Halloween tales downtown, axe throwing at the River Raisin battlefield and a candy walk fill October in Monroe

MONROE, Mich. — For families in Bedford Township looking for Halloween plans beyond the pumpkin patch, the county seat a short drive north has filled its October calendar with ghost stories, a battlefield fundraiser and two rounds of trick-or-treating.

The season opened Thursday, Oct. 8, with Shadowed Sips, a series of dramatic readings of historic Halloween tales. The readings begin at 7 p.m. at Nocturnal Monroe, 2 W. Front St., and repeat on Oct. 15, 22 and 29. The series is part of Monroe County’s 2026 Eerie Series, which bills the program as a look at the spooky stories behind the season’s traditions. The county’s listing does not give a price.

On Thursday, Oct. 15, the River Raisin National Battlefield Park Foundation holds its fifth annual Tomahawk Challenge from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. inside the River Raisin Education Center at the park’s visitor center, 333 N. Dixie Hwy. Teams from sponsoring organizations throw axes for the title, which The Mannik & Smith Group won last year, while guests play games and bid in raffles and a silent auction. There will be appetizers and a cash bar.

Tickets are $30, or $27 for foundation members. The foundation says the money will help build replica cannons for the battlefield, which preserves the site of the War of 1812 fighting at Frenchtown, today’s Monroe, and support its programs.

The battlefield returns to quieter fare on Sunday, Oct. 18, with a special program, “Before the Ribbon: Four Women’s Stories from the 18th and 19th Centuries,” timed to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The visitor center and gift shop are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and the battlefield trails are open from dawn to dusk.

Costumed children can collect candy from downtown Monroe businesses from noon to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, in an annual handout organized by the Downtown Monroe Michigan Business Network.

Citywide trick-or-treat in Monroe is 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. City officials ask residents who are not handing out candy to turn off their porch lights.

Updated Oct. 13, 2026: This guide was published before the Oct. 8 opening of Shadowed Sips, and that line and the summary have been changed to the past tense. The readings repeat Oct. 15, 22 and 29; the other dates are unchanged.

Sources:
Monroe County, Michigan, “2026 Eerie Series”, https://www.co.monroe.mi.us/415/2026-Eerie-Series
River Raisin National Battlefield Park Foundation, “2026 Tomahawk Challenge Fund A Need Event”, https://thebattlefield.org/event/2026-tomahawk-challenge-fund-a-need-event/
River Raisin National Battlefield Park Foundation, programs and visitor information, https://thebattlefield.org/
City of Monroe, “Halloween Trick or Treat,” posted Oct. 1, 2026, https://www.monroemi.gov/news/what_s_new/halloween_trick_or_treat
Photo: TheCatalyst31, “New visitor center, River Raisin National Battlefield Park,” May 12, 2024, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), cropped and color-corrected; derivative under the same ShareAlike license, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_visitor_center,_River_Raisin_National_Battlefield_Park.jpg

Bedford Township

Tags: Bedford Township · Michigan Travel · Halloween · Community Events · Parks and Recreation · Business