Stardew Valley’s Spirit’s Eve festival happens every year on Fall 27, and you can only get in by walking into Pelican Town between 10:00 pm and 11:40 pm in-game. The haunted maze in the town square is the main event: in odd years (Year 1, 3, 5…) the chest at the end holds a Golden Pumpkin worth 2,500g, and in even years it holds a Prize Ticket instead. Below are the shortcut routes for both mazes, what to buy at Pierre’s booth and what the Golden Pumpkin is actually good for.
Table of Contents
Quick answer
- Date and time: Fall 27. Enter Pelican Town from 10:00 pm; at 11:50 pm it is too late. Leaving the festival sends you home at 12:00 am.
- Odd years: smaller maze, reward is the Golden Pumpkin. Take the hidden gap just below and left of the “?” signpost.
- Even years: bigger maze (new layout since update 1.6), reward is a Prize Ticket. The middle of three hidden gaps behind the chicken-legged hut leads to the chest.
- Bring a light: a Glow Ring makes the dark tunnel sections much easier to follow.
- Golden Pumpkin: sell it in the shipping bin for 2,500g (Pierre won’t buy it), give it as a gift every villager loves, or tailor it into a Witch Hat.
- Best buy: Rarecrow #2 (5,000g), which is only sold here. The Jack-O-Lantern recipe costs 2,000g.
Rules here come from the official Stardew Valley Wiki for the current version, 1.6.15 (checked October 25, 2026, 18:50 UTC). If you’re new to the game, it’s also worth a look at our list of games like Stardew Valley once the farm is running smoothly.
The maze's dark tunnel sections are easiest with a light source such as a Glow Ring. AI-generated illustration
When is Spirit’s Eve in Stardew Valley?
Spirit’s Eve is on the 27th of Fall, every year. Unlike most festivals it runs at night: the festival starts when you enter Pelican Town between 10:00 pm and 11:40 pm. The wiki notes that 11:50 pm is already too late, so if you are deep in the Mines that evening, head back early. When you leave, the game returns you to your farm at 12:00 am.
| Detail | Spirit’s Eve |
|---|---|
| Date | Fall 27, every year |
| Entry window | 10:00 pm to 11:40 pm (11:50 pm is too late) |
| Where | Pelican Town square |
| After leaving | You return to the farm at 12:00 am |
| Odd-year maze prize | Golden Pumpkin (sells for 2,500g) |
| Even-year maze prize | Prize Ticket (for the prize machine in Lewis’s house) |
| Shop | Pierre’s booth: Rarecrow #2, Jack-O-Lanterns, Grave Stone, Funky Rug |
How to finish the Spirit’s Eve maze in Year 1 (Golden Pumpkin)
The Year 1 maze, which comes back in every odd year, is the smaller of the two. The usual “keep going left” rule works for most of it, but the fastest route uses a secret passage:
- Walk in and find the “?” signpost.
- Step into the hedge just below and to the left of that signpost. It looks solid, but it is a hidden passage.
- Follow it into the dark cave section to the north and keep moving right. The tunnel weaves left and right and you can barely see your character, so move slowly and watch where you can and can’t walk.
- You drop out into the treasure section. Open the chest for the Golden Pumpkin.
- Since patch 1.6.3 there is a minecart shortcut near the chest that takes you back to the maze entrance next to Pierre’s booth.
The wiki also lists a known quirk: in the same square as the “?” sign, the bottom-right corner hides another bush passage that leads to the rest of the maze. If you get lost, that’s a second way in.
How to finish the Year 2 maze (Prize Ticket)
Update 1.6 gave the even-year maze a new, larger layout and swapped its reward for a Prize Ticket. The route:
- Again, look for the hidden gap just below and to the left of the first “?” signpost.
- Follow that path to its end, past Sebastian.
- Look for an unmarked secret passage at the top right of the maze. It carries you over to the section where Sam and Vincent are standing.
- Go to the chicken-legged house in the top right. In the hedges behind it there are three secret passages to the right of the sign. Only the middle one leads into the treasure section.
- Open the chest for your Prize Ticket, then take the minecart back to the entrance.
Small details to watch for along the way: Krobus hides to the left of the monster cages in even years, and the chicken-legged hut is a nod to Baba Yaga from Slavic folklore.
Glow Ring and other ways to see in the maze
The tunnel sections are the only hard part, because you’re walking blind. A Glow Ring lights a 10-tile radius around you. In Year 1 it usually comes from breaking boxes and barrels or as a monster drop on floors 40 and deeper in the Mines, or as the reward for the Night Fishing Bundle in the Community Center Fish Tank. If you don’t have one by Fall 27, go through slowly and stick close to one wall.
Spirit's Eve is one of Stardew Valley's night-time festivals, like the winter Night Market shown here. Image: ConcernedApe
What to buy at Pierre’s Spirit’s Eve shop
Pierre’s booth by the maze entrance sells five festive items:
| Item | Price | Worth it if… |
|---|---|---|
| Rarecrow #2 | 5,000g | You’re collecting all 8 rarecrows (only sold here) |
| Funky Rug | 4,000g | You want a unique indoor rug for the farmhouse |
| Jack-O-Lantern Recipe | 2,000g | You want to craft lanterns: 1 Pumpkin + 1 Torch each |
| Jack-O-Lantern (5) | 750g | You want lanterns tonight without crafting them |
| Grave Stone | 350g | You decorate your farm by season |
Is Rarecrow #2 worth 5,000g?
If you plan to collect all eight, yes. Spirit’s Eve is the only place to buy it, so skipping it means waiting a full year. Soon after you own all eight (usually the next day), a letter arrives with the recipe for the Deluxe Scarecrow. Rarecrow #1 comes from the Stardew Valley Fair (800 star tokens), and the others come from the Casino, the Traveling Cart or the Festival of Ice, the Flower Dance, the Dwarf and Museum donations, according to the wiki’s rarecrow table. It also works as a normal scarecrow, so it isn’t wasted money.
Should you buy the Jack-O-Lantern recipe?
Only if you like seasonal decorating or play with remixed bundles, where a Jack-O-Lantern goes into the Spirit’s Eve Bundle on the Bulletin Board. Jack-O-Lanterns give off less light than a Torch, every villager dislikes them as a gift, and any left out on your farm turn into Rotten Plants on Winter 1 (keep them in a chest to save them). The sewing machine can also turn one into a Pumpkin Mask.
What to do with the Golden Pumpkin
The in-game description says it’s “valuable but has no other purpose”, but according to the Golden Pumpkin wiki page you have three real options:
- Sell it for 2,500g through the shipping bin on your farm. Pierre won’t buy it.
- Gift it: since patch 1.3.27 it is a universally loved gift, so any villager, your spouse included, gets a big friendship boost. That’s handy for someone whose loved gifts are hard to get.
- Tailor a Witch Hat: put it in the spool of the sewing machine at Emily’s house (or the one Emily gifts you) to make the Witch Hat, which fits the season perfectly.
Missed it? You can also get Golden Pumpkins outside the festival, with a small chance from Artifact Troves and as a possible prize from Mystery Boxes and Golden Mystery Boxes. Otherwise, the maze has another one waiting in every odd year.
What is the Prize Ticket for?
Take Prize Tickets to the prize machine in Mayor Lewis’s house, next to the Town Ledger. The machine shows the next three prizes in line and gives you the first one each time you use a ticket. The first 22 prizes are set in a fixed order, starting with seeds, a fruit sapling and Mystery Boxes, according to the Prize Ticket wiki page. Quests, special orders and repeat festival wins also give tickets.
Is Spirit’s Eve worth going to?
Yes, especially in odd years: a short maze run for a 2,500g item, or a gift every villager loves, is a good return for one evening. In even years the Prize Ticket is worth less, so the visit is more about the bigger maze, the villagers’ festival lines and the Rarecrow. If you like gentle spooky games like this, our list of cozy Halloween games has more in the same mood, and the Pokopia Halloween event guide covers this month’s other big cozy event. Stardew Valley itself is $14.99 on Steam (checked October 25, 2026); our Halloween game deals roundup tracks this week’s sales across every store.
FAQ
What day is Spirit’s Eve in Stardew Valley?
Fall 27, every year. Enter Pelican Town between 10:00 pm and 11:40 pm in-game.
Why didn’t I get a Golden Pumpkin in Year 2?
Since update 1.6 the Golden Pumpkin only appears in odd years. Even-year mazes use a different, larger layout and give a Prize Ticket.
How do you leave the Spirit’s Eve maze quickly?
After opening the chest, take the minecart shortcut (added in 1.6.3). It drops you at the maze entrance next to Pierre’s booth.
Who loves the Golden Pumpkin?
Everyone. It’s been a universally loved gift since patch 1.3.27, so it works for any villager.
Can you miss Spirit’s Eve?
Yes, if you reach town at 11:50 pm or later, or stay home. The festival comes back every Fall 27, but the reward alternates, so the next Golden Pumpkin maze is two years away.
Sources: Stardew Valley Wiki: Spirit’s Eve, Golden Pumpkin, Prize Ticket, Rarecrow, Jack-O-Lantern, Glow Ring, Version History; Stardew Valley on Steam. Checked October 25, 2026, 18:50 UTC.
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Featured image: AI-generated illustration
