Boo! 23 spooky, artsy Halloween happenings around SoCal — for kids, adults and everyone in-between
Boo! 23 spooky, artsy Halloween happenings around SoCal — for kids, adults and everyone in-between
Be afraid. Be sort of afraid.
As you may have noticed, the spooky season is now in full swing. But not to worry, gentle reader, TV … or Not TV has you covered with our roundup of 23 thrilling, chilling events and experiences to suit every audience and satisfy every taste — no matter how twisted — starting with the G-rated and descending ever downwards…
For kids & families…
‘Boney Island’ You got trick-or-treatin’, live animal presentations, fossils, shadow puppetry, skeltons on parade and more in this immersive, interactive experience for children of all ages. Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., Exposition Park, L.A. 6 to 10 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays through Oct. 29, plus plus Monday & Tuesday, Oct. 30-31. $20, $25. nhm.org
‘Absolutely Halloween!’ Santa Monica Playhouse reprises this family-friendly musical fable that follows a young girl named Candy on a fantastical adventure. Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 4th St., Santa Monica. 2 p.m. Saturdays, 12:30 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 29. $12.50, $15. (310) 394-9779. santamonicaplayhouse.com
Halloween and Fabulous Fall Festivals It’s Halloween, Día de los Muertos, the Moon Festival and Diwali all rolled into one with this family friendly outing/concert featuring spooooky orchestral favorites from Pacific Symphony plus games, educational activities and more. Costumes or traditional cutural attire encouraged. Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 10 and 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. $115-$69. pacificsymphony.org
‘Halloween Spooktacular!’ Long Beach Symphony and RuMBa Foundation Family Concerts present this kid-friendly shindig featuring musical performances, dance, an instrument “petting zoo,” arts and crafts and more. Costumes encouraged Long Beach Terrace Theater and Plaza, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22. Adults, $20; ages 17 and younger, free. longbeachsymphony.org
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and ‘Treats for Tricksters‘ Three special Halloween-weekend performances of this rollicking new production of Shakespeare’s sylvan fantasy will feature post-show trick-or-treating and photo ops with cast members. A Noise Within, 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8; other dates through Nov. 12. $29 and up; students, $18 and up. (626) 356-3100. anoisewithin.org
‘Pageant of the Monsters’ The kindly folks behind the annual summer showcase of tableaux vivant have something more sinister in mind as the festival’s backstage areas get a monstrous — but family-friendly — makeover, with fun and games and frights around every corner; not recommended for ages 4 and younger. Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Masters, 650 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach. Friday-Sunday and Tuesday, Oct. 27-29 and 31. $10-$25. foapom.com
‘Boonion Station’ Bring the kids to this fifth-annual, family-friendly offering that features face painting, dancing, costume contests, crafts, a one-of-a-kind trick-or-treating experience and more. Union Station, 800 N. Alameda St., downtown L.A. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Free. unionstationla.com
‘Enchanted Halloween’ Trick-or-treating, face painting, live magicians, an outdoor maze, a costume contest and more. Discovery Cube Los Angeles, 1800 Foothill Blvd., Sylmar. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22. $22 per person ($15 general admission plus an additional $7 fee). discoverycube.org
‘Trunk-or-Treat’ It’s all fun and games, plus arts & crafts and trick-or-treating at this low-key affair recommended for ages 12 and younger. Costumes encouraged, as long as they’re not too scary, but please leave the masks at home. First United Methodist Church, 500 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Free. (626) 796-0157. fumcpasadena.org
‘Escape to Witch Mountain’ Eddie Albert, Donald Pleasence and a young Kim Richards — yes, that Kim Richards, from “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” — star in Disney’s kid-friendly 1975 sci-fi/fantasy thriller about orphaned siblings with psychic powers; part of the UCLA Film & Television Archive’s Family Flicks series. Hammer Museum’s Billy Wilder Theater, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct 29. Free; first come, first served. ucla.edu
For older audiences…
American Contemporary Ballet’s ‘The Rite & Burlesque’ The local company that melds intimacy and spectacle presents a new work from artistic director Lincoln Jones inspired by Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring.” The program also includes the company favorites “Burlesque” and “Variation VII'”; performance contains brief nudity. Two California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., 28th Floor, downtown L.A. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, through Oct. 28. $65-$140. acbdances.com
‘The Ring’ Let’s go to the tape! Cinespia presents an outdoor screening of Gore Verbinksi’s 2002 terror tale starring Naomi Watts. Los Angeles State Historic Park, 1245 N. Spring St., Chinatown, downtown L.A. 7:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20 (gates open at 5:45 p.m.). $22. cinespia.org
Cabaret Macabre Halloween Dancers strut their scantily-clad stuff in a spooky edition of this dark and twisted burlesque show directed and choreographed Brittany DeWeese; for ages 17 and older only. Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. 8:30 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays through Oct. 31. $22, $27. zombiejoes.com
‘Urban Death Tour of Terror’ Prepare to have the bejeebers scared out of you with the return of this haunted theater attraction; for ages 17 and older only, with advisories for graphic content and full nudity. Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Various entry times, 7 to 11:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, through Oct. 28. $22, $27. zombiejoes.com
‘Scary Monsters & Super Freaks!’ Dragstrip 66 gets a jump on Halloween with this bash featuring appearances by local drag legends Jackie Beat and Kay Sedia, and your hostess with the mostest, Gina Lotriman, plus a costume contest and more. Los Globos, 3040 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake. 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. $25. eventbrite.com
‘The Phantom of the Opera’ No, not Andrew Lloyd Webber’s smash Broadway musical but rather the creepy 1925 chiller starring Lon Chaney, presented with live musical accompaniment by organist Dennis James. Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22. $15-$89. pacificsymphony.org
Lucha VaVOOM’s ‘Area 51’ Masked Mexican wrestlers grapple, comics crack wise, aerialists soar and burlesque performers strut their scantily clad stuff in an all-new Halloween edition of this saucy variety show for ages 21 and older. The Mayan Theatre, 1038 S. Hill St., downtown L.A. 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, Oct. 26-27. $53.41‒$99.76 ticketweb.com
‘The Bride of Frankenstein’ with Live Orchestra The mad-doctor’s monster meets his mate in director James Whale’s bonkers 1935 sequel to his 1931 horror classic based on Mary Shelley’s 19th century novel; with Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester and presented with live accompaniment by the LA Opera Orchestra. Theatre at Ace Hotel, 929 S. Broadway, downtown L.A. 8 p.m. Friday-Satrday, Oct. 27-28. $29 and up. laopera.org
‘Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert’
Danny Elfman, who composed the score for the computer-animated 1998 fantasy tale, anchors this three-night presentation that includes appearances by guest stars Halsey, Fred Armisen and Riki Lindhome (Friday-Saturday only) and Catherine O’Hara (Sunday only). Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Oct. 27-28; 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29. $39-$260. hollywoodbowl.com
‘War of the Worlds’ Long Beach Shakespeare Company reprises its annual radio-style staging of Orson Welles’ panic-inducing adaptation of the classic H.G. Wells sci-fi thriller that scared the bejeebers out of gulible listeners one Halloween night back in 1938. Helen Borgers Theatre, 4250 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Oct. 27-28; 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29. $13. lbshakespeare.org
‘The Boulet Brothers’ Halloween Ball 2023’ The duo best known for hosting the horror-themed drag competition series “The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula” presents a super-sized bash featuring DJs, dancing, drag performers, demonic puppetrya costume contest and much, much more. For ages 21 and older only. The Belasco, 1050 S. Hill St., downtown L.A. 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Oct. 28. $$59 and up. livenation.com
‘Demons’ Goblin, the legendary Italian prog-rock band led by Claudio Simonetti, performs the composer’s score live-to-picture for a screening of this 1985 supernatural thriller produced by “Suspiria” filmmaker Dario Argento and directed by Lamberto Bava. And bonus: The band will return for a best-of set after the film. Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. $21-$45. (818) 254-8456. alextheatre.org
‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ Screen legend John Barrymore pulls double duty as the Victorian Era physician and his monstrous alter ego in this silent 1920 adaptation of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novella, presented by Retroformat Silent Film with live musical accompaniment by Cliff Retallick. Woman’s Club Of Hollywood, 1749 North LaBrea Ave., Hollywood. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. $14, $18. retroformat.orgin Concert
‘Rosemary’s Baby’ It isn’t love that grows where this Rosemary goes in Roman Polanski’s atmospheric, Manhattan-set 1968 supernatural thriller about a pregnant actor’s wife (Mia Farrow) and the geriatric Satanists across the hall; Oscar winner Ruth Gordon also stars. Show up early and stick around after for drinks, dancing and photobooth fun. Orpheum Theatre, 842 S. Broadway, downtown L.A. 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31 (doors open at 7:15). $32,$64; all ages; no one under 17 admitted without parent or guardian; and absolutely no admittance without a costume. cinespia.org