Boo at the Zoo, haunted houses, monster movie marathons, neighborhood festivals from Japantown to the Mission District, and walking tours filled with legend and lore are just part of the frisky Halloween fun brewing in the San Francisco Bay Area.
For more autumn fun, visit www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com and check out www.homeforhalloween.com for Halloween event updates. In all cases public transit is recommended; for information, telephone 511 (in the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties) or 510-893-8729 or visit www.511.org.
Oct. 3-Nov. 1, 2008 (Weekends)
Halloween Haunt
Friday-Sunday 7 p.m.-12 a.m.
California’s Great America, Great America Parkway, Santa Clara
Halloween Haunt is an “in your face” scare experience complete with five mazes, four scare zones, three live stage shows, and one gruesome attraction plus the park’s collection of thrill rides. Event is rated PG-13. Full price admission is $39.99. For information call 408-988-1776 or visit www.pgathrills.com for additional advance savings.
Oct. 4-Nov. 2, 2008 (weekends and Fridays Oct. 24 and Oct. 31)
Fright Fest
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Vallejo
It’s thrills by day and chills by night at the annual Halloween Fright Fest. Bring the little ones in the daytime for trick-or-treating and kid-friendly fun. Because when the sun goes down, it’s not for the faint of heart. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom morphs into a shadow land of ghosts and ghouls. Roller coasters become monstrosities in motion, and scares await at every turn. Fright Fest takes place every weekend Oct. 4-Nov. 2 and Fridays, Oct. 24 and Oct. 31. See the park eerily transformed from coaster to coaster, venture through haunted mazes and themed scare zones plus, trick or treat with Bugs Bunny and friends. For information and hours of operation, visit www.sixflags.com or call 707-644-4000.
Oct. 17-18, 2008
Shock It to Me!
Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St.
This two-day horror film festival features classic (and not so classic) cinematic chillers. This year’s fearsome film lineup includes “Whatever Happened to Spider Baby” and “Night of the Living Dead.” Ghoulish guests of honor include Kathryn Leigh Scott and Lara Parker from “Dark Shadows.” For information call 415-621-6120 or visit www.castrotheatre.com or www.shock-it-to-me.com.
Oct. 18, 2008
Physics of Toys: Frightful Fun
Exploratorium, 3601 Lyon St.
11 a.m.-3 p.m.
The Physics of Toys team gets into the spooky spirit with toys that ooze, screech and scare! Make slime, screeching balloons and other gruesome gadgets. Physics of Toys is included in the price of admission to the Exploratorium. Take home what you make. All materials provided. For information visit www.exploratorium.edu or call 415-EXP-LORE (397-5673).
Oct. 18-19, 2008
Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival (38th Annual)
Main Street, between Miramontes and Spruce Street, Half Moon Bay
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Half Moon Bay, the “World Pumpkin Capital,” celebrates its bountiful fall harvest with a wicked and delicious lineup of rustic pumpkin patches, harvest-inspired crafts, home-style foods, expert pumpkin carvers, the Great Pumpkin Parade with Grand Marshal Will Clark, a bone-chilling Haunted House, titanic weigh-off champion pumpkins, pie-eating, carving and costume contests, pancake breakfast, 5 and 10k run/walk, and three stages of blockbuster entertainment. Admission is free. For information call 650-726-9652 or visit www.miramarevents.com.
Oct. 18-19, 2008
Goblin Jamboree
Bay Area Discovery Museum, 557 McReynolds Road, East Fort Baker, Sausalito
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
An annual family-oriented fundraiser features Halloween excitement with games, decorations, train rides, live entertainment, and, of course, trick-or-treats. Attend witches school, visit the petting zoo, ride a pony and enjoy a full brew of games, including Boo Bowling, and activities. $14 per person, ages one and above. For information call 415-339-3900 or visit www.baykidsmuseum.org.
Oct. 18, 25 and 31, 2008
Halloween Flashlight Tours
Winchester Mystery House, 525 S. Winchester Blvd., San Jose
6:30 p.m.-12:27 a.m.
This one takes the pumpkin. Special flashlight tours ($43 per person) are offered on Oct. 18, 25 and 31 and every Friday the 13th. Tour the rambling mansion with only the moonlight, a souvenir flashlight and your imagination to guide you through a bewildering maze of rooms and stairways. For Halloween, there’s also special entertainment and trick-or-treating in the gardens for the whole family. For information, call 408-247-2000 or visit www.winchestermysteryhouse.com.
Oct. 22-31, 2008
Halloween Swamp Tours
Jelly Belly Candy Co., One Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield
Candy factory tours include the fun and kid-friendly Halloween Swamp at the Jelly Belly Candy Company. Tours detour through a decorated haven of Halloween delights; see the making of jelly beans, candy corn, gummi spiders and more on 40-minute tours. Samples for all. For information, call 800-953-5592 or visit www.jellybelly.com.
Oct. 24, 2008
Green Halloween
California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr., Golden Gate Park
6:30-8:30 p.m.
This fundraiser for the California Academy of Sciences is $350 per family (two adults plus up to two children), $100 each additional adult ticket, $75 per each additional child ticket. The greenest scene this Halloween will be inside the new Academy, from the rainforest to the ocean deep. Enjoy “spooktacular” activities, entertainment, crafts and fun for the entire family and have face-to-face encounters with Academy scientists and their creepy, crawly collection. Delicious food and creative entertainment will delight kids of all ages. For tickets call 415-379-5404 or visit www.calacademy.org.
Oct. 24, 2008
Queens Are Wild in the Castro
2001 Market St.
7 p.m.-12 a.m.
One of San Francisco’s newest Halloween traditions features casino games with celebrity dealers. Presented by the Stop AIDS project and Elbow Grease, the event includes dancing, performances, silent auction and a free glass of wine for everyone who comes in costume. Ticket levels start at $50 per person. To order tickets visit www.stopaids.org or call 415-575-0150, ext. 260.
Oct. 24, 2008
Friday Night Flick: Thrillville’s Halloween Spookylau
COPIA, 500 First St., Napa
8 p.m.
Napa’s local lounge lizard, Will the Thrill, and his lovely assistant, Monica Tiki Goddess, return for COPIA Halloween and a viewing of 1959 film “Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster.” Napa Valley’s The Maikai Gents, TV horror host Mr. Lobo and his Amazonian assistant, The Queen of Trash, add to the fun. $7 admission. For information visit www.copia.org or call 707-259-1600.
Oct. 24, 2008
Halloween Ball
The Regency Center, 1290 Sutter St.
8:30 p.m.-3 a.m.
Three floors of Halloween fun for ages 21 and over. Ten DJs and six venues in one; the Grand Ballroom features Trevor Simpson of 92.7, an 11-piece Latin salsa band will hold forth in the Latin Room, DJ Big Bad Bruce will bring back the ’70s and ’80s and there will be costume contests in all rooms with great prizes. For more information, call 415-673-6464 or 415-260-9920 or visit www.alfandalf.com or www.aykutevents.com.
Oct. 25, 2008
Family Halloween Day
Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way, off Roosevelt above 14th and Castro streets
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Come in costume and join in the kid-friendly festivities at the Randall Museum’s Family Halloween Day. The Museum will be transformed into a Halloween haunt with a gamut of ghoulish games, creepy crafts, tricks and treats, pumpkins and more. Entertainment includes Jackie Jones playing the saw with her amazing dancing cat. Kids, ages 2-12, and their families; must be accompanied by an adult. Admission is free; low cost activities. For information call 415-554-9600 or visit www.randallmuseum.org.
Oct. 25, 2008
Munchkin Masquerade
Jelly Belly Candy Co., One Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield
10 a.m.
Little ghouls and goblins 10 and under will be right at home at the Jelly Belly Visitor Center; it’s everyone in costume for the Munchkin Masquerade march through the Halloween Swamp in the candy factory tour. Face painting, clowns and treats for kids add to the fun. For information, call 800-953-5592 or visit www.jellybelly.com.
Oct. 25, 2008
Halloween Family Cruise
Red and White Fleet, Pier 43, Fisherman’s Wharf
Departs at 5 p.m.
Just in time for Halloween, come aboard for a Halloween family cruise to enjoy chills and thrills on this fun, 90-minute costume party cruise for families on San Francisco Bay. Take part in a costume contest, enjoy delicious sweets, and marvel about the magnificent sights that San Francisco Bay has to offer. Non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. Adults $28; children ages 5-17, $18. To reserve space visit www.redandwhite.com or call 415-673-2900.
Oct. 25, 2008
Voices in the Dark
Marin Headlands
6-9 p.m.
Special five-mile, relatively flat, dusk-to-night hike is in search of two inhabitants — the coyote and great horned owl — whose nightly sounds haunt many human visitors. Along the way, learn more about the secret lives of these reclusive characters. Free. Meet at Tennessee Valley trailhead. For reservations, call 415-331-1540 or visit www.parksconservancy.org.
Oct. 25, 2008
Monster Bash
USS Hornet Museum, 707 W. Hornet Ave., Pier 3, Alameda Point, Alameda
7:30 p.m.-12 a.m.
All ages are welcomed aboard this National Historic Landmark, the USS Hornet. Aptly nicknamed “The Gray Ghost,” the ship is the setting for a thrilling evening of dancing and haunted happenings. The family friendly event will feature live dance music from the 60s to the present by The Cocktail Monkeys, prizes for best costumes, a children’s area and haunted tours. Tickets are $20 adults, $10 children up to age 17; $25 at the gangplank. Proceeds benefit preservation of the historic aircraft carrier. For information
call 510-521-8448, ext. 282 or visit www.hornetevents.com.
Oct. 25, 2008
The KISS Screamin’ Halloween Cruise
Hornblower Cruises and Events, Pier 3, The Embarcadero
Boarding begins at 8:30 p.m.; boat departs at 9:30 p.m.
Join 98.1 KISS-FM and Hornblower Cruises for the second annual KISS Screamin’ Halloween Cruise. Come dressed to trick or treat and then jive to KISS-FM tunes until the clock strikes midnight. Tasty cocktails, delicious appetizers and stunning views make for a frighteningly good time. Tickets $38.30; gratuity, service and tax additional. For information call 888-467-6256 or visit www.hornblower.com.
Oct. 25-26, 2008
Boo at the Zoo
San Francisco Zoo, One Zoo Road, Great Highway and Sloat Blvd.
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Looking for an “un-boo-lievably” wild way to celebrate Halloween? Make plans to join the animals for two days of not-so-scary, high-spirited Halloween fun at Boo at the Zoo. Costumed kids and their families will have a howling good time encountering animals on the Haunted Nature Trail and thrills and chills visiting the Creepy Crawley Critters in the Insect Zoo. Make sure to check out the “Stomp and Chomp” animal enrichments when chimps, gorillas, lions, meerkats and more get to devour their pumpkins filled with treats. Kids will also enjoy free trick-or-treat stations all over the Zoo. Bring your family and friends for two days of big fun at Boo at the Zoo! The daytime event takes place rain or shine and is free with paid Zoo admission. For information call 415-753-7080 or visit www.sfzoo.org.
Oct. 25-Nov. 2, 2008
Zeum’s Halloween Haunted House 10th Anniversary Celebration
Zeum, 221 Fourth St.
11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Haunted House open Oct. 25-26 and Nov. 1-2 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Oct. 29-31 1-5 p.m.
Zeum, San Francisco’s hands-on multimedia museum for kids, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a week-long Halloween Haunted House experience opening with a free day on Saturday, Oct. 25, and continuing through Sunday, Nov. 2. The free day Oct. 25 will be a Halloween Birthday Bash including birthday cake and a trick-or-treating parade. Kids will also be able create spooky videos and animations, show off and win prizes for their costumes and enter a raffle for a free birthday party at Zeum and other prizes. Throughout the week, the Haunted House will be free with admission. Additional events for Zeum’s 10th anniversary include a Dia de Los Muertos Party Nov. 1, 12:30-2:30 p.m.; free gift for 10-year-olds with proof of age and inclusion in Zeum’s “10-Year-Old Celebrities” wall. Admission is $8 youth; $8 seniors and students; $10 adults; free for visitors age 2 and younger. For information call 415-820-3320 or visit www.zeum.org.
Oct. 26, 2008
Pumpkin Time!
Marin Headlands Visitors Center
10 a.m.-noon
Bring the whole family and a pumpkin or two to paint, carve and decorate and share some Halloween folklore and recipes that are truly scary. Reservations required. Free. For information call 415-331-1540 or visit www.parksconservancy.org.
Oct. 26, 2008
Gardens Halloween Costume Walk
Children’s Garden, Rooftop, Yerba Buena Gardens, Fourth and Howard streets
Noon-2 p.m.
Hosted by the Unique Derique and featuring live music, children under 10 and their families are invited to parade around in Halloween finery. The Costume Walk also features performances and interactive games for kids. Kids in costume and their parents receive free admission to Zeum’s Haunted House experience. For information call 415-543-1718 or visit www.ybgf.org.
Oct. 26, 2008
Pumpkin Pandemonium
Pier 39, Bay and Embarcadero
Noon-4 p.m.
Ghoulish and giddy behavior is part of the fun as kids in costume trick or treat throughout PIER 39’s Pumpkin Pandemonium. Children 12 and under are welcome to visit the shops, restaurants and attractions to gather their sweets. Pumpkin carving demonstrations, and face painting will be available, as well as photos with frightful characters and an ’80s Halloween show, “It’s Like Halloween.” Children will be able to wander through the pumpkin patch to pick their one free pumpkin. For information, call 415-705-5500 or visit www.pier39.com.
Oct. 26, 2008
Halloween T-Dance
Ruby Skye, 420 Mason St.
6 p.m.-12 a.m.
Dance the night away at Fresh’s (www.freshsf.com) special Halloween T-Dance at Ruby Skye (www.rubyskye.com). DJ Phil B. will be working his usual magic. Restricted to ages 21 and over.
Oct. 27, 2008
Halloween Heroes
The Exploratorium, Palace of Fine Arts, 3601 Lyon St.
6-8:30 p.m.
The Exploratorium partners with the Wender Weis Foundation for Children (WWFC) for their annual Halloween Heroes event. The museum will be transformed into a cool Halloween headquarters with hands-on science and art activities, celebrity athletes and media personalities, food and drink donated by top Bay Area restaurants, costumed characters, face painting, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treat stations and more. Tickets are $185 per adult plus one child under 18; $350 per couple plus two children under 18; $55 additional child 3-17; children 3 and under will be admitted free of charge; other options available. For information or to purchase tickets, visit www.wenderweis.org.
Oct. 30, 2008
Goblins, Ghouls and Ghosts Halloween Party
Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf, 165 Jefferson St.
8 p.m.-1 a.m.
The Wax Museum of Fisherman’s Wharf, noted for more than 200 life-sized figures staged in elaborate scenes with costumes, props and lighting, may be the only place in San Francisco where one can actually party with ghosts. Outrageous costumes are encouraged. Advance tickets $80, $100 at the door, include hosted bar and “Frankenstein Franks.” For information and to purchase tickets, visit www.waxmuseum.com/halloween.
Oct. 30-31, 2008
Yerba Buena Gardens and Oracle “Learning Days”
Yerba Buena Gardens Children’s Learning Center, Howard and Fourth Streets, near Zeum Carousel
11 a.m.-4 p.m.
The year-long series of environmentally-focused educational activities and events for children sponsored by Oracle will incorporate a Halloween theme; craft activities include pumpkin decorating, the history and facts about pumpkins and Halloween. With kid-safe carving tools, stickers and paints, parents and children will create pumpkin art and monster puppets from paper bags. The Ghost Story Theatre will feature a shared activity with guides crafting and performing spooky stories. Little visitors will be assisted with face painting to prepare for the yearly Halloween costume walk at Yerba Buena Gardens. For information call 415-543-1718 or visit www.ybgf.org.
Oct. 31, 2008
Halloween Blood Drive
Embarcadero Center, Drumm St. between Three Embarcadero and Four Embarcadero
8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Help save lives and have a spooky good time. All blood donors will have their name entered to win a Nintendo Wii, hotel and restaurant gift certificates, and much more. Enjoy treats and goodie bags as well. Donor coach will be located at Drumm Street between Three and Four Embarcadero Center. Donors can sign up for appointments at www.bloodheroes.com, enter embarcadero as the sponsor code (case sensitive). For more information call the Tenant Relations hotline at 415-772-0730 or email bmendoza@bostonproperties.com.
Oct. 31, 2008
Toddler Playtime
Crissy Field Center
10-11:30 a.m.
Help “eco-pirates” pick up trash, clean up the park and recycle. This fun-filled program focuses on ways families can explore San Francisco’s National Park and keep it beautiful as well. $12 per child with pre-registration; $15 at the door. For reservations call 415-561-7752 or visit www.parksconservancy.org.
Oct. 31, 2008
Halloween Entertainment
The Cannery at Del Monte Square, 2801 Leavenworth St.
11:45 a.m.-8 p.m.
Musical entertainment begins at 11:45 a.m. For information call 415-771-3112 or visit www.thecannery.com.
Oct. 31, 2008
City Halloween Celebration
Parking Lot A, open lot near AT&T Park
4 p.m. Family Event
8 p.m. Live Music
Halloween, sometimes called the Gay Christmas, takes on a decidedly different look for 2008 with an event planned for Parking Lot A, an open space south of Market near the ballpark. Plans include a family-friendly celebration from 4-8 p.m., complete with costume and pie-eating contests, followed by entertainment featuring local musicians and performers beginning at 8 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. Smaller neighborhood celebrations will take place at clubs and businesses all over the City, as reflected in the City-sponsored campaign, Home for Halloween. At the heart of the LGBT community, the Castro, bars and restaurants will be open. However, streets will not be closed and traffic will flow normally. Guests are welcomed to dress up and join in celebrating San Francisco’s diversity and creativity while supporting local businesses and respecting the surrounding neighborhood. For information visit www.homeforhalloween.com.
Oct. 31, 2008
Broadway Plaza Community Trick-Or-Treat
Broadway Plaza Shopping Center, South Main and Mount Diablo, Walnut Creek
5:30-7 p.m.
Children of all ages are invited to enjoy the magic of Halloween in a safe and sane environment. All trick- or-treaters will receive candy and other treats from participating merchants. For information visit www.broadwayplaza.com or call 925-939-7600.
Oct. 31, 2008
The Haunted Presidio: Halloween Night Walk
Presidio of San Francisco, corner of Lincoln Blvd. and Funston Ave.
6-7:30 p.m.
Take a walk on the wild side with spine-tingling tales of the Presidio’s history. Dress warmly, wear comfortable shoes and bring a flashlight (optional) for this unforgettable Halloween park adventure. Meet park rangers Penn and Colindres at the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Funston Avenue for a moderate, one-mile walk. For reservations (required), call 415-561-4323 or visit www.parksconservancy.org. Enjoy Mexican hot chocolate and Day of the Dead bread at the Officers Club, 50 Moraga Ave., for $5; to pre-order call 415-561-2805.
Oct. 31, 2008
Halloween Carnival
Japanese Community and Cultural Center of Northern California (JCCNC), 1840 Sutter St.
6-8:30 p.m.
Come to JCCCNC’s and the Japanese Community Youth Council’s Halloween Carnival for a safe spooky scene. Indoors arts and crafts, games, a trick or treat parade and a jumper are part of the fun. Also featured this year will be an all-new Mad Scientist Lab with hands-on experiments for kids of all ages. Space is limited. $3 per person at the door. For information call 415-567-5505 ext. 239 or visit http://www.jcccnc.org.
Oct. 31, 2008
Phantasmagorium- Halloween Night at the Palace of Frights
Exploratorium, 3601 Lyon St.
6-9 p.m.
The Exploratorim will be transformed into a Phantasmagorium of spooky science and frightful fun. In the first annual Halloween fright night, the Exploratorium digs six feet under the cultural and scientific phenomena behind Halloween, Dia de los Muertos and death. Find out how nature deals with death and regeneration with a decomposing snake at the Energy from Death exhibit. Get sucked into the finer points of leech science with nurses (in costume, but for real) from the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN). Walk through a “graveyard” dedicated to debunked science ideas, including the recently entombed Pluto is a Planet (1930 – 2006). Witness the Iron Science Teacher competition where teachers compete before a live audience, or catch a sugar skull candy-making demonstration with master confectioner Irma Ortiz, among other events. Included in the price of admission to the Exploratorium. For information visit www.exploratorium.edu or call 415-EXP-LORE (397-5673).
Oct. 31, 2008
Teatro ZinZombie – A Macabre Ball at Teatro ZinZanni
Pier 29, The Embarcadero at Battery and Lombard streets
6:30 p.m.
Teatro ZinZanni will host a special Halloween evening performance full of ghoulish love and chaotic decadence. Audiences are invited to dress up in their favorite costumes and join the Macabre Ball at Teatro ZinZombie. This promises to be a memorable evening that includes a costume parade and prizes to the top three costumes judged by Teatro ZinZanni’s spectacular cast members. For tickets, call 415-438.2668 or visit www.zinzanni.org.
Oct. 31, 2008
The Phantom of the Opera
Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave.
8 p.m
Relive the golden days of early cinema with Lon Chaney in his classic role in “The Phantom of the Opera” (1925). The live musical accompaniment to this gem of the silent film era comes from our majestic, 9,000-pipe Ruffatti organ, the largest concert hall organ in North America. Prices start at $25; half-price for ages 12 and under. For ticket information visit www.sfsymphony.org or call 415-864-6000.
Oct. 31, 2008
New Grooves: Downtown Halloween Party
New Groove Lounge, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, Third and Howard streets
8 p.m.
The San Francisco Jazz Festival presents the rhythms of DJ Spooky and Forro in the Dark for this Halloween party with a downtown NYC twist. DJ Spooky (Paul Miller) is a composer, multimedia artist, writer and DJ who has remixed artists from Wu-Tang Clan to Metallica and rocked parties, clubs and festivals and opera houses worldwide. For information visit www.sfjazz.org or call 866-902-JAZZ (5299).
Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 2008
Wild Nights Family Overnight – Spooky Sleepover
San Francisco Zoo, One Zoo Road
Friday 6 p.m.-Saturday 10 a.m.
This Halloween-themed version of the Zoo’s popular overnight program invites families for a nocturnal safari, pumpkin carving, keeper talk, comfy indoor camping, a continental breakfast and an exciting morning challenge for the whole family. Children must be six years old and accompanied by an adult. For groups of 30 or more, call to schedule your overnight. Fee for members $65 for children 6-12 years old and $75 for adults; all others $75 and $85. Pre-registration required. For information call 415-753-8124 or visit www.sfzoo.org.
Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 2008
Improv Halloween Show
Bayfront Theatre, Building B, Fort Mason
8 p.m.
True Fiction Magazine returns to the Bayfront Theatre for its annual Halloween shows. The renowned ensemble creates a night of intersecting stories from a single suggestion from the audience. For information call 415-474-6776 or visit www.improv.org.
Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 2008
Gotham City – A Hollywood Theatrical Production
Ruby Skye, 420 Mason St.
9 p.m.
Experience two nights of Halloween fun as Ruby Skye is transformed into the dark fantasy world of Gotham City with more than $20,000 in props and dcor. For information on ticketing, dress code and hours call 415-693-0777 or visit www.rubyskye.com.
