Lantana's Monster Mile returns Oct. 24 for its 24th year, powered by neighbors

For one evening each October, Lantana Trail becomes a Halloween street party. The Lantana Monster Mile returns Saturday, Oct. 24, from 5 to 7 p.m. It starts at Lantana Town Green and winds along Lantana Trail, and organizers expect an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 costumed children and their parents.

Now in its 24th year, the event follows a three-quarter-mile route along both sides of Lantana Trail. Families will find live characters, oversized decorations and 27 candy stations. The Monster Mile has won awards before: in 2025, the Cross Timbers Gazette reported that it received the 2024 Community Spirit Award from the DFW Community Associations Institute.

"It's an experience," said Lantana Community Manager Kathy Epperson. "There are blow-ups, candy and decorations, and it all goes up in one morning and comes down that evening." The walk itself lasts about two hours, but Epperson said putting it together takes roughly 18 hours of work.

That work falls to residents and local businesses. "Monster Mile runs on neighbor power," Epperson said. Volunteers staff candy stations, hand out treats and high-fives, and help with other parts of the event. "This is the largest event of the year, and having those volunteers and people there buying into the community is what makes it work," she said. Volunteers must be at least 18 unless they're with an adult, so families with younger children can volunteer together.

The Monster Mile is usually held the Saturday before Halloween, so Lantana families still have Halloween night free for trick-or-treating in their own neighborhoods. The event is open only to Lantana residents.

This story is based on reporting by the Cross Timbers Gazette.