Halloween Happenings 2014 in the Bay Area

Halloween is coming up. And if your kids are anything like mine, they've been talking about it since school began. Here's a list of activities to consider (we'll have a separate post on Halloween at the malls). Please add your favorites to the list!

SAN FRANCISCO 

SUPERNATURAL HALLOWEEN PARTY 2014 
What: Celebrate with the creepy-crawlies, including trick-or-treating, face painting, dancing, jugglers, aerial acrobats, costume parade, crafts, magicians, live music, animal shows, giant pumpkin carving demonstrations, planetarium show, food and drinks and more. Come in costume and get a reusable trick-or-treat bag!
Where: California Academy of Sciences, SF
When: Friday 10/24 from 5-9 p.m.
Who: everyone
Cost: adults $50, kids 17 and under $35. Kids one and younger are free. And anything over $30 is tax-deductible




Randall Museum Family Halloween Day
What: The museum will be transformed into a Halloween haunt with a gamut of ghoulish games, creepy crafts, tricks and treats, live entertainment, and more. Explore the Twilight Forest, the Spooky Caboose, and Dr. Randallstein’s Laboratory…and can even take a stab at pumpkin carving!
Where: Randall Museum, SF
When: Saturday 10/25 from 10-2
Who: kids 2-12 and parents
Cost: admission is free, low cost for activities

STERN GROVE'S "SCAREGROVE" 
When: Friday, October 24 from 3-9
What: Haunted house, hay rides, arts and crafts, inflatables, carnival rides
Where: Stern Grove, SF
Cost: $8/person - all inclusive
Who: the whole family


BOO AT THE ZOO 
What: Lots of activities including candy stations, take-home crafts, pictures with Casper the Friendly Ghost, pumpkin stomp and chomp (animals get treats), haunted nature trails, animal feedings, and critter encounters (snakes and owls) and creepy, crawly adventures at the critter zoo.
When: Saturday, October 25, 11-3
Cost: free with paid zoo admission; wear a costume, save a dollar
Who: anyone
Where: San Francisco Zoo
More Info: Costumes are fine, but no rubber masks so you don't scare the animals.

TREASURE ISLAND FLEA
What: Howl-o-ween at the Flea Market. Last year they had a pumpkin patch, trick-or-treating at the 400+ flea market booths Where: Treasure Island When: October 26-27
When: October 25-26 from 10-4
Where: Treasure Island
Cost: $3/ages 12+, free under age 12


PENINSULA 

GREAT AMERICA - SNOOPY EVENTS 
What: Great America has a number of kid-friendly Halloween activities, including Snoopy's Costume Party where kids can trick-or-treat with Snoopy and the gang. This is not a scary event (unless your kids are freaked out by giant versions of the Peanuts characters, which to be honest, I am). They'll have pumpkin decorating, and a "foam-tastic pumpkin patch" which does look like fun. There's a talking plastic pumpkin, and a few of the rides have been transformed into scarier versions of what they already are, which means they added some cobwebs and spiders to them.
When: select days October 4 through November 1
Cost: free with park admission
Who: kids 12 and under


CURIODYSSEY - SLITHER AND SQUEAK 
When: Friday, October 24, 6-8pm
What: Slither and Squeak - Discover the science behind the spooky things you see at Halloween! Museum educators will expose haunted house tricks of the trade and reveal to visitors how those creepy, scary things happen. Wear your costume and meet CuriOdyssey’s nocturnal animals, experiment hands-on with spooky science, and take part in science-inspired trick-or-treating. Watch the debut of their new wildlife show - Night and Day. Buy cupcakes from Kara's Cupcakes Karavan. Tickets: Purchase for $13-20
Where: CuriOdyssey, 1651 Coyote Point Dr., San Mateo

HILLER AVIATION HAUNTED HANGER
What: Halloween event and helicopter pumpkin drop (crafts, exhibits, carnival, candy, prizes). wear costumes.
When: Saturday, October 25 from 10-noon (pumpkin drop is at noon)
Where: Hillier Aviation Museum in San Carlos
Cost: free with museum admission
Who: everyone

HALF MOON BAY

What: Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival (street fair)
Where: Main Street - downtown Half Moon Bay
When: Saturday/Sunday, October 18-19 from 9-5
Cost: Free (though you may have to pay for parking)

SAN JOSE

HALLOWEEN HOOPLA
What: This “not so spooky” event is designed for families with children of all ages! Arrive in costume to celebrate Halloween with trick-or-treating in museum exhibits, creepy-crawly games, a “haunted house” and Spooktacular crafts. The Zoo Crew will be here to complete your look with free face painting. Peoria’s Premier Magician “Yort” will be onsite, performing close-up magic!
Where: Children's Discovery Museum, San Jose
When: Friday, October 24 from 6-8
Cost: free with admission

MARIN

HALLOWEEN OPEN HOUSE
What: Marine Science Sunday - Creatures of the Deep. Docent-led tours at 11, 1 and 3. Classroom programs at 12 and 2.
Where: Marine Mammal Center, Marin Headlands, 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito
When: Sunday, October 12 and 26 from 10-5
Cost: free More info:

EAST BAY
SKELETON ART MAKING CELEBRATION 
What: creative/festive afternoon to learn about multicultural traditions of Halloween and Day of the Dead. They'll have work stations with activities from decorating skeleton pictures, masks moveable skeletons, screen-printing t-shirts, traditional paper cutting and skull-shaped sugar creations.
Where: Richmond Art Center (2540 Barrett Avenue)
When: Saturday, October 25 from 1-3
Cost: Free

JACK O'LANTERN JAMBOREE 
What: Rides, parades, goody bags, treats, crafts, jumpy houses, pirate school, balloon animals, clowns and more
Where: Children's Fairyland, Oakland
When: Saturday and Sunday, 10/25 and 26
Cost: $10


HABITOT'S NOT SO SPOOKY HALLOWEEN 
What: Play miniature golf in the garden graveyard, paint mini pumpkins, fly paper ghosts in the wind tunnel, visit the witches' apothecary in the grocery store, and win treats/prizes.
Where: 2065 Kittredge Street, Berkeley
When: Friday, October 31 from 9:30-4:30
Cost: free with admission
More info: here

HAPPY CREEPY HALLOWEEN
What: Meet some of the slimiest, scaliest, and hairiest creatures you'll ever see in our Animal Discovery Room. Play with tarantulas and snakes, hunt for salamanders and frogs, and meet other spooky creatures like Bunnicula the Vampire Bunny and Wart the Witch's Toad. Then, do Halloween-themed engineering activities with a haunted robot developed by UC Berkeley's Pioneers in Engineering (PiE). Witches Cauldron activity, Saturday, October 25, from 11-3.
Where: Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley
When: Saturday and Sunday, October 25–26
Cost: free with admission ($12/adults, $10/children 3-18 and seniors 62+) and free for members and kids 3 and under.