Sunday, September 6, 2026

SoCal Pumpkin Patches 2026

 


Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch
October 2 - 31
10100 Jefferson Boulevard Culver City, CA, 90232
$ Admission

Returning to Culver City on October 2, Mr. Bones will once again transform into a festive fall destination complete with thousands of pumpkins, Pumpkin Village, seasonal photo moments, live entertainment, food and treats, family-friendly activities, and special programming throughout the month.

This year's season will also feature special guest animal appearances, extended evening hours on select Fridays and Saturdays, and the return of Mr. Bones' third annual Día de los Muertos celebration on October 25, featuring live Mariachi music, traditional Danza Azteca performances, cultural entertainment, festive décor, and programming for the whole family.

Dates: Oct. 2- Nov. 1
Descanso Gardens 1418 Descanso Drive La Cañada Flintridge, CA, 91011

As the sun sets, Descanso Gardens comes alive for Carved, a festive fall celebration filled with glowing jack-o’-lanterns, giant hand-carved pumpkins, illuminated railroad displays, whimsical wood spirits, and seasonal surprises around every corner."

Magic of the Jack-O-Lanterns
September 18th through November 1st
SOUTH COAST BOTANIC GARDEN
26300 Crenshaw Blvd, Palos Verde Peninsula, Ca 90274
$$ 

Set within the lush, winding trails of one of SoCal’s most beautiful botanic gardens and featuring over 10,000 carved jack o’ lanterns, this year’s show feels more immersive, more atmospheric, and more magical than ever. With a mile-long walking trail, the experience is longer and more expansive, offering radiant light displays, whimsical scenes, and glowing pathways that come to life under the night sky. Your favorite pumpkin artistry, massive themed displays, and fall magic return with even more to discover. Elevated by the stunning natural backdrop of the South Coast Botanic Garden."
 
September 25th – November 1st
Gates open at 5:30 PM, with timed entry slots from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
King Gillette Ranch
26800 West Mulholland Hwy
Calabasas, CA 91302
 
Night of the Jack returns for 2026 with a reimagined one-mile trail unlike anything you’ve seen before. Step into a cinematic world of glowing pumpkins, dazzling lights, new immersive displays, and unexpected adventures around every turn! Complete the night with LA’s top food trucks and themed seasonal drinks inside the Spookeasy. New photo moments. New experiences. New memories. Only at Night of the Jack!

SoCal Horror Movies, Film Festivals and Undead Shows For Halloween 2026

 

 
Wholesome Horrors 
 
September 5– November 8, 2026
Bob Baker Marionette Theater
4949 York Boulevard,
Los Angeles, CA, 90042
 
Hallowe’en Spooktacular is an hour-long, family-friendly boo-sical revue featuring over one hundred spirited puppets rallying to regale you with silly things on strings. From Frankenstein’s monster’s toe-tapping inception to an out-of-this-world Venutian dreamscape, Hallowe’en Spooktacular beckons you to the place where imagination … lurks!   
 
 
 
 
 
 Horror Movies & More
 

The Kwaidan 4K Restoration from Janus Films is coming to theaters Sept 11th. Kwaidan is known as the classic ghost story anthology movie from Japan. It may not scare on the same level being from the 1960's, but like any good ghost story the dread and fear it casts are suppose to stay with you. And, the justified 4K restoration is because it supposed be a damn good looking horror film.
 
 
October 6-15
TCL Chinese 6 Theaters 
$
 
The largest and longest-running horror film festival in the United States is back again.
 
Check site for select dates and times
$$
 
-Dual Language Screenings: Practical Magic, Hocus Pocus, Mean Girls, La La Land, Twilight
-Wooftops: The Addams Family (1991), Practical Magic, Hocus Pocus, Sinners
-TV Marathons: Supernatural Mini TV Marathon - 10/6 
-New(er) Releases: Backrooms, Obsession, Sinners, Weapons, Gone Girl
-Old School Hits: Scream (1996)), Death Becomes Her, Edward Scissorhands, Twin Peaks, Psycho (1960), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Friday the 13th (1980) 
-Cult Classics: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, IT, Beetlejuice, Twilight, Get Out
 
Select Nights in October
Screening lineup includes Corpse Bride (10/3), Carrie (10/10), Jennifer’s Body (10/30), and The Thing (10/31)
 
October in LA means Cinespia returns to Hollywood Forever Cemetery for a Halloween season with something for every body, corpse or otherwise. Say “I do” to a Tim Burton engagement, celebrate 50 years of the original prom queen from hell, get Fox-y with a teenage maneater, and be the wild Thing you want to see in the world on Halloween night. Picnic among the dearly departed, then shake your bones to DJ sets, raise spirits at the bar, and get drop-dead gorgeous in our free photobooths. Spooky season is too short to waste, so grab your tickets early. Presented by Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video. 
 
September 26–October 25, 2026 | John Carpenter: Prince of Darkness
@ The Academy Museum
$

Timed with the opening of The Horror Show, the museum welcomes one of the most celebrated masters of horror, John Carpenter, for the opening weekend of a retrospective film series. John Carpenter: Prince of Darkness will kick off with a screening of Halloween (1978) on Saturday, September 26, followed by screenings of They Live (1988) on Sunday, September 27, and Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) on Monday, September 28.
 
'Night Visions: The Shock and Awe of M. Night Shyamalan'
Sun. Sep 27 - Mon. Oct 12, 2026
Egyptian Theatre and Los Feliz 3

Beyond Fest, the biggest genre film festival in the U.S., presented this year by MUBI and programmed and presented in partnership with the American Cinematheque, proudly announces a major retrospective celebrating writer, director, producer and nightmare maker extraordinaire M. Night Shyamalan. Spanning 27 years and 12 features, ‘Night Visions: The Shock and Awe of M. Night Shyamalan’ explores Shyamalan’s wholly singular oeuvre and marks the first West Coast retrospective of his work with the filmmaker in attendance.
 
Spooky season Void this October at LF3 / American Cinematheque 
10/12 DEMONWARP co-presented by Theresa Mercado + Vinegar Syndrome Pop-up shop + Q&A
10/19 DR. BUTCHER, M.D. in 35mm
10/26 EVILSPEAK in 35mm
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 


 


 
 

SoCal Halloween Events 2026 & Día de los Muertos

 

 

Opens September 12
SugarMynt Gallery
810 Meridian Ave, South Pasadena, CA 91030

 
September 26, 2026–July 25, 2027 
Academy Museum
$ Admission 

Blurring the line between museum presentation and eerie spectacle, The Horror Show will take visitors on a journey through cinema, starting with an introductory gallery sound installation, into “The Hallway” — modeled after the common horror trope—that will lead to six distinctly themed galleries: Gothic, Psychological, Science, Slasher, Religion, and Ghosts. Each gallery is designed to invite visitors into iconic settings, where they will encounter their favorite creatures, monsters, and objects.

The exhibition will explore representations of identity, sexuality, and ability in horror films including: Alien (1979), The Horror of Dracula (1958), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), Get Out (2017), Halloween (1978), Ju-on (1998), Midsommar (2019), Misery (1990), Poltergeist (1982), Ringu (1998), The Blair Witch Project (1999), The Exorcist (1973), The Shining (1980), The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)—while also offering a behind-the-scenes look at the storytelling and production processes of these films. 

Accompanying the exhibit are special showings of horror films.

SON OF MONSTERPALOOZA - Burbank - 2026
The Marriott Burbank Convention Center & Hotel
Friday, October 9-Sunday, October 11
$38.65 - $150
 
 SON OF MONSTERPALOOZA returns to Burbank with over 150 monstrous vendors, makeup demos, celebrity guests & more!
 
 
 
Saturday, October 31, 2026
The Halloween Carnaval is free to attend and will take place on Friday, October 31, 2026, 6-11 p.m., on Santa Monica Boulevard/Historic Route 66 between N. Doheny Drive and N. La Cienega Boulevard.

In the heart of West Hollywood’s Rainbow District, the Halloween Carnaval will feature a stage at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and N. San Vicente Boulevard with a live DJ, food trucks and thousands of wildly dressed Halloween revelers for an only-in-West Hollywood experience.

There will also be Halloween celebrations at bars, restaurants, entertainment venues and hotels throughout the city!

 

Carnaval-goers are encouraged to get into the Halloween spirit and show off their costumes by uploading photos to social media with the hashtag #wehohalloween (and don’t forget to tag @wehocity and @visitweho).

 
Wholesome Horrors
 
Saturday, October 24, 2026 • 11:00am-2:00pm 
249 S Los Angeles St. Los Angeles, CA 90012
Free 
 
Visit Terasaki Budokan for a FREE, family-friendly, Halloween scavenger hunt throughout Little Tokyo! Families are encouraged to dress-up for the festivities. Collect all of the stamps for a special treat.There will be fun activities for both children and parents at Budokan, so stick around after you claim your prize for completing the hunt!
Please note that we will have limited quantities of bags to pass out for the hunt. We encourage folks to bring their own bags to carry their candy and prizes in!
 
The Anaheim Fall Festival & Anaheim Halloween Parade
Saturday, October 24th
Fall Festival at Center Greens 1oam – 4pm • Halloween Parade 7pm
Center Greens
Free 
 
Our festival returns to CENTER GREENS, the beautiful city park next to Anaheim City Hall and the Downtown Anaheim Community Center, just around the corner from our Halloween parade route. All of your favorite features will make an appearance, including the Anaheim Classic Car Show on Center Street, costume contests, local artists, live entertainment, kid’s crafts, delicious foods, sweet treats, and scavenger hunt..
 
 
 
Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 5 - 8 PM, at Grand Hope Park - ASU California Center Grand (919 S. Grand Avenue).

This Halloween, bring your little ones to Downtown LA for a night they’ll never forget! Enjoy trick-or-treating at real doors, meet-and-greets with favorite characters, live performances, hands-on arts & crafts, dancing, and tons of spooktacular giveaways—perfect for kids ages 2–8. 

 

Día de los Muertos

OCT. 25, 2026- NOV. 2, 2026
Gloria Molina Grand Park, 200 N Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Free 

Each year, Gloria Molina Grand Park becomes a vibrant gathering place for Los Angeles communities to honor Día de los Muertos. The park’s free, week-long exhibition of community ofrendas invites reflection, connection, and celebration of loved ones who have passed. Rooted in Indigenous Mexican traditions, the program blends art, music, and ritual to create a space of healing and joy for all.

Fowler Festival: Día de los Muertos
The Fowler Museum at UCLA Los Angeles, CA
Sunday, November 1  •  1 PM - 4:30 PM
Free, Reserve a spot 
 
Celebrate Día de los Muertos at the Fowler with artmaking, mini ofrendas, and live music by Mariachi Alta California.

Celebrate the Fowler Museum’s annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration with artist Maria Elena Cruz and honor loved ones who have passed away through hands-on artmaking, music, and community gathering. Create your own mini ofrendas (shrines/offerings) and colorful sugar skull piñatas, discover the exhibitions on view, enjoy light refreshments, and close the afternoon with a live performance by Mariachi Alta California.

SoCal Haunts & Experiences 2026

 

 Wholesome Horroes 
 
Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort & California Adventure
August 21 through October 31, 2026
Disneyland,  Anaheim, CA 92802
$$

Disneyland wants those kid dollars so Halloween once again starts first at this house of mouse. Special decked out rides, goods and food are all in a Halloween style at the parks. And, special trick-or-treat missions seems like another experience you can pay for. Check their site for more info.

Starts September 20th
Natural History Museum
$10 per person. General Admission also required.
Free for Members. Reservation required.
*Please note that tickets are for 30 minute time slots

"This one-of-a-kind seasonal pavilion gives you a rare glimpse into the secret life of spiders. Stroll through the open air pavilion to see hundreds of orb weavers and their amazing webs all around you. Then enter the spider den to peer into enclosed habitats that house different species from tarantulas to jumping spiders. Along the way you'll hear amazing stories and get answers to all your arachnid questions from our Museum Educators."

 


Haunts

 
Select Nights Sept. 3 through Nov. 1
Universal Studios Hollywood 
Price varies by the many options below 
Ticket options include General Admission, Universal Express Ticket, R.I.P. Tour, Day/Night Ticket and After 2 P.M. Day/Night Ticket. Plus, Early Access Ticket provides entry to select haunted houses beginning at 5:30 p.m. (subject to change). Also, the popular Frequent Fear Pass and Ultimate Fear Pass allow guests to experience scares again and again throughout the season.
 
Haunted Houses this year are based on:
Sinners
Stranger Things
Hellraiser (specifically inspired by the first three films) 
Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Dead, Deader, Deadest (original idea When a miracle embalming drug backfires, the Deville Family Funeral Home’s permanent residents rise from their graves dead set on terrorizing the living in this haunted house.)
Evil Dead Burn
Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness
KILLceañera: Music by SLASH (An all-original house centers on the quinceañera of Lola, who turns this rite of passage for fifteen-year-old girls into a festival of death to take revenge on everyone who wronged her. SLASH composes an original score for the house featuring Spanish guitar and an exclusive song titled “15 Candles.)
 
There's also the Fiery stunt show The Purge: Dangerous Waters, based on The Purge franchise. And, let's not forget that the tram is no in the hands of the undead clown sadist Art. We have Terror Tram starring Art the Clown this year. Oh, and Ice Nine Kills has created new music for the experience, think dark twists on classic Christmas songs. And, don't worry Art will be lurking around the park if you miss him on the tram.
 
Let's get into scare zones: 

Fortnitemare (an immersive scare zone based on Fortnite’s signature in-game event)
Hackerz (guests will need to dodge a troop of chainsaw killers) 
El Circo de la Muerte (a scare zone centered on the 1930’s circus and sideshow acts that traveled across Mexico ) 
Blood Bog (where moss monsters roam the bogs and bayous)
 
Oh, and there's just Nikki from the ever popular horror movie Obsession wandering the park. She'll be scaring so many teenagers, I can't wait to see how this is done. I'm guessing she was added fairly last minute as Universal had no idea how successful the movie might be. So, expect a crazy lovelorn lady trying to feed you something you shouldn't eat.
 
Plus, the rides are still open. 
 
 
Select Nights. September 17 - October 31, 2026
8039 Beach Blvd, Buena Park, CA 90620
$$
 
"Knott’s Scary Farm is the longest-running and most haunting Halloween theme park event in Southern California. With over 50 years of nightmares, unimaginable scares, and innovative thrills, Knott’s Scary Farm has left no tomb unearthed, no crypt unrattled, and no fear untouched.

Experience the fully transformed theme park, with uniquely haunted mazes and attractions, sinister shows, and more than 1,000 horrifying creatures lurking in the fog and hiding across every inch of the park."
 
Two new mazes this year and we're kind of impressed by them. Inked features killer cartoons from the 1930's and we have Unearthed, has you acting like Lara Croft or Indiana Jones as you go through a haunted excavation site when a new mysterious ancient tablets are discovered.
 
 
 
Select Nights. September 18 - November 1
26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia, CA 91355
$$
 
"With pulse-pounding scares, innovative thrills, and scintillating shows, Six Flags Magic Mountain leaves no tomb unearthed, no crypt unrattled, and no fear untouched."
 
Unlike Knott's, Six Flags does get horror movie franchise themed mazes. This year they've got one for Final Destination. But they've also got them based on The Conjuring franchise and Trick 'r Treat movie. Then there's the Wolves' Blood maze which implies rock n roll werewolves? That seems to be a mash-up this year of werewolves relating to music for some reason?
 
 
Open Select Nights Sept 17th - Nov 8th.
LA area location, revealed at purchase
$tarts at 143 per person

Set in a brothel in 1920’s New Orleans, you play agents of a secret organization on an impossible task. Guests will become part of a sadistic and supernatural tale of horror, mystery, mobsters, monsters and of course, vampire prostitutes.

Den of The Mosquito will be Delusion’s longest and most interactive play to date, updated with elements that made Delusion legendary:

• Most limited ticket availability in Delusion history
• More interactivity and split paths
• A full 50-minute experience
• Return of the play your part VIP experience
 
The fine folks over at Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre Group have been scaring the bejeezus out of people for quite a while and for that price it makes sense that people have been coming back for about two decades.
 
October 9,10,16,17,23,24,25,30,31 & Nov 1 
             7:00p (Sat & Sunday only) 
             8:00p, 9:00p, 10:00p, 10:45p, 11:30p (Fri, Sat, & Sunday) 
 4850 Lankershim Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 
$24.00  ($28.00 at the door) 
 
Urban Death Tour of Terror is an immersive horror theater experience. Urban Death takes guests through a dark maze followed by grotesque, wordless horror vignettes all in 45 minutes. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Select Nights
Sept 25- Nov 1st
285 N. Moorpark Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
$$ 
The award-winning Reign of Terror Haunted House features 12 interconnected attractions, 145+ separate rooms to walk through and hordes of frightful characters waiting to give you a thrill. Expanded Facility, New Walk-Through Flow Configuration, New Additions, New 12th Attraction: "The Hotel" and Backwoods Feature Changes, New Special Effects, Additional Characters.. Completely redone and expanded Funhouse and expanded section with the Bayou. All new FREE photo experience at the end of the haunted house.  All 12 Attractions have been updated. You experience ALL with ONE TICKET! No Additional Fees on ticket purchase price. Parking is FREE!
 
SoCal Haunt List- A guide for local neighborhood haunts around SoCal.


The Haunted Carwash
Oct 16 -Oct 31st
Four SoCal locations 
$tarting at $30 per-vehicle, Southern California residents

Usually creepy clowns are washing your car. And, trying to get in....ahahahaha.

Do you dare to enter the Haunted Carwash, a nightmarish journey that turns an ordinary car wash into a realm of terror? As you slowly drive through, sinister performers will leap from the shadows, and spine-tingling special effects will envelop you in an atmosphere of sheer horror. With bone-chilling surprises lurking around every corner, this is a Halloween experience designed to keep you on edge. Gather your bravest friends and family, and prepare for a frightful ride you won’t soon forget!

Thursday, September 3, 2026

McDonald's Presents Nights of Lucha Libre This September

Halloween 2026: Screamfest Horror Film Festival, Rooftop Cinema Club, Cinespia @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery & John Carpenter: Prince of Darkness & Resident Evil

 We've got quite the cabal of horror screenings you might want to catch...before they catch you. AHahahaahahahaaha!
 
October 6-15
TCL Chinese 6 Theaters 
$
 
The largest and longest-running horror film festival in the United States is back again.
 
Check site for select dates and times
$$
 
-Dual Language Screenings: Practical Magic, Hocus Pocus, Mean Girls, La La Land, Twilight
-Wooftops: The Addams Family (1991), Practical Magic, Hocus Pocus, Sinners
-TV Marathons: Supernatural Mini TV Marathon - 10/6 
-New(er) Releases: Backrooms, Obsession, Sinners, Weapons, Gone Girl
-Old School Hits: Scream (1996)), Death Becomes Her, Edward Scissorhands, Twin Peaks, Psycho (1960), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Friday the 13th (1980) 
-Cult Classics: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, IT, Beetlejuice, Twilight, Get Out
 
Select Nights in October
Screening lineup includes Corpse Bride (10/3), Carrie (10/10), Jennifer’s Body (10/30), and The Thing (10/31)
 
October in LA means Cinespia returns to Hollywood Forever Cemetery for a Halloween season with something for every body, corpse or otherwise. Say “I do” to a Tim Burton engagement, celebrate 50 years of the original prom queen from hell, get Fox-y with a teenage maneater, and be the wild Thing you want to see in the world on Halloween night. Picnic among the dearly departed, then shake your bones to DJ sets, raise spirits at the bar, and get drop-dead gorgeous in our free photobooths. Spooky season is too short to waste, so grab your tickets early. Presented by Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video. 
 
 Cinespia has also partnered with See’s Candies in honor of their 25th and 105th respective anniversaries on a specially branded candy box sold exclusively at Cinespia screenings.
 
 
September 26–October 25, 2026 | John Carpenter: Prince of Darkness
@ The Academy Museum
$

Timed with the opening of The Horror Show, the museum welcomes one of the most celebrated masters of horror, John Carpenter, for the opening weekend of a retrospective film series. John Carpenter: Prince of Darkness will kick off with a screening of Halloween (1978) on Saturday, September 26, followed by screenings of They Live (1988) on Sunday, September 27, and Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) on Monday, September 28.


'Night Visions: The Shock and Awe of M. Night Shyamalan'

'Night Visions: The Shock and Awe of M. Night Shyamalan'
Sun. Sep 27 - Mon. Oct 12, 2026
Egyptian Theatre and Los Feliz 3

Beyond Fest, the biggest genre film festival in the U.S., presented this year by MUBI and programmed and presented in partnership with the American Cinematheque, proudly announces a major retrospective celebrating writer, director, producer and nightmare maker extraordinaire M. Night Shyamalan. Spanning 27 years and 12 features, ‘Night Visions: The Shock and Awe of M. Night Shyamalan’ explores Shyamalan’s wholly singular oeuvre and marks the first West Coast retrospective of his work with the filmmaker in attendance.

From the supernatural phenomenon THE SIXTH SENSE and the visionary superhero mythology of UNBREAKABLE through to his latest exploration of romantic obsession, REMAIN, few filmmakers have shaped popular cinema culture with the audacity, precision and unmistakable identity of M. Night Shyamalan. Through sweeping stories of fractured families, superhuman abilities, alien invasions, deadly prophecies and unseen worlds, Shyamalan has consistently transformed iconic genres to create a genre unto himself.

Tickets will go on sale today at 12:00pm PT.