Events
Oct 5, 2019

The Most Spooktacular Things to Do in Los Angeles This October

The spookiest month of the year is upon us and everyone has pumpkin spiced lattes and sweater weather (even in L.A.) on the brain! Here are our must-attend events to get you in the Fall spirit!

Each year, Universal Studios immerses guests in a living, breathing, three-dimensional world of terror during Halloween Horror Nights running now until November 3rd. Featuring a new slate of unrivaled film and television production quality mazes, frightful scare zones and a fully re-imagined “Terror Tram” experience – all uniquely themed to today’s most definitive horror properties, “Halloween Horror Nights” is designed to taunt, terrorize and torment guests as they navigate the darkness from one frightening maze to another. We checked out the opening night and you can Watch our Halloween Horror Nights experience.

For those looking for an experience that’s less scary and more heartwarming, we recommend LA Guinea Pig Rescue’s Fall Festival. Now in its fifth year, the event is perfect for families and young kids! The festival is a fundraiser for the animal rescue located in Chatsworth (just outside of Los Angeles) and features tours of the ranch and their rescue animals including guinea pigs, pigs, horses, birds and more. The festival features guinea pig adoption services and games (with prizes like Best in Show, Best Hair); all vegan food and beverage vendors; fall crafts and more! It’s a one day festival on October 20th and perfect for families. Even better, it’s free of charge, but a donation in support of the rescue is recommended.

For our adult readers, we recommend celebrating the season at Halloweenie! Fred & Jason’s 14th Annual Halloweenie event returns to the historic Belasco Theater on Friday, October 25th for a dark and sexy ritual of epic proportions featuring two dance floors, photo experiences, drinks, food, devilish performances and the dead sexiest crowd of demons, gargoyles and golems you’ll ever see. Polish your horns & hooves for a night you won’t soon forget in Lucifer’s playground. The “Party with a Purpose” benefits Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles’ youth outreach programs.

Film lovers, don’t despair! Screamfest, the annual  Horror Film Festival returns for its 19th edition to feature films that will showcase new work from American and international independent horror filmmakers from October 8 through October 17 at TLC Chinese Theatre located in Hollywood, California. Opening night will debut the living dead road trip novel by Jeff Hart, “Eat, Brains, Love” a gory, funny, surprisingly engaging zom-rom-com from Rodman Flender starring  Jake Cannavale, Angelique Rivera, Sarah Yarkin, Patrick Fabian with an exclusive Q & A after the premiere. Fright Fans will then attend an exclusive afterparty held at Lucky Strike Live for cocktails and light bites to celebrate the kickoff of this year’s scary festivities. Get your Screamfest tickets now!

After its highly successful first year, “Nights of the Jack” will return to King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas from October 3 – November 3.  This event is perfect for all ages! Guests have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a Halloween wonderland, filled with thousands of hand-carved Jack O’Lanterns. Vast grounds of intricately hand-carved and illuminated pumpkins will welcome visitors as they make their way through the half-mile trail around the ranch.  This year, in partnership with Nickelodeon, the event will feature a special SpongeBob SquarePants installation, which brings to life fan-favorite SpongeBob characters and iconic Bikini Bottom places through an illuminated pumpkin display, as well as an Are You Afraid of the Dark? pre-show tent space to include twisted surprises, along with an interactive augmented reality experience.  The grounds will also feature a live pumpkin carver, gift shop, food trucks, “The Spookeasy Bar” and more. Read our review of last year’s Nights of the Jack festivities.

Dark Harbor, SoCal’s most terrifying haunt, is set to return for another horrifying year! The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor is the only Halloween attraction in Southern California that’s authentically haunted – as the legend goes- so if you aren’t afraid of things that go bump in the night, all aboard! The event features mazes and monsters, live entertainment and you can even stay on board, if you dare. Read our past reviews of Dark Harbor or purchase tickets today. Now through November 2nd.

Let us know which events you attend and your favorite! Tag us on social at @PressPassLA across all platforms.