Updated October 19, 2026. Halloween and Día de los Muertos share the calendar this weekend, and the best of it is free and close to the water. Confirm times, tickets, and parking on the organizer sites before you go. Schedules move.
This weekend: Oct. 23–25
Oceanside Día de los Muertos Festival — Sunday October 25, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Civic Center Plaza, 300 N. Coast Hwy., Oceanside. Free. The 25th year: altars, a chalk cemetery, a car show, and the catrina contest. Parking is tight, so the organizer suggests taking the train or bus. friendsofoceansidediadelosmuertos.org.
Kiku Matsuri — Sunday October 25, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Hangar 858, 3760 Glenn H. Curtiss Rd., Point Loma. The festival formerly known as Akimatsuri, with a new name and a new home. Tickets on the official site: kiku.org.
Halloween at the Station — Sunday October 25, noon–4 p.m., Ingram Plaza, Liberty Station. Free. Costume contest (pets welcome), trick-or-treating, a car show, and a food drive for Feeding San Diego. libertystation.com.
Halloween Aglow at Birch Aquarium — Friday and Saturday October 23–24, 6–8:30 p.m., La Jolla. After-dark aquarium with a glow-in-the-dark twist. Tickets on the official site: aquarium.ucsd.edu.
LEGOLAND Brick or Treat — Saturday and Sunday October 24–25, LEGOLAND California, Carlsbad. Halloween in brick form for the younger crowd. Heads-up: the water park closes for the season Sunday. legoland.com.