What makes the spooky season such a special time of year is that it gives everyone permission to find their edge. For some, that’s about trying on different personas via silly and inventive costumes. For others, that’s confronting their fears: Scary attractions make thrill-seekers’ hearts pound, but they can rest knowing that it’s all fantasy. Meanwhile, true-crime enthusiasts get to explore the real dark side of humanity through gory tales. Others just get giddy having a green light to upend society’s rules of decorum, even for a short window of time.
And what could be a better place to celebrate Halloween than the Bay Area? We have death-dropping drag queens, ingenious marionette shows, macabre murder balladeers and folks who build elaborate haunted attractions in their yards. With only two weeks left to let your freak flag fly, we’re here to help you find the event that lets you do you.
‘Nightfall’ at Filoli, Woodside
A family poses with one of the illuminated trolls on the Filoli grounds. The 'Nightfall' Halloween event runs through Nov. 10 at the Woodside estate. (Photo courtesy of Filoli)Enchanting and a little eerie? You be the judge at Filoli’s “Nightfall,” now in its second season. See the famous Dambo Trolls in the moonlight this season as Filoli doubles the size of its immersive event. The experience at the Woodside estate starts in the historic mansion, which has been transformed into a witches’ Gothic apothecary. Follow the flickering jack-o-lanterns to The Meadow for games, music and seasonal food and drink around the firepits. In The Redwoods, you’ll find hay maze shadow creatures, a blacklight mushroom forest, the moonlit trolls, tarot readings, a kids’ activity zone and more.
Details: “Nightfall” is on through Nov. 10 at 86 Canada Road, Woodside. Admission, $45-$49 adults, $35-$39 children; members receive 20% off. Tickets: filoli.org/
Fratello Marionettes’ Spooktacular
Those entertaining Fratello marionettes are all about giggles this time of year, not frights. This year’s family-friendly show promises happy ghosts, a goofy Frankenstein and a not-so-scary giant spider. From Oct. 21-30, kids can enjoy the hourlong show at libraries throughout the Bay Area: Hercules, Lafayette, San Jose, Danville and Berkeley. Admission is free.
Details: Free. Find the schedule at fratellomarionettes.com
Related Articles
I joined a killer clown cult at Six Flags Fright Fest From pumpkin to ginger: Fall flavors pop up in liquor market Kids can help make these tasty Halloween mini cupcakes At Half Moon Bay pumpkin festival, heavyweight title stays in the Bay Area Cooking with the dead: ‘To Die For’ tries out recipes etched on tombstonesFrightmare Home Haunt, Livermore
Steve Profumo and his family started the Frightmare Home Haunt in Livermore, pictured on Oct. 19, 2022, at the front of their home nearly a decade ago. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)Related Articles
I joined a killer clown cult at Six Flags Fright Fest From pumpkin to ginger: Fall flavors pop up in liquor market Kids can help make these tasty Halloween mini cupcakes At Half Moon Bay pumpkin festival, heavyweight title stays in the Bay Area Cooking with the dead: ‘To Die For’ tries out recipes etched on tombstonesThis long-running haunted house is so well-known that more than 2,000 people toured it last year; a major candy company once even teamed up to promote it. This year’s construction started more than a month ago and, while details are still under wraps, visitors should expect technical wizardry and serious scares. Previous iterations have featured creepy characters in black robes and masks – both real actors and mannequins, to keep folks guessing – as well as a “laser swamp” with a fog machine and things reaching out of the gloom. On Oct. 28-29, there are lights-on tours that children and scaredy-cats might opt for. And for the first time, on Nov. 1 the Home Haunt is staging a “Blackout Night” where the only source of illumination is one glow stick per group.
Details: Open 7-11 p.m. Oct. 24-25, 4-6 p.m. Oct. 28-29 (no scares) and Oct. 31, and 7-10 p.m. Nov. 1 at 697 Sonoma Ave., Livermore; free, facebook.com/frightmarehomehaunt
The Great Big BOO!, Gilroy
Halloween season at the Gilroy Gardens theme park is a family-friendly affair with stage shows, fun character encounters and trick-or-treating. Kids are encouraged to come in costume and start off their visit at the BOO Town Hall with Sammy Jo Scarecrow and the BOO crew before heading to Cranium’s Mad Lab, Princess Priscilla’s Perfect Tea Party and the animated Light Tunnel. Fridays are the night to attend to enjoy extra activities like singing and dancing at the Great Big BOO Musical Show, as the crew tries to save Halloween from the curse of Wendella the Witch.
Details: 5-10 p.m. every day through Nov. 2. Prices for admission and extras vary, but we checked and the savings are significant when you purchase your tickets online in advance, not at the gate. 3050 Hecker Pass Highway, Gilroy. www.gilroygardens.org
Witch’s Paddle, Alameda and Half Moon Bay
A canine and human wear their holiday threads as they join more than 50 witches for the Capitola Sea Witches' annual Halloween paddle in 2024. (Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel)Back in the day, people used to toss suspected witches into the water to see if they sank. Nowadays, we don’t do that anymore – but there’s still the opportunity to observe it happen by accident (heavens forbid!) at Witches’ Paddles. A nationwide phenomenon, these Halloween events see folks dressed as witches and warlocks taking to the waves on kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. There are at least two happening during the morning hours in the Bay Area: Alameda on Oct. 25 and Half Moon Bay on Oct. 26. Please remember to wear a life vest over your costume – which in fact does not have to be witchy, just spooky or fun (and not dragging in the water).
Details: Alameda paddle takes place 9-11:30 a.m. Oct. 25 at 1120 Ballena Blvd., #200, Alameda; for pricing and details visit seatrek.com/witches-on-water; Half Moon Bay participants are asked to arrive by 9 a.m. Oct. 26 at 2 Johnson Pier, Half Moon Bay; for pricing and details visit smharbor.com
Diablo Escapes, Walnut Creek
A Halloween-themed escape room is on the menu at Diablo Escapes, where up to six players can jump into a room, strap on the virtual-reality equipment and enter three different spooky adventures. There’s the classic alien adventure, where you must search for grandma’s missing cat in a spooky forest, a haunted hospital that requires exploration, or a mad scientist’s manor. Plan for at least an hour of intense Halloween fun.
Details: Open Tuesdays through Thursdays, 1-10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m. at 1948 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Walnut Creek; $47.99-$54.99 per player. diabloescapes.com.
Festival Fright Nights, San Jose
A performer dances in the ballroom of the Winchester Mystery House as part of Festival Fright Nights, which opened at the San Jose landmark attraction Sept. 26, 2025. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group)The Winchester Mystery House is creepy on an average sunny day in San Jose. But on Halloween? Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group goes all out to transform the historic mansion into a go-to Halloween destination. Set in 1924, two years after Sarah Winchester’s death, this immersive experience has a masquerade ball, performers, and plenty of spooky mysteries — just head to the seance room. Get a VIP ticket for access to a speakeasy and masquerade ball. Additional attractions like axe-throwing and a visit to the dark “underhouse” are also available.
Details: Thurdsays-Sundays nights through Nov. 1; $58-$88. festivalfrightnights.com
Driveway Follies, Oakland
Each October, one of the smallest shows in the Bay Area – with proportionately the biggest audience – takes place in the front yard of an Oakland home. Half Wes Anderson, half Tim Burton, the “Driveway Follies” stars a creepy-crawly cast of handmade “trick marionettes” and set pieces accompanied by Halloween-appropriate music. The professionalism is astounding: Nearing two decades in its run, there are now nine puppeteers and five acts during a typical performance, which attracts benches of families and thrilled children wondering how that wooden skeleton got its head to pop off and land back on its neck like a ring-toss game. It’s a great antidote to the computer-generated entertainment that prevails everywhere now. Note: There’s also primo trick-or-treating on Halloween on the same street as “Driveway Follies.”
Details: Show begins at dusk and usually runs until 9 p.m. on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31 at 3854 Greenwood Ave., Oakland; free. drivewayfollies.org
Slash and Sip, San Jose
Despite the blood-curdling title, this event is a pretty civilized one, perfect for haunt-averse adults who like to celebrate the season without having the wits scared out of them. The folks at History San Jose host this 21-and-up event near the historic Gonzales/Peralta Adobe at the San Pedro Square Market. Participants will receive a large pumpkin, carving tools and inspiration for finding their inner artist. You’re on your own for liquid inspiration.
Details: 7-9 p.m. Oct. 24 at 87 N. San Pedro St., San Jose. Book tickets, $30, at historysanjose.org/programs-events/
Boo Bash, Danville
The annual Boo Bash at Danville Livery features tractor hayrides, a petting zoo, kids activities, trick-or-treating and live entertainment. (Courtesy of Danville Livery).The annual Halloween spectacular turns the public parking lot into a party at Danville Livery. Tractor hayrides, a petting zoo, face painting and live entertainment are on deck while the kids can also go trick-or-treating with the local businesses, which participate in the fun. Canyon Club Brewery, for example, will be giving away free pretzels.
Details: Noon-3 p.m. Oct. 25 at Sycamore Valley Road and San Ramon Valley Blvd. in Danville. danvillelivery.com
‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ 50th anniversary
Let’s do the “Time Warp” again — back to 1975, the debut of the film that made this banger a school-dance standard. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” an adaptation of a 1973 rock-’n’-roll musical, draws upon Universal monsters, Atomic Age B-movies and flamboyant rock stars like David Bowie and Little Richard. Starring Susan Sarandon and Meatloaf, the movie is a deliriously unhinged and unabashedly queer sex romp with Tim Curry stealing the show as the magnetic, androgynous and homicidal Dr. Frank-N-Furter. It’s also, at times, problematic and tedious to watch alone. But “Rocky Horror” became a campy cult classic thanks to the communal midnight movie experience, where costumed devotees shout at the screen and throw toast, water, hot dogs and toilet paper, a decadeslong tradition. Some movie houses even host “shadow casts,” who act out the show along with the film. Now that “Rocky Horror” has reached its golden anniversary, it’s a great time to bust out your fishnets, platform shoes and thickest red lipstick for a rollicking fun night at the cinema.
Details: Bay Area “Rocky Horror” acting troupe, Barely Legal, is performing along with the film around the Bay Area this fall. Little Nell, who plays Columbia, appears at two events: 8 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Curran Theatre, San Francisco, and 8 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Bankhead Theatre, Livermore. Barely Legal is also performing a Halloween night screening at the UC Theatre, Berkeley, and in November and December at 3Below Theaters & Cafe, San Jose. For tickets and pricing, visit barelylegal.rhps.org
From right, Christy Robinson, who plays Janet Weiss, for the Barely Legal live cast of the "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," hams it up with fellow cast members Lizzie Bernard and Amanda Gordon who play Transylvanians, at the San Jose Pride Festival at Discovery Meadow on Aug. 18, 2012. (LiPo Ching/Staff)Murder Ballads Bash, Berkeley
The salacious fixation on true-crime stories is not a modern phenomenon. Cultures around the world have ancient traditions of narrating events, sometimes gruesome, through song. The term “murder ballad” goes back to the 16th-century British Isles, and that tradition of telling “ripped from the headlines” cautionary tales through folk music made its way to America, where it was popularized in Appalachia. Twenty-three years ago in Berkeley, members of Americana noir band Loretta Lynch launched the annual Murder Ballads Bash, a showcase of artists across musical genres, each playing one bone-chilling tune. This year, the lineup includes Loretta Lynch, Out of Town Couple, Happy Clams, Plonsey Scheme, Nashville Honeymoon, Z-Trane Electric Band, Lisa & The Franks, Berge & Kennedy and Third Thursday Band. Funeral attire is encouraged, and there will be a costume contest.
Details: 8:30 p.m. Oct. 31 at The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley; $16 advance, $20 door. thestarryplough.com
Halloween Drag Brunch: ‘Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun,’ Mountain View and Redwood City
October is all about being over-the-top, so why settle for a hoo-hum brunch? Take it up a notch “Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun” drag brunch at an Irish pub. Drag performance, with its abundance of wigs, campy makeup and death drops, is ready-made for Halloween. While you sip mimosas and nosh on eggs bennie, Irish breakfast or French toast, watch Chai Auntea, Charity Kase, Tori Tia and friends sashay and shantay in their best “ghoulish glamour” and “creepy couture.” Costumes are encouraged.
Details: 12:30-2:30 p.m. Oct. 25, St. Stephen’s Green, 233 Castro St., Mountain View, and noon-2 p.m. Oct. 26, Alhambra Irish House, 831 Main St., Redwood City; $10, brunch not included. eventbrite.com
The Bernal Scream, ‘Forbidden Symphony,’ San Jose
Abel Barrera prepared to scare some guests in The Bernal Scream haunted house outside of Westfield Oakridge Mall in San Jose on Oct. 18, 2016. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)The popular San Jose haunted attraction, The Bernal Scream, has a surprisingly sweet origin story: Abel Barrera first built it in 2013 in his backyard as a way to bond with his son, Mike. Originally free and meant for neighborhood children, the attraction blew up in popularity, so the family took it commercial in 2016, setting up in a shopping mall parking lot. The haunt went on a seven-year hiatus after Abel died, but Mike, determined to honor his father’s legacy, brought it back in 2023. Since then, he’s resolved to make the Bernal Scream, now 4,000 square feet in the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, more twisted and terrifying every year.
Details: Walk-throughs start at 7:30 p.m. every night, except Oct. 20, through Nov. 2 at Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Gate C, 200 Old Tully Road, San Jose; tickets $29.99-$59.99; parking $15-$30. www.thebernalscream.com/
Le Bal des Vampires, Alameda
If you want to get an eyeful of next-level Halloween costumes, how about attending a party put on by professional costumers? The Period Events and Entertainments Re-Creation Society Inc., made up of folks who know their way around a corset, regularly hosts era-specific parties like the Victorian 12th Night Ball or a 1930s Valentines dance. However, PEERS’ spooky season event, Le Bal des Vampires, brings all of these looks together, as a vampire could originate from any fashion period. This year’s ball features two dance floors, one with a modern DJ and the other with live music from Greenwich Mean Time, who play waltzes, polkas, tangos and more. You can also take social-dance classes and have your tarot read. Dress as your own unique bloodsucker and paint the Alameda Elks Lodge red.
Details: 7 p.m.-midnight Nov. 1, Alameda Elks Lodge, 2255 Santa Clara Ave, Alameda; $45. peersdance.org/vamps2025.html
Halloween Jam at Children’s Fairyland, Oakland
Looking for more family-friendly fare? This Halloween season, there are a couple of options for celebrating spooky season at Children’s Fairyland. With general admission the weekend before Halloween, there are a few themed Halloween activities on offer, including themed crafts, activities, puppet shows and STEM activities. Then, day-of, the park will be transformed into an extended-hours mad science laboratory — complete with “glowing goo, bubbling brews, frightful formulas, and eek-citing experiments,” its website says. Look for trick-or-treat stations, a Mad Science Fairy fun house, spooky STEM activities, live performances and family-friendly DJs, food trucks and sensory play zones.
Details: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 24-26 for the First Weekend of Halloween Jam ($18-$20), and 12-7 p.m. Oct. 31 for the Mad Magic Halloween Jam ($25). fairyland.org/halloween-jam.
The Turnsworth Cemetery in Redwood City, run by Brady and Kaitlin Sullivan, features a horde of moving skeletons, a laser shooting gallery and plenty of bad Halloween puns. (Brady Sullivan)Turnsworth Cemetery, Redwood City
Each year, Brady and Kaitlin Sullivan turn their yard into a cemetery bustling with skeletons during Halloween week. Last year’s event featured a cemetery, haunted bar, mad scientist’s lab and an interactive shooting gallery. Nearly two dozen skeletons are arranged in scenes that have included playing poker, barbecuing a head, tending a bar where glasses mysteriously slide around, and plucking the “Deliverance” song in a laser-activated shooting range. Don’t forget to say hi to Skully, the rooftop skeleton.
Details: Opens Oct. 18 and typically runs 6-9 p.m. weekdays and 6-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday evenings at 224 Iris St., Redwood City. facebook.com/turnsworthcemetery
Pirates of Emerson Haunted Theme Park, Pleasanton
The 35-year-old Pirates of Emerson Haunted Theme Park at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton is not one, but four, walk-through haunted attractions across 6 acres with dozens of actors jumping out to scare you. With tickets starting at $45, that’s a lot of bang for your buck. Even more impressive than the size of the attraction is the artistry of the stunts. When you’re not quaking in your boots, you can admire the craftsmanship that went into every decaying skeleton or disembodied skull. The attraction also offers food, carnival games, live metal bands and a virtual-reality experience.
Details: Pirates of Emerson runs from now until Nov. 2 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, Gate 8, 2005 Valley Ave., Pleasanton; $45-$125. For tickets, times and dates, visit piratesofemerson.com
Tara Sypriano of Tahoe City, and her father Rich Sypriano of Walnut Creek, walk through a haunted house at the Pirates of Emerson at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton on Oct. 20, 2016. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)Bay Area Derby, Richmond
Kids, adults and everyone in between are welcome to come to the Halloween roller derby season-closing bout featuring the Oakland Outlaws and the San Francisco Rolling Dead (several of whom, with names like Corpse Silver and Grave Robbins, dress up as ghouls all season). Early bird ticket holders can participate in a Halloween costume party and trick-or-treat for the kids. Food trucks and vendors will offer nourishment while VIP passes come with two drink tickets and exclusive trackside seats. There may even be some kids of the Bay Area Derby Juniors (12-17 year olds) participating.
Details: 4-9 p.m. Oct. 25 at Richmond Memorial Auditorium on 403 Civic Center Plaza in Richmond; $12.51-$55.20. bayareaderby.com
Peaches Christ’s Terror Vault, ‘Hexed,’ SF
Three witches are performing dark rituals in this theatrical, immersive experience produced by popular drag queen Peaches Christ. It’s sort of a haunted house, but with a full storyline and live actors who will make you part of the experience. This spooky and intense experience features nudity, violence and strong language, so leave the kids at home. While you wait for your timed entry, you can lurk at the Fang Bang Bar, “the only vampire bar in San Francisco.”
Details: Open Thursdays through Sundays through Nov. 1 at the San Francisco Mint, 88 Fifth Street, San Francisco; $85.29-$142.72. terrorvault.com
Peaches Christ, an underground drag performer, talks inside the Old Mint in San Francisco about the building's transformation into the Terror Vault, a fully immersive and interactive Halloween attraction on Oct. 8, 2018. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)Spookeasy 1920s Halloween Party, Redwood City
Celebrate Halloween Prohibition-style at Alhambra Irish House, a charming pub in Redwood City, which is transformed into a speakeasy for the night with live music and a DJ. Flapper or gangster attire encouraged, but all costumes are welcome, with prizes for the best costumes.
Details: 8 p.m.-midnight Oct. 31, Alhambra Irish House, 831 Main St., Redwood City; alhambra-irish-house.com
Halloween Bay Bingo, Berkeley
Not your grandma’s bingo night, this high-energy event comes with a live DJ with R&B, Afrobeats, throwbacks, hip-hop and Latin tunes. Enjoy games like dance and lip-synch battles, plus drinks and mingling.
Details: 8:30 p.m. Oct. 31, Ciel Creative Space, 2611 Eighth St., Berkeley; $50. eventbrite.com
Hence then, the article about get your thrills chills and plain old halloween silliness at these bay area events was published today ( ) and is available on mercury news ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Get your thrills, chills and plain old Halloween silliness at these Bay Area events )
Also on site :
- Who Went Home on 'The Amazing Race 38' Tonight? A Fast Forward and a Dance Breakdown!
- ‘South Park’ Takes On Peter Thiel’s Antichrist Obsession As Trump Tries To Get Satan An Abortion
- How Assad’s Top Henchmen Fled Syria and Justice