October 2025 events calendar for Los Angeles

Don’t go in the water, but do go to the Academy Museum to see the largest exhibition ever dedicated to Steven Spielberg’s original summer blockbuster, Jaws—which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The museum was already home to the last surviving model shark from filming, but now you can go behind the scenes and see some 200 original objects from the film across multiple galleries. Some highlights: a re-creation of the Orca fishing boat, the dorsal fin used both in Jaws and its sequels, costumes worn by the central trio and a room full of vintage film posters and merch promoting the film. There are interactive elements, too: You can have your own Chief Brody dolly-zoom moment (and see the lens used to film the famous shot), play the iconic John Williams two-note score and control a replica of the mechanical shark.

Even after attending a performance, I’m not quite sure how to describe The Cortège, a new experimental theater production from outside-the-box Oakland creative Jeff Hull. (Hull’s 2008 immersive alternate-reality game the Jejune Institute served as the inspiration for the Jason Segel–created TV show Dispatches From Elsewhere.) This latest outing, held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, is a mix of live music, choreography, larger-than-life costumes, large-scale puppetry, a silent disco, a score by artists including TOKiMONSTA, robot dogs and a simultaneous drone show. The abstract, 99% wordless experience is billed as “a festive funeral for our times,” and a nearly two-hour performance filled with striking visuals culminates in a wake of sorts with cups of tea inside an ambient tent. Before the show, food—veggie bowls, gyros, hummus, pita chips and baklava—and drinks are available for purchase. The Cortège was originally scheduled to run through September 28, but the buzzed-about production has been extended through October 19.

Scope out B-movie classics and under-the-radar premieres at Beyond Fest. Held in partnership with American Cinematheque (for which the fest will raise funds), it includes two weeks of screenings and Q&As with actors and filmmakers. You’ll find the films spread across town at the Cinematheque’s three venues: the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, Los Feliz 3 and Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

Oktoberfest, but make it operatic. Lincoln Heights beer and cider brewery Benny Boy already had its traditional Oktoberfest celebration in September, but this Thursday, oompah bands will be supplemented with opera for a “one-night-only celebration of beer, bratwurst, and
belting.” Expecting stein-holding contests, sausages, soft pretzels and lots of singing, aided by the Ladyhosen Band and LA Donauschwaben Dance Group. The ticket price of $35 includes your first drink—Benny Boy will be pouring a special lineup of Oktoberfest brews for the occasion.

The Hammer Museum’s excellent, ongoing series of biennial exhibitions ups the ante with each edition of its spotlight on emerging and under-recognized L.A. artists. This October’s exhibition—the seventh such show—will bring together works from 28 artists, spanning film, painting, theater, photography, sculpture and video, that engage with the city of Los Angeles.

See what’s cutting-edge in the world of horror with a bloody-good selection of indie flicks invading the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres this October. The frightful film festival—hailed as one of the top five film fests in the country by the New York Times—is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a killer lineup of premieres, short films, animation and more. 

Pasadena’s underrated collection of museums and performance spaces open up their doors for free at this biannual arts and culture open house. Take advantage of the free shuttle buses to travel between local institutions such as the USC Pacific Asia Museum, ArtCenter and more, many of which will be offering special programming and performances. And, of course, no arts fest would be complete without food trucks, which often include pop-ups from local bricks-and-mortar.

Embark on a night of culinary adventure at this weekend-long event from the L.A. Times Food section, held at Downtown’s City Market Social House. Each $142 event ticket secures you unlimited food and drink from dozens of the city's top restaurants, wineries and distilleries. Highlights from Friday night’s lineup include Agnes Restaurant and Cheesery, AttaGirl, Dama, Ditroit, Heavy Handed, Jitlada, Ozzy’s Apizza, Park’s BBQ, Rossoblu, Villa’s Tacos and Wanderlust Creamery. On Saturday, don’t miss bites from American Beauty & the Win-Dow, Baroo, Fiorelli Pizza, Holbox (which recently made the inaugural 50 Best Restaurants list), Holy Basil, Luv2eat Thai Bistro and OyBar.

Kooky new wavers the B-52s are sure to get the party started at the Hollywood Bowl when they perform their nostalgic hits (“Rock Lobster,” anyone?). Now in their 60s and 70s but still proudly decked out in technicolor outfits and huge hair onstage, the “Love Shack” quartet will show their audience how to let their freak flags fly in the best way. Joining them as co-headliners are deadpan synth-pop heroes Devo. 

West Hollywood’s chic restaurant and rooftop bar, E.P. & L.P., is serving much more than handcrafted cocktails and modern American bites. The spot also hosts Melrose Rooftop Theatre, an outdoor screening series that runs much of the year on the rooftop space attached to its open-air bar, L.P. After a summer hiatus when it hosted a roller rink instead, it’s back again with screenings in time for spooky season. Its all-VIP seating setup means everyone gets their own bean bag to watch a mix of cult classics and newly released films, with the audio piped in to provided sets of wireless headphones. Opt for the dinner-and-a-movie package and you’ll get a pre-show starter, main and dessert—or you can skip it and just opt for a cocktail during the movie.

Home of the Los Angeles County Fair, the Fairplex turns into a German wonderland for Oktoberfest every Friday and Saturday from October 3 to 18, complete with Bavarian music, beer, games and plenty of chicken dancing. Sink your teeth into bratwurst, knockwurst, pretzels and potato pancakes while knocking back authentic German suds at this 21-plus event with DJs, oompah bands and the Das Kär Show, which will bring over 40 Volkswagen Beetles and other German-made autos to the Fairplex grounds. For those planning to attend the Fairplex’s other October event, the fright-filled Lights Out, revelers can also buy a two-for-one “Boos & Brews” combo ticket for $30.

The old Trois Mec space in Hollywood will finally come alive again with éphémère, a new pop-up series by Ludo Lefebvre. True to its name, each version of éphémère will be short-lived—a one-of-a-kind experience that captures a moment in time and won’t return in the same form again. For the first iteration, the French American chef will be debuting his first vegetarian tasting menu, éphémère: legume. During the four day pop-up (Oct 7–11) Lefebvre will apply classic French technique to locally sourced vegetables, fruits and herbs in unexpected ways. Reservations are $195 per person. 

Brookside at the Rose Bowl will become a pop-up Pink Pony Club for two nights in October as Best New Artist Grammy winner Chappell Roan stops by at the end of her three-city mini tour. The singer wrote on Instagram, “I love these three cities so much + wanted the chance to do something special before going away to write the next album.” Luckily Pasadena made the cut, and at the time of writing you can still snag tickets that won’t break the bank.

Every spring and fall since 1973, artists have descended upon the Beverly Gardens Park to showcase their work to browsers and buyers at this festival (once called the Affaire in the Gardens). This year will feature 235 artists exhibiting paintings, sculptures, watercolors, photography and much more. Set on four blocks along the grassy Santa Monica Boulevard between Rodeo and Rexford Drives, the event will include something for everyone, with free kids’ activities, food trucks, and beer and wine gardens with live music.

In love with all things pounded, breaded and fried? Head to the third iteration of h.wood Group’s Tenderfest. During the daylong food festival in Beverly Hills, enjoy all-you-can-eat chicken tenders from Box Chicken, Chimmelier, Delilah, Happies Hand Made, LaSorted’s, Le Coupe, Pioneer Chicken and even Popeyes. Stop at the sauce station, and pair your poultry with cocktails, beers and a variety of desserts. Plus, celeb chefs Marcus Samuelsson, Tim Hollingsworth, Alex Guarnaschelli and Bun B will go head-to-head in the conTENDER Competition, to be judged by a VIP panel consisting of Diplo, Michael Symon, Alison Wonderland, Rick Lox and Jack’s Dining Room. 

Walk in James Dean’s footsteps as the Griffith Observatory hosts two special anniversary screenings of Rebel Without a Cause—right where key scenes from the movie were filmed. The anniversary aspect here is twofold: First, the Griffith Observatory is celebrating its 90th anniversary and has been marking the occasion all year long with special public programming and events. 2025 also marks 70 years since Rebel’s theatrical release. See the film in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater and enjoy after-hours access to the observatory, which is typically closed on Mondays.

One of L.A.’s best free live-music offerings, Jazz at LACMA has featured legit legends over its three-decade run at the museum. Seating for the program is available in the museum’s plaza on a first-come, first-served basis, though you’re welcome to picnic on the grass, too (you won’t really be able to see the show, but you’ll still hear it). You’ll find the series on Friday evenings in LACMA’s welcome plaza (just behind Urban Light) throughout the summer.

Ahead of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the Getty will hold an afternoon of free activities and performances—including music, comedy, dance, drumming and poetry—to learn about Southern California’s Native American cultures. This year’s theme celebrates libraries and storytelling. Try your hand at collage or zine-making, or head to the garden for a drag storytime hour. 

Dwell’s popular home tours, which grant architecture and design lovers exclusive access to some of the most innovative residences in the country, are back. This time around, the itinerary consists of three private tours of architecturally significant Eastside homes that have been featured in Dwell magazine. Check-in for the tour will take place at the Hollyhock House, where you mingle over coffee and check out the famed Frank Lloyd Wright–designed house.

The Natural History Museum is bringing back its B Movies and Bad Science film series and tying it into its “Fierce! The Story of Cats” exhibition. For three Thursdays this month, catch campy, cult-classic horror films starring cats at the museum’s new NHM Commons theater. The spooky screenings will be supplemented by pre-show activities with with local cat organizations and vendors, post-film discussions and evening access to “Fierce!” First up in the lineup is 1961’s The Shadow of the Cat (Oct 9), followed by 1959’s A Bucket of Blood (Oct 16) and 1964’s The Tomb of Ligeia (Oct 23). 

True blue Valley girls Alana, Danielle and Este Haim bring their brilliant and breezy West Coast harmonies and epic, ‘80s-influenced pop back to their home base for a night at the Forum.

Like a Halloween version of its Yuletide Cinemaland series, Street Food Cinema will turn Heritage Square Museum into a spooky, cinematic playground. On the movie side, you can catch a different double feature each night (picks include American Psycho, Ready or Not and Scream 2, among others) while embarking on Victorian home tours and adult trick-or-treating and perusing food trucks, a bar and market vendors. 

I dreamed a dream that the world’s most popular musical returned to the Pantages. You know the show, you know French history. The “reimagined” production of the bombastic Broadway spectacle Les Mis hits the road with a stop in Hollywood.

Exercise your support for L.A.’s fine artists at the biannual Brewery ArtWalk. Totally free to attend (and park), this open studio weekend takes place at the roomy Lincoln Heights arts complex, where around 100 resident artists show off their new works for purchase or simply the admiration of art loving locals. Chat with midcentury-inspired ceramicists and multimedia sculptors before dining at the Brewery’s on-site restaurant or some food trucks. You’ll return home buzzed on culture, and potentially the proud owner of a one-of-a-kind oil painting.

The millennial nostalgia shows no signs of slowing: By now you’ve likely heard the news that Rilo Kiley is back together. Yep, L.A.’s own indie darlings, led by Jenny Lewis, are in the spotlight again after over a decade apart. Following shows in San Luis Obispo, Ojai and Pasadena’s Just Like Heaven fest, they’re embarking on a reunion tour they’re calling “Sometimes When You’re On You’re Really F**king On,” which wraps up right here in L.A. at the Greek Theatre, with Waxahatchee opening. Due to demand, another show has already been announced for Oct. 14, where SNL’s Kyle Mooney will join Waxahatchee as openers.

Tickets for the shows go on sale Friday, May 16, at 10am here.

The L.A. Zoo’s annual Halloween celebration includes two weekends of spooky decor and up-close-and-personal interactions with some of the zoo’s creepiest crawlers. Look out for trick-or-treating, a spooky storytime, education stations, slime from Sloomoo Institute and photo ops. The animals will get in on the Halloween action, too—from spider monkeys to Tasmanian devils—with pumpkin feedings scheduled a couple of times a day.

From the same folks behind the nightmarish Creep (which is taking the year off), JFI Productions’ The Willows is an immersive play in which you are one of 25 guests at an intimate family gathering at the historic Beckett Mansion near West Adams. The two-hour experience is part dinner theater, part murder mystery and part escape room in which you’ll find yourself in the middle of seven different unfolding narratives. For JFI Productions’ 10th anniversary, it’s promising a fresh story and “new artistic and commercial heights” for the popular event, which is a favorite of celebrities including Trent Reznor and Brie Larson. The  performances before Halloween—two each night—are mostly sold out, but luckily the dates extend into early December, leading up to the opening of a permanent venue.

Everyone’s familiar with Leonard Bernstein’s star-crossed lovers musical, but did you know that the composer originally imagined it as an opera? LA Opera has taken his suggestion and ran with it with an elevated, maximalist and operatic take premiering at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion that incorporates the iconic original choreography and Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics. 

Partake in an educational yet festive Halloween-themed night at the Huntington. Hear a whimsical operatic whodunit from LA Opera, learn about haunted spots throughout California, take an art history tour by candlelight, get up-close and personal with birds of prey, team up and solve cryptic clues about the Huntington’s collections, and let loose at the Red Death Dance Club. Admission includes two drink tickets (food from local vendors is available for purchase). Act fast, though: Tickets for the event typically sell out early.

Every Saturday (and select Fridays) through October 25, this Venice gastropub is throwing a Bavarian celebration with lederhosen and finger-licking fare. Dive into a savory rattlesnake and rabbit hot link topped with onions and peppers, choose from a selection of German and Belgian beers on draft, and enjoy yodeling and live German music. The best part? Each ticket (with noon or 5pm start times on Saturdays and 7pm start times on Fridays) includes a Wurstküche beer stein, with the first fill-up included. Entry isn’t cheap ($72 and up), but the 12 seatings regularly sell out.

See the marionette theater’s family-friendly take on Halloween during the two-month return of its Hallowe’en Spooktacular—a refurbished production of its long-running “boo-sical revue” where you can see over 100 silly and spooky puppets take the stage. New this year is a Día de los Muertos sequence that pays tribute to the holiday, as well as a sneak peek of BBMT’s upcoming Choo Choo Revue—its first new show in 40 years. Once October arrives, each show will include a costume parade, so dressing up is encouraged.

Its past installments have found attendees stealthing their way through a Victorian home and embarking on a Blade Runner-esque bounty hunt. And now this celebrated immersive horror theater event is returning for spooky season at a new location: a century-old Historic-Cultural Monument in DTLA.

Delusion, an interactive seasonal event that combines elements of immersive theater with a more story-based approach to a walk-through haunted house, will take over the Variety Arts Theater from September 18 through Halloween till November 9. This year’s theme, “Harrowing of Hell,” puts you in the role of a supernatural cult member who must pass a Dante’s Inferno–inspired set of challenges.

Hollywood director and action coordinator Jon Braver, who hatched Delusion in 2011, has again teamed up with the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride producers Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group for a “choose your path” staging in which your choices will impact the story progression. Braver also teases a “new creature you will never, ever forget” in this year’s experience.

Tickets don’t come cheap (they start at $113), but for true Halloween devotees, it might be worth it: Delusion regularly ranks among the best haunted houses in the city. There’s also a VIP tier for $40 more that lets you take a peek behind the scenes with a backstage tour and access a reserved lounge.

For one afternoon, more than a dozen Downtown institutions will celebrate their Grand Avenue home with free performances, exhibitions and tours. Most of the action takes place on Grand Avenue between Temple and Sixth Streets. Highlights of this year’s event on October 25 include a singing workshop and a chance to try instruments at the Colburn School; a sugar skull workshop and Halloween necklace-making at the Los Angeles Central Library; LA Opera recitals at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion; a preview of the world’s first museum of AI arts, DATALAND; and a Day of the Dead celebration at Gloria Molina Grand Park. Other participating institutions include the Broad, MOCA, REDCAT, the Music Center, Center Theatre Group, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Grand Performances and Metro, which has a station just off of Grand Avenue atop Bunker Hill.

Plenty of Angelenos take their dogs to street fairs, but what about an event specifically for your furry friend? Enter the Day of the Dog, a free fest on Main Street in Santa Monica (between Ocean Park Boulevard and Strand Avenue) that features over 100 pet-centric vendors and lots of dog-friendly attractions, including a ball pit, a foam party, doggie brunch, a surf machine, a pool party and a Halloween costume contest, plus photo ops, races, a puppuccino bar and 18 tons of snow for dogs to play in.

Part Halloween screening, part haunted house, Street Food Cinema follows up its popular La La Land in Concert with three nights of The Evil Dead (rated NC-17, it’s by far the scariest and darkest of the Sam Raimi trilogy) in October. Composer Joseph LoDuca’s score will be performed live to film by a seven-piece orchestra. But before watching the cult classic, head downstairs for the debut of “The Cellar: An Underground Evil Dead Experience,” where you can brave the Necronomicon universe and a host of deadites yourself.

American Contemporary Ballet opens its 14th season with two new mysterious new ballets—the perfect way for culture vultures to get their Halloween fix. The program consists of “Death and the Maiden,” an otherworldly work set to Franz Schubert’s meditation on death that features opera singers and levitating dancers, followed by “Burlesque: Variation IX,” a follow-up to last October’s “Burlesque”—both performed to live music. You’ll find the hour-and-a-half show at the Bank of America Plaza in DTLA. Stick around afterward for a reception with the dancers and musicians.

This traveling horror-themed Halloween cocktail pop-up will have three locations in L.A. this year: Melrose Umbrella Club in Beverly Grove, the Corner Door in Culver City and the Ordinarie in Long Beach. Halloween lovers can sip expertly mixed cocktails amid metal music and goth decor, including the famous 12-foot-tall skeleton from Home Depot. Drink highlights include the Corpse Flower (tequila blanco, ube syrup, Giffard Banane, lime juice, sherry) and the Creature’s Curse (rice-washed rye and rum, sherry, sweet potato or pumpkin syrup, bitters). Non-alcoholic options will also be available.

Murder ballads are always wickedly fun, and especially around Halloween. Cultural center 2220 Arts + Archives will again welcome a lineup of singer-songwriters—including Anna Ash, Bloody Death Skull, Eleni Mandell, Emily Rose, Jamie Drake, Jenny Greenteeth, Kaycie Satterfield, Laena Myers & Cole Berliner and more—to entertain us with their favorite tunes about wicked deeds, crimes of passion, ghosts and nightmares. The set list will span both centuries-old ballads and contemporary tunes, as well as originals by the bands. 

Held over two weekends (Oct 11–12, 18–19), this Oktoberfest celebration combines Santa Anita’s famous horse races with the best of the Bavarian fall festival, including stein-holding and costume contests, a corn hole competition, musical chairs, keg rolling, pretzels—and beer of course. Each $38 general admission ticket includes a mini tasting stein and eight three-ounce beer tastings, as well as a $5 betting voucher, a tip sheet and access to grandstand seating at the race track. A pricier $75 VIP group ticket (with a three-person minimum) secures you picnic table seating and a $20 food voucher. 

Take your pup with you to this dog-friendly comedy show at the Annenberg PetSpace, with a headlining set from Adam Conover. Caitlin Benson hosts, with support from DJ vfresh. Tickets include two drinks, and a portion of ticket sales will benefit the PetSpace Extraordinary Care Fund.

The term CicLAvia stems from a similar Spanish word for “bike way,” and in L.A. it’s become a shorthand for the temporary, festival-like closing of L.A.’s streets. The event welcomes bikes, tricycles, skateboards, strollers and basically anything else without an engine to ride a rotating cast of car-free routes. This time around, CicLAvia is celebrating its 15th birthday with a 7.15-mile route covering Westlake, Downtown, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Arts District and Boyle Heights. Expect music, street performances and food trucks, as well as general whimsy and shenanigans along the way. Shop owners and restaurants along the CicLAvia route also tend to host specials. It goes without saying that you should bike or take the Metro to your desired spot along the route.

Go pumpkin picking in the pines as this Halloween-themed month of activities hits a perennially-Christmas Lake Arrowhead amusement park. On weekends in October, SkyPark at Santa’s Village hosts its Pumpkins in the Pines activities, which—you guessed it—sees pumpkins and hay bales covering the grounds of the park.

Though the park is open select days during the week, the Hallowen activities are limited to Saturdays and Sundays. That’s when you’ll typically find pumpkin picking and painting, cookie decorating, a puppet and magic show, an after-dark light show and trick-or-treating.

Reservations aren’t required, but you can secure a better rate by buying tickets in advance. Also, just a heads up that some activities like cookie decorating and face painting cost a few bucks extra.

Grab a cold one and gather ’round for a daylong celebration of America’s favorite beverage when the LA Beer Fest goes Bavarian. The popular festival at Los Angeles Center Studios is returning with an Oktoberfest edition featuring 50 local breweries and a beer village with over 30 Bavarian brews, along with a dozen food trucks and live music. Tickets include unlimited beer samplings (food is sold separately); choose from either a GA ticket or a connoisseur ticket, which will get you access to a VIP lounge and event deck, tacos, exclusive beers and commemorative steins.

Love all things Arts and Crafts? This Pasadena event celebrates the earthy architectural movement with a fair that features fare from over 200 artisans—think handcrafted jewelry, ceramics, textiles, fine art, home décor and gourmet treats. You’ll also find workshops, demos, wine tasting and live music.

The Los Angeles Conservancy’s popular summer series is popping up for its first fall edition, bringing two Halloween screenings to the historic Million Dollar Theater in DTLA. Catch a matinee of classic comedy Young Frankenstein at 2pm, followed by Stephen King’s Carrie at 8pm. A pair of pre-movie tours of the venue are sold out, but you can still admire the theater’s architecture while you wait for the feature presentation.

Halloween time can be a bit scary for kids—we’ve all been there—so for a less frightening affair, head to the Original Farmers Market for its children-friendly Fall Festival: Carnival games, a petting zoo, crafts and a pumpkin patch (for a small fee) are all mainstays at this annual harvest fest. Come in costume, catch a musical performance and explore the always-delicious treats at the market.

Sure, it doesn’t look so glamorous now, but give it a few years, a billion or so dollars and some steady rain, and the L.A. River will be a point of civic pride for Angelenos. Do your part in the meantime at the Friends of the Los Angeles River’s 35th annual cleanup, which is expanding to two weekends this year. Rather than focusing on one spot, the events will tackle multiple locations on October 11 and 18: the Willow Street Bridge in Long Beach, Bond Park in Atwater Village, the Sepulveda Basin in the Valley, and Compton Creek just steps from the Metro A Line.

This Mexico City art car bound for Burning Man became an L.A. mainstay for its dance-centric pop-ups—and spawned a bona fide EDM institution in the process. The beloved car was destroyed in a fire in 2023, thus putting an end to its decade-long run. However, a new iteration of the car, Mayan Warrior Galaxyer, was debuted last year, and local event collective Stranger Than is promising an event “bigger than ever before” this year, with the full art car experience, an all-star lineup of artists and brand-new production elements at Grand Park.

The only thing better than a haunted attraction is a haunted attraction on a giant boat—which has its own haunted history. You’ll find all the usual horrors here—think fog, mazes and countless monsters. What sets Dark Harbor apart is its use of its surroundings; the dark, cramped confines of the Queen Mary are already pretty spooky even without monsters—just be prepared to climb a lot of skinny staircases. The event’s 2025 “Summoned by the Seas” iteration dives further into the ocean liner’s lore with new and reimagined mazes set in the ship’s swimming pool, kitchen and staterooms. When you tire of the terror, take a spin on the carnival rides, sip spirits at secret speakeasies or catch spooky live entertainment.

It feels like Oktoberfest all year round at Silver Lake’s long-running Red Lion Tavern, but it’s especially festive in the fall, when it celebrates the Bavarian tradition on weekends through mid-November. Order the Oktoberfest platter—an epic array of pretzels, brats, schnitzel and sides—alongside a four-liter boot of beer, or a collector’s stein designed by the local Bad Bean Studio. Check the bar’s Instagram for programming updates.

The TikTok influencer turned pop star brings the surprisingly distinct sound of her debut album, Addison, on the road, including a stop in L.A. at the Wiltern.

This is one of the largest Halloween street parties in the world, and there’s really no better place to be on October 31st. Sure, the crowd is huge (like, a half-million people huge) and a bit belligerent, but the amazing display of costumes and general merry-making spirit deem it at least a worthy stop, if not your main destination for the evening. There will be dancing, drinking and many impromptu costume contests. Even if you don’t plan on entering one, it’s best to still come dressed to the nines—no one likes a party pooper in jeans and a T-shirt. Find it along Santa Monica Boulevard, between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard.

See our guide to the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval.

Encounter free-roaming monsters and 10 terrifying mazes—think: a zoo with animal-human hybrids, a convalescent home with “spider-possessed residents” and a greatest-hits parade of past Knotts monsters—as well as a “boo-fet” dinner and all sorts of other haunted houses and attractions at the OC theme park for 26 nights during Halloween season.

Before achieving mainstream success with Fun, singer Nate Ruess fronted indie pop darling the Format. After the pandemic scrapped plans for a reunion, Ruess will finally rejoin multi-instrumentalist Sam Means for a limited tour, including this October 10 stop on the Fairbanks Lawn at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Upping the aughts nostalgia: “California” scribes Phantom Planet open the show.

Anaïs Mitchell’s transporting musical makes a hit from a myth, transporting audiences to the underworld alongside Orpheus, Eurydice, King Hades and Persephone. Check out our full review of Hadestown during its Broadway run before the Tony winner for best musical returns to Los Angeles, this time around stopping at the Pantages.

The beloved Bob Baker Marionette Theater is staging free, family-friendly performances at Barnsdall Art Park outside the Hollyhock House. Spread out a blanket and enjoy a 30-minute puppet show, followed by free art activities for all.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles is behind this trio of doggie- and beer-centric Oktoberfest events (though two are in September) at local breweries. First up is a daytime affair at Common Space Brewing in Hawthorne, which will mark the occasion with dog-friendly vendors, pet caricatures, a weiner dog race at 2pm (entry fee proceeds will benefit spcaLA) and, for humans, a stein-making pottery class at 4pm. Later on, dog-friendly Los Angeles Ale Works in Culver City will host its own version with adoptable pups (Sept 26), followed by a similar event at the Ale Works outpost in Hawthorne (Oct 17).  

When he’s not busy penning songs with Taylor Swift, playing guitar in Fun or racking up Grammys, you can catch Antonoff fronting his ’80s-inspired indie pop moniker, Bleachers. Catch them at Irvine’s Great Park Live for a mini-festival, Shadow of the City, with sets from Remi Wolf, the Maine, hemlocke springs, Bartees Strange, Chris Fleming and Cassandra Coleman.

Santa Monica will host crafts, performances and larger-than-life art installations during this Day of the Dead event at Third Street Promenade. Look out for paper mache sculptures by local artist Ricardo Soltero, who’s created pieces especially for Santa Monica. You’ll also find community altars, a Latinx pop-up market, free face painting for kids, and ballet folklórico and Aztec dancers.

Watch a slate of horror films from one of the prettiest rooftops in Hollywood at this outdoor screenings series. The Montalbán’s Halloween block includes showings of The Addams Family, Beetlejuice, The Lost Boys, Death Becomes Her, American Psycho, Shaun of the Dead, Hocus Pocus and more.

This Denver-originated Halloween attraction returns to L.A. with thousands of hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns lining a pathway at a new location this year: the beautiful South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes. Pumpkin light shows, bounce pads, inflatables and festive food complete the family-friendly experience.

For more than 50 years, this venue has drawn theatre aficionados to its storied, open-air stage for engaging productions in a magical setting. The 299-seat amphitheater in Topanga Canyon hosts audiences of all ages for plays from a wide range of genres, from Shakespearean classics to folk tales. The summer season, whose theme is “A Season of Resilience,” stretches into October with highlights such as William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as a Malibu-themed retelling of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull and Strife by Nobel Prize-winning writer and activist John Galsworthy.

Listen to classical and jazz in a dome more than a mile above L.A. during this mountaintop concert series. The Mount Wilson Observatory is hosting monthly concerts this summer inside the dome of its 100-inch Hooker telescope, which was the largest telescope in the world for much of the first half of the 20th century. Tickets cost $60 (that also includes access to the exhibit at the observatory) and it’s highly recommended that you buy them in advance since seating is limited. You’ll need to be able to climb 53 steps to reach the dome, and children under 12 aren’t permitted. 

The Academy Museum is hosting a day of spooky silver-screen experiences, looking at Halloween through a cinematic lens. Expect ghostly gallery tours, appearances by Universal Studios monsters, a voice-acting workshop, palm reading and special-effects makeup demonstrations by three Academy members. (The makeup demos and character meet-and-greet don’t even require a museum ticket.) There’s also a trio of separately ticketed spooky screenings that explore the “crossroads between the monstrous and the feminine in film”: Bride of Frankenstein (11am), The Love Witch in 35mm (2:30pm) and Jennifer’s Body (7:30pm).

See Danny Elfman step back into the role of Jack Skellington for a live performance and screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas at the Hollywood Bowl.

The concert has become somewhat of a staple in L.A.: Elfman staged similar shows at the Hollywood Bowl in 2015, ’16 and ’18, and over at what’s now BMO Stadium in 2021—before heading back to the Bowl in ’23, where the voice behind the Pumpkin King will return once again for this Halloween tradition.

The concert-meets-movie event is set to bring a costume contest and trick-or-treating in tow, as well a slate of special guests, including Janelle Monáe (Sally), Keith David (Oogie Boogie), Riki Lindhome (Shock) and John Stamos (Lock). Conductor John Mauceri leads a full orchestra and choir.

Tickets go on sale September 5; a portion of each will support the L.A. County Parks Foundation in restoring parks damaged by this year’s wildfires.

Each year the Walt Disney Concert Hall adds a little bit of Frank Gehry architecture to Halloween with a silent film screening accompanied by a live soundtrack by organist Clark Wilson for an extra eerie feel. This year, take a seat for the silent 1923 masterpiece The Hunchback of Notre Dame, starring Lon Chaney as Quasimodo.

Santa Monica’s annual seafood festival is back at the Santa Monica Pier, where attendees can line up for unlimited seafood, beer and wine tastings, plus live music, oyster shucking, eating competitions, carnival games and more. Culinary highlights include Michael’s Santa Monica, Soko Sushi and Westside newcomer Al Dente Pasta Shop. This year’s event doubles as the closing event for LA Tech Week and will be the first time Off the Hook has eliminated all single-use plastics. A portion of the proceeds also goes towards Heal the Bay.

Following a successful first outing, this Sunset Strip vinyl fair is back with a spooky twist. Once again, you’ll find a vinyl and music memorabilia market in the Pink Dot parking lot, as well as some Halloween-inspired activations. Mix and mingle among booths from an expanded lineup of more than 50 local record stores and vintage vendors. Tickets are free, but reservations are encouraged and can be made here. The fair also kicks off the first-ever Sunset Strip Costume Bar Crawl, which will run through November 2 with food and drink specials, DJ sets, live music, parties and trick-or-treat stops.

Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group hosts a chilling series of vignettes that’s been named one of Yelp’s top 10 scariest haunts in the country. Armed with a shoddy flashlight to illuminate their path, guests navigate a labyrinth of terror both before and after watching a series of shocking scenes (over the course of roughly 40 minutes) that will unsettle even the most stoic of horror fans. The haunted house-slash-theater experience is celebrating 20 years of scaring audiences.

Want to peer through the eyepiece of Mt. Wilson’s historic telescopes? Your best and most economical bet just might be one of the Talks & Telescopes events. These monthly Saturday-night astronomy lectures are followed up with a few hours of stargazing on portable telescopes on the grounds as well as the 60 and 100-inch telescopes for only $50 (a fraction of the price of the observatory’s late-night stargazing sessions).

The frontman of the moody OC surf rock band the Growlers has since gone solo, but he continues the band’s tradition of performing Halloween shows at the Hollywood Palladium. Expect a set made up entirely of songs from his surf-psych band.

The iconic Hollywood Roosevelt hotel is hosting some poolside screenings this sumer. Tickets are super reasonable ($12). And don’t worry if it’s a chilly night: Towels, blankets and heaters are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Find the series running every Thursday night.

The San Bernardino rave scene injects itself with a bit of Halloween flair at this annual music fest. Insomniac Events—the group behind EDC and the Wonderland series—is setting up multiple stages at the NOS Events Center; headliners include Marshmello B2B DJ Snake, Alesso, RL Grime, Porter Robinson, deadmau5 and more. Explore the grounds to find mazes alongside ominous artwork and freak show performers.

Held in the so-called Alps of Southern California, Lake Arrowhead’s all-ages Oktoberfest runs every weekend from September 20 to October 26 this year, hosting live German American oompah bands, stein-holding and dance contests, children’s games and a daily sausage toss. Although there’s no entry fee, attendees are advised to book picnic (for up to eight people, $100–$150 on Saturdays, $50–$100 on Sundays) or pub tables (for up to four, $50–$100 on Saturdays, $25–$50 on Sundays) to secure seats closer to the stage. This year, the event is being held in a new venue, the picturesque Waterfront Park.

Panic! at the Disco and Blink-182 top the now-annual Las Vegas festival that features just about every emo-pop act from the early 2000s. Seriously, we’re not kidding: Weezer, Avril Lavigne, the Offspring, All Time Low, the Used, Knocked Loose, the Gaslight Anthem, Bad Religion, Yellowcard and more are all set to take over the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on October 18 and 19, 2025, with a special focus on each band’s most beloved album.

Treat your ears to a vibrant concert on a spring or summer night this year by attending MUSE/IQUE’s annual program. This monthly series of performances, held at cultural venues across L.A., features a mix of performances inspired by music movements and public figures, including tributes to Ray Charles, immigrant film composers, the Memphis sound, Etta James and more. The best way to attend is to become a MUSE/IQUE member; you could make a $75 donation to the performing arts nonprofit for a single event (with the exception of September’s free open house), but if you’re interested in more than just one, it’s cheaper per event to become a full-fledged member.

On select Saturday afternoons in the summer, the historic Mount Wilson Observatory screens a decades-spanning lineup of sci-fi and astronomy-inspired shorts and feature-length films. Unlike the San Gabriel Mountains site’s concert series and stargazing sessions, Matinees on the Mountain won’t take place inside the dome of the 100-inch telescope. Instead, screenings will take place inside the 256-seat auditorium inside the astronomical museum, the same venue used for the site’s Talks & Telescopes lectures.

L.A.’s star-studded lecture series returns—both virtually and in person—with a lineup of writers, artists, performers, scientists and business leaders who will graciously blow your mind. For both online and IRL events, you’ll often have the option of purchasing a signed copy of the speaker’s book, as well. October highlights include talks with Werner Herzog, Tim Curry, Judd Apatow and Marc Maron.

Head to the mountains for the annual Oktoberfest at Big Bear Lake, where you’ll be able to clink steins every weekend from September to early November. Beer will be flowing, knockwursts will be cooked up, and dirndls will be worn. The entertainment lineup includes numerous bands—many straight from Germany—and other performances, and one lucky damsel will be named the Oktoberfest Queen when she wins the stein-carrying contest. Others can test their skills with free log-sawing, stein-holding and chugging competitions.

The Skirball’s latest pop culture exhibition takes a deep dive into the six-decade career of legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby. You might know him as the co-creator of Captain America, Black Panther, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and some of the Marvel universe’s most cosmic characters. But did you know he was also a first-generation Jewish American born to immigrant parents, World War II veteran and family man who split his time between New York and Los Angeles?

The exhibition only occupies a few small galleries, but it’s stuffed with information about Kirby’s life, as well as pristine prints of issues plus his original comic illustrations—many on view for the first time. It’s not just a Marvel showcase, either: You’ll find some of the work Kirby did for DC, plus personal collages, a drawing he gave to Paul and Linda McCartney, and a fantastic reproduction of a costume he designed for a UC Santa Cruz production of Julius Caesar.

Though not explicitly framed this way, the exhibition also presents a clear-as-day retort to any contemporary fans who decry comic book stories today as too “political”: Marvel has been political from the very start. Kirby’s cover for the first issue of Captain America features Cap punching Hitler—a full year before America would break its isolationist policies and enter WWII. The fifth issue follows Captain America in a battle against the German American Bund, a domestic Nazi organization that staged an infamous rally inside Madison Square Garden. And a concept design for Black Panther reminds visitors that the first Black superhero was born in the midst of the civil rights movement.

Billing itself as “Orange County’s biggest party since 1977,” the Old World Oktoberfest promises enough beers, brats and bands to make you feel like you’re in Munich—albeit with better ocean views. Every Wednesday through Sunday between September 7 and November 9, this re-created Bavarian village will offer a sausage-filled menu, oompah and German bands, a biergarten, dancing and more. While Old World’s Oktoberfest is 21-plus with a cover charge on Friday and Saturday evenings, it’s open to families and revelers of all ages on Saturday afternoons and other nights. (Entry is free on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday nights, as well as Saturday afternoons, just book ahead online.)

Face your fears and head to the Natural History Museum’s Spider Pavilion, where you can observe several hundred orbweaver spiders in a living exhibit just outside of the museum. Scared the spiders might be hard to spot in the wild? Fret not. In previous iterations, we’ve spotted ones about the size of an adult’s palm. Gulp. (But don’t worry: The scariest ones are in enclosed habitats.) 

Japan House Los Angeles is bringing an exhibition of shokuhin sampuru—hyper-realistic food replicas that have crossed over from marketing tool to art form (think Is It Cake? but cultural)—to Los Angeles for the first time. See mouthwatering faux food representing each of Japan’s 47 prefectures, from coffee house parfaits to izakaya skewers, as well as Chinese and Western cuisine, and try your own hand at food presentation by filling a bentō box yourself.

On the 50th anniversary of the Norton Simon Museum, look back to when Simon took over management of the Pasadena Art Museum in 1975, then ahead to the museum’s exciting future at this retrospective exhibition. See rare photos from the museum’s archives, and learn about the history of its major acquisitions, exhibitions, building and gardens—which are currently undergoing a transformation.

Right on the heels of the release of his new film, Mickey 17, director Bong Joon Ho steps into the spotlight at the Academy Museum’s latest “Director’s Spotlight” exhibition (past subjects have included Spike Lee and Agnès Varda). The first-ever museum show dedicated to the Oscar-winning South Korean filmmaker will trace Ho’s career, creative process and cinematic influences. See over 100 storyboards, research materials, posters, concept art, creature models, props and on-set photos from the director’s archive and personal collection. On opening day, March 23, catch screenings of Okja (2pm) and Parasite (7:30pm) in the David Geffen Theater—Ho himself will be there in person.

The Getty Villa reopens to the public five and a half months after its Palisades Fire closure with this international loan exhibition dedicated to the Greek Mycenaean civilization and the kingdom of Pylos, which Homer immortalized in the Iliad and Odyssey. It’s the first major museum show in North America devoted to the Late Bronze Age Mycenaeans. See treasures excavators unearthed from Messenia, the Palace of Nestor and burial sites including the tomb of the Griffin Warrior (1450 BCE)—think clay tablets, gold cups, ornate weapons and tiny signets and sealstones adorned with awe-inspiring amounts of detail. 

More than 50 works on display at the Autry showcase how indigenous artists have crafted visions of alternative futures in the face of enduring colonial trauma, with surreal spacescapes from Wendy Red Star, pop culture commentaries by Andy Everson and a site-specific space odyssey created by Virgil Ortiz.

The Natural History Museum’s taxidermy dioramas turn a century old this year, and to celebrate the museum is reviving an entire hall of displays that’ve been dark for decades. Expect some fresh approaches to these assembled snapshots of the wilderness, including alebrijes made of recycled materials, a crystalline depiction of pollution and a tech-driven display of the L.A. River.