A big community event needs a big, clear schedule. When families arrive at a fall festival, the first question is always: What’s happening when? This 18 x 24-inch poster answers it from across the field, with every event listed on a timeline of glowing pumpkins. Hang it at the entrance, by the food trucks, and at the information table, and nobody misses the costume parade.
A Spooktacular Poster at a Glance
The poster is 18 x 24 inches, portrait, a common size for printed event posters and foam board signs. The background is a deep dusk purple. A big pale moon glows in the top-right corner, with a few black bats flying across the sky. The 13th annual is written in yellow Kalam handwriting, followed by SPOOKTACULAR in large orange Creepster letters with a dark shadow, FALL FESTIVAL in widely spaced white capitals, and SCHEDULE OF EVENTS in soft lilac.
The heart of the poster is a vertical timeline. A thin gold line runs down the page, with an orange pumpkin at each event. Times are on the left in yellow Bangers lettering, and event names are on the right in bold white text. At the bottom, a silhouette of a graveyard with tombstones and a bare tree sits along the edge of a black footer bar that holds the date and time, the venue, a note about free entry and food trucks, and the OTO logo.
Eight Events on the Pumpkin Timeline
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 4:00 PM | Gates open and hayrides |
| 4:30 PM | Pumpkin decorating tent |
| 5:00 PM | Kids costume parade |
| 5:30 PM | Trunk-or-treat in the lot |
| 6:15 PM | Costume contest judging |
| 6:45 PM | Pie-eating contest |
| 7:15 PM | Haunted trail opens |
| 8:00 PM | Raffle draw and goodnight |
Every time and event is editable. Double-click to type your own programme.
Building a Festival Programme That Flows
A good festival schedule balances high-energy moments with time to wander, eat and play. Some principles that experienced organisers follow:
- Start gently: Open with activities families can join at any time, such as hayrides and crafts, so late arrivals do not miss anything important.
- Put children’s events early: Costume parades and kids’ contests work best before dinner and before little ones get tired.
- Space out the big moments: Leave at least 30 minutes between headline events so people can eat and move around.
- Save the scares for dark: Haunted trails and spooky walks need darkness, so schedule them after sunset.
- End with a gathering: A raffle draw or prize announcement brings everyone together for a clear finish.
Adding or Removing Events
The poster is designed for eight events, but you can change that. To remove one, delete its pumpkin, time, and event text, then nudge the remaining rows to close the gap. To add one, select a pumpkin, time, and event together, duplicate them, and move the copy into place, shortening the spacing slightly so everything fits. For very long programmes, list only the main events on the poster and put the full schedule on a smaller handout.
Renaming and Recolouring the Festival
Change the title to your festival’s name, such as Harvest Moon Festival, Monster Mash, or Fright Night, and update the line above it. The moon is a simple circle you can move or recolour. The bats are editable vector icons. The graveyard silhouette at the bottom is a single group, and the bare tree is a separate vector illustration you can resize or remove. The dusk purple background and the gold timeline line can be recoloured to match your event branding. Fonts are Creepster, Kalam, Bangers, and Montserrat, all free Google Fonts.
Weather and Backup Plans
Outdoor autumn festivals depend on the weather. Decide in advance which events can move indoors, such as the costume contest, the pie-eating contest, and the raffle, and which need to be cancelled in heavy rain, such as hayrides and the haunted trail. Add a small line to the footer, like Rain or shine, or Rain date: Sunday, October 25, so families know what to expect. On the day, a printed notice taped over any cancelled event on the poster keeps everyone informed without reprinting the whole schedule.
Where to Put the Posters
- At the main entrance, so families can plan their visit as they arrive.
- Next to the food area, where people pause and have time to read.
- At the information or lost-and-found table.
- Near the stage or the main activity area.
- On social media and the school or church website, as an image.
A smaller letter-size version of the same design works well as a handout or flyer.
Promoting the Festival in Advance
The schedule poster doubles as a promotional poster in the weeks before the event. Put copies in shop windows, libraries, community centres and school noticeboards. Share a PNG version on neighbourhood groups and social media, and include it in school newsletters. Seeing the full programme, especially the costume parade and haunted trail, encourages families to put the date in their calendar.
Printing at 18 x 24 Inches
Download the PDF and send it to a print shop for large-format printing. For indoor display, a poster print on heavy satin paper is ideal. For outdoor use, ask for a foam board or corrugated plastic mount, which stands up on an easel and survives a breezy evening. A print shop can also produce smaller copies, such as 11 x 17 inches, from the same file because the design is built from shapes and text.
Festival Poster Questions
Can I change the poster size?
Yes. The design is vector-based, so it scales to other sizes. Larger sizes may need slight spacing adjustments.
Can I add sponsors’ logos?
Yes. Add logo images in the footer bar or above it, keeping the timeline clear.
Will it print well at home?
Home printers cannot print 18 x 24 in one sheet. Use a print shop, or print tiled sections and join them.
Can I use this for a non-Halloween event?
Swap the title and colours, and the timeline layout works for any community festival.
Type your programme, update the date and venue, and send it to the printer. A clear schedule means more families at every event.
