"Creaky floors, unexplained footsteps and paranormal experiences galore!" That is how the Old Davie School Historical Museum's ticket page describes its own building ahead of a Halloween cocktail night on Griffin Road.
The pitch fits the town. Davie's fall calendar is built on places it already had: a schoolhouse that is more than a century old, the arena at Bergeron Rodeo Grounds, the Davie Pro Rodeo season, and a garden that started its fall weekends with a cowboys theme. Almost every event between now and mid-November happens at a venue tied to Davie's frontier and western past. Because of that, the busiest nights are the ones when those venues book the same evening.
The schoolhouse is running three events in a month
The Old Davie School at 6650 Griffin Road holds the most events on this calendar, and they appeal to very different groups.
The first is Spirited History: Halloween Spookeasy! on Friday, October 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. It is a 21+ evening with specialty cocktails, light hors d'oeuvres, live jazz, and a guided "tipsy" tour of Davie history with a Halloween angle. Costumes are encouraged. Browardist reported that the event will use three museum rooms. Tickets cost $40 for general admission and $35 for museum members, teachers, and college students.
The venue is the selling point. Browardist calls the building a 108-year-old schoolhouse "where visitors have reported phantom footsteps, moving chairs and unexplained voices." The same Browardist article points to earlier WLRN reporting on paranormal claims by guests and volunteers, including footsteps on an empty second floor. Demand seems to match the reputation. As of this writing, the museum's ticket page lists every ticket tier as sold out.
Nine days later the same grounds host a free event for families. The Haunted Hot Rods Car Show runs Sunday, October 25, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to South Florida Family Life. Spectators get in free. The show includes classic, custom, and specialty cars, plus music, food, raffles, and prizes, and costumes and trick-or-treating are encouraged. Show-car entry costs $15 in advance or $20 on the day, and cars must be in place by 11 a.m. Entry is not guaranteed after that.
The third event comes after Halloween and puts the history first. The Historic Davie Walking Tour on Saturday, November 14, is a one-mile loop starting at the school. It covers Davie's Everglades roots, its frontier community, wartime history, and the hurricanes and floods the town has been through. Tickets run $12 to $15, and comfortable shoes are recommended. The museum's listing gives a 10 a.m. to noon time slot. The Davie-Cooper City Chamber lists 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., so confirm the time before booking anything for the afternoon.
Bergeron Rodeo Grounds turns into a costume contest, and horses can enter
The Town's own Halloween event uses the arena too. Halloween Happenings and the Police and Fire Rescue Trunk-or-Treat is on Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bergeron Rodeo Grounds, 4201 Rodeo Way. Admission is free. The Town of Davie announcement lists costume contests, live performances, train rides, inflatable rides, a DJ, and booths from local businesses. Food and drinks will be for sale.
The costume contest has three categories: families, children, and horses. The horse contest starts at 11:15 a.m., and horses must be registered in advance by calling 954-797-2059. Family and child contests begin at 11:30 a.m., and walk-up registration closes at 11. Davie Police and Fire Rescue will decorate their vehicles for the trunk-or-treat, and attendees can vote for their favorite.
Horses compete first, so anyone entering a horse needs to be set up before the 11 a.m. registration cutoff for the family contests.
Flamingo Gardens counts down to Halloween by weekend
Flamingo Gardens started its fall season on October 3 and 4 with a Cowboys & Cowgirls Weekend that it described as a celebration of Davie's history, with performances by the South Florida Cloggers. The remaining Harvest Festival Weekends run 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and each one has its own theme:
- October 10 and 11, Pirates Weekend: live interactive pirate shows. Sunday the 11th is the last day.
- October 17 and 18, Día de los Muertos Weekend: costumes and face painting.
- October 24 and 25, Halloween Party Weekend: guests come in costume for family activities.
Admission includes hayrides, pony rides for small children, farm-animal encounters, fall photo spots, and a 1 p.m. costume contest with a candy giveaway. Mini Highland cows are new this year, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The pumpkin patch and pumpkin painting cost extra. Admission is $24 for ages 12 and up and $17 for ages 3 to 11. Members and children 2 and under get in free.
The garden also holds a nighttime event for older visitors. The Ghostly Garden Tour on Friday, October 30, starts at 7:30 p.m. It is a two-hour guided walk to paranormal hotspots led by a paranormal investigator, and guests use magnetic field detectors and divining rods. It is open only to ages 13 and up, and advance registration is required. Tickets are $40, or $35 for members. The event page lists the end time as both 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. The tram, gallery, butterfly conservatory, and wildlife habitat areas will be closed that night.
That makes two paid nighttime ghost-story events in Davie this season, built around each venue's past: the schoolhouse on October 16 and the gardens on October 30.
The calendar from today to mid-November
| Date | Event | Venue | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 16 | Southern Luv BBQ grand opening, 4 p.m. | 6819 Stirling Road | Menu pricing |
| Fri, Oct 16 | Movies in the Park: Encanto, 7 p.m. | Bamford Sports Complex | Free |
| Fri, Oct 16 | Halloween Spookeasy, 7 to 9 p.m., 21+ | Old Davie School | $35 to $40, listed sold out |
| Sat–Sun, Oct 17–18 | Día de los Muertos Weekend | Flamingo Gardens | Garden admission |
| Sat, Oct 24 | Halloween Happenings and Trunk-or-Treat, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Bergeron Rodeo Grounds | Free |
| Sat–Sun, Oct 24–25 | Halloween Party Weekend | Flamingo Gardens | Garden admission |
| Sun, Oct 25 | Haunted Hot Rods Car Show, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Old Davie School | Free to spectators |
| Fri, Oct 30 | Ghostly Garden Tour, 7:30 p.m., ages 13+ | Flamingo Gardens | $35 to $40 |
| Fri, Nov 13 | Movies in the Park: Toy Story 5, 7 p.m. | Bamford Sports Complex | Free |
| Fri–Sun, Nov 13–15 | Southeastern Circuit Finals Rodeo | Davie Pro Rodeo | See organizer |
| Sat, Nov 14 | Historic Davie Walking Tour | Old Davie School | $12 to $15 |
October 16 is the night everything overlaps
Three separate organizers picked the same Friday. In order:
- 4 p.m.: Southern Luv BBQ holds its grand opening at 6819 Stirling Road. The date was moved up from Saturday, October 17, in an update posted October 9. This is the Tampa-founded chain's first Broward County restaurant. It is owned by franchisee Dark Mountain LLC and serves pecan-smoked brisket and pulled pork, St. Louis ribs, loaded mac bowls, flatbreads, and a Lil Luv kids meal. It has been open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. during its soft opening.
- 6 p.m.: Gates open for free Movies in the Park at Bamford Sports Complex, 3801 S. Pine Island Road, on the Padre and Mariner fields.
- 7 p.m.: Encanto starts at Bamford, and the Spookeasy starts on Griffin Road.
Movie seating is first-come, first-served. Bring your own lawn chairs and blankets. Two Men and a Truck is sponsoring free popcorn. The barbecue stop and the movie fit together for a family evening. The Spookeasy is the adults-only option on the same night, for anyone who got a ticket before it sold out.
November 13 brings the rodeo into the overlap
The Movies in the Park schedule puts Toy Story 5 at Bamford on Friday, November 13, again with gates at 6 p.m. and the film at 7. The same night, Davie Pro Rodeo starts the Southeastern Circuit Finals Rodeo with a 7:30 p.m. show. More shows follow at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 14, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 15. This is the last event on the rodeo's 2026 PRCA calendar, which also included the June 20 and September 12 Weekley Brothers Davie Pro Rodeo nights.
Saturday the 14th puts both of Davie's heritage attractions on one day. The walking tour leaves the Old Davie School that morning, and the Circuit Finals hold their second night that evening. Over one weekend, you can walk a mile through Davie's frontier history and then watch the rodeo season end in the town known as "Cowboy Town."
If the walking tour or a night at the rodeo gets you thinking about Davie's acreage and equestrian properties, Alex Fernandez is glad to walk you through the estates and land in the town's horse country. Schedule a Private Consultation.
