Snoqualmie's Halloween afternoon is Saturday, Oct. 24, and it starts half an hour later than last year. The City's 2026 listing for its free "Spook"Tacular Halloween runs from 1:30 to 4 p.m. In 2025, trick-or-treating on the Ridge began at 1 p.m. The finish line hasn't moved, so this year the whole afternoon fits into two and a half hours instead of three.
The squeeze matters more because of where the route ends. The afternoon closes in Historic Downtown Snoqualmie, and Oct. 24 is also a Halloween Train weekend at the Northwest Railway Museum. Its Snoqualmie Depot departures leave at 1 and 3 p.m. The first goes out half an hour before trick-or-treating starts, and the second boards during the last hour of it. On the 24th, two separate programs are using the historic downtown at once.
One Day, Three Stops, One Clock
The City's own listing describes the afternoon this way:
One Day, Three Events. Start at Snoqualmie Ridge on Center Blvd, walk to Snoqualmie Valley YMCA Trunk or Treat, and meander to Historic Downtown Snoqualmie.
Here's the order as the City calendar lays it out:
- Center Blvd on Snoqualmie Ridge. The afternoon starts here at 1:30 p.m. The listed address for the event is 35018 SE Ridge St.
- Snoqualmie Valley YMCA Trunk or Treat. This runs from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the YMCA parking lot at 35018 SE Ridge St. It's free, open to all ages and the whole community, and co-sponsored by the City of Snoqualmie and Sno Falls Credit Union.
- Historic Downtown Snoqualmie. The route ends here, and the event wraps at 4 p.m.
The YMCA stop is the only one with its own published 2026 hours. The City hasn't posted separate times for the Ridge businesses or the downtown merchants this year, and it hasn't published a list of who's taking part.
Last year's announcement shows how the pieces fit together. On Oct. 25, 2025, businesses along Center Blvd handed out treats from 1 to 3 p.m. Families then walked down to Ridge St. for the YMCA Trunk or Treat, which ran at the same time. Downtown, merchants on Falls and Railroad Avenues passed out candy from 2 to 4 p.m., and the City pointed families to a fall photo spot at the Railroad Park Gazebo. The 2024 version used the same Ridge and downtown hours. It also had a 2 p.m. pet parade and a guided morning walk from downtown to the Falls. None of those extras has been confirmed for 2026, and the City's 2026 downtown hours haven't been posted yet.
The Ridge side is shorter this year. In 2025, families had two hours at the Ridge and the YMCA before 3 p.m. This year the YMCA runs an hour and a half, from 1:30 to 3.
The Train Runs Through the Same Two Hours
The Halloween Train is the Northwest Railway Museum's October event, and this year it runs an extra weekend. The museum lists Oct. 10–11, 17–18, 24–25, 31 and Nov. 1, and calls the added weekend a bonus for 2026.
Trips leave from two depots. The Historic Snoqualmie Depot at 38625 SE King Street has departures at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The North Bend Depot at 205 E McClellan Street has departures at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Each round trip takes just under two hours. The train heads west to the top of Snoqualmie Falls, then comes back through town for a 30-minute stop at the Railway History Campus and the Train Shed Exhibit Hall.
According to the museum's Halloween Train page, the campus stop has cider-press demonstrations, apple prep, crafts, photo spots, music by Eric Ode, hot cider, and historic toys and games. The page lists fares of $32 for adults, $28 for seniors and $16 for ages 2 to 12, and children under 2 ride free. That page still mentions a 2025 ticket sale date, so check the price when you book. The museum recommends buying tickets ahead.
Put the train schedule next to the City's, and Oct. 24 looks like this:
- 1 p.m. departure from Snoqualmie Depot. The train leaves half an hour before trick-or-treating starts on the Ridge and gets back shortly before 3, when the YMCA Trunk or Treat ends. Riders on this trip spend nearly all of the Ridge and YMCA hours on the rails.
- 2:30 p.m. departure from North Bend. The train leaves in the middle of the afternoon and returns after the City's event ends at 4.
- 3 p.m. departure from Snoqualmie Depot. This train boards in the historic downtown during the last hour of the City's event and gets back just before 5, after the event is over.
Since the 1 and 3 p.m. trains board at the downtown depot, it's fair to expect costumed train riders and trick-or-treaters to share downtown on Saturday afternoon. The City's calendar listing for the Halloween route doesn't mention parking guidance, road closures or a shuttle. On Sunday, Oct. 25, the train runs on its normal schedule with no City event downtown. The museum's final Halloween Train weekend is Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
The Saturday Before Is About Trees
Oct. 17, the Saturday before, is also a train weekend, and it's mostly about trees in both Valley cities.
In Snoqualmie, the City is holding Arbor Day at Hoff Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sixteen trees go in the ground, covering six species: Japanese Snowbell, Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry, Dawn Redwood, Weeping Willow, Magnolia and Redbud. The City's announcement lists the Green Snoqualmie Partnership and the City's urban forestry staff among the participants. The morning also includes a mayoral proclamation, a scavenger hunt and pizza.
Down the road, the Snoqualmie Valley Record reports that Oaktoberfest runs the same morning, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Meadowbrook Farm Interpretive Center, 1711 Boalch Ave. in North Bend. It includes native planting and a 1 p.m. tree walk. The hours overlap, but Oaktoberfest closes before the Hoff Park event does. The Halloween Train runs all afternoon too, so one Saturday can cover a planting in either city and a ride from either depot.
The Week After Halloween Saturday Fills In
After the 24th, the rest of the month takes in the library, the depot and the lodge at the Falls.
- Thursday, Oct. 29. Snoqualmie Library hosts Halloween Story Time from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. Costumes are optional and you don't need to register. It's a weekday option for kids too young for a two-hour train ride.
- Friday, Oct. 30. The Northwest Railway Museum runs its Snoqualmie Valley Wine Train for riders 21 and older, with local wineries, live music, food and history of the rail line.
- Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. Salish Lodge, at 6501 Railroad Ave. SE, has a Halloween Weekend Murder Mystery on its calendar. It's already listed as sold out.
- Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. The last Halloween Train weekend runs on the same depot schedule.
The train has more coming after Halloween. The museum's fall schedule lists Saturday excursions in November. Its North Pole Limited Santa trips start Nov. 28–29 and board at the North Bend Depot only.
A Quieter Mile Off Railroad Avenue
If downtown is crowded on the 24th, Snoqualmie has a new walk just north of it. The City opened the north section of the Snoqualmie River Walk Trail with a ribbon-cutting on Sept. 16. It's a one-mile soft-surface trail between Kimball Creek and Northern Street, built as part of a river shoreline restoration that removed invasive plants and protected trees that help cool the river.
The ceremony entrance was just south of Kimball Creek on the east side of Railroad Avenue. For the opening, the City asked people to park on the west side of Railroad Avenue, which is also SR 202, cross at the marked crosswalk and walk north to the trailhead. Those were directions for the ceremony, not posted trail rules, but they show where the access is. The City has more on the project at its Snoqualmie River Walk page. Snoqualmie's leash law applies on the trail: dogs off their owner's property have to stay on a leash no longer than 15 feet. Three Forks Off-leash Dog Park is the exception.
A walk on the River Walk fits around the train schedule on a Halloween Train Sunday, or on the quiet Saturday morning before the 1:30 start.
Before the 24th
Some details are still open as of mid-October, and the City may post more before Saturday:
- per-segment times for the Ridge businesses and downtown merchants
- a list of businesses taking part
- whether the Railroad Park Gazebo photo spot returns
- any parking or traffic guidance
Last year the detailed City announcement went up on Oct. 10 and was updated Oct. 14. The City's news page is where an update would most likely show up. The 1:30 start, the YMCA's 1:30-to-3 window and the 4 p.m. finish are already confirmed.
Whether your Halloween stop is on Center Blvd or a few blocks from the depot, the Laura Papritz Team is glad to share what we know about Snoqualmie from the Ridge to downtown. If you've wondered what your home is worth this fall, start with a free, no-pressure home valuation, and we'll talk it through with you whenever it suits.
