October 26
Art Party
This 21-plus gathering at the San Diego Museum of Art will showcase interactive activities, performances, and more in the gallery, the rotunda, and the museum’s outdoor terrace. Guests will get a sneak peek of the new exhibition Korea in Color: A Legacy of Auspicious Images while sipping on signature cocktails, iced teas, and coffees and trying tastings from a handful of local Korean restaurants and brands. There will also be live painting and music, cotton candy, a chance to try out kpop-inspired glitter eye makeup, and the opportunity to paint your own holographic watercolor masterpiece. Regular tickets range from $75 to $100 (depending on your museum member status), while the $500 VIP package comes with early admission to the event and plenty of exclusive perks. | 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park
October 27–28
Mask-O-Raid
The Comic-Con Museum’s third annual, all-ages Mask-O-Raid from Funko, Inc. returns for a two-night bash this Friday and Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. Funko founder Mike Becker will hold meet-and-greets and photo ops, and guests can ogle vintage Halloween costumes and Funko mascot heads on display, enter the costume contest, jam to music from DJ Chino, and enter the raffle to win limited-edition Funko prototypes. Tickets are $125 and come with one drink ticket, party favors like two-for-one museum tickets for 2024, and a token for a Funko pop giveaway. | 2131 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park
Halloween Aglow
The Birch Aquarium lights up at closing time with a family-friendly Halloween extravaganza featuring live music, a costume contest, and trick-or-treat stations from 6 to 8:30 p.m. this Friday and Saturday. Attendees can enjoy Halloween activities and games in the bioluminescent atmosphere, see the skeleton divers in the Giant Kelp Forest, and learn about educational findings from Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Halloween Aglow tickets are $27 for aquarium members and $30 for non-members, and children ages 2 and under receive free admission. | 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla
October 27–28 & 31
San Diego Zombie Crawl
Come dressed in your best spooky season threads and join this creepy crawl through 20 bars, restaurants, and nightclubs offering welcome “potions” and live entertainment in the Gaslamp District. After an opening party at American Junkie, stumble your way around the neighborhood and receive cover-free club entry and access to several drink and dining deals from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. this Friday and Saturday and on Halloween night. | 628 Fifth Avenue, Gaslamp
October 28
Nightmare on Normal Street
This Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m., Pride Flag Plaza throws San Diego’s hottest Halloween dance party with live entertainment, outdoor bars, and more. This 21-plus block party includes a captivating costume competition judged by local celebrity guests, a pet costume contest, food trucks, DJs, and dancers—plus a massive outdoor dance floor. General admission tickets are $25. $55 VIP passes come with cocktails, a VIP bar and lounge area, a $10 food voucher, and private stage viewing. | Normal Street and University Avenue, Hillcrest
Struck & Plucked: An Evening of Rondalla and Kulintang Music of the Philippines
The Mingei International Museum hosts a performance from the Samahan Filipino American Performing Arts and Education Center this Saturday night beginning at 6 p.m. Struck & Plucked: An Evening of Rondalla and Kulintang Music of the Philippines will conclude October’s Filipino American History Month with a concert that pairs traditional string and Indigenous gong music with cultural dances inside the museum’s La Atalaya Theatre. Tickets for this performance are available for $24.50 online and $35 at the door. | 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park
OMA Rising Gala
The Oceanside Museum of Art’s (OMA) yearly fundraiser takes place this Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. at the Seabird Resort. Attendees can sip and mingle during a sunset cocktail hour; bid on fine art, experiences, and entertainment options in the silent auction; enjoy a dinner under the red Hunter’s Moon; and participate in a live auction with a European river cruise, Hawaiian vacation, and Caribbean getaway up for grabs. From 8 to 11 p.m., guests will enjoy live music from The Ivy League and interactive art, all in celebration of OMA and its artistic programming. All-inclusive general admission tickets are on sale for $350, or you can nab after-party tickets only for $75 apiece. | 704 Pier Way, Oceanside
Hallo-Wine Fall Festival
Held every October in recognition of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Home Start, Inc.’s annual Hallo-Wine Festival raises funds for the nonprofit’s assistance programs for vulnerable children, families, and individuals. From 3 to 6 p.m. this Saturday on the lawn of a private seaside estate in Point Loma, guests can enjoy hors d’oeuvres, wines, beers, spirits, live entertainment, games, and a silent auction complete with golf, getaways, and gift baskets. General admission is $115 and includes a $10 Lyft ride credit, plus a keepsake tasting glass, while VIP access costs $140 and comes with complimentary valet, a $20 Lyft ride credit, an even fancier glass, and one festival game ticket. And—for those who want to donate the big bucks—the $200 barrel club option offers VIP perks plus an exclusive, wine-soaked meal led by a professional sommelier. | Lomaland Drive (behind Point Loma Nazarene campus), Point Loma
October 28–29
Día de Muertos Celebrations
Do the Day of the Dead right all over San Diego with several free festivities honoring the Mexican holiday. From 3 to 8 p.m. this Saturday, Downtown Chula Vista celebrates Día De Muertos with an altar contest, catrin and catrina ensemble contest, music and dance performances, and a showing of Guillermo del Toro’s The Book of Life. Beginning this weekend, Old Town’s celebration will feature an art and craft market and ofrendas on display and close out with a candlelit procession on Thursday, November 2. Revelers can enjoy ballet folklorico dancers, mariachi bands, an art exhibition, face painting, and more at the Encinitas Dia de los Muertos Celebration from noon to 4 p.m. this Sunday. Also on Sunday, check out Barrio Logan’s festivities from noon to 7 p.m. and explore a vendor market, a lowrider showcase, live performances, and a screening of Coco (with free popcorn!). | Third Avenue & Park Way, Chula Vista | San Diego Avenue, Old Town | 3333 Manchester Avenue, Cardiff | 2185 Logan Avenue, Barrio Logan
October 29
Trick-or-Treat on India Street
From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. this Sunday, costumed kids of all ages are invited to stroll India Street to collect sweets in Little Italy. The Piazza della Famiglia (decked out in a spooky makeover complete with 13-foot Jack Skellington and large pumpkin stacks for family Halloween photos) will serve as the perfect launch point, offering maps showing participating vendors giving out Halloween candy and tasty treats. | 523 West Date Street, Little Italy
Centennial Community Celebration
Celebrate Liberty Station’s century-long legacy this Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. in Ingram Plaza in a shindig that combines history and Halloween. A special ceremony will recognize the oldest living Naval Training Center recruits, and the event also includes a live performance from the Navy Band, a beer and wine garden, a costume contest, a time-capsule burial, and trick-or-treating. | 2751 Dewey Road, Point Loma
