Posts Tagged ‘halloween’

Halloween is on a Saturday this year! Get your costume on and go go go!

Dia de los Muertos Procession and Festival of the Altars

The parade is too spooky for little kids, but older ones will enjoy the rattling bones, creepy makeup, and the thrill of being out with adults at night; the colorful altars celebrating the lives of those passed on are great cultural eye-candy.

When: Mon., 11/2, 7pm; Age 5+; Free.

Where: Parade starts at 7pm from 24th and Bryant Streets in San Francisco and continues to 26th and Bryant Streets, where the Festival of the Altars starts at 8:30 p.m.; 415-722-8911; dayofthedeadsf.org.

Potrero Hill Halloween Parade and Costume Contest

An early-evening Halloween party with a movie, prizes for best costume, and a parade down to 18th Street.

When: Sat., 10/31, 4-7pm; All Ages; Free.

Where: Axis Cafe, 1201 Eighth Street (at Irwin Street), San Francisco; 415-279-1899; axis-cafe.com.

Exploratorium Halloween

A grand Halloween party with a visit from the Neverwas, a Victorian mansion on wheels, and creature features like giant insects and hissing cockroaches.

When: Sat., 10/31, 3-8pm; Free-$14.

Where: Exploratorium, 3601 Lyon Street (at Jefferson Street), San Francisco; 415-561-0360; exploratorium.edu.

Dia de los Muertos Family Concert

A special concert for families with classical music from Latino conductors and pre-concert festivities like sugar skull-decorating and a display of family altars.

When: Sun., 11/1, 1pm; Age 4+; $15-65.

Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Avenue (at Grove Street), 415-864-6000; sfsymphony.org.

Tricycle Music Fest

Who knew the library was such a rocking location? Local kid-oriented faves such as the Devil-Ettes, the Time Outs, and Charity and the JAMBand.

When: Sat., 10/10, 10am-2pm; All ages; Free.

Where: San Francisco Main Library’s Fulton Street steps, Fulton Street (at Larkin Street), San Francisco; tricyclefest.org.

Mamma Mia Sing-along

Bring blankets and layers of warm clothing to this festive outdoors movie showing. Music and short films screen from 6 to 7:30pm; Mamma Mia begins at 8pm.

When: Sat., 9/10; 6-10pm; Age 4+; Free.

Where: Precita Park, Folsom Street (at Precita Avenue), San Franicsco; bhoutdoorcine.org.

Pumpkin Patches

All over the Bay Area, pumpkin patches are open for business, offering an array of fun from picking your own pumpkin to kiddie rides and corn mazes. One of the most fertile areas for pumpkin patches is Highway 92 in the Half Moon Bay area, where there are literally dozens. Drive until you see one you like.

When: Ongoing each weekend (many patches are also open weekdays at it gets closer to Halloween) until 10/31; All ages; Admission is usually free but attractions cost from $2-7.

Where: Various locations in the Bay Area. See Pumpkin Patches and More for a thorough list of addresses, attractions, and opening times.

Fleet Week

If displays of military muscle are what turns your cranky, you’ll be in heaven during this long-weekend event, which features airshows from the Blue Angels, a parade of ships and more things that move and go boom.

When: Thu.-Sun., 10/8-11; various times (see site for details); Age 3+; Most events are free (VIP seats run $30-150).

Where: Various locations on the San Francisco waterfront including Crissy Field, Mason Street (at Halleck Street); see website for more details, military.com/fleetweek.

You thought old-fashioned trick-or-treating was out of fashion in these paranoid days, eh? Wrong! There are still plenty of places your children can mill around begging for treats. Just be sure to accompany them; lurking in the driveway if your group of kids is ashamed that Mom and Dad came along.

There are two main areas for candy-sack-lugging kids on Halloween night in San Francisco. Fair Oaks Street in Noe Valley closes off six blocks, between 21st and 26th Streets, and throws a giant party, complete with elaborately decorated houses and thronging children. Belvedere Street in Cole Valley has a similar, albeit a bit smaller event between Parnassus and 17th Streets, and practically every house is decorated to the nines, with owners sitting outside proudly accepting compliments, drinking cocktails, and handing out candy. Both parties start early, 4ish, and continue on until 9, 10, or even later depending on the whims of those who live on the streets.

If the sound of a big party doesn’t thrill you, good trick-or-treating can be found in the Saint Francis Wood area, as well as the Sea Cliff neighborhood. Just look for Halloween decorations, music, and lights on. And make sure the kids get a big haul; all the better to raid when the little ones have gone to sleep. Save a peanut butter cup for me!

Strap on those costumes and build yourself a Day of the Dead altar–this is a big, big weekend for Bay Area kids.

Phantasmagorium

Blow off the big candy grab–eh, they added vegetable oil to all the cheap chocolate, anyway–in favor of a spooky party at the Exploratorium, which digs into the science of death, Halloween, and Dia de Los Muertos. View a decomposing snake, learn about leeches and their role in medicine, or watch sugar skulls being made.

When: Fri., 10/31, 6-9pm; Age 4+; Free with admission (Free-$14).
Where: Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts, 3601 Lyon St., 415-563-7337, exploratorium.edu.

Paxton Gate’s Menacingly Morbid Macabre Museum of Unnatural Wonders

The purveyors of odd flora and preserved fauna (think: venus flytraps and taxidermied mice) celebrates the opening of its new children’s section of the store with the Museum of Unnatural Wonders, spooky displays demonstrating concepts in zoologiy, biology, botany, and other natural sciences.

When: Fri. & Sat. 10/31 & 11/1, 5-8pm; Age 4+; Free.
Where: Old New College Building, 766 Valencia Street (at 18th Street), San Francisco, 415-824-1872, paxtongate.com.

Dia de los Muertos Procession & Altar Exhibit

Take part in this traditional Latino holiday that commemorates those who have passed on with a solemn parade that ends at Garfield Park, which is liberally festooned with altars built by the families of the deceased. The parade and altars may be too spooky for younger children, as celebrants often wear skeleton masks and rattle bones.

When: Fri., 11/2, 6:30-10:30pm; Age 6+; Free.
Where: Parade begins at 24th Street (at Bryant Street) in the Mission and continues to Garfield Park, 26th Street (at Harrison Street); dayofthedeadsf.org.

Dia de los Muertos Family Concert

If the kids are too young to drag them on an altar tour of the Mission, soak up the culture at this Day of the Dead concert, featuring Latin music, Aztec dancer, traditional sweets, face painting, and altars displayed throughout Davies Symphony Hall.

When: Sun., 11/3, Age 3+; $7.50-15.
Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Avenue (at Hayes Street), 415-864-6000; sfsymphony.org.

Everyone’s favorite candy-soaked, costume-wearing holiday is next week, but most of the events happen this weekend. Slip on something strange and join the fun.

Pumpkin Patches

One of the best holiday events for small kids, pumpkin patch days involve haunted houses, hayrides, bounce houses, Halloween games and picking out the biggest, roundest pumpkins to take home and carve. Most of the Bay Area’s pumpkin patches can be found on Highway 92 in Half Moon Bay; particularly glorious examples include the Arata Pumpkin Farm and Lemos Farm Pumpkin Patch, which counts a petting zoo, pony rides, and a train ride amongst its wonders. But just driving down Highway 92 and sighting patches from the road will net you a good time. You can also find plenty of patches in Marin; just motor along 101 and look for telltale spots of orange. Happy hunting!

Jack o’ Lantern Jamboree

Come in costume to this annual Halloween party, which boasts a pirate school (!), pumpkin crafts, face painting, and the festive, make-believe atmosphere of Fairyland.

When: Sat. & Sun., 10/24-25, 10am-5pm; All ages; $10 per person.

Where: Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Avenue (at Lake Merritt), Oakland, 510-452-2259, fairyland.org.

Gardens Halloween Costume Walk

Music, clownery from the Unique Derique, and group games like ghost stories and Monster Mash are highlights at this costume party, where kids can trick-or-treat the nearby merchants. Kids in costume receive free admission to Zeum’s Haunted House Experience (with parents). The costume walk is at noon, giant pumpkin carving at 2, and Children’s Garden planting/composting at 3.

When: Sun., 10/26, 12-2pm; Age 0-10; Free.

Where: Children’s Garden at Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission St. (between 3rd and 4th Streets), San Francisco, 415-543-1718, ybgf.org.

Pumpkin Pandemonium

Watch ’80s Halloween revue “It’s Like, Halloween,” trick-or-treat the many, many shops, and wander the pumpkin patch to pick a free pumpkin. Kids will be invited onstage to show off their costumes.

When: Sun., 10/26, 12-4pm; Age 2-12; Free.

Where: Pier 39, Embarcadero Street (at Beach Street), San Francisco, pier39.com.