All events are subject to change. Please confirm with the event organizer before attending.
Boo-tastic Halloween Party | Adventure City, Anaheim
Select nights, October 2-30: Trick-or-treat, enjoy 11 rides, hop aboard the Halloween Express Train, explore the Cosmic Vortex, join a scavenger hunt and dance party, and more.
Open House | Discovery Isle Preschool, San Diego County
October 3: Tour the school, meet the teachers, and explore programs for infants (6 weeks) through Pre-Kindergarten. Learn about the Links to Learning curriculum, which offers a balance of learning and play to support growth through every stage.
Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair | Manhattan Beach
October 3-4: Enjoy live music, arts and crafts, a Community Showcase, plus Kid Country with a petting zoo, pony rides, games, and face painting. FREE!
Spooktacular Family Sleepover | Battleship IOWA, San Pedro
October 3-4: Spend a spooktacular night aboard the Battleship IOWA with Halloween activities, after-hours exploration, dinner, breakfast, and an overnight stay in real sailor bunks. Costumes encouraged!
Hot Wheels Legends Tour | Mattel Global Headquarters, El Segundo
October 3: See one-of-a-kind custom cars compete for the chance to become an official Hot Wheels die-cast vehicle at the Hot Wheels Legends Tour. FREE!
Lucky Strike Family Fest | Participating Lucky Strike Locations
October 3-4: Enjoy free bowling, arcade play for kids, food samples, a DJ, face painting, balloon art, giveaways, and more. RSVP required. FREE!
Dribble for Victory Over Cancer | UCLA
October 4: The Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation and UCLA have teamed up to launch the 19th annual Dribble for Victory Over Cancer. Every dribble helps put an end to childhood cancer. Meet college basketball players, coaches, and alumni while giving kids and their families battling cancer a chance for a brighter tomorrow.
KCRW Family Day | Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
October 4: Enjoy live music, interactive jam sessions, songwriting, artmaking, garden activities, museum galleries, and more at KCRW Family Day. FREE!
Free Ride Days: California Clean Air Day | Metrolink & Arrow
October 7: Ride Metrolink and Arrow trains for free all day, plus enjoy free rides on participating connecting transit systems across Southern California. FREE!
Community Science Night | Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa
October 9: Discover the wonders of the natural world with kid-friendly science activities and demonstrations. Explore the campus aquarium, planetarium, and horticulture gardens, and grab a complimentary hot dog and chips while supplies last. FREE!
A Great Day in the Stoke | Huntington Beach Pier
October 10: Hit the beach for a surf competition, 5K run/walk, free surf lessons, wellness activities, Double Dutch, live music, vendors, and more. FREE!
Soar into STEM: Glider Day | Flight Path Museum & Learning Center, Los Angeles
October 10: Build and tune your own glider while learning about aerodynamics, then test your creation in a flight-line distance competition. Advance registration required.
Irvine Global Village Festival | Great Park, Irvine
October 10: Celebrate 25 years of Irvine Global Village with international food, music and dance, cultural exhibits, a global marketplace, Kids Village activities, and more. FREE!
Barks & Boos | The Arboretum, Arcadia
October 10: Bring your pup for a Halloween-themed day with adoptable pets to meet, free dog portraits, an agility course, and a dog costume contest. Browse info tables and vendors, grab bites from food trucks, and stroll through the garden.
Scarecrow Festival | Lions Park, Costa Mesa
October 10: Enjoy trick-or-treat stations, a kids costume parade, scarecrow contest, photo ops, live entertainment, music, and more. FREE!
$5 Play Day | The Children’s Museum at La Habra
February - December: The Children's Museum at La Habra hosts its first $5 Play Day with full access to all exhibits. Ride the carousel, explore the Dino Garden, and hop aboard the historic train car.
The Mole Fair | Gloria Molina Grand Park, Los Angeles
October 11: Celebrate Mexican flavors and traditions with 80+ food exhibitors, artisans, live music, cultural performances, culinary seminars, and a kids area. FREE!
Fall-O-Ween | Heritage Hill Historical Park, Lake Forest
October 16-18 & 23-25: Tour the decorated historical grounds during special park hours, enjoy Halloween-themed photo ops, find your way through the hay maze, and complete a scavenger hunt for ghoulish goodies.
70th Annual Silverado Days | Peak Park, Buena Park
October 16–18: Celebrate the 70th annual Silverado Days with carnival rides, games, live music, and more than 70 arts, crafts, and commercial booths. Cheer on a pie-eating contest, mutt show, and horseshoe contests, check out a classic car show, and grab a bite at the International Food Court. FREE!
OC Japan Fair | OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa
October 16-18: Experience Japanese culture with food, J-POP and traditional performances, a tuna cutting show, cosplay, crafts, anime merchandise, family games, and more.
Nat at Night | San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego
Sep 19, Oct 16, Nov 20, Dec 18: Explore exhibitions and the rooftop deck at the San Diego Natural History Museum at night on select Fridays, open until 11 PM. The whole family is welcome — grab dinner in the Atrium or on the rooftop and explore until bedtime. Admission is half-price after 5 PM.
Spooktacular Season Fan Event: Hocus Pocus & The Nightmare Before Christmas | El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood
October 9 & 16: Celebrate Spooktacular Season with special Hocus Pocus and The Nightmare Before Christmas in 4D Fan Events featuring introductions, a live drawing demo, photo ops, and more.
Fall Open House | LePort Montessori, Orange County
October 17: Tour Montessori classrooms, meet the teachers, and discover Montessori programs designed to support children from infancy and beyond. Children learn through hands-on experiences with carefully chosen Montessori materials in mixed-age classrooms.
Journeying Japan: Tohoku Day | Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum, San Diego
October 17: Explore Japan's Tohoku region with a Kokeshi doll exhibit, prefecture information booths, a stamp rally, and an optional Kokeshi Doll Painting workshop.
Los Angeles Printers Fair | International Printing Museum, Carson
October 17–18: Browse letterpress, printmaking, book arts, and paper arts from artists across the Southwest and beyond. Shop custom posters, hand-printed cards, handmade paper, and antiquarian books, all surrounded by the world's largest collection of working antique presses.
Fall Festival | The Original Farmers Market, Los Angeles
October 17-18: Celebrate the harvest season with a petting zoo, pumpkin patch and games, equestrian activities, fall crafts, photo ops, live music, and more.
Lowe’s Kids Workshops
MyLowe’s Rewards Kids Workshops are free, hands-on DIY experiences designed just for kids. Feb 21: Birdhouse / Mar 21: Lawn Mower / Apr 18: Terrarium / May 16: Garden Basket / Jun 13: Trophy Cup / Jul 18: Mini Toy Box / Sep 12: Haunted House / Oct 17: Firefighting Plane / Nov 14: Holiday Engine / Dec 12: Holiday Trolley Car / Jan 16, 2027: Winter Play Lodge
Moto Beach Classic | Bolsa Chica State Beach, Huntington Beach
October 17: Watch motorcycle racing, stunt and FMX shows, kids e-bike races, and live music, plus explore custom bikes, art, vendors, demos, and more on the beach. FREE!
Lucky Strike Family Fest | Participating Lucky Strike Locations
October 17-18: Enjoy free bowling, arcade play for kids, food samples, a DJ, face painting, balloon art, giveaways, and more. RSVP required. FREE!
Opera at the Beach: Carmen | Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica
October 17: Watch a live outdoor broadcast of Carmen on the big screen, featuring fan-favorite tunes like the Toreador Song and the Habanera. Arrive early for family-friendly crafts, balloon art, face painting, live local performances, and a prize wheel. FREE!
Opera in the Park: Carmen | William Steinmetz Park, Hacienda Heights
October 17: Watch a live broadcast of Carmen on the big screen, featuring fan-favorite tunes like the "Toreador Song" and "Habanera." Arrive early for crafts, lawn games, balloon art, face painting, caricatures, and live performances by local artists. FREE!
Spooky Science Night | Columbia Memorial Space Center, Downey
October 17: Celebrate a spooky-themed night of science with hands-on STEM activities, a robotics lab, super slime, a science show, and trunk or treat. Admission is $5 per person; kids (ages 3 and under) are free. Members get in free.
Halloween Party: Night at the Autry Museum | Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles
October 17: Trick-or-treat around the Autry, explore a spooky maze, make crafts, play carnival games, bounce, and catch a Halloween puppet show by Bob Baker Marionettes.
Banana Ball 2027 Ticket Lottery | Southern California
Through October 31: Enter the Banana Ball Ticket Lottery for a chance to purchase tickets for 2027 games in San Diego, Los Angeles, or Anaheim. FREE to enter!
Shark Lagoon Nights | Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach
Sep 22, Oct 6, Oct 20, Nov 10, Nov 24: Touch bamboo sharks, see rays, and get up close with large sharks during free after-hours evenings at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Only Shark Lagoon is open; event is weather-dependent. FREE!
Día de los Muertos | Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles
October 24: Día de los Muertos returns to Hollywood Forever with elaborate altars, a ceremonial procession, family activities, Aztec and folklórico dancers, a drone show, and performances by DannyLux, Trish Toledo, Tropa Magica, Los Shadows, and more.
Open House | Heritage Oak Private Education, Yorba Linda
October 24: Tour the campus and learn about programs for children from age 2.5 through 8th grade. Explore a curriculum taught one year ahead of grade level, plus violin, French, Spanish, athletics, and dedicated science, music, and art facilities.
Dog Man: The Musical | Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, Cerritos
October 24: Based on the bestselling series, Dog Man: The Musical is a hilarious and heartwarming show following the crime-fighting chronicles of Dog Man, who has the head of a dog and the body of a policeman.
Family Camp in Lakewood
October 24-25: Parents and their children ages 3-11 can enjoy an outdoor experience together and spend a night out under the stars at Monte Verde Park. Activities include games, crafts, nature walks, roasting marshmallows and singing around the campfire. All meals and snacks are prepared so parents can sit back, relax and enjoy nature with their children.
Yellow Bird Chase | Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa
October 24–25: Watch a bumbling maintenance crew chase a magical yellow bird across land, sea, and sky in this wordless family show. Puppetry, masks, physical comedy, and playful gibberish tell the story, and the performance is fully accessible to Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences as well as non-English speakers.
Orange Up Close | Lemon Street Parking Lot, Orange
October 24: Meet city staff and explore the departments behind local services, including fire, police, public works, and parks. Check out a fire engine, police vehicle, and public works equipment up close. FREE!
Lucky Strike Family Fest | Participating Lucky Strike Locations
October 24-25: Enjoy free bowling, arcade play for kids, food samples, a DJ, face painting, balloon art, giveaways, and more. RSVP required. FREE!
Japan Family Day | Santa Anita Park, Arcadia
October 24–25: Explore Japanese culture with cultural events, demonstrations, and food. Observe, participate, and catch the Tokyo City Cup Stakes race on Saturday.
Lenny Pearce Toddler Rave World Tour | The Wiltern, Los Angeles
October 28: Dance along at a toddler rave featuring children's favorites remixed into modern hits. The Toddler Rave World Tour brings toddler techno to families with big beats for little feet.
Lenny Pearce Toddler Rave World Tour | Riverside Municipal Auditorium, Riverside
October 30: Dance along at a toddler rave packed with children's favorites remixed into modern hits. The Toddler Rave World Tour brings toddler techno to families with big beats for little feet.
Halloween Cooking Fun at Lil’ Chef
OCTOBER 16, 17, 23 & 30: Decorate haunted mansions, enjoy a one-day Halloween Camp, attend the annual costume party and trick-or-treat, and make Rice Krispie Spiders –– all at Lil' Chef Cooking School.
Discovery Days | Centennial Farm, Costa Mesa
September 30, 2026 – June 1, 2027: Explore the farm on an unguided tour, plant a radish seed to take home, and learn about chicks, rabbits, and seasonal crops. Visit pigs, goats, sheep, cattle, and poultry along the way.
7th Annual Boonion Station | Los Angeles Union Station, Los Angeles
October 31: Trick-or-treat, make Halloween crafts, get your face painted, dance with a DJ, enter costume contests, spot stilt walkers, and more at Union Station. FREE!
Halloween STEMebration | Battleship IOWA, San Pedro
October 31: Celebrate Halloween with trick-or-treating, interactive STEM experiences, and themed games and activities aboard a real battleship. Costumes are encouraged. FREE!
Trick-or-Treat at Carved | Descanso Gardens, La Cañada Flintridge
October 31: Trick-or-treat among Carved's glowing displays, pick a mini pumpkin, decorate a treat bag, and dance under the lights at Descanso Gardens.
Disclaimer: The Kidsguide team does their best to keep event details accurate at the time of posting, but information can change without notice! Be sure to double-check with the event organizer before heading out. Kidsguide is not responsible for any errors, omissions, or changes on our calendar—we’re just here to help you find the fun!
