TUESDAY
27
OCTOBER
Family Halloween Events in San Jose and the South Bay
Most of San Jose's family Halloween is free. Pumpkins in the Park runs a free pumpkin patch at Discovery Meadow, and Willow Glen and Santana Row run daytime candy crawls. Gilroy Gardens sells a separate evening ticket for The Great Big BOO!, and Winchester's night haunt is for teens and adults.
Season: Late Sept–Oct · Updated October 21, 2026 · refreshed weekly
The three events that carry the season
Three events carry the South Bay's family season: a zoo day in costume, an evening at Gilroy Gardens and a free pumpkin day downtown.
Green Halloween — San JoseVisit official site →
A costume parade, creepy-crawly animal shows, crafts and games folded into the park's normal day.
Dates
- Saturday, Oct 31, 2026, 11am–2pm
Tickets
Included with general admission; anyone in costume gets $3 off admission Oct 24–31
Know before you go
- Costumes must be family-friendly — no weapon props, and adult faces must stay recognizable
Who it's for
Under-8s already sold on Happy Hollow
Skip if
You want somewhere new — this is the regular park in costume
The Great Big BOO! — GilroyVisit official site →
Deliberately “not-too-spooky” — friendly characters and candy, not chainsaws.
Dates
- Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Nov 1, 2026
- Trick-or-treating and shows from 5pm
- Halloween Day, Saturday Oct 31: a daytime BOO, 11am–5pm
Tickets
Online: $50 on Fridays, $55 on Saturdays and Sundays, $31 for the Oct 31 daytime ticket; $80 at the gate. A regular single-day ticket (from $65) also covers it. Under 3 free; Premium Members get in free.
Know before you go
- Costumes must stay family-friendly — no weapons, no full-face masks
Who it's for
Preschool through early elementary — the age it is built for
Skip if
Your kid came for an actual scare
Pumpkins in the Park — San JoseVisit official site →
Downtown's harvest festival, in its 30th year: a free pumpkin patch, live entertainment and environmental education along the Guadalupe River.
Dates
- Saturday, Oct 10, 2026, 10am–4pm
Tickets
The pumpkin patch is free
Know before you go
- Arrive before noon for easier parking
Who it's for
Any age, and anyone who wants a pumpkin without a farm drive
Skip if
You want a working farm — this is a downtown park festival
Candy crawls: Willow Glen and Santana Row
Two free daytime merchant crawls, a few days apart. Willow Glen splits its shifts by age; Santana Row is the flatter, shorter one.
Trick-or-Treat Along Lincoln Avenue — Downtown Willow Glen, San JoseVisit official site →
The neighborhood classic: businesses from Minnesota Avenue to Willow Street handing out candy along Lincoln.
Dates
- Friday, Oct 30, 2026
- Toddlers 11am–12:30pm; school-age kids 3–4:30pm
Tickets
Open to the public
Know before you go
- Follow the trick-or-treat traffic clockwise around the route
- Books for Treats: one free book per child at the Garden Theater, 1165 Lincoln Ave, during both sessions
- Street parking fills fast — walk, or park a few blocks off Lincoln
Who it's for
Toddlers in the late-morning shift, school-age kids in the afternoon one
Skip if
Neither window fits your day — the shifts are the whole event
Trick-or-Treat The Row — Santana Row, San Jose
Shop-to-shop candy with live music, pumpkin decorating and stilt walkers, all on flat pavement.
Dates
- Tuesday, Oct 27, 2026, 10am–noon
Tickets
Free and open to the public
Know before you go
- Garage parking on site
- Stroller-easy the whole way
Who it's for
Toddlers, and anyone pushing a stroller
Skip if
A Tuesday morning does not fit around the school run
Winchester Mystery House: two very different tickets
The same mansion sells a professionally produced haunt at night and ordinary tours by day. They are not interchangeable.
Festival Fright Nights — San Jose
A professionally produced haunt with live scare actors.
Dates
- Remaining nights: Oct 18, 22–25 and 29–31, and Nov 1, 2026
Tickets
General admission $61.79–$95.78 by night, fees included. Online only — no walk-up or box office sales
Skip if
Your child is under 13 — the producers' own line
Daytime mansion tours — San Jose
The regular tour of a gorgeous, odd house, which most grade-schoolers find pleasantly strange rather than frightening.
Know before you go
- Fright Nights sets are up inside the house and may be visible on the daytime tour
Who it's for
Haunted-house-curious kids under 13 — do this and save the night event
Skip if
You want the scare; the actors only come out at night
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Upcoming Halloween events in San Jose
The next 9 of 59 upcoming Halloween events in San Jose and nearby, refreshed daily.
Spooky creatures roam the children's area; collect a search list at the info desk and find them all to claim a prize, free, for ages 12 and under.
Spooky paper creations hide among bookshelves at Biblioteca Latinoamericana, where participants grab clue cards, search the shelves, and claim prizes at the information desk, ages 5–18.
Make haunted houses with provided supplies in the Community Room at Educational Park, San Jose, free, for ages 5–12.
WEDNESDAY
28
OCTOBER
Halloween storytime at Vineland Library includes a costume parade and library trick‑or‑treat, with rhymes, songs, and fingerplays for ages 5 and under. Free.
Costume parade, not‑scary activities, and library trick‑or‑treating in Milpitas Library’s Children’s Activity Room, for ages 0‑6.
Spooky storytelling and a costume parade wind through Pearl Avenue’s children’s area, with limited picture book access, for ages 5 and under.
Andy Z performs at King Library, then a costume parade moves from first to third floor, ending with a scavenger hunt in Children’s Room, ages 10 and under.
Halloween-themed storytime and costume parade at Edenvale Children’s Area includes stories, songs, rhymes, fingerplays, movement and trick‑or‑treat stations, with treats provided, for ages 10 and under.
Walk Columbia Park while reading Meowl‑o‑ween by Diane Muldrow, then craft at the end if supplies remain, costumes and treat bags encouraged.
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FAQ
What free Halloween events does San Jose have?
Pumpkins in the Park at Discovery Meadow, with its free pumpkin patch, Willow Glen's Trick-or-Treat Along Lincoln Avenue, and Santana Row's Trick-or-Treat The Row.
Does Great America still run Halloween Haunt?
No. California's Great America runs no Halloween event now — Halloween Haunt ended after 2021, and the family-oriented Tricks and Treats last ran in 2024.
What is the best South Bay Halloween event for a toddler?
Santana Row's two-hour Tuesday-morning crawl, or Willow Glen's toddler shift on October 30. For an evening out, Gilroy Gardens' Great Big BOO! is built to be not-too-spooky.