Halloween Fun For Everyone
It's spooky how many wickedly fun ways there are for families to celebrate Halloween in the Bay Area. From haunted houses to festivals to parades to door-to-door trick-or-treating, the options are overwhelming. So let's cut through the cobwebs! Here is your Awesome List of Halloween celebrations across the Bay.
Sunday, October 11
Marine Science Sunday, 10am-5pm, take a look at Creatures of the Deep, classroom presentations, docent-led tours, and more! Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito.
Friday, October 16
Halloween Harvest Festival! 5-7pm, ages 2-12, Carnival Games, Pumpkin Carving and Decorating, Face Painting, Trick or Treat Bag Decorating, Carmel Apples, Bounce House, Marinwood Community Center, San Rafael.
ParaNorman!, 7pm, Outdoor Movie Night at The Cabin, Mill Valley.
Saturday, October 17
Goblin Jamboree Sponsor Breakfast, 8am & 9am, Bay Area Discovery Museum.
Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival, 9am-5pm.
Goblin Jamboree, 10am-4pm, explore the haunted wonderland complete with games, attractions and live entertainment. Enroll in the witches’ school, take a train or pony ride, visit the petting zoo and enjoy a full brew of games, activities and live entertainment, Bay Area Discovery Museum.
Harvest Celebrations, 10am-4pm, live music, local organic cuisine, nature craft activities, food and gardening workshops, and more, Slide Ranch, Muir Beach.
Tolay Fall Festival, old-time, nature-based fun, Petaluma.
Sunday, October 18
Goblin Jamboree Sponsor Breakfast, 8am & 9am, Bay Area Discovery Museum.
Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival, 9am-5pm.
Goblin Jamboree, 10am-4pm, come in costume and explore the haunted wonderland complete with games, attractions and live entertainment. Enroll in the witches’ school, take a train or pony ride, visit the petting zoo and enjoy a full brew of games, activities and live entertainment, Bay Area Discovery Museum.
Tolay Fall Festival, old-time, nature-based fun, Petaluma.
Wednesday, October 21
Halloween Playdate, 1:30–4:30pm, ages 0-5, for special needs children with our hands-on exhibits, explore the Art Studio and enjoy family bonding time in a safe, accessible and fun environment, Habitot, Berkeley.
Friday, October 23
Halloween House Workshop, 12-1pm, Pre-registration required at habitotreservations@lmi.net, Habitot, Berkeley.
Halloween Music & Magic Show, 4pm & 6:30pm, Mill Valley Community Center.
Trunk or Treat Dog Costume Contest, Mill Valley Community Center
Tam Valley Haunted House, Nightmares, Face Your Fears, 3:30-4:30pm Not scary for under 8, 5-6:30pm Scary Over 9, 7:30-9pm HORRIFYING, Mill Valley.
Super Natural Halloween Party, 6:30-9pm, Grab your costume and have yourself a ghoulishly great time trick-or-treating your way through the Academy at night—among spooky skulls and spine-tingling specimens! California Academy of Science.
Saturday, October 24
Halloween House Workshop, 9:30-10:30am, Pre-registration required at habitotreservations@lmi.net, Habitot, Berkeley.
Scream on the Green Faire, 10am-5pm, "Chamber of Horrors" Haunted House, Costume Contest, Music, Artisan Booths, Children's Play Area, Food & Beverages, Novato.
Boo at the Zoo 10am-3pm, Stroll the Zoo in costume and collect yummy treats. Ride the spooky boo train and join the dance party. Plus, get your face painted, make treats for the animals, and see how the animals at Oakland Zoo celebrate Halloween. Kids in costumes receive a free ride ticket. Oakland Zoo.
Twin Cities Co-op Halloween Carnival, 10am-2pm, fun children's activities, including face painting, carnival games, cake walk, arts & crafts, photo booth, used costume sale and much, much more, Corte Madera.
Horse Hollow, 11am-4pm, Meet and Paint the horses, Arts and Craft activities, Horse Performance “Bones on the Move”, Presidio Riding Club, Marin Headlands-Fort Barry, Building 901-Bunker Road, Sausalito.
Boo at the Zoo, 11am-4pm, a "not-too-spooky" Halloween family festival where you can trick-or-treat around the Zoo and see the animals enjoy pumpkin treats. Get your monster mash on at the special Halloween themed Baby Loves Disco dance party at the Playground and take a trip through the Haunted Nature Trail to celebrate! San Francisco Zoo.
Halloween Storytime: Click, Clack, Boo! 11am, come in costume for this Halloween Storytime with fun-filled giveaways and activities, Barnes & Noble, Corte Madera.
Safe Trick or Treat, 11am-2pm, Downtown Novato.
Downtown San Rafael Trick or Treat, 1-3pm.
DIY Halloween! 1-6pm, an afternoon of awesome projects, spooky treats, and all sorts of weird other stuff. Meet the Mods, earn some real patches, and wear your best costume for a chance to win a toolbag full of cool stuff! RSVP required, San Francisco.
Skeletonfest, 1-3pm, make sugar skulls, screen print a T-shirt or flag (bring your own clothing or fabric), make a cool or scary mask, and enjoy the Dia de Muertos decor and snacks throughout the Art Center! New this year: Make pom-pom skulls and eyeballs, Richmond Art Center.
Tolay Fall Festival, old-time, nature-based fun, Petaluma.
Howl-o-ween, they also have a Kid Zone, The Treasure Island Flea.
Tam Valley Haunted House, Nightmares, Face Your Fears, 3:30-4:30pm Not scary for under 8, 5-6:30pm Scary Over 9, 7:30-9pm HORRIFYING, Mill Valley.
Headlands Nightlife: Family Night Hike & Campfire, 5:30-8pm, Explore the mysterious lifestyle of nocturnal animals that start their day just as you’re going to bed! NatureBridge, Sausalito.
Graveyard Stroll, uncovers one of Marin’s most interesting, but little known cemeteries. All treats (and tricks) are free. Marin County Parks Lucas Valley Field Office in San Rafael.
Spooky Sleepover, ages 6+, pizza dinner, meeting with a zookeeper, scrumptious snacks, and guided nighttime Zoo tours, San Francisco Zoo.
Jack O’Lantern Jamboree, Children's Fairyland, Oakland.
Pumpkins on Pikes, Tara Firma Farms, Petaluma.
Sunday, October 25
Marine Science Sunday, 10am-5pm, takes a look at Creatures of the Deep. Join us for classroom presentations, Docent-led tours, and more! Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito.
Scream on the Green Faire, 10am-5pm, "Chamber of Horrors" Haunted House, Costume Contest, Music, Artisan Booths, Children's Play Area, Food & Beverages and Safe Trick or Treat from 11a-2p, Downtown Novato.
Papermill Creek Halloween Carnival, 10am, Games, pony rides and children’s activities along with the Chef-Off tastings from local restaurants. A huge silent auction with bargains galore – all to support Papermill children! Dance Palace, Point Reyes Station.
Boo at the Zoo 10am-3pm, Stroll the Zoo in costume and collect yummy treats. Ride the spooky boo train and join the dance party. Plus, get your face painted, make treats for the animals, and see how the animals at Oakland Zoo celebrate Halloween. Kids in costumes receive a free ride ticket. Oakland Zoo.
Boo at the Zoo, 11am-4pm, a "not-too-spooky" Halloween family festival where you can trick-or-treat around the Zoo and see the animals enjoy pumpkin treats. Get your monster mash on at the special Halloween themed Baby Loves Disco dance party at the Playground and take a trip through the Haunted Nature Trail to celebrate! San Francisco Zoo.
Jeepers Jack-O-Lanterns, 11am-1pm, carving your own spooky Jack-O-Lantern for Halloween! A limited amount of pumpkins will be available (or you’re welcome to bring your own). Paradise Beach Park, Tiburon.
WOW! Halloween Faire, 11am-12:30pm, Come in costume to celebrate All-Hallows-Eve with other wizards, witches, ferries, astronauts and cartoon characters. Play carnival games, bounce in the jump house, enjoy the candy & prize hunt and costume parade!
Tolay Fall Festival, old-time, nature-based fun, Petaluma.
Howl-o-ween, they also have a Kid Zone, The Treasure Island Flea
Tam Valley Haunted House, Nightmares, Face Your Fears, 3:30-4:30pm Not scary for under 8, 5-6:30pm Scary Over 9, 7:30-9pm HORRIFYING, Mill Valley.
Muir Woods After Dark, 5:30-7:30pm, ages 8+, Reservations required; call (415) 388-2596.
Jack O’Lantern Jamboree, Children's Fairyland, Oakland.
Tuesday, October 27
Stroller Strides Spooktakular Day of Play & FREE Workout, 9:30am, start by working out with pumpkins and after class we'll have a kids costume parade, spooky snack contest, photo opportunity and fun! San Anselmo Memorial Park.
Wednesday, October 28
Halloween Storytime, 11am, ages 3-6, Corte Madera Library.
Monsters University, 3pm, Sausalito Library.
Creepy Crawlies, 4pm, ages 4-10, meet the bugs from the Insect Discovery Lab, RSVP, please call 415-927-5005, or email us at library@cityoflarkspur.org, Larkspur Library.
Goblin's Spooktacular, 5pm, free, ages 0-7, Downtown San Anselmo.
Spooky Stories, 7pm, ages 4+, Corte Madera Library.
Friday, October 30
Kids Costume Contest & Trick-or-Treating, 4-7, pumpkin decorating with the princess at The Poppy Store, Marin County Mart, Larkspur.
Voices in the Dark, 6-9pm, Five miles in three hours, learn about the secret lives of the coyote and the great horned owl reclusive creatures. Reservations required; call (415) 331.1540.
Kidgits Halloween Spooktacular, 3:30-5:30pm, $5, face painting, pumpkin decorating, crafts, and more, Great Mall, Milpitas.
Saturday, October 31
Halloween Festival, 9am-2pm, Farmers Market, Giant Pumpkins, Make yourOwn Carmel Apples, music, costume parade, face painting and more, Marin County Mart, Larkspur.
Not-so-Spooky Halloween, 9:30am-12:30pm, for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Play miniature golf in the garden graveyard, paint miniature pumpkins and y paper ghosts in the Wind Tunnel. Visit the witches’ apothecary in the grocery store. Treats and prizes. Come in costume!
Happy Creepy Halloween, 11am, Enjoy a scientifically spooky time at the Hall this Halloween including pumpkin catapults, creepy critters, pumpkin lifts, and more, Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley.
Burton Butler's Great Stuffed Animal Giveaway, 12pm, free, Mill Valley resident Burton Butler offers kids a stuffed animal instead of Halloween candy, please be careful when driving, this is a residential area with lots of kids, 31 Lomita Drive, Mill Valley; 383-1402.
Pup Parade, 11am, George, Marin Country Mart, Larkspur.
Halloween Bash – A Community Arcade, 12-4pm, A mashup of Halloween and makers, celebrating community-made arcade games, with free trick-or-treating and a food drive, Bon Air Center, Greenbrae.
Halloween Hoopla, 12-1:30pm, Unique Derique, Venezuelan Music Project, Pi Clowns, palm reader Madam Z, crafting with Trash Mash-Up and the Children’s Creativity Museum, games, photo booth and parade! Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, San Francisco.
Hound of the Baskervilles- Sherlock Holmes, 1pm & 3:30pm, Young Performers Theatre.
The Greatest Halloween Family Magic Show of all time!, 2-3pm, 4 huge International Stars of Magic all coming together to do one FAMILY show for The Buddy Club in San Francisco! This will be a Halloween to be remembered! Brava Theater Center, Street San Francisco.
Halloween Tick or Treat Trail, 3-5:30pm, Downtown Petaluma.
Howl’O’Ween Dog Costume Contest, 6:30pm sausalito
Woodland Pet Food Halloween Pet Parade & Costume Contest, Mill Valley, Greenbrae and San Rafael locations. My favorite sweets shop, SweetE, will have several delicious, organic chocolate and fruity at the Mill Valley event!
Haunted House, 5–5:30pm, child friendly, GAME ROOM, CITY HALL, Come see what spooky terrors lurk in this year’s inception of the annual Sausalito Haunted House. They’re dying . . . to meet you, Sausalito City Hall.
Haunted House at Stinson Beach, 5:30pm.