Showing posts with label san jose halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label san jose halloween. Show all posts

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Happy Halloween 2024! 🎃🦇👻

Hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween tonight! If you have a favorite neighborhood for trick-or-treating please post it in the comments here or on X. I'll toss out Willow Glen as high on the list.

Also, please be sure to check out our wishlist post for Halloween in the Park!





Saturday, October 12, 2024

San Jose's Annual Harvest Festival

Today is Pumpkins in the Park, an annual tradition that brings thousands of people to the Guadalupe River Park in Downtown San Jose to enjoy family-friendly activities.

There is a large pumpkin patch, inflatables, lawn games, vendors, food trucks, and live music. This year the trucks are El Viejon, Cali Cool, Fire & Slice, and Akita Sushi.

The event runs from 10am to 4pm at Discovery Meadow (180 Woz Way, San Jose). It's right next to the San Jose Children's Discovery Museum.

For more information, head over here.


Wednesday, October 2, 2024

San Jose Wishlist - Halloween in the Park (Part XVI)

As Halloween approaches, it is time to resurrect one of my top event wishlist items for San Jose. "Halloween in the Park."

Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year. It's the one day where you get to interact with your neighbors and the wider community. The level of creativity in decorations and costumes is also the most eclectic and interesting out of all the holidays for me--whether that's for trick-or-treating, Halloween parties, or work events.

In October it's tradition for The San Jose Blog have a wish-list post for Halloween in the Park. The idea is to build on the momentum that Christmas in the Park brings to San Jose each year and create something of similar scale for the month of October. A lot of the infrastructure such as wiring, lighting, and booths might even be able to be shared between the events. The goal would be to make Downtown San Jose the epicenter of October Halloween experiences, much as it is today with Christmas in the Park.

Below you will find brainstorming ideas we have collected for this concept so far over the years. Please have a look and provide your feedback and suggestions in the comments or on X (Twitter). Thanks!





The largest draw to Downtown San Jose for many years now has been Christmas in the Park. It has continued to grow year after year and brings in visitors from all over the Bay Area. It's economic impact is substantial and helps keep many Downtown businesses and restaurants alive.

What would you think about a similar event for Halloween? Picture Downtown lit up in orange and purple with elaborate Halloween displays assembled by local artists. Perhaps infrastructure could even be shared with Christmas in the Park (e.g. retail booths). A strong event in October would help maintain traffic between the summer months and Christmas in the Park. 
Here are the ideas we have so far:
  • Animated Halloween Displays
    • Created by local artists
    • Analogous to the Christmas displays that attract many families during Christmas in the Park (almost half a million visitors)
    • Family friendly so that everyone can enjoy it (PG/PG13, perhaps around the same level as Great America's Halloween decorations)
    • Halloween Lighting
      • Orange, purple, and green LED lighting on trees
      • May be possible to use programmable LED lighting that can go from Halloween colors to Christmas colors with the push of a button, allowing the lights to stay up for Christmas in the Park as well and reducing setup/take-down costs.
    • Halloween Food
      • Booths with candied apples, chocolates, candy, pumpkin seeds, etc.
      • Food trucks
      • Trick-or-treating station - a free piece of candy to anyone wearing a costume any day in October (could also be used to hand out promotional flyers for Downtown events/businesses/resources)
    • Retail Booths selling Halloween items, for example:
      • Artwork (paintings, glass pumpkins, etc.)
      • Home decor/crafts like candles
      • Light-up hats/necklaces/bracelets
      • Costumes
      • Zombie/Halloween make-up station 
    • Halloween-themed Carnival Games
      • Pirates of Emerson and Candlelighters (Fremont) do a good job of providing family-friendly games themed around Halloween
      • A handful of children's rides could also be added to the Paseo and reused for Christmas in the Park
    • Interactive Art
      • Subzero-style, but with a Halloween spin.
      • Halloween-themed video game kiosks and/or arcades
    • Pumpkins
      • Instead of the sponsored Christmas trees in Christmas in the Park, how about decorated Pumpkins (can even be Styrofoam so there is no mess/decay)?
      • Pumpkin carving station for families. 
      • Pumpkin carving contest.
    • Costumed Entertainers
      • Walking around the area, not necessarily scaring people but adding to the ambiance and providing photo opportunities for families
    • Haunts / Mazes
      • Would be ideal if these were nearby, perhaps in vacant retails spaces, surface parking lots, the San Jose Convention Center tent, or at SJSU.
      • Could partners with one of the established San Jose haunt providers such as the Winchestor Mystery House or The Bernal SCREAM.
    • Potential Events
      • Zombie Crawl / 5k Run
      • Dia De Los Muertos Events (already quite a few today)
      • Halloween/Dia De Los Muertos Bike Party
      • Horror Movie Trivia Contest
      • Weekly horror movie screening (perhaps in the Circle of Palms area?)
      • Costume Ball
      • Pet costume contests and pet-friendly events

      Friday, September 13, 2024

      Unhinged Hotel at the Winchester Mystery House

      The Winchester Mystery House always puts out an impressive show every year around Halloween. Their season officially starts today on Friday the 13th, and it appears to be their most immersive Halloween event yet. 

      Their Unhinged Hotel event has a 45 minute long maze that goes through all four floors of the mansion, an outdoor scare zone, Halloween museum, interactive activities, themed food and drinks, and plenty of photo ops.

      Ticket prices vary by day but start at $69 per person. You can learn more and buy tickets here.


      Tuesday, October 31, 2023

      Happy Halloween 2023! 🎃🦇👻

      Hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween tonight! If you have a favorite neighborhood for trick-or-treating please post it in the comments or on X (Twitter).

      Also, please be sure to check out our "wishlist" post for Halloween in the Park!






      Monday, October 30, 2023

      Halloween in Japantown San Jose

      Japantown is also throwing a major Halloween event tomorrow. They have actually been doing a Halloween event since 2003. In 2017 it became so popular they closed off major streets.

      Trick-or-treating starts at 4:30pm with most of the SJ Japantown businesses participating. Then you have San Jose Taiko performances, dancing, a haunted house, and arts & crafts.

      There should be no shortage of options tomorrow to celebrated one of the most fun holidays out there.



      Trick or Treat in Willow Glen

      Downtown Willow Glen is hosting their annual trick-or-treat event tomorrow from 11am-12:30pm for toddlers and 3pm-4:30pm for school-aged kids. Several stores along Lincoln avenue will be handing out candy at this time and will be fully decked out for Halloween.

      Then after 5pm, you can take your kids into the Willow Glen residential neighborhoods which are one of the top areas to trick-or-treat in San Jose.


      Wednesday, October 25, 2023

      San Jose Wishlist - Halloween in the Park (Part XV)

      As Halloween approaches, it is time to resurrect one of my top event wishlist items for San Jose. "Halloween in the Park."

      Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year. It's the one day where you get to interact with your neighbors and the wider community. The level of creativity in decorations and costumes is also the most eclectic and interesting out of all the holidays for me--whether that's for trick-or-treating, Halloween parties, or work events.

      In October it's tradition for The San Jose Blog have a wish-list post for Halloween in the Park. The idea is to build on the momentum that Christmas in the Park brings to San Jose each year and create something of similar scale for the month of October. A lot of the infrastructure such as wiring, lighting, and booths might even be able to be shared between the events. The goal would be to make Downtown San Jose the epicenter of October Halloween experiences, much as it is today with Christmas in the Park.

      Below you will find brainstorming ideas we have collected for this concept so far over the years. Please have a look and provide your feedback and suggestions in the comments or on X (Twitter). Thanks!





      The largest draw to Downtown San Jose for many years now has been Christmas in the Park. It has continued to grow year after year and brings in visitors from all over the Bay Area. It's economic impact is substantial and helps keep many Downtown businesses and restaurants alive.

      What would you think about a similar event for Halloween? Picture Downtown lit up in orange and purple with elaborate Halloween displays assembled by local artists. Perhaps infrastructure could even be shared with Christmas in the Park (e.g. retail booths). A strong event in October would help maintain traffic between the summer months and Christmas in the Park. 
      Here are the ideas we have so far:
      • Animated Halloween Displays
        • Created by local artists
        • Analogous to the Christmas displays that attract many families during Christmas in the Park (almost half a million visitors)
        • Family friendly so that everyone can enjoy it (PG/PG13, perhaps around the same level as Great America Halloween Haunt)
        • Halloween Lighting
          • Orange, purple, and green LED lighting on trees
          • May be possible to use programmable LED lighting that can go from Halloween colors to Christmas colors with the push of a button, allowing the lights to stay up for Christmas in the Park as well and reducing setup/take-down costs.
        • Halloween Food
          • Booths with candied apples, chocolates, candy, pumpkin seeds, etc.
          • Food trucks
          • Trick-or-treating station - a free piece of candy to anyone wearing a costume any day in October (could also be used to hand out promotional flyers for Downtown events/businesses/resources)
        • Retail Booths selling Halloween items, for example:
          • Artwork (paintings, glass pumpkins, etc.)
          • Home decor/crafts like candles
          • Light-up hats/necklaces/bracelets
          • Costumes
          • Zombie/Halloween make-up station 
        • Halloween-themed Carnival Games
          • Pirates of Emerson and Candlelighters (Fremont) do a good job of providing family-friendly games themed around Halloween
          • A handful of children's rides could also be added to the Paseo and reused for Christmas in the Park
        • Interactive Art
          • Subzero/ZERO1-style, but with a Halloween spin.
          • Halloween-themed video game kiosks and/or arcades
        • Pumpkins
          • Instead of the sponsored Christmas trees in Christmas in the Park, how about decorated Pumpkins (can even be Styrofoam so there is no mess/decay)?
          • Pumpkin carving station for families. 
          • Pumpkin carving contest.
        • Costumed Entertainers
          • Walking around the area, not necessarily scaring people but adding to the ambiance and providing photo opportunities for families
        • Haunts / Mazes
          • Would be ideal if these were nearby, perhaps in vacant retails spaces, surface parking lots, the San Jose Convention Center tent, or at SJSU.
          • Could partners with one of the established San Jose haunt providers such as the Winchestor Mystery House or The Bernal SCREAM.
        • Potential Events
          • Zombie Crawl / 5k Run
          • Dia De Los Muertos Events (already quite a few today)
          • Halloween/Dia De Los Muertos Bike Party
          • Horror Movie Trivia Contest
          • Weekly horror movie screening (perhaps in the Circle of Palms area?)
          • Costume Ball
          • Pet costume contests and pet-friendly events

          Saturday, October 21, 2023

          The Bernal Scream Haunted House in South San Jose

          I've posted about a lot of family-friendly Halloween events this year. If you’re looking for a more thrilling and terrifying way to celebrate Halloween, look no further than the Bernal Scream, a haunted house attraction located at 620 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, CA 95123. The Bernal Scream is the creation of father and son duo Mike and Abel Barrera, who started it as a free show in their backyard in 2013. Since then, they have grown it into a commercial attraction that has attracted thousands of visitors and rave reviews.

          Unfortunately co-founder Abel Barrera passed away from pancreatic cancer as they were working together on their next haunted attraction. Now, seven years later the dream of finishing what was started by the duo all those years ago is coming to fruition.

          The Bernal Scream is not your typical haunted house. It is a high-endurance attraction that is intense. The theme for this year is Lucifer’s Wrath, a dark and twisted journey through the underworld. You will encounter demons, zombies, clowns, chainsaws, and more as you try to escape the wrath of the devil himself.

          The Bernal Scream is open every day up to October 31 from 7pm to at least 10pm (Midnight on the 27th, 28th, and 31st). Tickets are $25 for general admission and $35 for VIP admission, which includes front-of-the-line access and a souvenir photo. You can buy tickets online at their website or at the door. The attraction is recommended for ages 13 and up, as again it is very intense and scary.




          Sunday, October 8, 2023

          Santana Row Halloween Family Fest - Oct 24th

          Halloween Family Fest is a kid-friendly event featuring trick-or-treating, pumpkin decorating, live music, stilt walkers, and arts & crafts at Santana Row. Families should bring their Trick-or-Treat bags and costumes. As an added bonus, kids will eat for free at LB Steak and Left Bank.

          Santana Row Halloween Family Fest takes place Tuesday, October 24th from 10am to noon.


          Monday, October 31, 2022

          Happy Halloween 2022!! + Halloween in the Park (Part XIV)

          Happy Halloween everyone, hope you have a blast tonight! This might be the first Halloween in 3 years where the event is back full-force! Halloween is my favorite "holiday" of the year. It's the one day where you get to interact with your neighbors and the wider community. The level of creativity in decorations and costumes is also the most eclectic and interesting out of all the holidays for me--whether that's for trick-or-treating, Halloween parties, or work events.

          Usually in October we have a wish-list post for Halloween in the Park. The idea is to build on the momentum that Christmas in the Park brings to San Jose each year and create something of similar scale for the month of October with Halloween in the Park! A lot of the infrastructure such as wiring, lighting, and booths might even be able to be shared between the events. The goal would be to make Downtown San Jose the epicenter of October Halloween experiences.

          Below you will find brainstorming ideas we have collected for this concept so far over the years. Please have a look and provide your feedback and suggestions in the comments. Thanks!




          The largest draw to Downtown San Jose for many years now has been Christmas in the Park. It has continued to grow year after year and brings in visitors from all over the Bay Area. It's economic impact is substantial and helps keep many Downtown businesses and restaurants alive.

          What would you think about a similar event for Halloween? Picture Downtown lit up in orange and purple with elaborate Halloween displays assembled by local artists. Perhaps infrastructure could even be shared with Christmas in the Park (e.g. retail booths). A strong event in October would help maintain traffic between the summer months and Christmas in the Park. 
          Here are the ideas we have so far:
          • Animated Halloween Displays
            • Created by local artists
            • Analogous to the Christmas displays that attract many families during Christmas in the Park (almost half a million visitors)
            • Family friendly so that everyone can enjoy it (PG/PG13, perhaps around the same level as Great America Halloween Haunt)
            • Halloween Lighting
              • Orange, purple, and green LED lighting on trees
              • May be possible to use new programmable LED lighting that can go from Halloween colors to Christmas colors with the push of a button, allowing the lights to stay up for Christmas in the Park as well and reducing setup/take-down costs.
            • Halloween Food
              • Booths with candied apples, chocolates, candy, pumpkin seeds, etc.
              • Food trucks
              • Trick-or-treating station - a free piece of candy to anyone wearing a costume any day in October (could also be used to hand out promotional flyers for Downtown events/businesses/resources)
            • Retail Booths selling Halloween items, for example:
              • Artwork (paintings, glass pumpkins, etc.)
              • Home decor/crafts like candles
              • Light-up hats/necklaces/bracelets
              • Costumes
              • Zombie/Halloween make-up station 
            • Halloween-themed Carnival Games
              • Pirates of Emerson and Candlelighters (Fremont) do a good job of providing family-friendly games themed around Halloween
              • A handful of children's rides could also be added to the Paseo and reused for Christmas in the Park
            • Interactive Art
              • Subzero/ZERO1-style, but with a Halloween spin.
              • Halloween-themed video game kiosks and/or arcades
            • Pumpkins
              • Instead of the sponsored Christmas trees in Christmas in the Park, how about decorated Pumpkins (can even be Styrofoam so there is no mess/decay)?
              • Pumpkin carving station for families. 
              • Pumpkin carving contest.
            • Costumed Entertainers
              • Walking around the area, not necessarily scaring people but adding to the ambiance and providing photo opportunities for families
            • Haunts / Mazes
              • Would be ideal if these were nearby, perhaps in vacant retails spaces, surface parking lots, the San Jose Convention Center tent, or at SJSU.
              • Could partners with one of the established San Jose haunt providers such as Deadtime Dreams or The World's Largest Haunted House.
            • Potential Events
              • Zombie-O-Rama can be used to kick off Halloween in the Park (late Sep. / early Oct. time-frame)
              • Zombie Crawl
              • Dia De Los Muertos Events
              • Halloween/Dia De Los Muertos Bike Party
              • Horror Movie Trivia Contest
              • Weekly horror movie screening (perhaps in the Circle of Palms area?)
              • Costume Ball
              • Pet costume contests and pet-friendly events

              Sunday, October 31, 2021

              Happy Halloween 2021!! + Halloween in the Park (Part XIII)

              Happy Halloween everyone, hope you have a blast tonight! I'm optimistic today will mark some return to some normalcy after a brutal two years.

              Usually in October we have a wish-list post for Halloween in the Park. The idea is to build on the momentum that Christmas in the Park brings to San Jose each year and create something of similar scale for the month of October with Halloween in the Park! A lot of the infrastructure such as wiring, lighting, and booths might even be able to be shared between the events. The goal would be to make Downtown San Jose the epicenter of October Halloween experiences.

              Below you will find brainstorming ideas we have collected for this concept so far over the years. Please have a look and provide your feedback and suggestions in the comments. Thanks!




              The largest draw to Downtown San Jose for many years now has been Christmas in the Park. It has continued to grow year after year and brings in visitors from all over the Bay Area. It's economic impact is substantial and helps keep many Downtown businesses and restaurants alive.

              What would you think about a similar event for Halloween? Picture Downtown lit up in orange and purple with elaborate Halloween displays assembled by local artists. Perhaps infrastructure could even be shared with Christmas in the Park (e.g. retail booths). A strong event in October would help maintain traffic between the summer months and Christmas in the Park. 
              Here are the ideas we have so far:
              • Animated Halloween Displays
                • Created by local artists
                • Analogous to the Christmas displays that attract many families during Christmas in the Park (almost half a million visitors)
                • Family friendly so that everyone can enjoy it (PG/PG13, perhaps around the same level as Great America Halloween Haunt)
                • Halloween Lighting
                  • Orange, purple, and green LED lighting on trees
                  • May be possible to use new programmable LED lighting that can go from Halloween colors to Christmas colors with the push of a button, allowing the lights to stay up for Christmas in the Park as well and reducing setup/take-down costs.
                • Halloween Food
                  • Booths with candied apples, chocolates, candy, pumpkin seeds, etc.
                  • Food trucks
                  • Trick-or-treating station - a free piece of candy to anyone wearing a costume any day in October (could also be used to hand out promotional flyers for Downtown events/businesses/resources)
                • Retail Booths selling Halloween items, for example:
                  • Artwork (paintings, glass pumpkins, etc.)
                  • Home decor/crafts like candles
                  • Light-up hats/necklaces/bracelets
                  • Costumes
                  • Zombie/Halloween make-up station 
                • Halloween-themed Carnival Games
                  • Pirates of Emerson and Candlelighters (Fremont) do a good job of providing family-friendly games themed around Halloween
                  • A handful of children's rides could also be added to the Paseo and reused for Christmas in the Park
                • Interactive Art
                  • Subzero/ZERO1-style, but with a Halloween spin.
                  • Halloween-themed video game kiosks and/or arcades
                • Pumpkins
                  • Instead of the sponsored Christmas trees in Christmas in the Park, how about decorated Pumpkins (can even be Styrofoam so there is no mess/decay)?
                  • Pumpkin carving station for families. 
                  • Pumpkin carving contest.
                • Costumed Entertainers
                  • Walking around the area, not necessarily scaring people but adding to the ambiance and providing photo opportunities for families
                • Haunts / Mazes
                  • Would be ideal if these were nearby, perhaps in vacant retails spaces, surface parking lots, the San Jose Convention Center tent, or at SJSU.
                  • Could partners with one of the established San Jose haunt providers such as Deadtime Dreams or The World's Largest Haunted House.
                • Potential Events
                  • Zombie-O-Rama can be used to kick off Halloween in the Park (late Sep. / early Oct. time-frame)
                  • Zombie Crawl
                  • Dia De Los Muertos Events
                  • Halloween/Dia De Los Muertos Bike Party
                  • Horror Movie Trivia Contest
                  • Weekly horror movie screening (perhaps in the Circle of Palms area?)
                  • Costume Ball
                  • Pet costume contests and pet-friendly events

                  Tuesday, May 25, 2021

                  San Hauntse: Mysteries of San Jose

                  Manuel Ávalos and Carmen Sánchez have teamed up to host San Hauntse, which is "the only actively running podcast that seeks to document every haunted place and urban legend of the San Jose area." I'm blown away at how much content there is on the site (and I love the logo). 

                  I still remember hearing the San Felipe Road urban legends as a kid, not to mention the many Winchester Mystery House stories. Manuel and Carmen go in depth into the history of many famous San Jose landmarks and popular stories. It's entertaining and well produced, check it out over here!






                  Thursday, October 29, 2020

                  Spooktacular Saturday at the San Pedro Square Market

                  Halloween event options are super limited this year, but there is at least one event going on at the San Pedro Square Market. Costumes, music, food specials, and some "Halloween Fun" are in order. Spooktacular Saturday runs from 11am - 6pm and all the proper COVID protocols will be in place.



                  Thursday, October 31, 2019

                  Happy Halloween 2019!! + Halloween in the Park (Part XII)

                  Happy Halloween everyone, hope you have a blast tonight!

                  Usually in October we have a wish-list post for Halloween in the Park. The idea is to build on the momentum that Christmas in the Park brings to San Jose each year and create something of similar scale for the month of October with Halloween in the Park! A lot of the infrastructure such as wiring, lighting, and booths might even be able to be shared between the events. The goal would be to make Downtown San Jose the epicenter of October Halloween experiences.

                  Below you will find brainstorming ideas we have collected for this concept so far over the years. Please have a look and provide your feedback and suggestions in the comments. Thanks!




                  The largest draw to Downtown San Jose for many years now has been Christmas in the Park. It has continued to grow year after year and brings in visitors from all over the Bay Area. It's economic impact is substantial and helps keep many Downtown businesses and restaurants alive.

                  What would you think about a similar event for Halloween? Picture Downtown lit up in orange and purple with elaborate Halloween displays assembled by local artists. Perhaps infrastructure could even be shared with Christmas in the Park (e.g. retail booths). A strong event in October would help maintain traffic between the summer months and Christmas in the Park. 
                  Here are the ideas we have so far:
                  • Animated Halloween Displays
                    • Created by local artists
                    • Analogous to the Christmas displays that attract many families during Christmas in the Park (almost half a million visitors)
                    • Family friendly so that everyone can enjoy it (PG/PG13, perhaps around the same level as Great America Halloween Haunt)
                    • Halloween Lighting
                      • Orange, purple, and green LED lighting on trees
                      • May be possible to use new programmable LED lighting that can go from Halloween colors to Christmas colors with the push of a button, allowing the lights to stay up for Christmas in the Park as well and reducing setup/take-down costs.
                    • Halloween Food
                      • Booths with candied apples, chocolates, candy, pumpkin seeds, etc.
                      • Food trucks
                      • Trick-or-treating station - a free piece of candy to anyone wearing a costume any day in October (could also be used to hand out promotional flyers for Downtown events/businesses/resources)
                    • Retail Booths selling Halloween items, for example:
                      • Artwork (paintings, glass pumpkins, etc.)
                      • Home decor/crafts like candles
                      • Light-up hats/necklaces/bracelets
                      • Costumes
                      • Zombie/Halloween make-up station 
                    • Halloween-themed Carnival Games
                      • Pirates of Emerson and Candlelighters (Fremont) do a good job of providing family-friendly games themed around Halloween
                      • A handful of children's rides could also be added to the Paseo and reused for Christmas in the Park
                    • Interactive Art
                      • Subzero/ZERO1-style, but with a Halloween spin.
                      • Halloween-themed video game kiosks and/or arcades
                    • Pumpkins
                      • Instead of the sponsored Christmas trees in Christmas in the Park, how about decorated Pumpkins (can even be Styrofoam so there is no mess/decay)?
                      • Pumpkin carving station for families. 
                      • Pumpkin carving contest.
                    • Costumed Entertainers
                      • Walking around the area, not necessarily scaring people but adding to the ambiance and providing photo opportunities for families
                    • Haunts / Mazes
                      • Would be ideal if these were nearby, perhaps in vacant retails spaces, surface parking lots, the San Jose Convention Center tent, or at SJSU.
                      • Could partners with one of the established San Jose haunt providers such as Deadtime Dreams or The World's Largest Haunted House.
                    • Potential Events
                      • Zombie-O-Rama can be used to kick off Halloween in the Park (late Sep. / early Oct. time-frame)
                      • Zombie Crawl
                      • Dia De Los Muertos Events
                      • Halloween/Dia De Los Muertos Bike Party
                      • Horror Movie Trivia Contest
                      • Weekly horror movie screening (perhaps in the Circle of Palms area?)
                      • Costume Ball