Pokémon kids can play the new Delta Reign cards at midnight Friday, October 23, 2026, two weeks before the set reaches stores, at a $35 prerelease at Card N All Gaming on New Cut Road. The free picks for Louisville families are the Southwest Family YMCA Fall Festival, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and a trunk or treat and resource fair at United Crescent Hill Ministries, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Boo at the Zoo and Jack's Lantern Trail both sell Friday tickets, and Witches Night Out in La Grange is free for families willing to drive. JCPS Insider rechecked every organizer page below on October 22, 2026. Times are Eastern.
Where are the free Friday trunk or treats?
The Southwest Family YMCA hosts its fall festival Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and it is free.
The YMCA event page lists trunk or treat, bounce houses, a pumpkin patch, and local vendors. It says "FREE and OPEN to the public" and that all ages are welcome. Wear costumes. The event page does not print the address, but the branch page lists 2800 Fordhaven Road, Louisville. Questions go to the branch at 502 933 9622.
United Crescent Hill Ministries holds its first Trunk or Treat and Community Resource Fair Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 150 State Street, Louisville, KY 40206. The UCHM event page invites the whole family to come in costume for trunk or treating, activities, and tables from local organizations and community resources. The page lists no admission fee, and neither free event page mentions signing up ahead. Questions go to the UCHM office at 502 893 0346.
Is there a Pokémon event Friday night?
Yes, but it costs money and it runs late. Card N All Gaming hosts a Pokémon Delta Reign midnight prerelease at its New Cut store, 5534 New Cut Road, Louisville, KY 40214. A seat is $35, paid ahead on the event page, and the store asks players to be ready at 11:59 p.m. so it can hand out kits at midnight. The set doesn't reach stores until November 6.
Each player gets a Build & Battle kit with four Delta Reign packs, has 30 minutes to build a 40 card deck, then plays three 30 minute rounds. Everyone leaves with three extra packs. The store says it's for all skill levels and fun for all ages, and that people will help first timers build a deck. The page lists no age minimum and says nothing about whether a parent has to stay. Seats and kits are limited, and as of Thursday night, October 22, the page showed one seat left, so check it Friday before you plan around it. Questions go to the store at 502 795 2469.
Do the math before you buy: the format alone runs past 2 a.m., which is a hard fit before a 9 a.m. Showcase. For daytime play, Card N All's Sunday 4 p.m. prerelease in Middletown was down to its last few seats as of Thursday night, October 22, on the Middletown event page. That page says players must preregister and the store won't sell seats the day of the event. The Saturday sessions on New Cut are sold out.
How much is Boo at the Zoo on Friday?
Boo at the Zoo is $14.25 for nonmembers, $8.50 for zoo members, and free for children 2 and under, according to the Louisville Zoo event page. The zoo also lists Meijer discount tickets at $12.25 at participating locations.
Gates open at 5 p.m. Friday at the Louisville Zoo, 1100 Trevilian Way. Timed tickets run until 8:30 p.m., the trick or treat route closes at 9 p.m., and everyone must be out by 10 p.m. Every guest 3 and older needs a ticket, and tickets must be bought online in advance. The Meijer tickets are good for any Boo at the Zoo night. Trick or treating is for kids 11 and under. Parking in the zoo lot is included in the ticket price. The zoo calls 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. its most popular party time, so a later slot may mean shorter lines. The page says most animals are not on view in the evening, and the event goes on rain or shine with no refunds. If Friday doesn't work, Boo at the Zoo runs through October 30, and the zoo's FAQ says that is the last night.
The zoo's FAQ says costumes are welcome but not required. Adults can wear them too, but the zoo asks that they be family friendly, and adults may not wear masks that cover the whole face. Daytime zoo visitors should know the gates close early at 3 p.m. on Boo nights, with guests allowed to stay until 4 p.m. The trick or treat route is about 1.3 miles, so a wagon or stroller from home may save small legs before an early Saturday. The zoo's main number is 502 459 2181.
Is there a free Friday night festival outside Louisville?
Witches Night Out fills Springs Park in downtown La Grange on Friday, October 23, and the City of La Grange lists it at $0 with no registration required. The La Grange Parks and Recreation listing puts it at the Springs Park Grand Pavilion from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The Oldham County Tourism listing gives 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and promises vendors, games, a witches dance parade, food trucks, and live music. The organizer, From the Ground Up Books and Resources, posted the same hours on October 19, with ghost stories at 5 p.m., the witches dance at 6 p.m., and live music at 7 p.m. The city's listing says 4 p.m., so plan to arrive at 5 p.m. Walking in is free, but food trucks and vendors cost money.
La Grange sits northeast of Louisville along Interstate 71, so this is a better fit for families in eastern Jefferson County or Oldham County. Questions about the park go to La Grange Parks and Recreation at 502 222 1433 during weekday office hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
How much is Jack's Lantern Trail on Friday?
On Friday and Saturday nights, Jack's Lantern Trail in Iroquois Park costs $22 for adults, $17 for seniors 65 and older, and $15 for children 3 to 12, and children 2 and under are free, according to the trail's pricing page. Sunday through Thursday tickets cost less. The page says service fees and taxes are added on top.
This is the pumpkin walk that used to be the Jack O'Lantern Spectacular. That brand moved to Kentucky Kingdom this year, and the Parks Alliance of Louisville kept the Iroquois Park event going under the new name, WLKY reported on September 30. Every ticket supports Louisville's public parks, the trail's about page says.
Friday hours run 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., and tickets are timed. On Fridays the slots are 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., and 10:30 p.m. Guests check in and wait at the Iroquois Amphitheater, 1080 Amphitheater Road, where parking is free, according to the trail FAQ. Depending on weather and daylight, the FAQ says trail entry may begin between 6:50 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. It also warns that time slots sell out, so buy ahead.
With a 9 a.m. Showcase start, the 6:30 p.m. slot is the one to book. Tickets are not refundable but can be exchanged for another date or time if space allows, so a family that can't make Friday can move to another night. The trail runs through November 1.
What should you set up Friday night for Showcase?
Whichever Friday plan you pick, families touring schools have an early Saturday, so set out what it needs before bed. The JCPS Showcase of Schools is Saturday, October 24, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center, 3029 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd., Louisville, KY 40212. Admission and onsite parking are free, per the district announcement.
If you plan to ride the free JCPS shuttle, the district says children under 3 and strollers are not allowed on the buses, and the last return shuttle leaves at 1 p.m. A JCPS post on October 16 said bus schedules and pickup locations are on the district announcement, but the copies we could read Thursday night did not show the list of schools. Check that page Friday or call JCPS at 502 313 4357 before you count on a shuttle. A family with a toddler or a stroller should plan to drive.
If you still need help with a school application, the Office of School Choice runs sessions on the hour at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, and 1 p.m. in The Fun Zone near the concession stand. The last return shuttle leaves at 1 p.m., so shuttle riders should take the 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. session. Charge a phone tonight and write down your child's current grade and school and the schools you want to visit.