It’s exactly one week before Halloween. But for those ghouls and goblins who can’t wait, there are a few spooky events specially geared toward boo-giners.
HauntFest on Main
Friday, downtown El Cajon’s Main Street turned into a family-friendly haunt festival.
The third annual event features live music on two stages, costume contests, carnival rides, a kids zone, a terror truck, a pumpkin patch and more.
HauntFest is located at Main Street and Rea Street. Admission is free and the event goes from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Halloween Family Day
Balboa Park has always been a great family get-together spot. This weekend is no different. The whole family can kick off Halloween with an array of free hands-on activities and free admission for children under 12 with a paid adult at more than two dozen participating museums.
The museums will present creepy craft projects, gallery tours and ghost story telling.
The Halloween Family Day goes from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Boulevard BOO! Parade
Before there were any haunted attractions in San Diego, there was the Boulevard Boo! Parade.
Hosted by the College Area Business District, San Diego’s only Halloween parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday on El Cajon Boulevard from 59th Street eastward to Rolando Boulevard.
After the parade, there is an AfterBOO Community Carnival & Float Award’s Ceremony at the College Ave Baptist Church, 4747 College Ave.
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. there will be live music, carnival rides, games, drinks and food trucks.
Nightmare on Normal Street
For a decidedly more adult fare, there’s Hillcrest’s Halloween street party, Nightmare on Normal Street on Saturday.
The dance party takes place on Normal Street, between University Avenue and Harvey Milk Street. Glee star Alex Newell will MC the festival.
The event is an all-ages, with a fright zone and soda bar.
Admission is $10.
Monster Manor Lite Frite and Boomont Manor.
If you have haunted attractions but your wee ones are too you to go, don’t worry. There are two attractions in San Diego that caters to young children.
Monster Manor Lite Frite in Mira Mesa claims to be the first haunted attraction to cater to families with young children in San Diego and offers a lighter fair of its nighttime haunt where the scary zombies, vampires, ghosts and goblins are chained up and kept inside their boxes and the friendly spirits come out and play.
This Saturday and Sunday, from noon until 4 p.m. (box office closes at 3:30 p.m.), kids are given a guided tour through the Ghastley Manor, where mysterious things have been happening and help solve the mystery.
Lite Frite is recommended for children ages 2 and older. Tickets are $5 per person.
Boomont Manor in Belmont Park offers a haunted attraction for kids ages 7 to 12 years old. The Manor, which is in its second year of operation, is a scary maze that promises to bring and chills and thrills.
Tickets are $6 per person.