If you live here, what does your weekend look like when Halloween lands on boat show Saturday?
The 67th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show opened Wednesday, October 28, and runs through Sunday, November 1. This year Halloween falls on show Saturday. For those five days the waterfront runs on the show's clock and the show's own transit, and the city's free river boat is parked. The Halloween plans that are easiest for locals sit on the New River and in a few quieter pockets away from the marinas.
The show's hours set the waterfront's hours
The show's 2026 map lists six locations: the Broward County Convention Center, Bahia Mar Yachting Center, Hall of Fame Marina, Las Olas Marina, Superyacht Village and Pier Sixty-Six Marina. Every site but the Convention Center is a marina, yacht center or yacht village, so the event takes up a long stretch of the Intracoastal side of town.
The days run on a fixed schedule. Here is what the show is doing on each day, next to what else is on the local calendar.
| Day | Show hours | Also on the calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Wed., Oct. 28 | Noon to 7 p.m., preview day | LauderGO! Water Trolley suspended starts |
| Thu., Oct. 29 | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | King Tides window continues |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Halloween Bar Crawl on Las Olas, from 5 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Howlerween, Bonnet House Halloween Fest, Wicked Manors |
| Sun., Nov. 1 | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Last show day, trolley suspension ends |
Show traffic runs longer than the gates are open. The show's complimentary shuttles start an hour before opening and stop an hour after closing. On Saturday, that means show buses are running from 9 a.m. until about 8 p.m. If you're planning errands or dinner near the show sites, use that wider window.
The free river boat is off for the whole run
The City of Fort Lauderdale's LauderGO! Water Trolley is not running from October 28 through November 1, 2026, because of the boat show. In a normal week it is free, runs daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. along the New River, and is operated with Water Taxi of Fort Lauderdale and Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale. Two of its stops, Huizenga Plaza/Bubier Park and Riverfront Plaza, were already listed as unavailable because of construction, so the route was short before the show started.
The show's water taxi runs during the event, but it's a paid ticket. It costs $15 for one day or $65 for all five, and children under five ride free. So for these five days, a boat ride along the waterfront has a price and a schedule set by the show.
The show's own ground network centers on the Convention Center at 1950 Eisenhower Blvd. Show parking there lists more than 3,000 spaces at $40 a day. Shuttle loops connect the Convention Center to Bahia Mar and Superyacht Village. A separate Red Route loops between the Brightline Fort Lauderdale station and the Riverside Hotel, and golf carts from ICON Electric Vehicles run between Superyacht Village and Bahia Mar. That gives show traffic a direct line from the train station to Las Olas. Brightline is also offering up to 15% off eligible SMART SELECT trips between Fort Lauderdale and Orlando for travel October 27 through November 2.
The East Las Olas bridge was already down to one lane each way
Before the first yacht docked, the main bridge to the beach was already narrowed. The Florida Department of Transportation's traffic shift notice for the East Las Olas Boulevard Bridge over the Intracoastal says that from October 1 through late 2026, the bridge carries one 10-foot lane in each direction. Traffic is moved to the south side and the north sidewalk is closed. FDOT asks drivers to use alternate routes when they can and to allow extra time. The $14.1 million rehabilitation is estimated to finish in late 2027.
A July city advisory described traffic on the north side instead. If you plan to walk or bike across, check FDOT's latest notice before you head out. Las Olas Marina is one of the six show sites, and the bridge leading toward it has half its usual lanes.
The tides are also part of the week. The city calendar marks King Tides from October 24 through October 31, which ends on show Saturday.
Halloween is easiest on the river and in the quieter pockets
With the marina corridor busy and the bridge narrowed, the clearest Halloween plans this year are the ones that keep you off that stretch.
Howlerween at Esplanade Park. Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale lists Howlerween for Saturday, October 31, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Esplanade Park, 400 SW 2nd St. It welcomes all pets, from dogs and cats to birds, rabbits and reptiles. The listing includes pet costume competitions, local vendors and small businesses, food trucks, music and family activities. It's on the New River downtown, well inland from the marinas.
Halloween Fest at Bonnet House. Bonnet House, at 900 N. Birch Rd., holds its Halloween Fest on October 31 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It has a live DJ, a costume runway and a trick-or-treat trail. Its hours line up closely with Howlerween's, so families with costumes but no pets have a second daytime choice.
The Friday crawl on Las Olas. The Las Olas Association lists Halloween Bar Crawls 2026 starting at American Social, 721 E. Las Olas Blvd., on Friday, October 30, from 5 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. It describes the crawl as its fifth annual Halloween-eve event. It starts just as Friday's show day is winding down, on the inland part of the boulevard.
Wicked Manors, just north of the city. Wicked Manors: Masquerade of Mayhem runs Saturday, October 31, from 6 to 11 p.m. in Wilton Manors. It's produced by The Pride Center at Equality Park with the City of Wilton Manors. Wilton Drive will be closed from NE 21st Court to N. Dixie Highway during the event. It starts an hour before the boat show closes on Saturday and is a short drive inland from the show's marinas.
If your kids already had their Halloween warm-up, it was likely last Saturday, October 24. That day the city held LauderBOO at Snyder Park, plus community Halloween events at Croissant Park and Riverland Park. The Las Olas Association's 6th Annual Pumpkins & Palm Trees festival at Las Olas Oceanside Park was the same day. This weekend's lineup comes on top of those.
Time your meals around the show
Restaurants near the show sites are full this week, and some have adjusted their hours for it. Chima Steakhouse on Las Olas is serving an extended boat-show lunch from October 28 through November 1. Hours are noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 12:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. If you order the Complete Rodizio Experience, the restaurant includes up to two hours of lunch-hour valet. Prices run from $20 for the gourmet salad bar to $52 for the Complete Rodizio. On a week when Convention Center parking costs $40 a day, two hours of included valet on Las Olas is a real perk.
A September 2026 show-week dining guide from IYC lists the places likely to fill with show crowds. On the water, it names 15th Street Fisheries, Boatyard and Coconuts. Near Las Olas, it names Lobster Bar Sea Grille, Rocco's Tacos and Ocean Prime by the Las Olas Bridge. Around Pier Sixty-Six and Superyacht Village, it names Calusso, and along the wider show corridor it lists Daniel's, A Florida Steakhouse, and Finster Murphy's. If one of these is your regular spot, try to book before 10 a.m. or after the show's closing hour, or wait until Monday, when the show is over and the river trolley is running again.
When show week ends Sunday at 5 p.m., the waterfront goes back to its usual routine. If watching the boat show take over the Intracoastal for a week has you thinking about your own spot near the water, Rebecca Sundel can show you what it's worth in today's market and how buyers value waterfront location. Request Your Home Valuation.
