Screams, Streams & Fun for Halloween

Camp, creativity and queer collide in the month of October, and never so spectacularly as with the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval. Thousands of costumed revelers are expected to swarm Santa Monica Boulevard for the legendary street festival on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.

Goweho staff selected a sampling of Halloween happenings, from the Carnaval to cinema classics to Day of the Dead celebrations, some geared to families, some not recommended for more sensitive souls:

West Hollywood Carnaval: The bewitching hours are 6-11 p.m. for Halloween Carnaval, an adult Halloween extravaganza on Santa Monica Boulevard, between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard. Performers will take the stage at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and N. San Vicente Boulevard, along with a live DJ, food trucks and thousands of cleverly, scantily, or frightfully dressed revelers.
Show off your costumes by uploading photos to social media with the hashtag #wehohalloween–and don’t forget to tag @wehocity and @visitweho. For parking, event details, click here.

West Hollywood bars, hotels and restaurants will host Halloween-themed events, including:
The Troubadour, 9081 Santa Monica Blvd., is hosting a dance party featuring DJ Brown Mamba on its legendary stage. Admission is free; doors open at 7 p.m., 21+ only.

Halloween at The Ruby Fruit.

The Ruby Fruit hosts a Halloween Contest sponsored by VENUS on Oct. 31. The LBQ bar, at 3510 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake, welcomes “Witchy Ways” filmmaker Jane Clark and star Marem Hassler as guest contest judges. While researching witchcraft, Clark discovered a community historically unable to live freely as themselves, a theme that resonated deeply. Out of that came Danni, a character infused with both Hassler’s lived experience and Clark’s own journey, culminating in a story about witches, ghosts, and a lesbian romance. You can catch “Witchy Ways” (2024), which also features Candis Cayne (“Dirty Sexy Money”), Guinevere Turner (“American Psycho”) and David Fumero (“One Life to Live”), on Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Amazon Prime Video. Doors open at 7 p.m. Music by JSTJO; go to: The Ruby Fruit for more info.

Hotel Ziggy “Haunted Hotel,” 8462 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, gets unveiled on Oct. 31. Expect a spooky graveyard and eerie aerialists flying overhead while DJs keep you dancing. Costumes required. Grab your tickets here.
Sunset Strip Bar Crawl – Oct. 25 & 31, Nov. 1, 2025
Over three nights the crawl starts at Saddle Ranch Chop House, 8371 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, with scary-good drink specials. Buy bar crawl tickets online, register in person at Saddle Ranch Chop House, and then make your way through a lineup of lively venues, including The Naughty Pig, Andaz, Skybar at Mondrian, State Social House and Wokcano. Costumes encouraged! More hotel details here.

Spinning Sunset Vinyl Wax Fair – Spooky Edition on Oct. 25, noon-6 p.m., incorporates Halloween-themed activities at the Pink Dot, 8495 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. The parking lot will be transformed into a vinyl and music memorabilia marketplace featuring indie record shops, clothing vendors, exclusive band merch and a pumpkin patch. DJs will spin records from noon to 6 p.m., with an appearance by Rocky Horror characters and Halloween activities (face painting to flash tattoos).
Hop on the Sunset Strip trolley to visit other businesses hosting special Halloween events along the Sunset Strip. For details click here.

Classic Chilling Characters

Nicole Scherzinger, Oct. 30 at Walt Disney Concert Hall
Movie buffs know there is nothing more chilling than a Hollywood has been, and no better representation than Norma Desmond in “Sunset Boulevard.” If you’re in New York visit the final resting place of Gloria Swanson, who inhabited Norma in the 1950 film, but you can venture into Walt Disney Concert Hall on Oct. 30 to hear the hauntingly good vocals of Nicole Scherzinger, who won a Tony for the role of Norma on Broadway. Expect to hear music from that iconic role as well as others throughout her career, from “Moana 2,” to the Pussycat Dolls. For tickets for her Walt Disney Concert Hall debut click here: Thursday, Oct. 30, 8 p.m. For details and tickets click here.

Stream & Scream: What to Watch

“Halloween Organ, Film and Music” featuring “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” on Oct. 31 at 8 p.m., Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 South Grand Ave, Los Angeles.
Lon Chaney stars as Quasimodo in the 1923 silent film, with organ accompaniment by Clark Wilson.
Arrive early for the free “Upbeat Live with Alan Chapman,” at 7 p.m. The free “guided tour” gives context to the “Halloween Organ, Film and Music” event, featuring key thinkers and guest musicians who share their expertise and offer historical and cultural context for the night’s program. “Halloween Organ, Film and Music” tickets begin at $43.50. For details and tickets click here.

‘Rocky Horror’ at Academy Museum / ALBERTO E.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”: The iconic cult film is more fabulous than frightening, but it possesses many of the hallmarks of Halloween: costumes, creepy characters, and a sense of a queer, otherworldly party. In 1974, producer Lou Adler brought “The Rocky Horror Show” to America from the London stage, debuting at the Roxy in West Hollywood. The iconic film version followed in 1975. Last month the Academy Museum’s 50th anniversary celebration of the film included star Tim Curry and castmates Patricia Quinn, Barry Bostwick and Nell Campbell. Curry starred in both stage and film versions. A couple scenes may be too gruesome/adult for young children.
Screenings:
Oct. 24 – Segerstrom Center for the Arts; drag pre-show
Oct. 25 – The Triplex Cinema, honoring the film’s 50th year
Oct. 26 – Rooftop Cinema Club, DTLA
Oct. 30 – Lido Theater, 3459 Via Lido, Newport Beach.
Streaming: Available with subscription, see “Rocky Horror Picture Show” on Disney+, Hulu, YouTube TV, and Amazon Prime Video.

“Hocus Pocus” at Melrose Rooftop Theater, 7:30 p.m. & midnight screenings on Halloween, Oct. 31. See Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker under the stars at Melrose Rooftop Theatre. $27.48; $64.19 includes full dinner and one cocktail. Full bar available throughout the evening, or additional snacks and beverages delivered to your seat. Click here for a full list of scary films, including “It,” “The Ring,” “Beetlejuice” and “The Corpse Bride.”

For children, “Coco,” the iconic Day of the Dead animated feature screens at Hollywood Forever Cemetery – Nov. 1. For details see Hollywood Forever’s Day of the Dead/Dia de Los Muertos below or click here.

Day of the Dead Events / Dia de los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos at Gloria Molina Grand Park.

Gloria Molina Grand Park – Oct. 25 – Nov. 2
between Grand Ave. and Hill St.
The vibrant, sacred tradition of Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is open to families at Gloria Molina Grand Park Downtown Los Angeles for an eight-day exhibition. Opening ceremony is Saturday, Oct. 25, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. See altars created by local artists and community organizations, along with family-friendly activities. Noche de los Muertos showcases the role of light as a guide for ancestors by the use of candlelight, lanterns and glowing altars, Sunday, Nov. 2, from 3-7 p.m. Both celebrations feature music, dance and poetry.
Altar Viewings: Saturday, Oct. 25, through Sunday, Nov. 2, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Gloria Molina Grand Park’s Downtown Día de los Muertos. For more information click here.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced upcoming celebrations of Día de Los Muertos 2025 at three Catholic cemetery locations. The first celebration is noon-5 p.m. Oct. 25 at Calvary Cemetery & Mortuary in East Los Angeles. Then on All Saints Day, Saturday, Nov. 1, unique celebrations in Santa Clara Cemetery & Mortuary in Oxnard from noon to 5 p.m., and in San Fernando Mission Cemetery & Mission Hills Catholic Mortuary. The San Fernando event begins at noon with Mass, procession, followed by Blessing of the Altars presided by Archbishop Jose Gomez.

Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) – Oct. 26, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach, CA
MOLAA is gearing up for its annual Day of the Dead free family festival, though reservations are required. DJ Caveman, Ballet Folklorico Almitas Mexicanas, art workshops and more! Celebrate the community and our capacity to endure and overcome hardship, recognize and honor the endurance and legacy of our ancestors.
Parking at MOLAA: $15 per car (Cash/Credit Card accepted). Backpacks and large bags NOT allowed in the museum (limited small lockers available). Limited bike rack space is available; NO skateboards, scooters, rollerskates. Information: (562) 437-1689 or email education@molaa.org. Free admission, reservations are required.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery – Nov. 1
6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles
Another family-friendly Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos, Nov. 1, has three time slots with different admission costs: 1-3:30 p.m., admission $5; 4:30-9 p.m., admission $30 (includes “Coco” at 6:45 p.m.); and 9:30-1:30 a.m., admission $25 (includes “Coco” screening at 11 p.m.).
This all-day and evening event will feature a children’s plaza, altars, art exhibitions, Aztecs, folk dances, performers, arts and food. Bring the kids for an outdoor screening of Disney-Pixar’s “Coco,” presented by Disney+ and Hulu.
For more details see Ladayofthedead.com.

Family Fun

Los Muertos 5k run/walk.

Los Muertos 5k Run/Walk – Olvera Street, Downtown LA – Nov. 1
Run and celebrate on the Day of the Dead. Tour historic Olvera Street and enjoy music along the course, finisher medals, and a post-race Dia de los Muertos celebration. 6 a.m. packet pickup at Olvera Street Center Plaza, race begins at 8 a.m.
For more go to: losmuertos5k.com.

Santa Monica Pier – Nov. 1-2, 2025
Santa Monica Pier pays tribute to the cultural tradition of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with a two-day public art installation Nov. 1-2. The sixth annual Santa Monica Pier’s Día de los Muertos Celebration honors people, places, and ideas important to Santa Monican’s through free, family-friendly programming; see santamonicapier.org/diadelosmuertos.

Third Street Promenade_photo Downtown Santa Monica

Santa Monica Third Street Promenade Halloween Trick-or-Treat, Friday, Oct. 31.Children of all ages are welcome for Halloween games, treats, pumpkin decorating and arts & crafts at Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, 3-6 p.m. on Halloween, Friday, Oct. 31.

Find more Halloween-themed events at visitwesthollywood.