If you’ve been to the city of Denton this month, you might have noticed a change. From pumpkin tree-lined streets to city direction signs, everything is Halloween themed. That’s because this year, Denton has new bragging rights.
“The Halloween Capital of Texas,” Denton Chief Communications Officer Dustin Sternbeck said.
That’s not just a tag line, it’s by state proclamation.
“We thought it would be a perfect fit here in Denton,” Sternbeck said. “Denton has this vibe of just utilizing your creative talent that exists in the community, and what better way to do that than Halloween?”
The city and local businesses are really leaning into the Halloween Capital of Texas thing, with decorations and exhibits. There’s the ‘Garden of Villains’, a ‘Scary Chairy Orchard’, a mad scientist-themed maze, and a graveyard with creatively named dearly departed, to name a few.
“The original plan was to hold 31 events across 31 days, and that quickly transformed to over 200 events in the first year. Now, year 2, we’ve elapsed 300 events in a month,” Sternbeck said. “Really, the beauty of this is that our community has found an identity.”
Last year, an additional 140,000 people visited Denton during the month of October, bringing in $15 million in sales tax revenue.
Most of the events for Denton’s 31 Days of Halloween are free.