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Honor the lives of loved ones at a family-friendly Día de los Muertos celebration. Photo courtesy of the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose
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10/29/25 - By Sandra Lee

Looking for the best things to do in San Francisco and the Bay Area this Halloween weekend? The city is positively bursting with Halloween parades, costume contests, Día de Los Muertos celebrations and more family-friendly events to add to your list for this weekend.

Calling all goblins, ghosts, and ghouls: Halloween is here! There are so many spooky things to do in San Francisco from now until Sunday in time for Día de Los Muertos. Expect all treats and no tricks while scooping up candy at Halloween Sausalito. Enjoy Halloween Hoopla at Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco with circus performances and a special Dia de Los Muertos Concert with the SF Symphony accompanied by a local artist display in the lobby for all ages.  

Find more spooktacular events among the Halloween activities listed in our San Francisco Bay Area Family Event Calendar. For more Halloween haunts, check out the top Halloween events in San Francisco, fill up those candy buckets at the best places to trick-or-treat on Halloween in San Francisco, and visit the best pumpkin patches in the Bay Area. Everything you need for Halloween is in our Halloween Events and Activities Guide for San Francisco Kids. 

Happy Halloween!

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Delight in the costume parade and more at Halloween Sausalito. Photo courtesy of the event
Delight in the costume parade and more at Halloween Sausalito. Photo courtesy of the event

Best Things To Do Halloween Weekend in San Francisco Bay Area

Trick-or-Treat at the Ferry Building

San Francisco—FREE
Thursday, October 30, 2025
The Ferry Building is joining in on the Halloween spirit with a trick-or-treating event inside the Marketplace. Wear your costumes and enjoy spooky music, games, and more.  Grab a trick-or-treat bag and head inside for all the Halloween fun.  READ MORE

Brick-or-Treat: MONSTER PARTY at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Bay Area!

Santa Clara
Daily through Friday, October 31, 2025
Scary fun awaits as the LEGO® monsters take over LEGOLAND Discovery Center Bay Area and throw a monster party you don't want to miss. Monsterrific activities and an exclusive 4D Halloween movie, The Great Monster Chase, await.  Additional activities include a Potion Kitchen, where kids can create their own spooky concoctions, pumpkin creation, build-a-witch, search for Moster Rockers, selfies, and trick-or-treating. READ MORE

Día de los Muertos and Halloween at Mission Community Market

San Francisco—FREE
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Stock up on fall produce, support local farms, and celebrate Halloween and Día de Los Muertos at Mission Community Market. Pick up some beautiful marigolds, ofrenda food items, contribute to the community ofrenda with photos and mementos, and enjoy live music at the Little Mission Studio Stage.  Bring the kids in costumes for some fun family activities.  READ MORE

Fairfax Halloween Parade

Fairfax—FREE
Friday, October 31, 2025
Fairfax families are invited to join the Halloween parade, with local businesses handing out candy, treats, and neon glow necklaces.  Stay for the costume contest, where prizes are given out for best family costume, boys costume, girls costume, and most creative.  READ MORE

Halloween Sausalito

Sausalito—FREE
Friday, October 31, 2025
A Halloween parade, trick-or-treat lane, dog costume contest, and themed movie night are all taking place in Sausalito on Halloween evening. Bring the whole family (including your four-legged family members) and have some spooky but not-so-scary fun.  READ MORE

Halloween Trick or Treat Trail

Petaluma—FREE
Friday, October 31, 2025
A time of bats and broomsticks, blood and bugs, and, of course, downtown Petaluma’s Safe “Trick or Treat Trail” with downtown merchants. Parents: Gather your little ghosts, goblins, monsters, Harry Potters, witches on broomsticks, and princesses, and join the participating downtown merchants for the annual event this Halloween. READ MORE

Día de los Muertos at the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose

San Jose
Saturday, November 1, 2025
The Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose is transformed to honor the beloved Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos with a daylong celebration. Highlights include bigger-than-life skeleton puppets, a Calaveras procession led by Teatro Familia Aztlan, and Lupe, the 14,000-year-old "muerto" mammoth.  READ MORE

Luna Mexicana in Oakland

Oakland
Saturday, November 1, 2025
One of the Bay Area's most elaborate Día de Los Muertos events, Luna Mexicana is a colorful celebration of family, music, and dance.  The Oakland Ballet is accompanied by Ballet Folkrorico Mexico Danza and Mariachi Mexicanismo. READ MORE

Halloween Hoopla at Yerba Buena Gardens

San Francisco—FREE
Saturday, November 1, 2025
The 25th annual Halloween Hoopla is back with family-friendly frights and delights for kids under 10 and their adults. This year’s festivities are sure to amaze with awe-inspiring performers from Circus Bella, plus live music from the Circus Bella All-Star Trio. The Hoopla grand finale is the popular Halloween costume parade, where all kids are welcome to join in their best Halloween looks. Plus craft and activity tables. READ MORE

Costumes & Critters: A Creepy Crawly HALLoween

Berkeley
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Join The Lawrence for an all-day Halloween extravaganza celebrating the spooky season. Come dressed in your costume to explore and discover with special Halloween-themed hands-on science activities. Explore the science center to complete your scary scavenger hunt, engage with UC Berkeley scientists, hear traditional Ohlone stories, and meet creepy crawly critters. You’ll have a screaming good time. READ MORE

Día de los Muertos & Diwali in the Presidio

San Francisco—FREE
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Come out to the Presidio Tunnel Tops for a family-friendly Día de los Muertos and Diwali celebration. Explore the traditions and cultural connections between two ancestral celebrations through traditional arts and crafts like paper flower making, rangoli art, diya lighting, planting native plants, and more. READ MORE

Dia de los Muertos Concert

San Francisco
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Davies Symphony Hall hosts a celebration in honor of Dia de los Muertos with lobby installations by local artists. Head over to the performance hall for a traditional music concert conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya with vocalist Edna Vazquez and Casa Circulo Cultural.  READ MORE

Oakland Water Lantern Festival

Oakland
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Water Lantern Festival is a community event that encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to come together for a night of love and laughter. Gather with your loved ones, reflect on life, and connect with new friends. As the sun sets, release your personalized lantern onto the water and watch it illuminate the night. READ MORE

Festival of Altars with The Marigold Project

San Francisco—FREE
Sunday, November 2, 2025
Every November 2, the Marigold Project produces the Día de Los Muertos, Festival of Altars, and the Ritual Poetry Circle in Potrero Del Sol Park. Come with your altar or offerings and remember that all votive candles should be encased in glass, flowers, photos, and favorite objects to honor your loved ones.  READ MORE

Día de Los Muertos Festival in Oakland

Oakland—FREE
Sunday, November 2, 2025
Downtown Oakland is welcoming thousands of visitors to celebrate Día de Los Muertos with activities and fun for the whole family. The Fruitvale neighborhood is hosting a big celebration with live music, games, rides, artisans selling traditional Latin American items, and beautiful altars created by community members.  READ MORE

Día de los Muertos in Redwood City

Redwood City—FREE
Sunday, November 2, 2025
Honor and celebrate the Día de los Muertos tradition with beautifully crafted altars, catrinas, live performances, and a thoughtful procession, paying tribute to our ancestors and enriching our community. Kids activities include chalk art, a sugar skull workshop, Catrina face painting, and more. READ MORE

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About the Author

Sandra Lee
Sandra Lee is the community publisher and social media manager for Mommy Poppins Bay Area. With nearly a decade of writing in the parenting space, she’s passionate about helping parents create unforgettable memories with their kids. Her work has appeared in Tiny Beans, Zulily, and more. When she's not exploring or creating content, you’ll find her baking or practicing her hip-hop moves.
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