City: San Diego, CA

Category: Annual Events & Festivals

Description: Almost every community in San Diego celebrates Halloween with fun houses, haunted houses, and activities such as pumpkin-carving contests and pin-the-tail-on-the-pumpkin games. Most of the activities are free. Adults (must be 21 years of age) like the Gaslamp Quarter’s Monster Bash on Fifth Avenue between J and K Streets. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. There are two costume contests (with the top winner nabbing a $2,000 prize), gourmet food booths, live entertainment, and plenty of partying in the clubs and restaurants in the Quarter. Kids love the fairgrounds’ Scream Zone, which is open on weekends throughout the month as well as the 10 days before Halloween. The 25-room haunted house is filled with serious frights. Tickets are $14 to $26. Call your local parks and recreation department for what’s happening in your neighborhood.