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No tricks, just treats at Boo at the LA Zoo. Photo by Jamie Pham courtesy of the Zoo
No tricks, just treats at Boo at the LA Zoo. Photo by Jamie Pham courtesy of the Zoo
9/29/24 - By Toby B

There are tons of things to do in Los Angeles for ghouls and gals, but Halloween is the name of the game in October. Los Angeles comes alive with pumpkin patches, haunted houses, fall festivals, and, of course, trick-or-treating—so many opportunities to wear Halloween costumes!

Major treats are in store for things to do in Los Angeles for families this October. Cirque du Soleil's KOOZA clowns around at the Santa Monica Pier, boats dress up in their Halloween finery for Marina del Rey's 3rd Annual Halloween Boat Parade, and wheeled gourds speed to the finish line at Manhattan Beach's Pumpkin Race Festival. 

Favorite frightful Halloween activities include the chance to boo at the zoo, remember Coco along with a live orchestra in a live-to-film concert at the Soraya, view Carved jack-o-lanterns in La Canada-Flintridge, walk through immersive pumpkin houses at Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch in Culver City, and so much more. 

These are just a few of our favorite things to do in Los Angeles in October—we're adding more events to the Los Angeles Family Event Calendar daily. Keep reading for the very best things to do in Los Angeles this October, and don't forget to check back weekly for our picks for the best things to do in Los Angeles each weekend.

 

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Treats await at Carved. Photo courtesy of Descanso Gardens
Treats await at Carved. Photo courtesy of Descanso Gardens

The Best Things To Do in Los Angeles with Kids in October 2024

Boney Island

Exposition Park
Opens Thursday, October 3, 2024
Boney Island is back this Halloween season! One of the LA area's most popular family-friendly haunts for decades, the former lawn haunt from Sherman Oaks returns for a second season to the Natural History Museum. READ MORE

Carved

La Canada-Flintridge
Opens Friday, October 4, 2024
Carved is a family-friendly Halloween event for all ages; visitors can enjoy a mile-long walk through Descanso's beautiful gardens and woods, viewing hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns carved from real pumpkins along the trail. READ MORE

Los Angeles Comic Con

DTLA
Friday - Sunday, October 4 - 6, 2024
Los Angeles Comic Con is LA's largest event for comics, gaming, sci-fi, anime, cosplay, and pop culture. Fans can attend over 300 panels and presentations showcasing some of the most recognized and beloved names in pop culture READ MORE

Pacific Airshow

Huntington Beach
Friday - Sunday, October 4 - 6, 2024
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane ... it's a Thunderbird! The annual show flies into Huntington Beach. Featured flyers include the US Air Force Thunderbirds and F-22 Raptor Demonstration team, along with dozens of other military and civilian aviators from around the world READ MORE

Pumpkin Palooza at Discovery Cube OC

Santa Ana
Friday - Sunday, October 4 - 27, 2024
Discovery Cube OC has a real treat for us this Halloween: Pumpkin Palooza, a seasonal festival of science fun. Kids can come in costume to enjoy two floors of freaky fun, an interactive dance party, bumper cars, life-size corn mazes, and trick or treating.  New this year: Pumpkin Palooza Party Nights on select dates, an electrifying nighttime version of the dance party and festival. READ MORE

Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch

Culver City
Opens Saturday, October 5, 2024
Mr. Bones family friendly pumpkin patch is the perfect place to celebrate Halloween and bring home the perfect carving pumpkin in anticipation of October 31st. Kids can enjoy the straw bale maze, slides, bounce houses, pumpkin decorating station, and petting zoo. This experience is best for kids ages 2-9, and is open daily starting October 5th (see exceptions above).  READ MORE

2024 Hot Wheels Legends Tour

El Segundo - FREE
Saturday, October 5, 2024
The 2024 Hot Wheels Legends Tour makes a pitstop in El Segundo with a search for a custom vehicle worthy of becoming a Hot Wheels die-cast car. READ MORE

Culver City Art Walk & Roll Festival 2024

Culver City - FREE
Saturday, October 5, 2024
Culver City turns up the volume with this year’s rockin’ Art Walk and Roll Festival. The festival features artists, live music, eclectic food trucks, wine and beer gardens, tastings, fun kid’s activities, and interactive art experiences. READ MORE

Griffith Park "Not Too Scary" Halloween Train

Griffith Park
Saturday & Sunday, October 5 - 27, 2024
The Griffith Park Railroad is adding a bit of spice... pumpkin spice! Train rides on Saturdays and Sundays in October travel around a family friendly, seasonally decorated, mile-long track. Riders can play I Spy, spotting each hidden pumpkin and Halloween item on the map. Guests can also enjoy nostalgic carnival games, and photo ops. READ MORE

Autry Museum Annual Block Party

Griffith Park
Sunday, October 6, 2024
The Autry celebrates its 36th anniversary with the Annual Autry Block Party. The festivities include a carnival on the lawn with family-friendly activities such as bounce houses, a mechanical bull, and a Ferris Wheel. READ MORE

Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch - Puppet Theatre for Kids

Century City
Thursday, October 10, 2024
Somebody Loves You, Mr.Hatch is a heartwarming story about a solitary old man whose life changes when he receives a Valentine from a secret admirer. Mr. Hatch leads a predictable and dreary life; he keeps to himself. One Valentine’s Day, he unexpectedly receives a heart-shaped package with an anonymous note that whispers, “somebody loves you,” and everything changes. READ MORE

La Habra Corn Festival

La Habra - FREE
Friday - Sunday, October 11 - 13, 2024
The La Habra Corn Festival started as not much more than a grill out, but now it is the largest fundraiser in the city. Ride the attractions, eat some delicious corn, and do some shopping at the 74th La Habra Corn Festival. This event is great for all ages, and it's free to attend!  READ MORE

Prehistoric OC

Buena Park - FREE
Saturday, October 12, 2024
The OC goes way back.... Prehistoric OC is a free family-friendly event exploring the natural and cultural history of Orange County. Guests can enjoy fun and educational activities presented by OC Parks archaeologists and paleontologists along with exhibitors from local cultural, paleontological and geological organizations. READ MORE

Depot Day 2024

Griffith Park
Sunday, October 13, 2024
Depot Day is Travel Town's annual celebration and open house. Details of this year's event are TBA, but typically, highlights include performances by local high school bands, a giant indoor & outdoor train displays, tours of historic railway passenger cars, woodcarver and blacksmith demonstrations, and the chance to see restoration work in progress! READ MORE

Skirball Opening Celebration - Fall 2024

West LA/Brentwood - FREE
Thursday, October 17, 2024
Admission is free as the Skirball celebrates the opening day of three new exhibitions. Guests can take spotlight tours with artists and curators, visit the Skirball Sukkah, and more. Exhibitions on view include the new Diane von Furstenberg, Ancient Wisdom for a Future Ecology, and On the National Language, as well as the ongoing exhibit Visions and Values. READ MORE

Scarium Family Night

Long Beach
Friday, October 18, 2024
Scarium, the Aquarium of the Pacific's annual Halloween celebration is presented as a nightime event this year. Guests can don costumes to explore the Aquarium’s animal exhibits at night, including the shark, ray, and sea jelly touch tanks.   Event highlights include a costume contest, Pacific Pals, trick-or-treating with provided goodie bags, a vampire magician, and kids activity booths. READ MORE

Cirque du Soleil KOOZA Santa Monica

Santa Monica
Opens Saturday, October 19, 2024
Cirque du Soleil returns to Santa Monica Pier! KOOZA combines acrobatic performance and the art of clowning, while exploring fear, identity, recognition and power.  Special offer: Kids tickets are $19.87 for a limited time only! READ MORE

Grand Ave Arts: All Access

DTLA - FREE
Saturday, October 19, 2024
Grand Avenue Arts: All Access showcases major cultural institutions in DTLA. The free one-day event features performances, exhibitions, behind-the-scenes tours, and interactive family-friendly activities. The festival invites Angelenos of all ages to craft their own arts adventure while exploring DTLA’s cultural corridor to the fullest. READ MORE

Long Beach Airport Festival of Flight 2024

Long Beach - FREE
Saturday, October 19, 2024
The popular Festival of Flight returns to Long Beach Airport. The free event features aircrafts on static display, live music, food and beer trucks, and activities for kids. Helicopter rides available for purchase! READ MORE

Fall Festival (Original Farmers Market)

Fairfax - FREE
Saturday & Sunday, October 19 & 20, 2024
Kids can enjoy the wonders of a country fair in the middle of the city. The Original Farmers Market on Fairfax plays host to the Fall Festival, featuring such family-friendly attractions as a pumpkin patch, a petting zoo, fall-themed games, kids crafts, photo ops, and live entertainment.  READ MORE

Getty Center Art & Science Family Festival

West LA - FREE
Saturday & Sunday, October 19 & 20, 2024
The Getty Center's latest family festival celebrates Getty’s PST ART: Art & Science Collide. At this interactive festival, visitors can explore the intersection of art and science through hands-on projects. Activities include making a suncatcher, creating pictures with the power of the sun, and exploring the medieval idea of the cosmos by making wearable art based on astrological signs. READ MORE

Boo at the LA Zoo

Griffith Park
Saturday & Sunday, October 19 - 27, 2024
A trip to the LA Zoo is always a treat, but the last two weekends of October are especially sweet: this year's Boo at the Zoo includes trick-or-treat stations with Mars candies.  READ MORE

Sherman Oaks Street Fair

Sherman Oaks - FREE
Sunday, October 20, 2024
The Sherman Oaks Street Fair returns for its 31st year. Billed as the largest single-day event in the San Fernando Valley, the fair runs along Ventura Boulevard from Kester to Van Nuys Blvd. READ MORE

Pumpkin Race Festival

Manhattan Beach - FREE
Sunday, October 20, 2024
The city of Manhattan Beach holds its annual Pumpkin Race on the pier. Families are encouraged to attend in costume and create their own crazy pumpkin race cars at the pier's colorful Pumpkin Race Land. READ MORE

Candlelight Orchestra: Halloween Special

Beverly Hills
Friday, October 25, 2024
Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations. The latest event sets the stage for Halloween, with a program featuring spine-tingling classical compositions and evocative movie scores. READ MORE

Día de los Muertos on Olvera Street

DTLA - FREE
Daily, October 25 - November 2, 2024
Olvera Street hosts its annual celebration of the festive Mexican holiday when families remember their ancestors and the continuity of life. READ MORE

Día de los Muertos at Hollywood Forever

Hollywood
Saturday, October 26, 2024
The annual Día de los Muertos event at Los Angeles’s oldest memorial park is the nation's largest Day of the Dead event, celebrating the memories of loved ones with ceremonial tributes and extravagant altar creations amidst some of the city's most famous departed. In 2024, the celebration returns as a single daylong event is made memorable with music, dance, and exotic costumes and decor throughout the park. READ MORE

3rd Annual Halloween Boat Parade

Marina del Rey - FREES
Saturday, October 26, 2024
The 3rd Annual Halloween Boat Parade sets sail in Marina del Rey, welcoming all boaters and watercraft of all shapes and sizes. This year's theme is "It is Real and It is "Spooktacular"! Boaters can light up and decorate their craft to participate in the parade, while spectators watch from the shore. READ MORE

Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade

Anaheim - FREE
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Happy 100!  Though the Anaheim's Fall Festival began in 1923, the parade was not added until the following year, making 2024 its Centennial.  READ MORE

Marina Spooktacular

Marina del Rey - FREE
Saturday & Sunday, October 26 & 27, 2024
Marina del Rey's Halloween Spooktacular is appropriate for all ages, but the scares get scarier as darkness falls. Celebrants can experience thrills and chills navigating the Blackout Maze, embarking on graveyard treasure hunts, playing carnival games and braving the giant slide and inflatable maze. READ MORE

Disney Pixars's COCO: Live-to-Film Concert

Northridge
Saturday & Sunday, October 26 & 27, 2024
Disney Pixar’s beloved Coco comes to life on stage with the heartwarming smash hit film’s score, by Oscar and GRAMMY Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino. Performed live by Orquesta Folclórico Nacional de México, Disney Pixar’s Coco follows 12-year-old Miguel on a journey through the Land of the Dead and features the Academy Award-winning song “Remember Me,” by songwriters Kristen Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez (Frozen, Frozen 2). Disney fans of all ages are invited to enjoy an unforgettable night of Disney magic. READ MORE

Battleship IOWA Halloween STEMebration

San Pedro - FREE
Sunday, October 27, 2024
This Halloween season, Battleship IOWA welcomes guests on board to enjoy STEM stations, craft stations, a spooky reading corner, and a puppet show performance. Treats can be gathered at six candy stations and Trunk-Or-Treating with first responders. READ MORE

27th Annual L.A. Cancer Challenge 5K Walk/Run

Westwood
Sunday, October 27, 2024
The 27th Annual L.A. Cancer Challenge 5K Walk/Run (LACC) is a Halloween-themed charity race hosted and produced by the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.  READ MORE

Family Days: Día de los Muertos

DTLA - FREE
Sunday, October 27, 2024
The dead come to life at LA Plaza! Guests can explore the historical and cultural significance of Day of the Dead traditions at this annual event READ MORE

Ghouls Night Fall Fest

Long Beach - FREE
Thursday, October 31, 2024
2nd & PCH celebrates its 5th anniversary on Halloween Night in the spookiest way: with a Ghouls Night Fall Fest! The evening includes eerie entertainment, hauntingly good music, trick-or-treating fun, costume contests, and other spine-tingling surprises. READ MORE

Buena Park Cops 'N Goblins

Buena Park - FREE
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Candy abounds at Buena Park's Halloween event, which also features art activities, a pumpkin patch, carnival games, and trunk or treating. Food trucks are on site. Kids in costume can participate in a costume contest. READ MORE

Halloween DTLA Festival for Kids

DTLA
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Downtown families can celebrate Halloween at this fun kid-friendly party right in their own backyard. Activities a include trick-or-treating, showing off costumes at the character meet-and-greets, eating yummy snacks, and seeing the puppet and magic shows. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Boney Island at the Natural History Museum
Griffith Park Southern Railroad
Numerous Venues along Grand Avenue, including: The Broad Museum
Viewable from shoreline locations in Marina del Rey, such as Burton Chace Park