In 2026, October 31 falls on a Saturday, and Carlsbad's daytime Halloween events are scheduled one after another rather than on top of each other. Día de los Muertos at Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Forum Carlsbad starts its Halloween Spooktacular at 2 p.m. and goes until 5. Both are in the 92009 zip code: the ranch at 6200 Flying Leo Carrillo Lane and The Forum at 1923 Calle Barcelona.
If you live in La Costa, Bressi Ranch, Aviara or Rancho Carrillo, you can fill Halloween Saturday without crossing to the coast. The morning is at a ranch Leo Carrillo bought in 1937, and the afternoon is at The Forum's Garden Area.
The Saturday Schedule, Hour by Hour
These times come straight from the city's event page, the City of Carlsbad Halloween roundup posted September 30, and Visit Carlsbad's 2026 Halloween guide:
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: The historic adobe ranch house at Leo Carrillo Ranch is open and decorated for the holiday.
- 10 a.m. to noon: Storytelling inside the hacienda.
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Face painting at the ranch.
- 11 a.m.: Ballet Folklorico de Tapatio de San Dieguito performs.
- 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Halloween in the Village at Village Faire, 300 Carlsbad Village Drive, for anyone heading west.
- 12:30 p.m.: Grupo Bella plays a family-friendly concert at the ranch.
- 2 p.m.: The ranch festival ends, and the Spooktacular at The Forum begins.
- 5 p.m.: The Forum event ends, before porch lights come on at home.
The ranch's last activity block and The Forum's first both fall at 2 p.m., so one event hands off to the next. Most of the morning belongs to the ranch.
Why the Morning Belongs to Leo Carrillo's Ranch
The actor Leo Carrillo bought this land in 1937 and built a retreat modeled on the early Californio ranchos. TV audiences knew him best as Pancho, the sidekick in The Cisco Kid. The city bought the property in 1978 and restored it in phases. It opened to the public as a 27-acre historic park on August 16, 2003.
That history is what makes the Día de los Muertos event fit the place. According to the city, a traditional ofrenda dedicated to the Carrillo family will greet guests, and decorations will fill the grounds. Visit Carlsbad's listing adds a second, community ofrenda where visitors can honor their own loved ones, along with live music, face painting and crafts. The hacienda storytelling session only runs until noon, so families who want it should arrive early.
What to know before you go:
- Cost: Free, and no registration is required.
- Food: Food and drinks are for sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Parking: The city lists extra parking at Carrillo Elementary School.
- Weather: The city says activities may be changed or canceled for bad weather.
The grounds also include Deedie's House, the small art studio Carrillo built for his wife, along with the adobe hacienda and rustic outbuildings. That's the subject of a Coast News feature on the ranch, which also describes the peacocks Carrillo brought to the property in 1937.
The Ranch Keeps the Holiday Through Monday
The festival lasts four hours, but the decorations stay up longer. The city's event page says:
"Leo Carrillo Ranch will remain decorated through Nov. 2. Guests are welcome to visit the park for casual touring during regular park hours to enjoy the holiday decor."
That gives you a quieter option on Sunday, November 1. The city's park page lists free guided tours every Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., each running about 60 to 90 minutes. A Sunday tour would show the ofrendas without the festival crowd. The page doesn't say anything specific about holiday-weekend tours, so check with the park before planning around one.
Omni La Costa Resort & Spa at 2100 Costa Del Mar Road keeps the theme going Sunday night too. Visit Carlsbad's seasonal calendar lists The Brubaker Table: Día de los Muertos Dinner on November 1. The listing doesn't give a time or price.
At 2 p.m., the Day Moves to Calle Barcelona
The Forum Carlsbad's Spooktacular starts in the Garden Area near YETI and continues through the center. Kids in costume can trick-or-treat at participating stores and restaurants. Beetlejuice and the Sanderson Sisters will be at a Haunted Cauldron, and Wednesday Addams will run carnival games alongside live music. Each child gets a free Halloween tote bag, one per child, while supplies last. Kids who arrive at 2 p.m. are more likely to get one than those who show up at 4:30. The listing doesn't mention admission.
The event ends at 5 p.m., in time for neighborhood trick-or-treating at home.
Friday Night Gets the Weekend Started
Because Halloween is on Saturday, Friday, October 30, has its own lineup:
| Event | Where | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mall-O-Ween | The Shoppes at Carlsbad, 2525 El Camino Real | Fri. Oct. 30, 3 to 6 p.m. | Free |
| Haunted Halloween Bash | Pine Avenue Community Center | Fri. Oct. 30, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. | Online registration |
| Haunted Corn Maze | Carlsbad Strawberry Company, 1050 Cannon Road | Fridays and Saturdays in October, including Oct. 30 and 31 | Priced separately from patch admission |
| The Haunted Courtyard Spook-easy | Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, 2100 Costa Del Mar Road | Oct. 30 and 31 | Not listed |
Mall-O-Ween at The Shoppes at Carlsbad offers trick-or-treating at participating stores, a DJ, crafts, photo spots and character meet-and-greets. The city describes its Pine Avenue bash as a warmup before trick-or-treating, with carnival games, inflatables, crafts and a haunted house. The corn maze on Cannon Road is a different kind of outing. Visit Carlsbad says it's designed for teenagers and adults and has more than 30 live scare actors and a doll tunnel. The pumpkin patch there stays open through November 8, with general admission listed at $20 to $25 per person. Pumpkin Palooza at 1200 Laurel Tree Lane costs $3 per person and closes for the season on October 31.
The Weekend Before Has Its Own Plans
Two events on Sunday, October 25, are good for households that would rather celebrate a week early. Seasons Restaurant at 7210 Blue Heron Place hosts a Halloween Tea from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $125 for adults and $85 for children. On the same date, Windmill Food Hall at 890 Palomar Airport Road holds a Halloween Dog Costume Contest & Yappy Hour. The city's Pumpkin Plunge comes earlier, on Saturday, October 17, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Alga Norte Aquatic Center, 6565 Alicante Road. The online registration deadline was October 9, and Visit Carlsbad says tickets may be sold at the door if any are left.
Dinner After, and What's Changing Along Cannon Road
For a sit-down meal after the 5 p.m. handoff, Bressi Ranch has a new spot. The Coast News reported in August that Tommy V's Urban Kitchen & Bar moved across the street into the former Giaola Italian Kitchen space at The Square at Bressi Ranch. That puts it almost next door to Casero Taqueria, which the same Montellano family runs. The paper describes the new room as having a large square bar, a climate-controlled indoor-outdoor patio, an outdoor patio and a private dining room for 12.
If you drive to the corn maze on Cannon Road, you may notice the start of a much bigger project. Crews have begun grading the 93.7-acre Veterans Memorial Park site near Faraday Avenue and Cannon Road. The city expects the park to open in about two years, with a Veterans Memorial Plaza, trails, viewpoints, playgrounds, a bike park and public art, and with more than half the site kept as protected habitat. The city expects work there Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., so Friday afternoon traffic on Cannon Road may still pass active grading, while Saturday and Sunday fall outside the posted hours.
If you'd like to talk about what's opening, moving or being built around La Costa and Bressi Ranch, the team at Shay Realtors follows these changes closely and is happy to share what we're seeing. Talk to a local expert and schedule your free neighborhood consultation.
