Denton’s month‑long Halloween celebration, now officially the Halloween Capital of Texas, kicked off the final full weekend of October 2025 with the Day of the Dead Festival drawing an estimated 30,000‑35,000 people on its busiest Saturday, according to festival director David Pierce of Community Impact.
The city reported roughly 800,000 visitors during the 2025 Halloween season, up from almost 700,000 in 2024. Denton Chief Financial Officer Matt Hamilton noted an 18.71% rise in October sales‑tax revenue between October 2023 and October 2024, emphasizing that the surge “means a meaningful boost to small businesses.” Tim Stoltzfus, owner of More Fun Comics & Games, said the influx of out‑of‑state guests has turned Halloween into a major revenue generator for local retailers.
Local merchants are feeling the impact. Stoltzfus reported a 34% sales increase for October 2023‑2024 and a 48% jump for October 2024‑2025 at his store. Ben Esely of The Bearded Monk added that the city’s Halloween energy drives higher weekday sales in October, with patrons “making their costumes, planning decorations, writing stories, making paintings.” Hannah Burks, co‑owner of Harvest House, said a $7,000 grant from the Downtown Denton Foundation will fund an interactive spooky photo booth, helping her business capitalize on the seasonal traffic.
The city allocated a $250,000 budget for the 2026 Halloween events, funded through the hotel occupancy tax (HOT). Denton Chief Communications Officer Kayla Herrod reported a 27.58% increase in HOT revenue from October 2024 to October 2025, which will support marketing, décor and city‑sponsored programming. The Downtown Denton Foundation also distributed $7,000 in façade‑decor grants to 20 businesses.
This year the city launched the Denton Halloween Artist Mentorship Program (DHAMP) in partnership with Paper Chair Studios. Founders Delaney Smith‑Vaughn and Joshua Steven Bryant secured city grants to pair mentor‑mentee artists for installations displayed at five downtown venues: The Bearded Monk, Harvest House, the Brown Thumb, Barnhart’s Barbershop and Miss Angeline’s. Installations include “The Witching Hour” at Miss Angeline’s by Aurora Arellano and Brooke Chaney, “Família” at Barnhart’s Barbershop by Sid Dominguez and Dan Black, “Toxic Bloom” at The Bearded Monk by Jacob Phillips and Olli Miller, “I Saw the Harvest Glow” at Harvest House by Chynna Blue, Kristin Wyly and the Grashams, and “Frankenstones” at the Brown Thumb by Aileen Khuu and Christopher Blay. Dan Black told the Denton Record‑Chronicle that opportunities like DHAMP are “vital to make sure artists can stick around and keep contributing to the city.”
Looking ahead, Denton officials will continue to expand Halloween programming, including a new Hickory Street Light Show and a park‑and‑ride service for visitors, while the mentorship program returns for another year of artist‑business collaborations.
Sources: communityimpact.com, dentonrc.com
