Spooky season is here! Long Beach is the absolute best place to live around Halloween because there are so many free and low cost events for families. Some years we attend so many events, we’re practically done with trick or treating before Halloween arrives! I’ve compiled some of my fav events for every budget. Some are one day events, and others you can attend throughout the season when your schedule allows. To keep costs down, we like to choose one paid event per season for our family to attend, and then visit a few other free events as well. Check out the list below. Don’t forget to visit the blog for more great content, brought to you by Long Beach Home + Living and ExploreLongBeach!
El Dorado Frontier
Visiting El Dorado Frontier is like being transported back in time. It’s fun at any time of the year, but Halloween is my fav time to visit because they have a pumpkin patch! Admission is $18/person (1 and under free) and it includes: admission, a train ride down to the patch, and unlimited carousel rides. After your pumpkin patch visit, you can ride the train back to the Frontier and enjoy your carousel rides, the atmosphere, and they even have a panning for gold activity for an additional $10/person. This is one of the pricier options on this list but it’s definitely something you can make an afternoon out of and the kids always have a blast.
Shoreline Zombie Walk
Don’t let the title fool you, the Shoreline Zombie Walk is actually a family friendly event! The entire event goes from 4pm-10pm, with the actual zombie walk portion starting at 8pm. Depending on your kids, the zombie walk at 8 might be a little scary for them. My kids are young so we usually leave at 8, but between 4 and 8, we enjoy live music, kids activities, candy, family-friendly scare zones, and more. And everything is free! Each year, this event has had slightly different activities but we always have the best time. Visit their website for more info.
Pa’s Pumpkin Patch
Pa’s has been a Long Beach staple for years! They have recently started requiring reservations so make sure you reserve a spot early, as they fill up quickly. This is another one of the pricier options but it’s always a great time. Admission is $5/person and then you can buy tickets for rides, attractions, and the petting zoo. When my kids were young, we could get away with buying maybe 10 tickets per kid, but now that they’re older, we’ve found the unlimited wristbands are the way to go. They also have games, food trucks, and pony rides. Pro tip: Visit earlier in the season to avoid the crowd.
Fall Fest at The Pike
This is one of our fav Halloween events because you get to trick or treat around downtown, and it also happens to be free! This event features Halloween character meet and greets, balloons and caricature artists, a kids’ jam session and dance party, and a social media costume contest. There are also kids’ crafts for an additional $2/each and they benefit Human Save. Check out their website for more info.
Haute Dog Howl’oween
A parade of dogs in costume! Last year there were over 400 dogs and 3,000 spectators, so it’s a pretty good sized event. This event is free to watch and free for humans in costume. If you want to enter your pup, it costs $10 in advance or $20 the day of. The event starts at 2:30 so it’s a great opportunity to head down to 2nd street for lunch and then watch the parade after. You can get more info at the website below.
