Halloween is nearly here, and Santa Barbara County has plenty of fun events planned that are suitable for both families with young children and those who are over 21.
With COVID-19 still new in 2020 and before its vaccines were available, many Halloween events were canceled last year.
Now, many events are coming back and some coronavirus-safe events are even returning this year, such as the Santa Maria Elks “Haunted Hills” drive-through event.
What follows are several events taking place this fall and Halloween season throughout the county, ranging from free trick-or-treat events for children to pub crawls through downtown Santa Barbara for adults over age 21.
Santa Barbara
Pumpkin patches in Santa Barbara include Lane Farms Pumpkin Patch, 308 S. Walnut Ave., which is open daily through Oct. 31 from noon to 7 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Big Wave Dave’s Pumpkin Patch, located in La Cumbre Plaza& at 121 S. Hope Ave., is open daily through Oct. 31 from noon to 9 p.m. Both pumpkin patches have free admission and offer activities for kids and families.
Spooky Zoo at the Santa Barbara Zoo is also returning, giving people the opportunity to visit with their favorite animals while in costume and surrounded by spooky Halloween décor and photo opportunities. The Spooky Zoo experience is available daily through Oct. 31 and is free with zoo admission, but does require online reservations. For nonmembers, general admission at the zoo, 500 Niños Drive, costs $19.95 per adult over age 13 and $14.95 per child ages 2 through 12.
Santa Barbara Ghost Tours offers spooky tours throughout downtown Santa Barbara and can be booked online. Depending on the tour selected, the cost ranges from $35 per person to $150 per person.
Monstera Mash: A Boo-tanical Stroll through Lotusland in Montecito will take place at 12:30, 2 and 3:30 p.m. Oct. 28 through Oct. 30. Admission for members is $35 per adult and $20 per child ages 3 to 17. Admission for nonmembers on that Thursday and Friday is $60 per adult and $30 per child ages 3 through 17, with children under 2 entering for free.
On Oct. 29, the Santa Barbara Police Department is holding a free Trunk or Treat event at 1235 Chapala St., where children can come in costume to collect candy from the trunks of police cars. The event takes place from 5 to 8 p.m.
On Oct. 30, World Dance for Humanity is holding its annual Thriller event at the Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken Garden, along the 100 block of East Anapamu Street, with a free dance party at 2 p.m. and the Thriller flash mob at 3 p.m.
Fields of Funk, a Halloween music festival, is taking place from 3 to 10 p.m. Oct. 30 at Elings Park, 1298 Las Positas Road. Tickets start at $50 per person.
Children can trick or treat for free from 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 31 at storefronts in downtown Santa Barbara, with the Halloween Monster Mash at Paseo Nuevo, Trick or Treat on State Street, and Ghost Village Road, aka Coast Village Road, in Montecito.
21+ Events
The Painted Cabernet is hosting four Spooky Sip and Paint classes with each date painting a different scene. Events will take place at 6 p.m. Oct. 21 through 23 and Oct. 31 at a cost of $37 per person. The Painted Cabernet is located at 1229 State St.
Murder Mystery Dinner events will be available at Brass Bear Brewing Co., 28 Anacapa St., Suite E, in the Funk Zone, on Oct. 27, 28 and 31 at $80 per person.
Adults over 21 can dance the night away at the Lobero Theatre’s Mischief Masquerade Outdoor Halloween Dance Party from 8 p.m. to midnight Oct. 30 at the theater at 33 E. Canon Perdido, with tickets ranging from $50 to $65 per person.
A Zombie Pub Crawl is taking place Oct. 30, while the Halloween Pub Crawl will be on Oct. 31. Check-in for both dates is between 7 and 10 p.m. and tickets cost $15 to $30 per person, which includes entry into more than 10 bars and nightclubs and drink discount vouchers. Additionally, several bars and nightclubs in downtown Santa Barbara will be hosting their own Halloween parties and events throughout the night.
Goleta and Isla Vista
The City of Goleta is again enacting its Halloween parking permit program, which requires residents in certain neighborhoods to display parking permits on their cars.
These permits will be required from 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, to 7 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, and again from 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, to 7 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 31.
The boundaries for these neighborhoods are Storke Road to the east, Hollister Avenue to the north, Cannon Green Drive to the west and Whittier Drive to the south.
Each household within these boundaries will receive two parking permits in the mail by Oct. 21.
The Isla Vista Recreation and Park District is holding a Haunted Pumpkin Patch: An Immersive Theatrical Event in Estero Park, 889 Camino Del Sur, from 7 to 11 p.m. Oct. 27 through Oct. 29. Admission is free.
Over at the Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens, 598 N. Fairview Ave., the Halloween Door Dash will have a trail of decorated doors to trick or treat at from 4 to 8 p.m. Oct. 30. Walk-in admission is $15 per adult and $10 per child.
Carpinteria
The historic Alcazar Theatre, at 4916 Carpinteria Ave. in Carpinteria, will be screening The Rocky Horror Picture Show at 7 p.m. and midnight Oct. 30, with drinks, popcorn and interactive prop bags available for purchase. Costumes are encouraged.
Santa Ynez Valley
Merchants throughout the Santa Ynez Valley, including in Buellton, Solvang, Santa Ynez and Los Alamos, are participating in the Santa Ynez Valley Scarecrow Fest through Oct. 31. Residents are invited to view each scarecrow, at locations that can be found on the SYV Scarecrow Fest’s roster, and vote for their favorite online.
The Solvang Farmer Pumpkin Patch is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at 1000 Alamo Pintado Road in Solvang. Admission is free and entry into the 10-acre corn maze is $7 per person.
From 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 and 30, Solvang’s Halloween Haunted House, located at 411 Second St., will be open to guests with admission charges of $10 per adult and $8 per child aged 12 and under. A more kid-friendly version of the house will be held from 6 to 6:30 p.m. both days.
Families looking for an outdoor movie night can head to the free Halloween Outdoor Cinema presented by the Santa Ynez Chamber of Commerce from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31 at the field on the corner of Meadowvale Road and Highway 246 in Santa Ynez. The movie will be The Addams Family and the Santa Ynez Valley Elks Lodge No. 2640 will also have a concession stand.
Lompoc
The Lompoc Aquatic Center, 207 W. College Ave., will have its first “floating pumpkin patch” during its Dunkin for Pumpkins event starting at 10 a.m. Oct. 24. Pre-registration is required, and the cost is $12 per child. More information can be found by calling 805.875.8100.
Children 12 years old and younger are invited to go trick or treating at participating business in Lompoc during the free Old Town Market Trick or Treat event from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 30. Maps can be picked up at participating businesses and at Centennial Park, at South H Street and East Cypress Avenue the day of the event.
Santa Maria & Orcutt
Pumpkin patches in Santa Maria include The Patch, which provides a free agriculture education program for high school students in the area, and U-Pick Blueberries pumpkin patch.
The Patch is located at Los Flores Ranch Park at 6245 Dominion Road, and is open from 10 a.m to 6:30 p.m. on Fridays through Sundays through Oct. 31. Admission is free, but parking is $5 and corn maze entry is $3 to $5 per person.
U-Pick Blueberries pumpkin patch is located at 3665 Dominion Road, and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays through Sundays through Oct. 31. U-Pick Blueberries has free admission with a $10 parking fee.
The Santa Maria Elks “Haunted Hills” drive-through event is returning to the Elks Unocal Event Center from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays through Oct. 30. Single vehicle entry is $55 per vehicle and tickets can be purchased online.
Orcutt Academy High School is hosting its annual haunted house from 6 to 10 p.m. Oct. 24 at 610 Pinal Ave. in Orcutt. Admission is $10 per person.
For those over 21, Costa De Oro is hosting a Halloween Boogie Bash with a costume contest from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 22 at 1331 Nicholson Ave., and Naughty Oak and Vino Et Amicis are holding a Halloween Block Party and Costume Contest from 4 p.m. to midnight Oct. 30 at 165 South Broadway, Suite 102, in Orcutt.
From noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 30, families with children are invited to Allan Hancock College’s free Bulldog Bound-O-Ween drive-through trick-or-treating event in the college’s parking lot 4, where kids can receive Halloween treats while supplies last.
The Santa Maria Civic Theatre will be holding a movie night, showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at 1660 N. McClelland St. in Santa Maria. Attendees are invited to participate in a costume contest and bring movie props.
— Noozhawk staff writer Serena Guentz can be reached at sguentz@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.