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Top Halloween Events in San Francisco: Halloween Trains and Trick-or-Treating Galore!

All aboard the Pumpkin Patch Express, headed straight for Halloween fun. Photo by @thelizw, via the Sacramento River Train, Facebook
All aboard the Pumpkin Patch Express, headed straight for Halloween fun. Photo by @thelizw, via the Sacramento River Train, Facebook
9/25/22 - By Sandra Lee

Halloween 2022 is almost here, and the Halloween events in San Francisco are springing up faster than your kid can eat candy after trick-or-treating! There are so many Halloween activities for kids of all ages, from trick-or-treating to pumpkin patches, movies in the park to Halloween train rides, and favorites like the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin and Art Festival and the Goblin Jamboree. We've rounded up the best Halloween events in San Francisco below, but more events are being announced every day, so keep checking the calendar of events as we continue to add to both our calendar and this roundup.

Not all kids are into the scary season, so we also included pumpkin patches and events catering to little goblins. Check out our ideas for how kids of all ages can celebrate at home, with Halloween party game ideas for tweens and teens, 75 fun Halloween crafts and activities for kids, and more in our Halloween Events and Activities Guide for San Francisco Kids.

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Halloween Sausalito features a Halloween parade, trick-or-treat lane, dog costume contest, and haunted house. Photo courtesy of the event
Halloween Sausalito features a Halloween parade, trick-or-treat lane, dog costume contest, and haunted house. Photo courtesy of the event

Halloween Events in San Francisco with Trick-or-Treating

Mummy & Me Kids Club Event

San Jose - Tuesday, October 25
Free
Santana Row in San Jose is going festive for its annual Mummy & Me Halloween event. Activities include trick-or-treating, pumpkin decorating, live music, entertainment, balloons, arts and crafts, face painting, and Halloween surprises.  READ MORE

Monster Bash

Mountain View - Saturday, October 29
Free
Rengstorff Park in Mountain View is transformed into a Halloween wonderland filled with treats like a twisty maze, spooky games, live performances, stilt walkers, inflatables, ooey gooey zone, Dia de los Muertos celebrations, and much more.  READ MORE

Bats, Bats, and More Bats!

Palo Alto - Saturday, October 29
Halloween is here and Gamble Garden is celebrating with a morning of spooky fun. Activities include trick-or-treating, crafts, and even live bats!  READ MORE

Halloween Spooktacular

Martinez - Saturday, October 29
Free
Put on your Halloween costume and join local businesses for some fun and safe trick-or-treating in downtown Martinez.  Kid's crafts, games, and trunk-or-treating are also part of the fun while families stroll the streets with creatively themed and decorated car trunks and shops.  READ MORE

Halloween at Howarth

Santa Rosa - Saturday, October 29
Put on your favorite costume and join the fun at the 17th annual Halloween celebration at Howarth Park. Put on your favorite costume and enjoy activities like trick-or-treating, train rides, and a carousel. Local businesses pass out treats, and kids can hang out in the Fun Zone and get their faces painted, take some photos, and do arts and crafts.  READ MORE

Halloween Sausalito

Sausalito - Monday, October 31
Free
A Halloween parade, trick-or-treat lane, dog costume contest, and haunted house are all taking place in Sausalito on Halloween evening. Bring the whole family (including your four-legged family members) and have some spooky but not-so-scary fun.  READ MORE
Don't miss the famous Great Pumpkin scavenger hunt at the Haunted Hanger. Photo courtesy of the Hiller Aviation Museum
Don't miss the famous Great Pumpkin scavenger hunt at the Haunted Hanger. Photo courtesy of the Hiller Aviation Museum

Halloween Events at San Francisco Zoos & Museums

Pop-Up Studio at the Walt Disney Family Museum

San Francisco - Sundays, October 2-23
Spend the morning in Disney art class where kids learn to paint, draw, and manipulate craft materials to replicate classic images from Disney films. READ MORE

Halloween Haunted Hangar

San Carlos - October 22-31
Halloween is on full display at the Hiller Aviation Museum, with decorations and the famous Great Pumpkin scavenger hunt. The weekends are especially fun with activities like aircraft checkouts, cockpit exploration glider, and helicopter construction, as well as Kids' Carnival, Haunted Hanger Festival, and Pumpkin Drop.  READ MORE

Goblin Jamboree

Sausalito - Saturdays & Sundays, October 22-30
The Goblin Jamboree is back at the BADM. Wear your favorite costume and enjoy activities like a hay maze, a glow party, a slime banquet, web weaving, interactive spooky science, and pumpkin hollow. READ MORE

Boo at the Zoo

Oakland - October 22-31
Boo at the Zoo is back at the Oakland Zoo every day from October 22-31. This family-friendly event is super popular and this year has an animal-themed spooky scavenger hunt that includes a limited-release trading card and candy bar prize! READ MORE

Supernatural at the Academy of Arts & Science

San Francisco - Friday, October 28
This beloved event is back at the California Academy of Arts & Sciences! The family-friendly event has all sorts of activities for kids of all ages: a silent disco, trick-or-treating, magic shows, live animal demonstrations, photo booths, crafts, face painting, mad scientist meet 'n' greets, and more.  READ MORE

FUNtazmagoria 2022

Santa Rosa - Saturday & Sunday, October 29 & 30
The Children's Museum of Sonoma County transforms into a family-friendly art studio to celebrate Halloween. The Mad Scientist lab has potions, creepy critters, and tons of cool things to explore. The Art Studio is Glow in the Dark-themed with spider webs, ghostly shapes, and even slime. It's a not-so-scary Halloween event for the whole family.  READ MORE

Halloween Train Rides in the San Francisco Bay Area

Pumpkin Patch Express

Sacramento - Saturdays & Sundays, October 1-30
Take a train ride through Yolo County for fall fun for the whole family. Activities include trick-or-treating at the private park, carnival games, photo opportunities, and a pumpkin patch. Costumes are encouraged! READ MORE

Thomas and Percy’s Halloween Party

Felton - Saturdays & Sundays, October 15-30
Roaring Camp Railroads is hosting the opportunity to take a ride with Percy and Thomas all decked out for Halloween. Other activities include storytelling, video viewing, temporary tattoos, a pumpkin patch, and an Imagination Station with arts and crafts. Sir Topham Hatt will be there for meet n' greets.  READ MORE

Halloween Festivals & Celebrations in San Francisco

13 Days of Halloween on the Wharf

Santa Cruz - Wednesday-Monday, October 19-31
Free
Enjoy 13 days of Halloween fun on the Santa Cruz Wharf. Print a BINGO card to find hidden pumpkins on the Wharf, snap a photo with your crew with the Monterey Bay and lighthouse as a backdrop, and taste delicious food specials each day.  READ MORE

History Park's Halloween Haunt Light Show

San Jose - Friday-Sunday, October 21-30
Join the community in front of the Pacific Hotel in San Jose to view a special Halloween-themed light show. Then spend the rest of the evening strolling through History Park eating local food, listening to Halloween music, and making a craft or two.  READ MORE

Halloween Spooktacular

Redwood City - Saturday, October 22
A Halloween event for the littlest of goblins, Redwood City's Spooktacular is full of age-appropriate fun. Activities include carnival games, a monster maze, crafts, photo opportunities, a mini pumpkin patch, and lots of prizes. READ MORE

The Haunted Trail of Pleasant Hill

Pleasant Hill - Friday, October 28
Free
Take a Halloween-themed stroll at Pleasant Hill Park with the whole family for a fun nighttime adventure.  Starting behind the Teen Center, families can stroll the not-so-scary trail to see Halloween displays and themed activities. Each participant gets a goody bag at the end of the trail.  READ MORE

Halloween Hoopla

San Francisco - Saturday, October 29
Free
Celebrate Halloween a bit early at Yerba Buena Gardens at the 22nd Annual Halloween Hoopla. Enjoy performances, activities, and a costume parade to end the day! READ MORE

Halloween at the Boardwalk

Santa Cruz - Sunday, October 30
Free
Head to the beach for Halloween fun at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Kids can enter a costume contest, go trick-or-treating, enjoy arcade games, and enjoy the beach. Older thrill-seeking kiddos can go through the Fright Walk, but don't say we didn't warn you!  READ MORE

The Haunted Garden at Camron-Stanford House

Oakland - Sunday, October 30
Back for another year, the garden at Camron-Stanford House is open to celebrate Halloween with fun for the whole family. Activities include lawn games, crafts, music, haunted museum rooms, and a spooky museum exhibit.  READ MORE

Halloween Festival at Marin Country Mart

Larkspur - Sunday, October 30
Free
This fun, family-friendly event has activities like trick-or-treating at the local shops and a Kids Costume Contest (with prizes). READ MORE

Halloween Events at Bay Area Theme Parks

Tricks and Treats at Great America

Santa Clara - Through October 30
Great America is introducing Tricks and Treats this year, a new Halloween event that is all fun with none of the scary stuff. Guests can choose the path of Tricks, which includes Icky Ville and Spooky Spires, or the path of Treats, with Sweet Tooth Acres and Everfall.  READ MORE

Six Flags Boo Fest

Vallejo - Through October 31
Six Flags Boo Fest is a family-friendly Halloween event with no scary rides or activities, just fun for even the littlest of ghosts. Taking place during the daytime only, families can enjoy Halloween-themed animal shows, trick-or-treating, and family-friendly rides.  READ MORE

The Great Big BOO at Gilroy Gardens

Gilroy - Fridays-Sundays, October 1-30
The Great Big BOO is back at Gilroy Gardens, with fun, not-so-spooky decorations, themed programming, live musical shows, games, rides, crafts, and light displays. Trick-or-treating on the BOO trail is a great event for the kiddos!  READ MORE

Halloween Jam at Children's Fairyland

Oakland - Friday-Sunday, October 21-30
This six-day event is filled with spooky (but not scary) creepy, crawly Halloween fun. Special activities include a scavenger hunt, arts and crafts, and a ghost town kids can walk through. Each child also gets a goodie bag full of Halloween goodies. READ MORE
Woah! The Pumpkin Patch at Lemos Farm is amazing! Photo courtesy of the farm
Woah! The Pumpkin Patch at Lemos Farm is amazing! Photo courtesy of the farm

Pumpkin Patches & Fall Harvest Festivals in San Francisco Bay Area

G & M Farms Pumpkin Patch

Livermore - Wednesdays-Sundays, October 1-30
Free
G&M Farms in Livermore has fall festivities running throughout the month of October.  Families can walk through the pumpkin patch and pick one to take home, go through a 6-acre cornfield maze, ride a pony, grab a pedal cart, jump on the jump pillows, and go on a hayride or cow train. There is even a haunted corn maze for older kids and grown-ups.  READ MORE

Autumn Lights Festival

Oakland - Thursday-Saturday, October 13-15
Lake Merritt is turning into a lighted display of local art with over 60 locally produced illuminated art displays on view throughout the 8-acre municipal gardens. See a life-sized T-Rex or growing flowers all made of colorful lights.  READ MORE

Half Moon Bay 50th Annual Pumpkin and Art Festival

Half Moon Bay - Saturday & Sunday, October 15 & 16
Free
The Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival is one of the most popular local fall events, with activities for the whole family including pumpkin carving and costume contests. READ MORE

The Pumpkin Patch at Lemos Farm

Half Moon Bay - Through November 20
Halloween is on full display at Lemos Farm with hay, spooky decor, corn stalks, and pumpkins galore. Enjoy pumpkin ice cream, go on a hayride, snack on pumpkin bread, ride a pony or a train, go through a not-so-scary haunted house, pet farm animals, and pick a pumpkin to take home! READ MORE

Halloween Movies & Shows in the Bay Area

Movies in the Park RHA Oakland

Oakland - Friday, October 14: Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Free
Free outdoor movies at Redwood Heights Park are back with fun, family-friendly films to enjoy together. Blankets, lawn chairs, jackets, and snacks are recommended.  READ MORE

Movies in the Park: Hocus Pocus

Oakland - Friday, October 21
Free
Enjoy a movie under the stars for Movies in the Park in Petaluma. This free event takes place at Lucchesi Park on Fridays.  READ MORE

Sundown Cinema

San Francisco - Friday, October 21: Addams Family Values
Free
See a movie outdoors in beautiful San Francisco at a different park each week. With 7 films in 7 different locations around the city, families can get together and enjoy company, good food, and a family-friendly movie.  READ MORE

Movie Night at Marin Country Mart

Larkspur - Friday, October 28 Coco
Free
Hang out with friends and family and see a family-friendly classic film under the tent at Marin Country Mart. READ MORE

Movie Night at Toby’s: Halloween Double Feature

Point Reyes - Monday, October 31
Free
Toby's Playground invites families for a double-feature movie night on Halloween. The playground will be featuring two movies back-to-back, one for kids and the other for adults. Families can enjoy "Monsters, Inc." on the big screen, and adults can stay to watch "The Fog", which was actually filmed in Point Reyes.  READ MORE

Dia de los Muertos Celebrations in San Francisco

El Día de los Muertos at OMCA

Oakland - Sunday, October 23
Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) is celebrated at the OMCA with all the festivities and cultural traditions of the day.  READ MORE

Dia de los Muertos

San Jose - Saturday, November 5
The Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose is transformed to honor the beloved Mexican tradition, Dia de los Muertos, with a day-long celebration. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose