Riverlink Halloween Wicked Weekend 2026: Free Trick or Treat Hunt 10am to 3pm on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November, Free Parking, Railbuses Replace Trains (Ipswich, QLD)

Riverlink Shopping Centre in North Ipswich is running a free Halloween Trick or Treat Hunt from 10am to 3pm on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November, with a free dance party on Friday 30 October and free after-dark shows on Saturday. Parking at the centre is free, but trains between Roma Street and Ipswich are replaced by railbuses from 11:30pm on Friday until the last service on Sunday.

This guide is built from Riverlink’s own event pages, its getting-here and opening-hours pages, and the Translink weekend closure notice, all checked on 26 October 2026. Times are Queensland times; Queensland does not use daylight saving.

What is on at Riverlink this Halloween weekend?

Riverlink’s Halloween Wicked Weekend page lists one daytime event and three evening ones. Riverlink marks the hunt and the spell jar workshop as free; the Visit Ipswich listing says free entry for the weekend:

Day	Time	What	Where, per Riverlink
Friday 30 October	5pm to 8pm	Spooky DJ Dance Party, with prizes for best dressed	Main stage, near iPlay
Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November	10am to 3pm	Trick or Treat Hunt	Starts at the craft zone between Michael Hill and Wallace Bishop
Saturday 31 October	5pm to 8pm	Magic Spell Jars with Luna Lovewitch, first 100 people	Main stage, near iPlay (see the note below)
Saturday 31 October	5pm to 8pm	Mini Halloween Shows with fire and contortionists	Main stage, near iPlay

Riverlink says costumes are strongly encouraged. The centre calls the evening part “After Dark at The Link”, and The Link is the name it gives its main events space.

How does the Trick or Treat Hunt work?

The hunt starts at the craft zone between Michael Hill and Wallace Bishop. Riverlink says children decorate a personalised bucket there, then follow a clue sheet to a set of haunted pods where costumed characters wait. The Visit Ipswich listing for the weekend says you collect a hunt card near Wallace Bishop and follow the trail through seven stops, ending at the Haunted Maze; Riverlink’s own page does not give a number of stops.

Two stops are described in detail. The Scare Wall is a trick or treat challenge with 10 mystery holes, where a child reaches in and finds either a treat or something trickier. The maze is an interactive 6m by 6m walk-through. Riverlink says the hunt is free for all kids, and the Visit Ipswich listing says no bookings are required.

What happens after dark at The Link?

Friday’s dance party runs from 5pm to 8pm, and Riverlink says the whole family is welcome on the dance floor. On Saturday from 5pm to 8pm the centre lists mini Halloween shows, with spooky characters moving through the crowd and performances featuring fire and contortionists.

The spell jar workshop is run by Louise from Luna Lovewitch. Riverlink’s event page for the workshop says it is free, needs no booking, and is limited to the first 100 customers, with jars filled with crystals and colour to take home. It is recommended for children aged 8 and over because of small objects. It runs from 5pm to 8pm or while stocks last.

Riverlink’s two pages disagree about where the workshop is. The Halloween Wicked Weekend page puts it at the main stage near iPlay. The workshop’s own page says the Bandstand at The Link, near The Reject Shop, and the Visit Ipswich listing says the Bandstand behind Jamaica Blue. Check the signs at The Link when you arrive.

Can I park at Riverlink?

Yes. Riverlink’s getting-here page says parking is free, with over 2,500 bays and the majority undercover. It says accessible parking and parking for parents with prams are beside every entrance, and that bike racks are at the entrances. The page does not say whether anything changes on event days, so allow extra time on Saturday morning, when the hunt starts at 10am.

Are trains running to Ipswich on 30 October to 1 November?

Not as trains from late on Friday. Translink’s weekend track closure notice, last reviewed on Friday 16 October 2026 at 4:23pm, says the closure starts at 11:30pm on Friday 30 October and ends with the last service on Sunday 1 November. Timetabled railbuses run between Roma Street and Rosewood and Springfield Central stations, and Ipswich station is on the list of affected stations.

Your trip	What Translink’s notice means
Friday 30 October, dance party 5pm to 8pm	The closure starts at 11:30pm, after the party ends at 8pm
Saturday 31 October, hunt from 10am	Railbuses replace trains on the Ipswich line
Sunday 1 November, hunt from 10am	Railbuses run until the last service of the day

Translink says normal fares apply, and bikes and e-scooters are not permitted on railbuses. Our Ipswich and Springfield closure guide lists every affected station, and the Translink journey planner will give you your own times.

How else can I get to Riverlink?

Riverlink’s getting-here page lists these options:

Option	What Riverlink says
Bus	A bus interchange serviced by Westside buses is outside the northern entry, opposite News Xpress, at the Target end of the centre
Train station	Ipswich station is directly across the river; a connecting bus carries rail passengers to the centre, or walk about five minutes across the David Trumpy or Bradfield Pedestrian Bridge
Walk	A short walk across the David Trumpy Bridge or the Bradfield Pedestrian Bridge from the Ipswich CBD
Taxi	The rank is under the food court in the western mall; Yellow Cabs 131 924

Riverlink does not publish bus times for this weekend, so use the Translink journey planner for the connecting bus from Ipswich station.

What are Riverlink’s opening hours that weekend?

Riverlink’s opening hours page gives these centre hours:

Day	Centre hours	Evening event
Friday 30 October	9am to 5:30pm	Dance party 5pm to 8pm
Saturday 31 October	9am to 5pm	Spell jars and shows 5pm to 8pm
Sunday 1 November	10am to 4pm	None listed

The Friday and Saturday evening events run past the centre hours. Riverlink’s opening hours page lists longer hours for its major stores, with several trading until 9pm on Saturday; check that page for each store.

What else is on around Riverlink that weekend?

• iPlay has a Monster Bonus offer until 31 October: load $80 and receive $110 in arcade credit plus 1 showbag, or load $110 and receive $170 in arcade credit plus 2 showbags. Riverlink says it is in store only, until stocks last, and iPlay is at The Link near Baskin Robbins.
• Walker’s Doughnuts at Riverlink sells Halloween doughnuts from 16 to 31 October 2026, including a chocolate mummy ball with custard and a spooky eyeball filled with raspberry jam.
• Limelight Cinemas holds a Girls’ Night Out screening of Wicker on Saturday 31 October, with arrival at 6pm and the film at 7pm. Gold tickets include a drink and a two-course meal, and every ticket includes a gift bag.
• Free trivia runs at the main stage on Sunday 1 November: register from 12:30pm, the game starts at 1pm and wraps up by 2:30pm.

If you want a different Halloween night out in Ipswich on Saturday, the Visit Ipswich listing for the Halloween Carnival of Screams gives 4pm to 9pm at 81 Warwick Road, Ipswich, with a haunted house, sideshow alley, rides and a best dressed parade. Check that event’s own page for entry costs before you go.

Sources

• Riverlink — Halloween Wicked Weekend (checked 26 October 2026)
• Riverlink — Sat 31 Oct: Make a Spell Jar
• Riverlink — Getting here and Opening hours
• Riverlink — Monster Bonus at iPlay, Walker’s Doughnuts, Girls’ Night Out: Wicker and Sunday trivia
• Translink — Weekend track closure, Ipswich/Rosewood and Springfield lines (last reviewed 16 October 2026)
• Visit Ipswich What’s On — Halloween Wicked Weekend and Halloween Carnival of Screams

Featured image: Riverlink Shopping Centre seen across the Bremer River, North Ipswich (photo: Kgbo / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Riverlink Shopping Centre, Leda Group, Translink or the City of Ipswich. Event details can change; check Riverlink’s website before you go.