In the city that hosts Comic-Con you can bet people go all out for Halloween here. There are plenty of Halloween weekend events in San Diego, so we have done the research to find the few best. Given this is our favorite holiday we could have listed a lot, but we tried to be as selective as possible.

What exactly is Halloween weekend, you ask? It is the weekend before Halloween. Or it is the weekend with Halloween in it. But it is definitely not the weekend after Halloween. Everyone is spent and nobody wants to see more costumes or horror movies. No. We take that back – there’s Dia de Los Muertos.

The Itinerary

DAY ONE
1. Go On Ghost Tour At Whaley House
2. See A Horror Movie Marathon With Popcorn Reef
3. Late Night Option: Nightmare On Normal Street

DAY TWO
3. Trick Or Treat On India Street
4. Go To the Haunted Trail In Balboa Park
5. Late Night Option: Head To Gaslamp

Day One

Go On A Ghost Tour At Whaley House

The Whaley House is the most haunted house in San Diego. Built on the site of the execution of a thief “Yankee Jim”, he was the first ghost to haunt this house, but not the last. Seems like the whole Whaley family tends to stick around after their deaths in this creepy old house and going on a ghost tour here is a must for those who are into that kind of thing. And also for those who aren’t. Why not loosen your rational mind a bit and get into the spirit of Halloween by going to a real haunted house and experiencing the paranormal. It can’t hurt. Unless you get abducted by a ghost. Then it can.

For evening tours, booking ahead of time is required. Tours are about 30 minutes. Unless you get abducted by a ghost. Then it is eternal.

See A Horror Movie Marathon With Popcorn Reef

Popcorn Reef is a pop-up movie group that hosts screenings at several locations around the city. They show great low budget independent movies that you will definitely never be able to see in a normal theater and they often get directors and actors at their screenings to interview before or after the movie. The screenings are always a good time with different themes like pajama night and costume parties. Popcorn Reef movies are definitely more of an event than a normal going to the movies.

For Halloween 2024 they are having a horror movie marathon at The Tenth on October 5 and on October 30 they will be screening the movie Silver Bullet at the Adams Ave Theater in Normal Heights with the director Dan Attias there for an interview. We recommend you subscribe to their newsletter to get info on additional screenings because they will often get them together last minute and you don’t want to miss out.

Late Night Option: Nightmare on Normal Street

Hillcrest probably throws the best parties in San Diego, so you know a costume competition slash dance party slash street fair on Halloween weekend in Hillcrest will be a good time. So get dolled up, literally as a scary possessed doll, and head to Nightmare on Normal Street. Event is until 11pm. Get tickets here.

Day Two

Trick Or Treat On India Street

Little Italy does neighborhood-ing quite well. They do family friendly mixed with adult fun quite well. So it is no surprise that they do Halloween quite well. Trick or Treat on India Street is an evening event where they shut down several blocks of the restaurant-lined India Street and businesses stand outside giving out candy and selling drinks. Everyone is dressed up. Everyone is having a good time. Just show up and take a stroll in your costume and if you’d like get some dinner at one of the restaurants you pass – see our guides to Little Italy here.

Go To The Haunted Trail In Balboa Park

The Haunted Trail in Balboa Park is probably the single best thing to do for Halloween in San Diego. We have been several times (we go every year) and every time is scares the pants off of us. It would scare the pants off of us even if they told us exactly what to expect every year. They truly go all out at the Haunted Trail and create the best haunted house we have ever been to, ever. This place is definitely too scary for the little ones so we would recommend adults and teens only.

Walk through a school bus of zombie nuns (some of whom are real people), get chased by a crazed, chainsaw-wielding, dead, redneck guy, and make sure to turn around often because people definitely follow you silently through the whole trail. It is simply great.

Late Night Option: Head to Gaslamp

If you want another Halloween party, or you missed Nightmare on Normal Street, all you have to do is head to Gaslamp on Halloween weekend and you will have it. The city will be wide awake, everyone in costume (expect a lot of “hot nurse”, “hot vampire”, “hot trashcan” type costumes), and everyone having a good time. You could just walk the streets and do some people watching or dip into any establishment for a drink. It is like Comic Con, but without having to pay for it.