Halloween 2026 in North County

Halloween is Saturday, October 31, 25 days away. Carlsbad Village trick-or-treats 11am to 4pm, Encinitas on Coast Highway 5 to 8pm, and the clocks fall back an hour that night.

No. The Del Mar Fairgrounds haunt says it is "taking a hiatus for 2026" and points fans to its sister haunt, the Haunted Trail of Balboa Park (below).

Source: The Scream Zone.

• Sat Oct 10 + Sun Oct 11 + Sat Oct 17 and 4 more · 10am-4pm · Mellano Farms Pumpkin and Marigold Fall Festival: Mellano Farm Stand, 5750 N River Rd, Oceanside. Every October weekend: pick a pumpkin, a corn maze, and rows of marigolds (the Día de los Muertos flower). source · our guide
• Sat Oct 17 · 5-8pm · Carlsbad Pumpkin Plunge: Alga Norte Aquatics Center, 6565 Alicante Rd, Carlsbad. Pool games, floating obstacles, a splash pad and a floating pumpkin patch where every child lassos a pumpkin. $15 a person; 3 and under free but must register. Presale ends 5pm the Friday before. source
• Sun Oct 18 · 10am-1pm · Nature Collective Fall Festival: San Dieguito County Park, 1628 Lomas Santa Fe Dr, Del Mar. Free: costume parade, nature crafts, live animals, face painting, a bounce house. $5 park lot or free street parking. source
• Sat Oct 24 · 7-11pm · Art After Dark: Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way. Costume party and one of North County's biggest costume contests. 21+, $85 ($65 members). source
• Thu Oct 29 · 5-9pm · Haunted Market: Oceanside Sunset Market, Pier View Way and Coast Highway. Trick-or-treating, a costume parade and costume contests at the Thursday market. source
• Sat Oct 31 · 10am-2pm · Solana Beach Fire Department Open House: 500 Lomas Santa Fe Dr, Solana Beach. Station tours, hands-only CPR, lithium-ion battery safety, live music. Costumes encouraged. source
• Sat Oct 31 · 11am-4pm · Carlsbad Halloween in the Village: Carlsbad Village (start at CalRes Homes, 2691 State St). Free: trick-or-treat at shops with the candy corn sign, carnival games at the Boys & Girls Club, costume contest at Village Faire, sensory-friendly stop. First 250 kids get a bucket. source
• Sat Oct 31 · 5-8pm · Encinitas Safe Trick-or-Treat: Coast Highway 101, Downtown Encinitas. Free: shops stay open late with treats, live music at the Lumberyard, kids' games. Free parking at Pacific View Arts Center for the evening. source

• What: two haunts in one ticket, a mile-long outdoor trail and the 3,500-square-foot eXperiment Maze, plus the Dark Carnival.
• Tickets: date-specific, from $34.99 (timed general admission), $49.99 (Fast Pass) and $99.99 (VIP). Buy online: most nights sell out, and the booth adds $3.99 a ticket.
• Who: not recommended under 10. No infants or carried children, and no pregnant guests. Strobes, fog and high-impact scares.
• Where: Balboa Drive and Juniper, Balboa Park. Rain closures are posted on its social media.

Tickets Nights and hours

Going without a car? Check the last train home first: Coaster to Balboa Park.

The City's free Halloween Spooktacular: Trunk or Treat (kids 12 and under, Mance Buchanon Park, 425 College Blvd, 2 to 5pm) is listed for Saturday, October 17, but the same listing's description says October 25. Call Oceanside Parks and Recreation at 760-435-5041 before you go.

Source: Visit Oceanside.

• Sunset at Fletcher Cove is 5:58pm on October 31; bring a light for the walk home.
• Encinitas: Pacific View Arts Center lets families park free for the evening.
• Little ones: Carlsbad Village moved to earlier hours this year, 11am to 4pm, with a sensory-friendly stop.
• Clocks fall back at 2am Sunday, November 1: an extra hour after the late night.

More: pumpkin patches · Día de los Muertos · Kids Free October · the next 90 days.

A costume run, a candy restock, a pumpkin haul or a hand with the kids' night: $35 a stop in Solana Beach, Del Mar and Cardiff. Text PJ.

Sources: The Scream Zone · The Haunted Trail · the City of Carlsbad · Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce · Encinitas 101 MainStreet · Visit Oceanside · City of Solana Beach · Nature Collective · Oceanside Museum of Art (each linked above). Checked October 6, 2026.

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