San Diego County published a schedule of fall and Halloween events at county parks and libraries; the county listed dates, locations and fees.

Events run from Oct. 9 through Oct. 31 and include Halloween festivals, haunted trails, movie screenings, pumpkin activities and Día de los Muertos celebrations.

Free offerings include a Halloween Festival at the Lakeside Community Center on Oct. 9 with a "Hawktober" birds-of-prey presentation and a Ghost Hunting 101 talk at the Del Mar Library on Oct. 13; the county notes some parts of the Ghost Hunting talk may not be suitable for very young children.

Some events charge admission or parking; Rancho Guajome’s Día de los Muertos tickets are $6 for ages 13 and up and $3 for ages 4 to 12, and parking is $5 at Dos Picos, San Dieguito and Lake Morena County parks.

Movie screenings are scheduled across the county; highlights include "How to Train Your Dragon" at Hellhole Canyon on Oct. 17, "The Goonies" on Oct. 17 at Lake Morena, "Practical Magic" on Oct. 23 in Old Town, and multiple family favorites on Oct. 24 at Otay Lakes, Felicita and Agua Caliente parks.

Children’s activities include pumpkin patches, decorating contests and pumpkin carving; a carving party at the Santa Ysabel Nature Center requires RSVP by Oct. 23 to alexandra.barone@sdcounty.ca.gov and Waterfront Park warns limited parking for its pumpkin patch party.

The county said the events are meant to provide safe, family‑friendly activities and help families explore parks and connect with their communities.

Check the county’s event pages for exact start times, parking and participation limits before you go; some programs begin earlier in the day and others include evening or ticketed elements.

Sources & methodology

This report was written from the primary materials below. Links open at the original publisher.

County of San Diego

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