For the past two Halloweens, Yulee's biggest free event was held at the Yulee Sports Complex. This year Nassau County's festival is at the Robert M. Foster Justice Center on Veterans Way. The week leading up to it is spread across a Wildlight street, a boat ramp, a bakery on SR-200 and a paddle launch.
Here's how the calendar from Friday, Oct. 23 through Friday, Oct. 30 lays out. Two packed nights come first, then a quiet midweek, and the county event comes last at its new address. If you live off Blackrock Road, a lane closure on Heron Isles Parkway will also change how you get home on those evenings.
The County Festival Has a New Address
In 2024, Nassau County announced its fourth annual Halloween Festival for the Yulee Sports Complex on Friday, Oct. 25, from 5 to 8 p.m. The next fall, the News-Leader reported that the fifth annual festival was held at the Yulee Sports Complex and Gymnasium, hosted by Nassau County Parks & Recreation.
The county's Sept. 22 announcement for 2026 calls this year's site "a new location."
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | Yulee Sports Complex | Yulee Sports Complex and Gymnasium | Robert M. Foster Justice Center, 76347 Veterans Way |
| Date | Friday, Oct. 25 | A Friday in late October | Friday, Oct. 30 |
| Hours | 5 to 8 p.m. | Not in the News-Leader's report | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. |
The window is 2 hours this year, down from 3 hours in 2024, and the date is the Friday just before Halloween instead of a week earlier. The county lists a Trick-or-Treat Alley staffed by Nassau County businesses, organizations and county departments, along with hayrides, a costume contest, yard games and bounce houses. Admission is free.
The county's own calendar page gives the address two ways, 76437 Veterans Way in the event-details field and 76347 Veterans Way in the description. The county's announcement uses 76347, so search for the Robert M. Foster Justice Center by name to get the right spot.
With the county event at the very end of the month, the week before it fills up with smaller events, and two evenings in particular.
Friday, Oct. 23 Starts the Week Early
Three separate events are listed in Yulee for Friday night, and each draws a different crowd.
The United Nations Trunk or Treat starts at 5 p.m. at 85050 Sutton Place. The listing names The Little Red Schoolhouse Yulee as the organizer. This is the early-evening option for families with young trick-or-treaters.
At 6:30 p.m., Paddle Jax Amelia's Haunted Halloween Paddle launches from Melton O. Nelson Memorial Park and runs until 8:45 p.m. The listing says participants need kayaking experience, so a first time in a boat after dark isn't a good fit. The listing gives the park name but no street address.
From 7 to 8:30 p.m., Breakable Hearts Bakery at 464073 SR-200 is listed as holding a Halloween Cookie Decorating Class at $65 per person. Of the Friday events, it's the only one that's indoors, ticketed and doesn't involve trick-or-treating.
On one evening, then, Yulee has a family trick-or-treat on Sutton Place, a paddle on the water and a sit-down class on the SR-200 corridor. On Saturday, the events run into each other.
Saturday, Oct. 24 Is the Crowded Night
Saturday's main events overlap. Planning around them works better than picking one and assuming nothing else is happening.
Wildlight's Trunk or Treat: A Night of Spooky Fun runs from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tinker Street. Exchange Church Wildlight is helping hand out candy, and Wildlight lists decorated trunks, pumpkin painting, a DJ and a petting zoo. The page says everyone is invited, "from residents to the public." An older Wildlight event page with a different date is still online, so use the "A Night of Spooky Fun" page as the current one.
The 6th Annual Golf Cart Trunk or Treat starts at 5 p.m. at Wilson Neck Boat Ramp and runs until 8 p.m. According to the listing, participants can decorate a golf cart and hand out candy or bring children to trick-or-treat. Because it's the sixth year, it has been running as long as the county festival has.
The Haunted Halloween Paddle runs a second night from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. at Melton O. Nelson Memorial Park.
The schedule allows a sequence on Saturday. Tinker Street wraps up at 6 p.m., while the golf cart event at Wilson Neck goes for two more hours. A family could make the first hour of the boat ramp event after Wildlight, or catch the last part of Wildlight before heading to the water. Experienced paddlers have the later slot to themselves.
The Full Calendar, in Order
| Date | Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Oct. 23 | 5 p.m. | United Nations Trunk or Treat | 85050 Sutton Place |
| Fri., Oct. 23 | 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. | Haunted Halloween Paddle | Melton O. Nelson Memorial Park |
| Fri., Oct. 23 | 7 to 8:30 p.m. | Halloween Cookie Decorating Class, $65 | Breakable Hearts Bakery, 464073 SR-200 |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | 4 to 6 p.m. | Wildlight Trunk or Treat | Tinker Street, Wildlight |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | 5 to 8 p.m. | 6th Annual Golf Cart Trunk or Treat | Wilson Neck Boat Ramp |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. | Haunted Halloween Paddle | Melton O. Nelson Memorial Park |
| Tue., Oct. 27 | 6 p.m. | Costume Contest for Kids, ages 0 to 12 | Yulee Public Library, 76346 William Burgess Road |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. | Nassau County Halloween Festival | Robert M. Foster Justice Center, 76347 Veterans Way |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Old-Fashioned Fall Festival | Christ Fellowship, Yulee |
Several of these come from community event listings, not the organizers' own pages. Check with the host before you go, since times can change in the last week of October.
The Midweek Stop Is at the Library
The one weekday event is the Costume Contest for Kids on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 6 p.m. at the Yulee Public Library, 76346 William Burgess Road. The listing names the Nassau County Public Library System as the organizer and says the contest is free for ages 0 to 12.
If your costume is finished by Saturday, Tuesday gives it a second outing, and the county festival's own costume contest on Oct. 30 gives it a third.
Getting Home Through Heron Isles
The closure starts Monday, Oct. 19, before any of these events, and lasts well past them. According to a Nassau County road closure notice posted Oct. 5, the inbound lane of Heron Isles Parkway is closed from Blackrock Road to just east of Quartz Lane from Oct. 19 through Nov. 12. Blackrock Baptist Church is doing roadway and utility connection improvements, with Holland Contractors handling the work.
The outbound lane stays open one-way toward Blackrock Road. The roundabout and Heron Isles Parkway through Quartz Lane stay open in both directions. Drivers entering Heron Isles from Blackrock Road follow this detour:
- Take Green Pine Road.
- Head west to Chester Road.
- Go south on Chester Road to Heron Isles Parkway.
The county says the closure stays in place day and night, weather and unforeseen circumstances permitting. That covers both Friday nights, the busy Saturday and Halloween weekend. Coming home after dark from Tinker Street, Wilson Neck or Veterans Way, you'll be on the Green Pine and Chester route, not the direct turn off Blackrock Road. The notice lists Jessie Holland, Worksite Traffic Supervisor for Holland Contractors, as the contact at (904) 468-2051.
After Oct. 30, the Season Slows
When the county festival is over, the next listed event is a week later. Christ Fellowship's Old-Fashioned Fall Festival is on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Yulee. Event listings give two different street addresses for the church, so confirm the location with Christ Fellowship directly.
It's also the only morning event on this calendar. The Heron Isles closure runs five more days after it, through Nov. 12.
If your family is new to Yulee this fall, or you're thinking about where in Nassau County fits your routine, I'm happy to talk about how each part of town works day to day, Halloween week included. Martin Williams is glad to help. Let's Connect.
