Happy October, San Francisco! We’re rolling right into Halloween season, which means we have a very exciting batch of activities to enjoy including haunted houses and the beginnings of some fall foliage. There are plenty of festivals and fairs to check out as we welcome a new month, so make sure you plan ahead for these October events in the Bay Area.
1. Halloween-themed concerts by candlelight
The extremely popular concert series known simply as Candlelight is turning heads right now in San Francisco! This month, Candlelight will host some gorgeous Halloween-themed concerts in an intimate environment surrounded by hundreds of luminous candles. Get ready for classical versions of “Thriller,” the Stranger Things theme, the Psycho theme, the Ghostbusters theme, “This is Halloween” from The Nightmare Before Christmas, and many more. See upcoming Halloween Candlelight concerts here.
2. Experience House of Spirits: A Haunted Cocktail Masquerade, SF’s most elegant Halloween event
House of Spirits: A Haunted Cocktail Masquerade is open in San Francisco through November 2nd, and you don’t want to let the Halloween season pass without securing an invitation. The eerily beautiful cocktail soiree tells the tale of Volkov Manor, attended by haunting ghostly specters and inscrutable guests. Sip your way through four themed cocktails during the mesmerizing two-hour experience.
🎟️ Tickets: Get tickets to House of Spirits: A Haunted Cocktail Masquerade
📅 Dates: Open now through Nov. 2, 2024
3. Oktoberfest events in the Bay Area
Oktoberfest is here and there are plenty of opportunities in the Bay Area to eat, drink, and party like a German. Although many of the events began in September, you’ll find a fair few continue well into October so you can enjoy joyous beer-fueled parties right up until Halloween.
4. SF Fleet Week Air Show
San Francisco Fleet Week is one of the most highly-anticipated events on the city’s cultural calendar featuring a heart-racing Air Show heard and seen for miles in every direction. The Blue Angels put on an unbelievable spectacle above iconic SF landmarks like Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge.
📅 Dates: Fleet Week is Oct. 7-14, 2024. The Air Show is scheduled for Oct. 11-13, 2024.
5. A free Thundercat show in Golden Gate Park
Grammy-winning musician Thundercat is set to headline a free outdoor show in Golden Gate Park on October Sunday, October 20 from 12:30 to 6 pm. The free daytime show is to celebrate the end of the Summer of Music, a program that hosts free mini-shows throughout SF neighborhoods every weekend. The show will include local musicians performing and local vendors to complete the outdoor celebration.
📅 Dates: Oct. 20, 2024
6. Italian Heritage Festival and Parade
San Francisco’s vibrant Italian community will come out in droves this October to celebrate the Italian Heritage Festival. Festivities include a bazaar all weekend long, and of course the Italian Heritage Parade with Fernet pit stops along the route. You don’t want to miss this giant party lifting up the contributions of Italian-Americans in San Francisco.
📅 Dates: Oct. 13, 2024
7. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
SF’s iconic free music festival is the first week of October, and we couldn’t be more excited. As usual, the free festival has a lineup full of bluegrass favorites. You can expect multiple stages in Golden Gate Park, along with a variety of food vendors. Bring a picnic blanket and enjoy a weekend of music in the park.
📅 Dates: Oct. 4-6, 2024
8. Autumn Lights Festival at Oakland’s Gardens at Lake Merritt
Oakland’s 13th annual Autumn Lights Festival is back this year at the Gardens at Lake Merritt! Take a trip across the Bay to a glimmering oasis of light installations distributed throughout these lovely lakeside gardens, which have been a beloved feature of the city for over 50 years. The festival is a major fundraiser for the Gardens that helps to keep them thriving all year round so that the public may continue to enjoy them for free.
📅 Dates: Oct. 12-14, 2024
9. Dance with Kaytranada at his Halloween Concert
Kaytranada is playing an exciting Halloween show this year at the Greek Theater in Berkeley. So, if you’re looking for some unique Halloween plans, we recommend dancing the night away to Kaytranada’s mesmerizing hits.
📅 Dates: Oct. 31, 2024
10. Breakaway Music Festival at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
The Breakaway Festival is coming to Bill Graham Civic Auditorium this October, bringing with it exciting artists including Marshmello, RL Grime, Alok, Anabel Englund, Control Freak, Ghostdragon, and more. SF will be the festival’s final stop on the Breakaway Festival’s genre-blending multi-city tour.
📅 Dates: Oct. 25-26, 2024
11. Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival
The Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival is back! This year is its 52nd annual event on historic Main Street in Half Moon Bay. Get ready for a day of picturesque coastal views, live music and dancing, masterful pumpkin carvers, harvest-inspired crafts, endless pumpkin pie and other festive food, and of course thousands and thousands of pumpkins.
📅 Dates: Oct. 19-20, 2024
12. SF Open Studios
SF Open Studios gives the public a rare opportunity to visit over 400 local artists in their personal studios. The annual event started in 1975 as a way for local artists to increase the accessibility of their work by collectively opening their studios to the public.
📅 Dates: Sept. 19 – Oct. 13, 2024
13. Catch a free outdoor screening of Ghostbusters
Sundown Cinema’s final free movie screenings are this month! Make the most of the final few screenings, because this popular event won’t be back until next summer.
📅 Dates:
- Oct. 4, 2024 at India Basin Waterfront, 5pm – The Princess and the Frog
- Oct. 18, 2024 at Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, 5pm – The Nightmare Before Christmas (costume contest)
14. Festive Halloween events all month long
We’re thrilled to bring you an epic round of activities to make this your best Halloween yet. There’s something for everyone here, whether you’re looking for a party, a haunted house, kids’ activities, or a little of everything.
15. Leap Sandcastle Classic at Ocean Beach
The 42nd Leap Sandcastle Classic is back at Ocean Beach for 2024! The free event brings out thousands of people for the ultimate sandcastle contest. You can watch teams build absolutely enormous sand sculptures while enjoying live music, performances, and local food trucks. The event is hosted by Leap Arts in Education as their main fundraising effort to support arts education in Bay Area schools.
📅 Dates: Oct. 26, 2024
16. Bay Area haunted houses
Pumpkin spice lattes are all good and well, but if you’re looking for something a bit more spooky, you’re in the right place. We’ve rounded up some of the best haunted houses in the Bay, plus some ghost tours for those wanting a tamer experience.
17. Bay Area pumpkin patches
We’re lucky to live right near Half Moon Bay, the pumpkin capital of the world! Whether you’re looking for family activities with kids or getting ahead of your Halloween decorating, these excellent Bay Area farms and pumpkin patches have got you covered.
18. See Zayn at his first solo tour in SF
Zayn Malik is making a major return to the stage with his 11-city tour. The singer and pop icon’s last major performance was in 2016, so his tour is highly anticipated by fans. Malik will perform his Stairway to the Sky tour on October 23, 2024, at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.
📅 Dates: Oct. 23, 2024
19. Local apple orchards offering U-Pick
Apple season peaks in the Bay Area in September and October, so many local orchards will soon open their doors for “U Pick,” when people can visit and pick their own apples, sip freshly-squeezed apple juice, and enjoy the bounty of a California harvest.
20. Listen to Monolink in Golden Gate Park
EDM musician Monolink is set to play a sunset show in Golden Gate Park this October. The DJ is well known for his Burning Man sets and regularly has massive crowds dancing to his songs. The show is scheduled for October 26 in Golden Gate Park.
📅 Dates: Oct. 26, 2024
21. Spooky Halloween treats to try in San Francisco
It’s hard to deny that the fall season brings some of the best flavors on the calendar. We’re talking pumpkin spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and every scent that you want wafting through your kitchen. Well, that fact is certainly not lost on San Francisco’s bakeries, cafes, and ice cream shops, because they are busy churning out an epic lineup of delicious treats.
22. Look out for SF’s coolest museum exhibitions this month
San Francisco museums turn over a handful of temporary exhibitions every single month, and we’re looking forward to some exciting ones this October. Look out for SFMOMA’s creative sports-themed installations in the wake of the Olympics, including When The World is Watching and Get in the Game.
23. NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences
NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences is one of our favorite ongoing events. The popular Thursday night festivities feature live DJs, outdoor bars, ambiance lighting, and more alongside the Academy’s nearly 40,000 animal residents.
24. Check out this new food hall in South SF
A new food hall is opening in South SF at the end of September, complete with multiple eateries perfect for your lunch break. The modern food hall has an aviation theme, and is decorated with local art to accompany the multiple restaurants. Perfect for lunch, a coffee break, or after work dinner and drinks, it’s conveniently located in South SF near much of the area’s biotech workspaces.
25. After Dark at the Exploratorium
The Exploratorium at Pier 15 in San Francisco is an exciting place for discovery any time of the day, but these 18+ After Dark events are a must for some epic kid-free fun at their exhibits. After Dark happens each Thursday from 6-10pm with a different theme every week, featuring guest speakers, films, great music, and more.
26. Events at Fort Mason Center
When’s the last time you paid a visit to San Francisco’s amazing Fort Mason Center? The popular art center hosts numerous exhibitions and events throughout the year, and there are some special ones coming up.
- TBA – The Guardsmen Fleet Week Party
- Oct. 17 – 20, 2024 – SF Fall Show
- And more
27. October events at the Ferry Building
San Francisco’s Ferry Building is one of the city’s most iconic buildings, serving as a hotspot for tourists and locals alike. It’s a center for events, pop-ups, a farmers’ market, and countless excellent merchants who sell their wares daily in the building’s many stalls.
28. Costume shops in SF to visit before Halloween
SF residents love any excuse to throw on a costume and hit the streets, so it’s no surprise that we also have a treasure trove of vintage, thrift, and costume shops where you can find the perfect Halloween look. The list ranges from high-quality rentals to affordable vintage looks and even some DIY options if you’re feeling crafty. Whatever you have planned for Halloween, these spots will help you look your best.
29. Free concerts at Golden Gate Park Bandshell
The Lift Every Voice series is still cranking out dozens of free concerts courtesy of Illuminate, SF Rec & Parks, and the SF Parks Alliance. All performances are free and family-friendly, with the impressive Golden Gate Bandshell as the backdrop. The Bandshell, which is 120 years old, added new lighting, a state-of-the-art sound system, and a new stage during the pandemic. See the full lineup here.
30. Famous graves you can visit in Colma
Bay Area history is replete with famous figures whose contributions have echoed throughout the decades. A great deal of those individuals came to rest in local cemeteries, where you can still go pay your respects to this day. Whether you’re feeling spooky for October or just want to explore local history, these are worth looking for. Learn about the history of San Francisco’s relocated cemeteries here.
31. Test your bravery at these haunted places in San Francisco
Whether or not you believe in ghosts, these haunted places around the city are undeniably creepy. Over the years, many have reported cold chills, voices, shadowy figures, and unexplained noises… are you brave enough to see for yourself?
32. Lose yourself on the Exploratorium’s mysterious fog bridge
There’s a 100% chance of fog all year round at San Francisco’s Exploratorium. Fog Bridge is a 150-foot pedestrian bridge between Piers 15 and 17 where an immense cloud of water vapor intermittently shrouds passersby. The bridge is lined with over 800 nozzles that spray clouds of desalinated water vapor from the Bay to create temporary fog banks that are so thick you can truly get lost in them.
33. Check out a spooky Halloween event at this historic estate
Filoli is known for their historic orchard, which they take full advantage of during the fall, but this year the iconic estate has added a special new event. Filoli’s Nightfall is an interactive event taking guests through the estate and gardens. The event includes a themed bar and plenty of spooky decorations.