Kirkland Halloween Events 2026: Totem Lake to Downtown

"Costumes are encouraged however this is not a trick-or-treat event." That line sits at the bottom of The Village at Totem Lake's listing for its Halloween Celebration on Saturday, October 24. It answers the first question a parent in a costume-filled house will ask.

On October 24 there are three free family events, scheduled so that each one ends about when the next begins. The costume events start at Totem Lake at noon, moves to the Peter Kirk Community Center at 2 p.m. and ends at Kirkland Urban's Treat Street, which runs until 8 p.m. The trick-or-treating comes last. The free parking rules change at every stop.

The Day, in Order

There's a gap of about an hour between the Día de los Muertos celebration and Treat Street. The handoff from Totem Lake to Peter Kirk is tighter. The Village event ends at the same moment the City's event starts, so leaving Totem Lake right at 2 p.m. means arriving downtown after Día de los Muertos has begun.

Before Noon, the Parks Get the Volunteers

October 24 also falls in the last weekend of Green Kirkland Week, which runs October 17 to 25. The City describes it as a celebration of the start of planting season and of the volunteers who care for Kirkland's natural areas. The Green Kirkland event calendar lists three Saturday events: Stewardship Day at McAuliffe Park, the Juanita Bay Park (East) Habitat Stewardship Day and Forest Stewardship at Juanita Heights Park.

The McAuliffe Park session is the only one with confirmed hours: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Volunteers meet near the community pea patch on the park's far east side. The Eventbrite listing asks every participant to register and notes that registration may close once the event is full. Staying until 12:30 means getting to Totem Lake after its event has started. That still leaves most of the Village's two-hour window, and it fills the morning before any of the costume events begin.

Totem Lake at Noon, Without the Candy Bags

The Village Halloween Celebration runs noon to 2 p.m., rain or shine. The center lists costumed characters, a stage performance and a craft station. Free parking is in the Green Garage, which has two entrances on 120th, one on the north side and one on the south.

Since the Village isn't a trick-or-treat event, lunch is easy to plan around it. The Village dining directory includes Dué Cucina, Joe's Burgers, Kati Vegan Thai, Lime Social Margarita, Seoul Meat Co., Serious Pie, Silverlake Ramen and Stack 571 Burger & Whiskey Bar. Faster options include Chipotle Mexican Grill, Mendocino Farms, MOD Pizza, Panda Express and sweetgreen. Before heading south, there's 203°F Coffee Co. for the adults, and Lady Yum, Salt & Straw and See's Candies for everyone else. Directories are snapshots, so check a restaurant's Saturday hours before you go.

The Two O'Clock Handoff

The City of Kirkland's Día de los Muertos runs 2 to 4 p.m. at the Peter Kirk Community Center. It's free for all ages. The City describes it as a time to remember loved ones, with traditional activities, food and music.

The City thanks Cafecito Mexican Bakery for sponsoring the event. The bakery isn't in Kirkland. According to its website, its dine-in cafe is at 15364 NE 96th Pl in Redmond and is open Wednesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It describes itself as an Eastside Mexican bakery with scratch-baked pan dulce, cakes, savory items and coffee. Families who discover the bakery at the Peter Kirk table will find it across the city line, and it closes at 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

On-site parking at Peter Kirk is limited. The City suggests the Kirkland Municipal Parking Garage under the Kirkland Library instead. For questions about the event, the City lists 425-587-3336.

The Hour Between Four and Five

This hour decides where the car ends up. The Peter Kirk Municipal Parking Garage at 308 Kirkland Ave has 420 spaces and offers four hours of free parking. On weekends, lower-level spaces that are permit-only during the week open up for four-hour public parking. A car parked just before 2 p.m. for Día de los Muertos reaches its four-hour limit just before 6 p.m., two hours before Treat Street ends.

Kirkland Urban runs its own system, with up to four hours of free parking when a Kirkland Urban business validates your ticket. A 5 p.m. arrival with a validated ticket covers the full event. The City's other downtown pay lots charge $1 an hour from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The City's real-time parking map updates every minute and covers on-street parking downtown plus the Lakeshore, Lake and Central, Houghton Beach Park and Marsh Park lots.

Dinner can solve the parking question. The Kirkland Urban directory lists Caffe Ladro, Chainline Brewing, Dough Zone, Shake Shack, Soi Thai Restaurant and Bar, Starbucks, Tutta Bella and Vinason. Luumi Play Cafe is marked as coming soon. An early meal between 4 and 5 p.m. fills the gap, and a purchase there is how Kirkland Urban parking gets validated.

Put together, the afternoon looks like this:

1. Leave the Green Garage at Totem Lake at 2 p.m., or a little earlier.
2. Park under Kirkland Library for Día de los Muertos, which runs until 4 p.m.
3. Move the car to Kirkland Urban for an early dinner, and have your ticket validated.
4. Be in costume on the plaza when Treat Street opens at 5 p.m.

Treat Street After Dark

Treat Street is the only one of the three events with trick-or-treating, at participating Kirkland Urban businesses. The operator hasn't published a list of which businesses are participating. The evening also has costumed entertainment, balloon artists and Halloween music. Three set pieces fill the plaza: the BOO-tanical Garden Corn Maze, a Monster Bash Dance Party with a live DJ, and a Trick-or-Treat Candy Wall where a hand reaches through with either a trick or a treat.

The Kirkland Urban event page calls the event complimentary and open to the public, and notes that minors must be with an adult at all times while on the property. Treat Street runs until 8 p.m., so younger trick-or-treaters can leave whenever they're ready.

Getting Between Totem Lake and Downtown Without the Car

King County Metro Route 255 runs between Totem Lake Transit Center, Bay 2, and Kirkland Transit Center, Bay 3. Its current schedule is in effect from August 29, 2026, through March 26, 2027. Taking the bus avoids the four-hour garage limit, though Saturday departure times will set how tight the 2 p.m. handoff is.

If you plan to bike, check the Cross Kirkland Corridor first. King County closed the trail between NE 52nd Street and 108th Avenue NE as early as September 8 to repair a culvert, build a retaining wall and stabilize a stream. The City expects the work to take about three months, and a detour is in place.

After Saturday

Green Kirkland Week ends Sunday, October 25, with forest stewardship events at Everest Park and Kingsgate Park. A week later, the City's Special Event Calendar lists a Kirkland Catrina Walk on Halloween, Saturday, October 31. The City hasn't posted a time or location yet. A third-party listing places the walk at Marina Park with organizer Mundo Catrina, but it gives two different end times. Confirm the details before you plan an evening around it.

October weekends like this one are part of everyday life in Kirkland, and they're also what keeps us connected to the neighborhoods we serve. If you're thinking about what your Kirkland home is worth, or what moving within the Eastside might look like, the team at Craig Northwest Homes is happy to talk it through over coffee, maybe between a Totem Lake lunch and a downtown evening. Get a free home consultation whenever the timing feels right.