Halloween Happenings

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

From fundraising efforts to trunk or treating, several community entities are offering ways for Palisadians to gather this October.

Trunk or Treat
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will host its annual Trunk or Treat Halloween event on Saturday, October 18, beginning at 6 p.m.

“The entire Palisades community is invited to decorate their cars and kids are invited to trunk or treat,” Pacific Palisades Ward Bishop Taylor Mammen told the Palisadian-Post. “This is an annual tradition, and even though our building is still going through smoke remediation, there’s great desire to get together.”

In addition to trunk or treating, the event will include dinner, a costume contest and slide. It will take place in the church’s parking lot, which is located at 575 Los Liones Drive.

‘The Birds’ Halloween Party
Palisades Recreation Center

Each year, Palisades Recreation Center hosts a Halloween-themed event, and 2025 is no exception. With a theme of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” this year’s Halloween Party will take place on Saturday, October 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with “fun for all ages.”

Festivities will include food trucks (The Love Bird and The Beignet Truck), spooky crafts, inflatables, games and prizes, a scavenger hunt, coloring contest, trick or treat stations, and a 360-degree photo experience. There will be a costume parade at 12 p.m.

Palisades Recreation Center is located at 851 Alma Real Drive. The event, which is free to attend, will take place in the courtyard and inside of the small gym, which reopened for limited programming at the end of July.

Not-So-Creepy Crawlers
Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains

The first workshop in this year’s WiLD CiTY series will be Not-So-Creepy Crawlers on Saturday, October 18, from 6 to 8 p.m.

The series is hosted by Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, with the workshop led by Darlyn Prieto, environmental scientist and outreach/communication associate at Santa Monica Mountains Fund.

“The Santa Monica Mountains after dark is a completely different world,” read an event description. “Most of the animals we normally see during the day are fast asleep. But as the sun sets, different kinds of animals, like scorpions, are just waking up.”

With UV flashlights, participants will hike a two-and-a-half-mile trail under the stars, searching for “these mysterious creatures in their natural habitat.”

“Scorpions often get a bad rap, but they play an important role in the ecosystem and they’re not as scary as they seem,” RCDSMM wrote. “This adventure is all about opening minds and seeing the beauty in misunderstood wildlife. By the end of the night, you might just walk away with a newfound appreciation for these amazing arachnids.”

Half of the funds raised from the workshop will go to SAMO Fund, which “works to protect and encourage appreciation and understanding of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.”

The workshop will take place at Paramount Ranch, located at 2903 Cornell Road in Agoura Hills. Tickets are available for purchase at rcdsmm.org/wild-city.

Fall Community Picnic & Glass Pumpkin Sale
Lowe Family YMCA Pumpkin Patch

Following its opening on Thursday, October 2, the Lowe Family YMCA Pumpkin Patch will host a Fall Community Picnic and Glass Pumpkin Sale at on Saturday, October 11.

The Fall Community Picnic will take place between 12 and 4 p.m., with spooky stories being read/told for kids by Theatre Palisades performers from 2 to 4 p.m.

“Bring a blankets and chairs to enjoy outdoor fun like frisbees and bubbles,” read an event description. “See your friends and neighbors, catch up, laugh, hug, family time, and community.”

There will also be food trucks on site, as well as opportunities to purchase pumpkins or walk through the art installation at Winding Way.

The annual Glass Pumpkin Sale, presented by Santa Monica College Art Department, will take place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. with blown glass pumpkins available for purchase.

“Join the fun at the pumpkin patch and purchase a beautiful glass pumpkin to last all year round,” read the description. “A portion of the proceeds go to the YMCA.”

The patch hours are Monday to Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is located at Simon Meadow, at the corner of Temescal Canyon Road and Sunset Boulevard.

Palisades Gift Shop Pop-Up
Night of the Jack

Palisades Gift Shop will host a series of pop-ups at the marketplace at Night of the Jack—an immersive Halloween experience at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas.

“We’re popping up all over the place over the next few months,” Palisades Gift Shop said. “Our first pop up of this season will be at Night of the Jack, where we will be selling lots of fall items and a special Malibu collection.”

Night of the Jack is designed for attendees of all ages, with “vast grounds of intricately hand-carved and illuminated jack’olanterns” throughout a walking trail around the ranch’s grounds. Festivities include a live pumpkin carver, food trucks and a “Spookeasy Bar.”

The pop-up dates are October 11, 12, 19, 23 and 26 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. King Gillette Ranch is located at 26800 Mulholland Highway. Tickets and more information are available at nightofthejack.com.

Boo Bash
Marquez Charter Elementary School

Marquez Charter Elementary School will host its annual Boo Bash on Sunday, October 26, beginning at 12 p.m. at Pacific Palisades Highlands Park, located at 1950 Palisades Drive.

“Calling all ghosts and goblins, witches and wizards,” read an event flyer. “You are invited to a fun afternoon filled with games, activities, tricks and treats. Join us for Marquez Charter’s community Halloween party.”

The event is hosted by Friends of Marquez, the parent-run nonprofit that funds supplemental educational programs at the schooo. Tickets go on sale beginning October 12.