Halloween in Anaheim – October Events at Disneyland & Beyond

There is so much to do and experience in Anaheim during Halloween from themed activities at theme parks to local experiences. Just a short drive from Los Angeles, this Orange County area has plenty to offer during October.

We dive into all the best offerings available in Anaheim during Halloween. Of course you have to start with Disneyland, but there are also other additional offerings you can consider in October.

Halloween Things to Do in Anaheim

Halloween season in Anaheim provides multiple opportunities for activities including family fun Halloween entertainment at the Disneyland Resort, fun for teens and adults at Knott's Scary Farm plus local parades, dining experiences, and more. The local Anaheim Halloween Parade has a long history and has connections to Walt Disney himself while the Anaheim Packing District offers Halloween treats to support local businesses. Let's discuss all the Halloween Anaheim events to look forward to this October.

Disneyland Halloween Celebration

The Disneyland Resort goes all out for the Halloween season including Halloween decorations in both Downtown Disney and the Disney Resort Hotels. Disneyland Park celebrates Halloween with a large Mickey pumpkin and other decorations on Main Street, U.S.A. along with spectacular entertainment like Halloween Screams with fireworks available on weekends. And of course, the ever-popular Haunted Mansion Holiday returns as the Haunted Mansion is transformed into a Nightmare Before Christmas theme for the holiday season. Over in California Adventure, the Coco-themed Plaza de la Familia celebration takes place through November 2nd with special food, performances, and a show featuring Coco.

Guests looking to spend an evening in Downtown Disney for dinner can take a visit to see the Halloween displays and enjoy the local scavenger hunt.  The Grand Californian Hotel & Spa includes a large Coco display in the lobby this year along with a treat cart to celebrate the Day of the Dead. Downtown Disney is decorated for the Halloween season and offers a Disney character-themed pumpkin scavenger hunt called Pluto's Pumpkin Pursuit.

Knott's Scary Farm

Knott's Berry Farm puts on a yearly event each year for Halloween, Knott's Scary Farm, which features over 19 haunted attractions including five scare zones, ten haunted mazes, and four entertainment shows. Knott's Scary Farm is the perfect event for teens and adults looking to celebrate Halloween with traditional haunted houses and horror. Knott's Scary Farm is not recommended for guests under 13 as this experience is meant to be scary with over 1,000 scare actors lurking in the fog around the park to spook guests. Knott's Scary Farm also includes themed Halloween food and merchandise along with spooky cocktail offerings adults will enjoy. Be sure to read all of our tips for Knott's Scary Farm here. Knott's Berry farm is just outside of Anaheim in Buena Park, California.

This year is the 50th anniversary of Knott's Scary Farm and some of the haunted mazes will focus on the history of “haunt” at Knott's Berry Farm. The top maze this year is 10 Chilling Chambers, the maze honoring Scary Farm's first maze in 1977, which includes a tribute to the past of Knott's Scary Farm as guests encounter classic maze themes and characters from past seasons.

Anaheim Halloween Parade & Festival

The Anaheim Halloween Parade and Fall Festival take place on Saturday, October 28th in Anaheim. The Anaheim Fall Festival runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Center Street in Anaheim. The Anaheim Halloween Parade takes place the same day at 7 p.m. at the end of the festival. The parade starts at City Hall and proceeds west via Center Street and Broadway.

The Anaheim Halloween Festival and Parade is a long-held tradition in Anaheim and one that Disney directly participates in! As one of the sponsors, the Disneyland Resort helps with the parade floats and has a long history with this local community event. Some even say this local community event is one reason that Anaheim caught Walt Disney's eye as he planned where to open the Disneyland resort. This is a not-miss celebration for guests looking to celebrate Halloween in Anaheim. You can read more about the Anaheim Halloween Parade & Festival, along with a parade map, on the event website.

Gardenwalk Anaheim Halloween Monster Mash

Anaheim Gardenwalk near Disneyland offers a yearly Halloween event, Monster Mash, a pet and family-friendly Halloween celebration with over 30 vendors, live music, crafts, face painting, treats, and photo ops. This event takes place on weekends with Halloween weekend offering trick or treating for kids. Guests visiting Anaheim Gardenwalk during weekends in October can also enjoy the Nightmare Mansion haunted house, virtual reality zombie apocalypse at Fire Looper, and horror-themed dancing during the ticketed event Thriller Nights.

Guests will also have their chance to vote on their favorite store Halloween decorations and win a grand prize of a pair of Disneyland Park Hopper tickets. There will also be events for specific dates in October like a Halloween pet costume contest, a reptile show plus a Thriller flash mob show.

Anaheim Packing District Witches Brew

Anaheim Packing District is a local Anaheim favorite, this old packing house has been transformed into an upscale food court packed with local vendors offering some of the best local dining in town. This year the packing house celebrates Halloween with The Witches Brew Night Market featuring a magickal marketplace with over 35 vendors, tarot card readings, spooky treast, and themed photo ops. Guests are encouraged to dress in “witchy attire” for the event.

The Anaheim Packing District will also feature Halloween specials in October. Le Parfait Paris is offering a Skeleton cake series, Mini Monster will have a Pumpkin Spice Thai Tea topped with whipped cream and a ghost marshmallow plus Popbar is featuring cute, spooky Halloween pops.

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