Looking for a listing of this year’s Halloween Events? You’re in luck! You can find them here

Halloween is almost here, and lucky for us there are plenty of fun and spooky Halloween events in Santa Cruz. Here is a day-by-day list of the Halloween activities coming to town:

Friday, October 25

Marine Masquerade at the Seymour Center

Head over to everyone’s favorite marine center Friday evening for a costume contest, scavenger hunts, creature crafts, and a flashlight tour to the whale skeleton.

Seymour Marine Discovery Center

Friday, October 25, 2013 from 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Public: $6 adults, $4 kids

Members: $4 adults, $3 Kids

Children 3 and under: FREE

Friday, October 25 & Saturday, October 26

Roaring Camp Halloween Ghost Train

Board the Ghost Train for a ride through the haunted forest. Scenes from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow are reenacted by actors on lighted stages along the tracks. There will also be games, activities and a haunted house.

Roaring Camp Railroads

Saturday, October 25 & Sunday, October 26



Saturday, October 26

Louden Nelson’s Halloween Festival & Mask-Making Workshop

Bring the whole family out to the (free) annual Louden Nelson Halloween Festival, complete with a haunted house, costume parade, phantom photo booth, and a mask-making workshop.

Louden Nelson Community Center

Saturday, October 26, 2013

12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Halloweenworld

With the tagline, “Come as you aren’t!” Halloweenworld at the Rio Theatre promises to be an evening full of Halloween festivities that the whole family can enjoy.

Rio Theatre

Saturday, October 26, 2013 at 7:00 pm

Tickets: $17 Advance, $20 at the door

Senior/Student: $12 in advance, $15 at the door

Kids (12 and under): FREE

Advance Tickets available through Brown Paper Tickets

Thrill the World Santa Cruz 2013

Ever wished you could participate in a flash mob…as a zombie? Here’s your chance! Join in with hundreds of locals dancing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Details here. Here’s a peak at what’s in store:

Downtown Santa Cruz @ Louden Nelson

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Countdown begins at 2:00 pm, sharp!

Santa Cruz Derby Girls Costume Party

Cheer on the Harbor Hellcats as they take on the Undead Betties in the last home game of the season for the Santa Cruz Derby Girls. Bust out your halloween costume for this one because it’s a costume party!

Kaiser Permanente Arena

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Doors: 5:30 pm, Bout: 6:30 pm

Tickets: $12 – $28

Halloween – Dia De Los Muertos Parade and Carnival

Gault Elementary School puts on their annual fall celebration, inviting the entire community. Festivities begin with the parade at 9:30, followed by the carnival at Gault Elementary School from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Get all the details here.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Parade 9:30 am; Carnival 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Soquel Ave at the Buttery & Gault Elementary School

Spooky Tales at Evergreen Cemetery

Come dressed in your Halloween costume to enjoy a spooktacular scavenger hunt, recount scary stories told by the Santa Cruz Ghost Hunters, and participate in a variety of spooky Halloween events at the Evergreen Cemetery.

Evergreen Cemetery

Saturday, October 26, 2013

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Zombie Bash at the Cocoanut Grove

Leave the kids at home for this 21 and over fright fest, featuring DJ Frank Zummo and the Street Drum Corps’ Blood Drums. The event includes a costume contest with cash prizes, photo booths, and delectable Halloween themed food and drinks.

Here’s a peak at what’s in store from the Street Drum Corps’ Blood Drums:

Cocoanut Grove

Saturday, October 26, 2013

8:30 pm – 1:00 am

$30 in advance, $35 at the door

Sunday, October 27

Capitola Village Children’s Halloween Parade

This fun old fashioned Halloween parade kicks off near the Capitola Police Department, and works its way down Capitola Ave., to the Esplanade.

Capitola Village

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Line-up begins at 1:30. Parade starts promptly at 2:00 pm

Parade begins at Pacific Cove parking lot, behind the Capitola City Hall & Police Dept.

Halloween – Thursday, October 31

Trick-or-Treat Downtown

Businesses along Pacific Ave. will be handing out candy to little ghosts and goblins between 2:30 – 5:00 on Halloween.

Downtown Santa Cruz

Thursday, October 31st, 2013

2:30 pm – 5:00 pm

Trick-or-Treat on the Wharf

Bring your munchkins out for some Santa Cruz style trick-or-treating on the Wharf. Businesses up and down the wharf will be handing out candy.

Santa Cruz Wharf

Thursday, October 31, 2013

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Trick-Or-Treating & Pumpkin Party at the Capitola Mall

Farmer Mike, the “Picasso of pumpkin carvers” will be on hand to carve the official Capitola Mall pumpkin on the fountain court stage, while select retailers will be offering candy for trick-or-treaters. More info here.

Capitola Mall

Thursday, October 31, 2013

4:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Boulder Creek Halloween Party

Trick or Treat at the shops in downtown Boulder Creek from 5:00 – 7:00, followed by a Halloween party and haunted house at the Boulder Creek Recreation Hall. You can get more info here.

Trick or Treating from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm in Downtown Boulder Creek

Halloween Party from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the Boulder Creek Recreation Hall

Santa Cruz Sentinel Costume Contest

The Sentinel is running an online costume contest. Enter by uploading a photo to Instagram with the hashtag #SpookyCruz. Winners will receive CineLux movie passes.

More information here.

Costume Portrait Contest

Local photographer Rebecca Stark will be hosting a costume contest at her studio downtown. Stop by the studio between 3:00 – 9:00 to have your photo taken. Photos will be posted on the Rebecca Stark Photography Facebook page, and a $100 prize will be awarded to the photo with the most likes.

Rebecca Stark Photography Studio

627 Center Street in downtown Santa Cruz

Thursday, October 31, 2013

3:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Halloween Spooktakular! Featured the Groggs and Rohan!

The Crepe Place encourages you to wear your costumes to this Halloween Spooktakular event. The show features The Groggs as Roky Erickson & The 13th Floor Elevators, and Rohan as Black Sabbath. Not to be outdone by special guest Matt Wilson as Charles Manson.

The Crepe Place

Thursday, Ocbober 31, 2013 at 9:00 pm

Tickets: $10

Haunted Hotel Halloween Party at Hotel Paradox

The Hotel Paradox’s Haunted Hotel Halloween promises a night of fright, with drinks, dancing and desserts.

Enjoy live music from The Soft White Sixties, with opening band, Stomping Grounds.

Hotel Paradox

Thursday, October 31, 2013 from 8:00 pm – 1:00 am

Tickets: $25