Photo by Brian Addison.
Halloween being on a Friday this year is already enough reason to party, but Long Beach is doing its part to make sure the spooky holiday is celebrated throughout the month.
Have any other suggested events? Leave them in comment section below and don’t forget to note our editorial choices for the best things happening in Long Beach this Halloween season.
Third Fridays Twilight Walk – Oct. 17 (Post Pick)
The monthly event takes a haunting Malice in Wonderland twist this Friday, Oct. 17, with activities like Zombie Crossfit, a kids obstacle course for candy, monster drag queens and a post mortem grotesque burlesque show.
A costume contest will also be held at Kress Market & Deli at 8:45PM, along with the ever-fun bubble soccer. There will also be live bands and an open mic night.
Each shop along Pine Avenue in Downtown Long Beach will offer candy and many will offer drink specials and shopping discounts during the event, which begins at 6:15PM.
For a full schedule of events, visit the event page.
Nightmare Before Christmas Screening – Oct. 17
Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal is hosting a screening of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas at the East Village Arts Park, located at 150 Elm Avenue, on Friday, Oct. 17 at 6PM.
There will also be food, art activities and face painting. Attendees are invited to bring low-back chairs and blankets.
Seven-Ten Swap, a free monthly event hosted by the Long Beach Free Store, will host a free Halloween costume and decoration swap this weekend, where residents can bring in old costumes and trade them with others.
The Seven-Ten Swap will take place Friday, Oct. 17, starting at 6:30PM, at 635 Pine Ave. All items need to be in clean, good condition.
Logan Crow and Lola’s Outdoor Retro Cinema present a screening of John Carpenter’s terrifying classic, Halloween, on Saturday, Oct. 18 8PM at Sunnyside Cemetery, located at 1095 East Willow Street. Tickets are $11.49 by clicking here.
Frankenstein: A New Musical – Oct. 23, 24, 25 and Nov. 1
Frankenstein: A New Musical will have its West Coast premiere at the Ernest Borgnine Theatre inside the Scottish Rite Cathedral, located at 855 Elm Ave. Opening night will be held on October 23 with a wine reception before the show at 7PM. Performances will held on October 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 and November 1 at 8PM.
Performances on October 23, 24, 25, and November 1 will feature a 30-minute pre-show concert at 7:30PM by the Los Angeles Musical Theatre Youth Chorus. The October 24 31 performances (Fridays) will have a stage-talk / Q&A with the actors and director following the performances. Tickets are $25 (Reserved), $18.50 General Admission Adult and $10 for children 12 and under. For tickets, call 800-838-3006 or click here.
Halloween at Shoreline Village – Oct. 24, 25, 26, 31 and Nov. 1, 2
Shoreline Village presents a Halloween event with trick or treating, as well as a maze complete with seven rooms of terror, throughout the month of October and beginning of November at Shenanigan’s Irish Pub & Grill, located at 429-C Shoreline Village Drive.
It will be open from 3PM to 9PM on select days, and admission is $5 per person.
Zombie Walk – October 24 through 26 (Post Pick)
This year, Logan Crow’s Zombie Walk event will take place over a span of three days, with a different theme each day.
The first day will have a prom night theme, featuring Count Smokula, the Radioactive Chickenheads and DJ Dr. Demento.
The actual Walk will take place on Saturday, where guests will do their best zombie shuffle from the park to the Shoreline and around Rainbow Harbor. Crow said this day would most resemble events from the past.
Crow said that because some parents comment that some bands are too aggressive, Sunday will be dedicated toward a family-friendly focus but will still retain its spooky appeal.
This year’s Zombie Walk will take place at the Rainbow Lagoon starting on Oct. 24 through 26. Tickets are $15 per day, and children under 12 years of age are free. For further information, click here.
DRAG IT! in Transylvania – Oct. 25 (Post Pick)
Get Out LB hosts its first Halloween event, which also serves as the official LBGT after party of Zombie Walk, from 9PM to 2AM on Oct. 25 at Executive Suite Nightclub, located at 3428 E. Pacific Coast Highway.
The 21 and over event will include a drag/costume contest with cash prizes and dancing.
Admission is $7 for those in drag/costume, and $10 for those in non-drag/costume.
Lincoln Park’s Howloween Spooktacular – Oct. 25
Lincoln Park, located on the corner of Pacific Avenue and West Broadway, will present a free, family-friendly event from 2PM to 6PM on Oct. 25.
Activities will include a kid’s relay race, costume contest for children and pets, live music, pumpkin bowling, face painting and more.
For a full schedule of activities, click here.
Pumpkin Carving Social – Oct. 25
More than 25 homes across Long Beach will participate in a citywide Pumpkin Carving and Chili Party from 2PM to 4PM on Oct. 25 in an event organized by We Love Long Beach.
We Love Long Beach invites residents to participate by hosting a Pumpkin Carving and Chili Party in their own neighborhoods.
Long Beach Historical Cemetery Tour – Oct. 25
Walk among the dead (literally and figuratively) on October 25 as the Historical Society of Long Beach (HSLB) presents its annual Historical Cemetery Tour.
Performers will tell the stories of nine dead Long Beach residents whose bodies lay in the adjacent Sunnyside and Long Beach Municipal cemeteries. Stories told will include the lives of a ship captain, a newspaperman and his wife, two World War I veterans and more.
Performances at the adjoining Sunnyside and Long Beach Municipal cemeteries, located at 1095 E. Willow Street, will run continuously from 9:00AM to 2:30PM, with guided tours departing on the hour at 9:00AM, 10:00AM, 11:00AM and noon. Tours take about two hours to complete, and the last presentations are at 2:00PM. Tickets will be on sale that day at the door from 8:30AM to noon. Admission costs $25 for general admission, $15 for HSLB members, $8 for students and free for children 7 and under.
4th Saturday Swing: ZOMBIE ATTACK! – Oct. 25
Swing dance with zombies as Fourth Saturday Swing presents a ZOMBIE ATTACK! theme on Oct. 25 at 8PM at Psalm 30:11 Dance Studio, located at 530 E. 4th Street.
Zombie attire is mandatory, and those who show up without a costume will get sprayed with fake blood.
The event costs $8 or $5 for Zombie Walk patrons. For more information about the event, click here.
Howloween Dog Parade – Oct. 26
Justin Rudd and his Community Action Team will present its 14th annual Haute Dog Howl’oween Parade at 2:30PM on Oct. 26 at Marina Vista Park, located at 5355 E. Eliot Street.
Pooches and their humans alike are invited to dress in costume and participate in the parade. A panel of judges will also choose a few dozen human and canine costume winners.
The parade will raise money for spay/neuter programs, adoption/rescue groups, Operation Santa Paws and other Long Beach service projects.
Entry fees are $10 per dog before the event week, $15 per dog the week of the event, $20 per dog the day of the event and $35 for VIP status, which allows those dogs to walk toward the front of the parade.
For more information and to register for the event, click here.
Sk8-N-Scare – Oct. 27
Bayshore Rink Party hosts its 2nd Annual Rollerween Sk8-N-Scare on Oct. 27 from 7PM to 9PM at 14 54th Place.
The event will include a costume contest, prizes and sweet treats.
HOWL-oween Pet Social – Oct. 29
Pussy & Pooch, Pine Animal Hospital and Bark! Bark! Daycare & Grooming will present the HOWL-oween Pet Social on October 29, where pets and people alike are invited to come in costume and tasty treats. Alcohol, provided by Tavern On 2 and Angel City Brewery, will also be available (but only to those with two legs).
There will be a costume contest for pets and their humans at 7:30PM, as well as a DJ providing live entertainment throughout the night.
The event will take place on October 29 from 6PM to 9PM in the parking lot of Pine Animal Hospital, located at 900 Pine Ave. Tickets are $10 in advance and can be purchased by clicking here. Tickets will also be available at the door for $15. All proceeds benefit Friends of Long Beach Animals.
Haunted Maze – Oct. 30 and Oct. 31 (Post Pick)
Long Beach resident Chris Allen will transform his East Long Beach home into a horror maze that he promises will leave everyone screaming.
A four year tradition, the free 2,500 square-foot maze draws in about 500 people each year.
The maze can be found by going to the corner of Stearns and Palo Verde and following the directional signs. It will be open Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, beginning at 7PM each night.
For a terrifying video of last year’s maze, click here.
East Village Halloween Spooktacular – Oct. 31
The East Village will host a night of trick-or-treating and costume contests, beginning at 5PM on Oct. 31.
There will be costume contests for kids, dogs and adults, and the activities will start on First Street and continue north on Linden and West on Broadway.
For a full schedule of activities, click here.
Kids Halloween Party and Costume Contest – Oct. 31
The Red Leprechaun, located at 4000 East Anaheim, invites families to participate in a Halloween party from 3PM to 6PM.
Activities will include a costume contest with $10 and $25 cash prizes; an opportunity drawing for a kids birthday party with food and drinks for 15 to 20 people; a “touch and smell” game; ghost bowling; and a game where people have to find a hidden leprechaun.
Treats like pigs in a blanket, flat breads and Irish nachos will be available for $5.
Singles Mixer – Oct. 31
If you’re single, go to the Red Leprechaun, located at 4000 East Anaheim, from 6PM to 10PM to find your zombie sweetheart.
Costumes are encouraged, and couples are welcomed to bring their single friends to act as wingmen.
Couples win a special prize if a set up or match is made.
The night will include a costume contest and $5 drink specials.
Tricks for Treats – Nov. 1
The Halloween fun doesn’t have to end in October. Amigos with Benefits will host a Halloween benefit for local animal shelters on Nov. 1 from 5PM to 2AM at the Federal Bar, located at 102 Pine Avenue.
Entry is $20 at the door and proceeds will go to support the shelter. Donations of pet food, toys and blankets will also be accepted. There will also be a silent auction and costume contest.
For more information, click here.
The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor presents six spooky mazes both on the ship and on the land, as well as a scare village full of clowns and other demented creatures.
It runs on select nights through November 2 from 7:00PM to midnight each night. Ticket prices start at $20, with higher prices for Fast Fright, VIP passes and lodging packages. Season passes will also be available for those daring enough to go more than once. To purchase tickets and for more information, click here.