From kids trick-or-treating alongside their favorite characters and adults exploring chilling haunts, here’s a roundup of some Halloween San Diego 2023 happenings.
Family Halloween Fun
Visit Seaworld San Diego for family-favorite Spooktacular on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through October 29. Kids can enjoy trick-or-treating throughout the park in the daytime, get their groove on at a Halloween dance party and take part in a pumpkin scavenger hunt.
The San Diego Zoo presents HalGLOWeen on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in October. A skeleton band, scarecrow stilt performers and spider acrobats are just a few of the festive features. Hints of Halloween can be found throughout the park and in the animal exhibits with pop-up dance parties, food and drink and more.
LEGOLAND California Resort is bringing back Brick-or-Treat during select weekends in October. The event will include trick-or-treating for goodies throughout the park, all-new live shows and character meet and greets. Legoland will also debut The Great Monster Chase, a 4D comedic adventure movie for a limited time.
The Birch Aquarium is glowing with excitement for their Halloween Aglow event happening on October 27. Visitors can celebrate the wonders of the ocean at night, trick-or-treat around the aquarium, discover the weird and wonderful research that takes place at Scripps Oceanography and so much more! Family-friendly costumes are encouraged.
Comic-Con Museum and Funko, Inc. have teamed up for the third time for Mask-O-Raid 2023 on October 27 and 28. The event will feature displays of Funko mascot heads, a meet-and-greet with Funko founder Mike Becker, party favors and spooky jams by DJ Chino.
It’s time to celebrate witching season with a deliciously magical afternoon in the Westgate Hotel’s haunted Le Fontainebleau room. Come dressed in your most bewitching costume to capture memories in the eerie photo-area, and they’ll serve their renowned afternoon tea, complete with house-made pastries, savory tea sandwiches, gourmet teas, creepy cocktails, and a host of treats with a distinctly wicked twist. The price includes a glass of champagne for adults 21+ and a take-home gift for children. Adults are $76; children 3-12 are $56 (plus tax & gratuity); children under 1 are complimentary.
Trick-or-Treat on India Street is returning on October 29. Little ghouls and goblins of all ages are encouraged to dress up in their best costumes and enjoy an evening of trick-or-treating at participating Little Italy businesses along the historic India Street.
The 10th annual HauntFest on Main Street is happening on October 20 on Main Street in El Cajon. Families can take part in costume contests, face painting, live music and performances by local dance groups. A car show will also line the streets and a special feature of Movies in the Park will be presented.
Santee Lakes’ first-ever Spooktacular and Trunk-or-Treat takes place October 28, offering an experience on the lakes like never before with a giant Halloween maze, spooky crafts and a visit from the Sanderson sisters.
On October 27 and 28, families can experience a wild and ghoulish night under the stars with the rescued exotic animals of Lions Tigers & Bears. The annual Spooky Campover is a family favorite with pumpkin carving, a Halloween costume contest, s’mores by the campfire and an all-ages haunted house.
Get ready for a “Boo-tiful” evening aboard the USS Midway Museum with the Haunted Hangar Halloween Bash on October 21, featuring a fun lineup of family-friendly activities, contests, tasty treats, magic potion cocktails for mom and dad, crafts, magic and more!
Haunted Happenings for Adults
Seaworld San Diego kicks off the fall season with Howl-O-Scream, now through October 31. Once night falls, the park will transform into a carnival of haunted creatures, spooky sips and bites, and electric live entertainment.
This fall, visitors can take a truly unforgettable stroll through Balboa Park and experience a Haunted Trail of twisted pines and gnarled oaks now through October 31. Visitors can find their way through the eXperiment maze and fog covered trails, climb aboard the Ghoul Bus where zombie prisoners share the horrifying ride and go through the adrenaline crazed clown house!
From October 5-31, three bone chilling Haunts and a mind-bending Midway await at the Del Mar “Scaregrounds” Scream Zone. The Haunted Hayride, Stars of the Silver “Scream”, and Labyrinth Manor will have visitors screaming for a way out.
The Haunted Amusement Park is a Scare Trail set on the desolate grounds of the iconic San Diego Amusement Park Marshal Scotty’s Playland. Now through October 31, the once joyful sounds of fun and laughter are now replaced with screams of terror as visitors make their way through the remnants of the carnival rides from the 1960’s.
Ghosts and ghouls are welcome on the William D. Evans Halloween Cruise on October 27, departing from the Bahia Resort pier. There will be two live DJs, bar specials including La Muerte Margarita and a Witch’s Brew, concessions, a costume contest, and a photobooth to capture “spook-tacular” moments throughout the night. Partygoers must be 21+.
Celebrate Halloween with the ghosts of Venice on a gondola cruise through the eerie canals and spooky waterways of the Coronado Cays from October 29-31.
Día de los Muertos – Hispanic cultural celebration of lost loved ones
The City of Encinitas celebrates the annual family-friendly “Day of the Dead” on October 29 at the Mira Costa College campus. The festival will include continuous performances by some of the best Latin talent in San Diego, plus art-making workshops, artist demonstrations, student exhibitions, live Mariachi and other musical performances, as well as food trucks, opportunity drawings, vendors and giveaways.
The tradition of Día de los Muertos continues in Old Town this year. Old Town San Diego will have a Mercado de Arte at the north side of the lot across from the Market, Theatre and Trolley stop October 28-29th. On November 2nd Old Town will be hosting the traditional procession to the El Campo Santo cemetery displaying a public altar.
The Downtown Chula Vista Association’s 3rd annual Día de los Muertos Celebration is on October 28. The South Bay neighborhood transforms into a beautiful and lively cempacuchil (orange marigolds) filled extravaganza to celebrate lost loved ones. The event will have a community altar, dance performances, food vendors and a special screening of Book of Life.
The Sherman Heights community is celebrating Día de los Muertos with events and festivities throughout October and November. The celebration begins with Noche de Molé on October 12, a full day of activities for children at ¡Jovenes! on October 21, and the holiday ends with the Muertos Candlelight Process on November 2.
The Barrio Logan Association and All for Logan have partnered to produce the 1st annual Día de Muertos Celebration on October 29. This free, family-friendly event spanning three blocks on the main business corridor will feature a variety of attractions including delicious food, a bustling market, engaging kids workshops and activities, a special screening of COCO, and captivating live performances.
In celebration of one of Mexico’s most vibrant holidays, Old Town icons Bazaar del Mundo and Casa Guadalajara will honor Día de los Muertos November 1-2. At Casa Guadalajara, servers will be in traditionally painted skeleton faces, while the restaurant’s iconic fountains display elaborate altars decorated with traditional elements such as marigold flowers, candles, water, bread, salts and treasured items of loved ones to celebrate and remember their lives.Throughout the weekend, delightful performances from lively Ballet Folklorico dancers and Casa Guadalajara’s world-class Mariachi band. Across the street in the Bazaar del Mundo Shops, visitors will find Día de los Muertos-themed artwork and collectables, plus an additional altar and a life-size Catrina (a female skeleton figure donning a Mexican folkloric dress and hat).