The Haunted Trail
Mike Rollerson
Open all month long, excluding Mondays and select Tuesdays
The Haunted Trail in Balboa Park is back to scaring all who enter with a mile-long path starring some of horror’s most iconic characters (we see you, Pennywise).
Open now through October 31
Visit Liberty Station’s Arts District to pick up your pumpkins from the Goff Family Pumpkin Patch. The patch will have gourds of all shapes, sizes, and colors to carve, paint, and admire this fall. Also available are photo ops and various local food and beverage pop-ups.
Brick or Treat
Every Saturday in October
Enjoy a visit to the park after dark this month! Every Saturday you can enjoy Halloween-themed dance parties, sweet treats, rides, and more at Legoland’s Brick or Treat.
October 17
Join Bivouac in their North Park taproom for an afternoon of pumpkin decorating. Your ticket comes with your own pumpkin, supplies to decorate it, a glass of their seasonal pumpkin spice cider, and cider donuts from fellow North Park shop Nomad Donuts. Activities start at 2:30 p.m. and tickets are $35.
October 26–31
This Chula Vista stop will host a number of spooky events, beginning on the 26th with Halloween trivia. On the 30th, stop by their pop-up Halloween Market from 1 to 5 p.m. to peruse desserts, bites, and themed crafts from local vendors. Later that evening, participate in the costume contest or take the mic for spooky karaoke at 7:30 p.m.
October 27
Bring the kids in their Halloween costumes to trick-or-treat on India Street. Little Italy’s local businesses will pass out candy to all dressed-up ghosts and ghouls from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.—and have plenty of good eats to enjoy after the kids have had their candy fill.
PoeFest
October 29–31
Write Out Loud’s annual PoeFest returns at the Villa Montezuma Museum. As guests tour the historic Queen Anne Victorian home (designed in 1887!), they’ll take part in an interactive retelling of selections from Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories. The tour includes three separate experiences and an encounter with the master of macabre himself.
October 29–31
Plan your Halloween weekend around Hilton Bayfront’s spooky happenings. The over-21 crew can enjoy a Haunted Happy Hour at the hotel’s Odysea lounge with seasonal cocktails; there’s an outdoor Hocus Pocus screening on the 30th on the Aqua Terrace; earlier that day, kids can enjoy a trick-or-treat scavenger hunt and a pumpkin cookie decorating party complete with sprinkles, icing, and other sweet treats.
Halloween – Tiger
October 29–31
Oh my! This megafauna rescue is pulling out all the stops this season with a number of Halloween happenings. Join them for their Spooky Campover, where you can sleep under the stars, enjoy pumpkin carving, make s’mores, and participate in a Halloween costume contest. Can’t stay the night? Stop by on the 30th for the pumpkin bash, where you can watch their rescued big cats and bears dig into their pumpkin treats. Costumes encouraged!
Now through October 31
SeaWorld is pulling out all the stops this season with two Halloween experiences to check out. Visitors wanting an all-ages option can visit the park’s daytime Spooktacular, complete with a trick-or-treat trail, dance party and costume parade, hay maze, and Halloween-themed shows. Want something scarier? Visit the park after dark for its first-ever Howl-O-Scream event, with multiple scare zones, haunted houses, and rides in the dark like the Electric Eel, Manta, and Journey to Atlantis. Howl-O-Scream runs on select nights.
Halloween – Bridgerton
October 31
Dear reader, it’s time to get whisked away into a world of mystery, romance, and Regency-era fantasy. Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa is hosting this Bridgerton-themed party on Halloween night with live entertainment, unlimited bites, and plenty of bubbly to go around. If you want to make a weekend out of it, book their Bridgerton Halloween Package, which includes two tickets to the masquerade, Bridgerton-themed treats in your room, props for your costume, free parking, and a waived resort fee.
October 31
Let your pups get in on the Halloween fun this year at San Diego Humane Society’s sixth annual Reverse Trick or Treat event, held at their Morena campus. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. you and your canine pal can check out the animal ambassador visits, swing by the toy- and treat-making stations, visit the photo booth, and more. Register ahead of time to choose your time slot (11–12 or 12–1).
October 31
Visit Seaport Village for all-ages festivities from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. On your way in, pick up a complimentary tote bag to carry with you on a candy trail through the Village shops (Seaport Fudge Factory will be offering themed sweets). Afterward, enter the fudge shop’s Halloween costume contest for a chance to win a $50 gift card to the Village.
Now through November 1
Swing by the boozy ice cream shop to get a taste of their haunted concoctions. This year’s flavors include whiskey pumpkin pie, a candy corn twist with absinthe, and the Trick or Treat—made with tequila and black cocoa ice cream and filled with candy.
Now through November 8
This North County pumpkin patch has been a fall must-do for years, complete with giant pumpkins, a corn maze, tractor rides, and more. For those who prefer a little more scare in their season, the pumpkin patch will host their Field of Screams haunted maze in the evenings. Want to make a staycation out of it? Guests at The Westin Carlsbad Resort & Spa who book the Fall Kids Eat Free Package receive a complimentary shuttle and admission to the pumpkin patch, along with extra specials.
