Tuscany Hall (Lungarno Aldo Moro, 3) for adults to enjoy as well. On October 30, there is  “Waiting for Halloween,” a buffet-style dinner at 7:30 pm and a DJ set and party afterward at 10 pm. Admission to the event is €27.50, and more information can be found at the following number, 339.5471412.

And on the very night of Halloween, there is a party taking place right in the center of Florence. In the Borghese Palace, via Ghibellina, there is an organized event with dinner followed by a party in the monumental gallery and in the hall of mirrors. For more information, email eventi@circoloborghese.it.

Also in Florence, on October 31, there are plenty of theaters and cinemas with themed screenings! The Uci Cinema on via del Cavallaccio has films for adults and children such as 100% Lupo and Carolina & Topo Tip for the little ones, and The Turning and Possession for adults.

And if you’re looking for a place to buy costumes, wigs, or get your makeup done, go to Filistrucchi, on via Verdi 9. Their shop is one of the oldest in Florence, handed down from the same family that dates all the way back to 1720. There, you can find wigs, latex prosthetics, fake beards and mustaches, masks, and more! They will also do your makeup on Halloween for a fee. For more information, go to their website at https://www.filistrucchi.com/?cn-reloaded=1#.

So although you may hear that people traditionally don’t participate in Halloween around Europe, there are many events that make celebrating this holiday a blast. There are plenty of ways to participate in this spooky old festival true to the spirit of Halloween in Florence. (Isabella Azzaro)