Fall Kickoff- Maricopa's football season is back!

THINGS TO DO

Home is where the haunt is: Mystery Mansion Mayhem returns BY KAREN BARTUNEK

17-18 Strike Out Cancer Baseball Tournament 8 a.m., Copper Sky Regional Park 44345 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Youth baseball teams compete in this weekend tournament raising cancer- support funds. 23 Neon Cowboy Color Run 7 p.m., Pacana Park 19000 N. Porter Road Be Awesome Youth Coalition hosts this glow-in-the-dark color run, followed by an after-party with live music and food trucks. Maricopa Night Market: Halloween Edition 6 p.m., Lowe’s Home Improvement 44400 W. Honeycutt Ave. The night market gets spooky with 150-plus free trick-or-treat stops, a DJ and family-friendly Halloween activities. Remembering the dead, celebrating life From marigolds to favorite foods, every element of an ofrenda has a purpose

24 City of Maricopa Republican Club 10 a.m., Calvary Chapel 44301 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway

28 Pacana Park Pumpkin Walk & Pumpkin Decorating Contest

28 City of Maricopa Republican Club 10 a.m., Calvary Chapel 44301 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway

with their contests,” Paramo said. “I told him, ‘Please give me the Halloween and Christmas contests when you hire me.’” Paramo’s goal this year is to double last year’s turnout of 39 houses on the tour. She also aims for the tour to be more walkable. But for those who don’t want to walk, InMaricopa is partnering with shuttle service RIDE 347 to provide residents with a ride for the entirety of the tour. “You don’t have to drive. You can just drink, eat and chat while you look at houses,” Paramo said. To register your home, scan the QR code in the ad below.

6 p.m., Pacana Park 19000 N. Porter Road

Costumed kids collect candy from 100-plus vendor tables around the lake, alongside a pumpkin-decorating contest. Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Monster Mash Baseball Championships 8 a.m., Copper Sky Regional Park 44345 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Youth teams (ages 8U-18U) play a three-game-guaranteed Halloween- weekend tournament. November 6 First Fridays Downtown 6 p.m., Heritage District 19395 N. John Wayne Parkway The monthly art-and-food-truck walk continues with a new community- chosen theme along its Heritage District route.

This month’s open Maricopa Republican Club meeting.

6th Annual Maricopa Main Street Marketplace 10 a.m., Leading Edge Academy Maricopa 18700 N. Porter Road Local artists, bakers and food trucks fill this annual shopping event.

24 Ofrenda Día de los Muertos 11 a.m., Global Water Resources

UCH LIKE THE GHOSTS AND ghouls reminiscent of the season, the Mystery Mansion Mayhem contest, sponsored by State Farm

22590 Powers Parkway This family-friendly event

celebrates Día de los Muertos with a community ofrenda, live entertainment and a catrina contest.

agent Rene Chavez, will rise again this fall. Starting Oct. 1, the haunting is on. The contest gives locals a full month to vote for their favorite decorated — and registered — Halloween houses, with the winners notified Nov. 2. The contest is open to residents who register their home for the tour by September 27. There will be three awards given: Sponsor’s Choice, InMaricopa.com’s Choice and People’s Choice. Chavez said his family’s love of Halloween makes sponsoring the event a natural fit.

“We love seeing our community come together, having fun and getting to know our neighbors,” he said. “We love the fun scares, but we have also seen real-life homeowners’ and renters’ nightmares.” InMaricopa’s fulfillment and events manager, Erika Paramo, said this is her first time facilitating the Mystery Mansion Mayhem contest and she couldn’t be more excited. “When I saw an ad to work at InMaricopa , I specifically told the owner that I am obsessed

ALL EVENTS ARE TENTATIVE. NOT ALL EVENTS APPEAR IN PRINT.

AWARDS

Maricopa Salsa Festival 12 p.m., Pacana Park 19000 N. Porter Road The city’s salsa-tasting contest returns as the Stagecoach Days finale with local chefs competing for the salsa king or queen title.

Sponsor’s Choice: $300 cash and other prizes InMaricopa.com’s Choice: $250 cash and other prizes

FOR THE FULL EVENTS CALENDAR,

SCAN THE QR CODE.

People’s Choice: $100 cash and other prizes

Marigolds: The bright orange marigold is closely associated with Día de los Muertos. Its scent and color are traditionally believed to help guide spirits to the ofrenda. Water: A glass of water is often included to refresh spirits after their journey and represents purity and renewal. Food and drinks : Favorite foods, treats and beverages are placed on the ofrenda as offerings for the deceased.

Photos: Pictures of loved ones help families remember and honor the people being celebrated.

Candles: Candles represent

Think Your Haunt Has What It Takes?

light and are traditionally used to help guide loved ones home.

Personal items: Objects connected to a

BY MONICA D. SPENCER

Papel picado: Colorful, intricately cut tissue paper represents the fragility of life and

OOTED IN MEXICO, DÍA DE los Muertos is a celebration of remembrance that blends Indigenous Mexican customs At the heart of many celebrations is the ofrenda, or alter. Families fill these with items to welcome loved ones home. The items can be deeply personal: a favorite meal, a treasured keepsake or even something as ordinary as a familiar bottle of hairspray. Here’s a look at essential parts of the ofrenda. R with Catholicism and has become a way for families and communities to honor loved ones who have died.

loved one — such as jewelry, books, tools, toys or other treasured belongings — help tell their story.

adds movement and celebration to the ofrenda.

SCAN TO ENTER GET DECORATING, GHOULS ENTRIES CLOSE SEPT. 27

Pan de muerto: This traditional sweet bread is a common offering

Salt: Represents purification and is traditionally used to help cleanse the spirit.

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and is often decorated with shapes representing bones.

Rene Chavez

InMaricopa.com | September 2026

September 2026 | InMaricopa.com