Family outings, seasonal guides and local ideas, gathered from the calendars we read every week.
A giant leaf pit, hot cider, scavenger hunt, balloon twisting, donkey brushing, face painting, themed arts & crafts, and live performances fill Fairyland with autumn magic, all ages.
Largest sandcastle competition on Ocean Beach features teams of architects, engineers and elementary students building sand sculptures, plus music, performances, food trucks and an award ceremony, all ages.
Costume-clad visitors enjoy ghoulish games, creepy crafts, tricks and treats, costume awards, live music, and theater entertainment at the Randall Museum, free admission.
A Día de los Muertos procession opens the celebration with music, movement, and a collective act of remembrance at OMCA Campus.
Goblin Jamboree (Bay Area Discovery Museum) — a just‑spooky‑enough Halloween adventure turning the museum into playful surprises and hands‑on fun.
Live snakes, mosquitos, nocturnal wildlife, Bay animals, hissing cockroaches, and Discovery Stations with docents fill Animal Day at UC Botanical Garden, plus Veracruz music, mask crafts—free with admission.
SEASONAL GUIDE · BAY AREA
Compare 17 Bay Area pumpkin patches — San Francisco, East Bay, South Bay, Peninsula, North Bay and Half Moon Bay — with free-entry picks, mazes and family tips.
Updated October 21, 2026
SEASONAL GUIDE · SAN FRANCISCO
Family Halloween in San Francisco: Boo at the Zoo, Cal Academy's SuperNatural night, Belvedere Street trick-or-treating and Día de los Muertos.
Updated October 21, 2026
SEASONAL GUIDE · SAN JOSE
San Jose Halloween with kids: Happy Hollow's Green Halloween, Gilroy Gardens' Great Big BOO, free Pumpkins in the Park, and Willow Glen's candy crawl.
Updated October 21, 2026
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