By Ollie the otter
Ollie here. For Halloween 2026 with kids in the Bay Area, my top daytime picks are Boo at the Zoo at Oakland Zoo (weekends Oct 17 to Nov 1) and San Francisco Zoo (Saturday, Oct 31). Add Green Halloween at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo in San Jose and the free downtown trick-or-treats in Campbell, Lafayette, Willow Glen and Berkeley's Fourth Street. For toddlers, I'd stick to morning events, the "spooky, not scary" Ardenwood Haunted Train, and library costume parades.
Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, so lots of places hold their main event on Oct 31 and spread smaller ones across the two weekends before. I checked each organizer's own page as of Oct 14 and went looking so you don't have to. Details can change, though, so tap the link before you head out.
Zoo, aquarium and park Halloween events
Oakland Zoo: Boo at the Zoo
East Bay (Oakland) · ages 2–10
Oakland Zoo runs Boo at the Zoo on Saturdays and Sundays from Oct 17 through Nov 1. The costume contest is on Saturdays (Oct 17, 24 and 31) at noon at the Wildlife Theater in the Children's Zoo. Kids also hunt for limited-edition trading cards around the zoo, and there are bug encounters on Saturdays and reptile encounters on Sundays, both at 1 pm. Costumes are welcome, but inflatable costumes aren't allowed because they can scare the animals. The zoo asks you to reserve general admission tickets ahead, so book before you drive over — plan-ahead pricing varies by day, and kids under 2 are free. (Oakland Zoo)
San Francisco Zoo: Boo at the Zoo
San Francisco · ages 1–10
This year San Francisco Zoo holds Boo at the Zoo on just one day, Saturday, Oct 31, from 10 am to 3 pm. The costume parade starts at 11 am and the contest at noon, and one of the prize categories is for toddlers. Kids also get a trick-or-treat candy booth, crafts, face painting and a DJ dance party, and they can watch animals smash pumpkins. It's free with paid admission or a membership. Please skip full-face masks, which startle the animals. (SF Zoo)
Happy Hollow Park & Zoo: Green Halloween
South Bay (San Jose) · ages 1–8
I think Green Halloween at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo is just the right size for little kids. You'll find a Creepy Crawly Critter Show, a costume parade, crafts, games and trick-or-treat stations, plus an ofrenda honoring zoo animals that have died. Activities are free with general admission. If your child is in costume from Saturday, Oct 24 through Saturday, Oct 31, you get $3 off general admission. Adults can't wear full-face masks, and weapon props aren't allowed. (Happy Hollow)
Children's Fairyland: Fall Fest and Mad Magic
East Bay (Oakland) · ages 1–8
Children's Fairyland has two kinds of Halloween fun. Fall Fest (Oct 17–18 and 24–25, 10 am to 4 pm) has a giant leaf pit for happy rolling and autumn crafts, and it's included with general admission. Mad Magic, on Saturday, Oct 31 from noon to 7 pm, adds trick-or-treat stations, bounce houses, sensory play and mad-science crafts, with trick-or-treating going into the evening. Fairyland says it's for kids 8 and under. Tickets are $25 plus a $3 fee per person online; members can buy $10 tickets at the box office. The Monsters' Ball on Oct 23 is for adults 21 and over, not kids. (Fairyland)
Aquarium of the Bay: Fish or Treat
San Francisco (Pier 39) · all ages
This one is close to my heart. Aquarium of the Bay celebrates on Oct 31 and Nov 1. Divers carve pumpkins underwater from 1 to 2 pm, otters get pumpkins at 2 pm, and there's a candy station on Oct 31. Kids 12 and under in costume get in free that weekend, though some limits apply. (Aquarium of the Bay)
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom: Tricks and Treats
North Bay (Vallejo) · ages 3–12
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom doesn't have Fright Fest on its 2026 calendar. Instead it runs Tricks and Treats, a daytime event that wraps up before dark, on Saturdays and Sundays from Sept 19 through Nov 1. There's a trick-or-treat trail, a hay maze, a costume contest, mask making and a Looney Tunes Halloween dance party. Only some dates are included, so confirm your day on the park calendar. (Six Flags)
Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo: Halloween Zoo Night
Peninsula (Palo Alto) · members
If you're a Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo member, Halloween Zoo Night is Thursday, Oct 29, 5 to 7 pm. Tickets are $30 per person and include face painting, food and animal encounters. It's for members only, and tickets aren't sold at the door. (JMZ)
Not-too-scary picks for toddlers and preschoolers
- Ardenwood Haunted Train, Fremont. The Railroad Museum at Ardenwood Historic Farm runs night trains Oct 16–18 and 23–25, leaving every 30 minutes from 7 pm (last ride 9:30 pm Fridays and Saturdays, 9 pm Sundays). The museum calls it "spooky, not scary," with no jump scares, loud noises or gore. Tickets are $19.50, and kids 6 and under must sit on an adult's lap. It sells out, so buy online ahead. (SPCRR, tickets)
- Halloween Boonanza, San Francisco. Salesforce Park hosts this free one for little kids on Friday, Oct 30, 10 am to noon, with candy, fairies, crafts and a Jamaroo show. (TJPA)
- Toddler hour in Willow Glen, San Jose. Visit San Jose lists Trick or Treat Along Lincoln Avenue for Friday, Oct 30, with a toddler session from 11 am to 12:30 pm and a school-age session from 3 to 4:30 pm. Confirm with the Willow Glen Business Association. (Visit San Jose)
- Morning zoo visits. Zoo events are calmest right at opening, before the costume parade crowd arrives.
My pup friend Kelpie is a little shy around big masks, so these are the ones I'd pick for the smallest trick-or-treaters.
Need a plan for this weekend? gokidbay lists hundreds of kids events across the Bay, filtered by age, city and day.See this weekend →Downtown and shopping-district trick-or-treats
These are free and outdoors, and they work well for kids 2–10. Bring your own bag and expect lines.
- Campbell (South Bay): Creepy Crawly Halloween Trick-or-Treat, Sunday, Oct 25, 4 to 6 pm, around E Campbell Ave and N 1st St. Organizers say it gets very crowded and suggest extra care with sensitive kids. (Downtown Campbell)
- Lafayette (East Bay): Trick or Treat Street, Friday, Oct 30, 4 to 6 pm. Participating merchants line Mt. Diablo Blvd from Lafayette Plaza to Dewing Ave. (Lafayette Chamber)
- Berkeley (East Bay): Fourth Street Trick-or-Treat and Halloween Fest, Saturday, Oct 31, 3 to 5 pm. Kids can trick-or-treat at 80+ shops, and there's face painting, a bubble show, and magic shows at 3:30 and 4:30. Parking is paid. (Fourth Street)
- Malls: I didn't find any 2026 mall trick-or-treat announced yet. In past years, centers like Pacific Crossings in Fremont held a free afternoon event the weekend before Halloween, so check your local mall's events page in the last week of October.
City and library events
- South San Francisco (Peninsula): Halloween Extravaganza, Saturday, Oct 17, 10 am to 2 pm at Orange Memorial Park. It's free, with trunk-or-treat, games and a storybook walk. The floating pumpkin patch is $8 with pre-registration. (SSF)
- Menlo Park (Peninsula): Trunk-or-Treat, Wednesday, Oct 28, 4:30 to 6 pm at Belle Haven Community Campus. It's free, and every child gets a trick-or-treat bag. (Menlo Park)
- Santa Clara (South Bay): The Children's SpooktaClara Halloween Party is listed for Saturday, Oct 24, noon to 4 pm, in Central Park. It has a trick-or-treat row, a pumpkin walk, carnival games and crafts. (Santa Clara)
- Fremont (East Bay): The city's Trick or Treat Event for ages 2–10 is Friday, Oct 23, 5 to 9 pm at the Downtown Event Center & Plaza, with indoor trick-or-treating and 8 carnival games. Pre-sale tickets are already sold out, but there's a waitlist. (Fremont)
- San Francisco Public Library: The Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Branch Library holds a Halloween storytime and costume parade around the library on Saturday, Oct 31, 10:30 to 11:30 am. It's for babies through preschoolers. (SFPL)
- San Jose Public Library: The Bascom branch has a Halloween scavenger hunt all of October for ages 3–10, and branches across the city have Halloween crafts. Search "halloween" on the SJPL events page.
Halloween night tips
- Eat first, go early. Clocks don't fall back until Nov 1, so it gets dark a little after 6 pm on Halloween. Heading out at 5:30 gives little ones some daylight and gets you home before the older-kid crowd.
- Light them up. Glow sticks, a small flashlight or reflective tape on a dark costume help drivers see kids.
- Think about the weather. Bay Area evenings get cold. Leave room for a jacket under or over the costume.
- Check the candy at home. Sort it before anyone eats, and pull out choking hazards like hard candy for kids under 4.
- Pick a few blocks. Neighborhoods with lots of decorated houses get packed. A loop of a few familiar blocks is easier with a stroller.
- Practice the script. "Trick or treat" and "thank you" go more smoothly when you've rehearsed them, especially for shy kids.
Have a happy, not-too-spooky Halloween. I'll be floating on my back with a pumpkin, cheering on every little costume.
Want more ideas for the weeks around Halloween? See Halloween events on gokidbay
