For the past few years Cooper City's Halloween night happened at Memorial Park. The last one was the BOO-Per City Halloween Extravaganza on Friday, October 17, 2025, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. This October the city's calendar lists a different event at a different park. Cooper City Fall Fest is on Saturday, October 24, from 4 to 9 p.m. at Suellen H. Fardelmann Sports Complex, 10300 Stirling Road.
The move matters because Fardelmann already hosts the city's November music night. Fall Fest gives it the Halloween night too. Memorial Park keeps the Sunday farmers market and is about to get the city's holiday lights. Cooper City's fall now runs on two tracks: Stirling Road for the big evening events, and Memorial Park for Sundays and December.
Five Hours on a Saturday, Up From Two and a Half on a Friday
The city calls Fall Fest "new" and its weekly newsletter calls it an "all-new event" for fall and Halloween. Neither source says BOO-Per City has been retired or renamed. As of early October, though, the special events page shows no 2026 BOO-Per listing. Here is how the two compare on paper:
| BOO-Per City Halloween Extravaganza, 2025 | Cooper City Fall Fest, 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Day | Friday, October 17 | Saturday, October 24 |
| Hours | 6:30 to 9 p.m. | 4 to 9 p.m. |
| Run time | Two and a half hours | Five hours |
| Venue | Memorial Park | Suellen H. Fardelmann Sports Complex |
| Listed extras | No activity list; the city's notice told guests to grab costumes and candy buckets | Trick-or-treat lane, craft vendors, pony rides, games, a maze, hay rides, food trucks, live music |
A Saturday start at 4 p.m. leaves room for the younger trick-or-treaters and for families who would rather skip a weeknight rush. The music comes from Friday at Five, a Broward party band with a female lead vocalist and three male vocalists. Their set covers rock, pop, country, reggae and dance.
Some practical details are still missing. Neither the event page nor the flyer lists an admission price, parking plan or road closures for 2026. Last year's notice sent BOO-Per guests to specific lots around Memorial Park and the Community Center. Those directions don't apply to a sports complex on Stirling Road. Before the 24th, check the city's special events page for any updates.
Local business owners have a way in, too. The Fall Fest vendor application lists a $25 booth for business information and a $50 booth for craft vendors. Food trucks have to submit current licensing, food-safety, business-tax and insurance documents. Any truck using propane pays an extra inspection fee.
Fardelmann Already Had the November Night
Fall Fest isn't Fardelmann's first evening event. Eat to the Beat ran there on November 1, 2024, and again on April 11, 2025. This year it's back on Friday, November 6, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Entry is free, food vendors will be on site, and the headliner is Felix and Fingers Dueling Pianos. Their all-request sing-along show runs, in the city's words, "From John Lennon to John Legend, Beach Boys to Beastie Boys." The event also has a sensory-friendly area for guests who are sensitive to loud noise and bright lights.
The city has tied the two Fardelmann nights together. The Halloween Home Decorating Contest takes registrations from October 1 to 24. That is the same window that ends on Fall Fest day. Winners are announced at Eat to the Beat on November 6. Entry costs $5, and judges pick winners in three categories: Scariest, Most Creative and Overall Appearance. You can register online, at the Community Center at 9000 SW 50th Place, or at the Pool and Tennis Center at 11600 Stonebridge Parkway. In practice, the decorated front yards fill the gap between the two events.
The fields only recently reopened. Fardelmann's baseball fields came back on August 15, except Field 6. Fields A and B followed on August 17. As of the city's field-status page, reopening dates for the remaining fields were still undetermined. The Bill Lips multipurpose and softball fields also reopened August 15 after irrigation and field work. The complex hosting Fall Fest has just come out of a summer of maintenance.
Fall Fest also isn't the only Halloween event on Stirling Road this month. Potential Church is holding a Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday, October 31, from 5 to 8 p.m. at 12401 Stirling Road.
Memorial Park Keeps Sundays and Gets the Lights
Memorial Park hasn't gone quiet. It has taken on a different role. The Cooper City Farmers Market tried Fardelmann briefly this year. On June 6 the city announced a "NEW Location & NEW Summer Hours" at Fardelmann, running Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. That was a change from May, when the market was at Memorial Park, 9001 SW 51 Street, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. By August 20 the city's schedule had moved it back to Memorial Park, every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. That post adds that dates are subject to change. Confirm the current schedule before you head out on a Sunday morning.
Memorial Park is also the centerpiece of this year's holiday lighting. The city approved a $49,422.21 package covering Memorial Park, five city entrances and five municipal facilities. Some of the lights may be up as early as October 15. Installation at Memorial Park is scheduled to finish by November 23. So Fall Fest wraps up at Fardelmann on October 24, Eat to the Beat follows there on November 6, and Memorial Park should be lit before Thanksgiving week.
The Season, In Order
- Now through October 11: The city's five-minute parks survey is open. It asks about a new facility-reservation system and about paid private trainers in public parks. Respondents are entered in a drawing for a $50 Sicilian Oven gift card.
- As early as October 15: The first holiday lights may go up at city entrances and facilities.
- October 24, the last day to register for the decorating contest: Cooper City Fall Fest runs 4 to 9 p.m. at Fardelmann.
- October 31: Potential Church Trunk-or-Treat, 5 to 8 p.m., 12401 Stirling Road.
- November 6: Eat to the Beat, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Fardelmann, where the decorating contest winners are announced.
- By November 23: Memorial Park lighting installation complete.
- Every Sunday, schedule permitting: Farmers market at Memorial Park, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Neighborhood Parks Are Next
The big events have settled into Fardelmann and Memorial Park. The smaller parks closer to home are next in line for work. The city has more than $1.29 million in improvements planned for Forest Lake, Ted Ferone, Dawn and Christie Schafale parks. Work is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2026 or the first quarter of 2027, and schedules aren't final yet. Forest Lake, Ted Ferone and Dawn are each getting a full playground replacement. Christie Schafale is getting targeted playground work plus outdoor fitness equipment.
If your family relies on one of those four playgrounds after school, plan for some downtime once work begins, though the city hasn't set schedules yet. Bill Lips also recently got stabilized parking pavers around the complex and new fencing along its west side. The survey questions about a reservation system and private trainers suggest the city is also thinking about how residents book and share park space. For more on how these parks fit into the rest of the city, see our Cooper City neighborhood guide.
If the decorating contest has you looking at your front yard with fresh eyes, you're already thinking the way buyers do when they pull up for the first time. Thinking about listing in the new year? Kendra Campbell Borja can help you decide which seasonal touches to keep for photos and which to pack away before the camera crew arrives. Schedule your free seller consultation and we'll build a plan around your home and your timeline.
