Slash and Sip: Adult Pumpkin Carving at San Pedro Square Market
Carve and decorate pumpkins outdoors under the stars in downtown.
16 unique & unusual Halloween events in San Jose and nearby.
San Jose and its surrounding towns are brimming with Halloween celebrations this year. From the iconic Winchester Mystery House to community gatherings like the Día de los Muertos event at Mexican Heritage Plaza, there are many ways to mark the season.
If you're looking for something further afield, consider events in Pleasanton or Morgan Hill. For those seeking hands-on creativity, workshops in San Jose and Mountain View offer unique autumnal crafts.
Annual Día de los Muertos celebration featuring a community altar gallery.
Spooky bar crawl featuring multiple venues, drink vouchers, and an after-party.
A 10,000-square-foot walk-through haunted attraction featuring multiple themed haunts.
Haunting Dracula ballet performed by the HaoExpression Dance Company.
See all the unique and unusual Halloween events in one place.
Ask three specifics before booking a tour: total distance, surface type, cobblestones and hills are common on historic routes, and whether the group stops to stand for long stretches, which tires people faster than walking. Many operators run shorter or slower-paced versions on request. Festivals on fairgrounds are generally manageable; grass fields after rain are the exception, so call that week.
First hour for selection, last hour for discounts, pick one. Do a full lap before spending, photograph booths you might return to, and get the vendor's card or social handle for anything you're unsure about, since most sell online year-round. Set a cash cap for impulse buys, and carry purchases in your own tote so nothing gets set down and forgotten.
Walking tours mostly run in light rain, ponchos on, stories continue, and cancel only for storms, usually with rebooking or refunds offered by text a few hours ahead. Festivals soldier through drizzle but cancel for lightning, and grass venues turn to mud that outlasts the rain by a day. Check the operator's weather policy at booking and their social feed before leaving.