Halloween for Kids, Pumpkin Patches & Harvest Events in SLO County

Pumpkin Patches and Trick or Treating in San Luis Obisopo County

Events

[ To see family-friendly events that are not Halloween events, go to the family-friendly events page. ]


October 1 - 5, 2024 - Halloween Costume Exchange for Kids and Teens at Arroyo Grande Library.  Costume Exchange at the Library! Free! Visit the library and pick out your costume or share an old costume you don't need anymore. No donation needed to participate. For babies, kids, and teens only. Read my personal review about Arroyo Grande Library. Address: 800 W. Branch, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

October 5, 2024 (Sat) - Halloween Costume Exchange for Kids and Teens at Atascadero Library Polin Community Room from 11AM - 3PM. Costume Exchange at the Library! Free! Visit the library and pick out your costume. No donation needed to participate. Address: 6555 Capistrano Ave., Atascadero, CA 93422

October 5, 2024 (Sat) - Halloween Swap: Books and Costumes for Tweens and Teens at SLO Library Teens Area from 2PM - 4PM. For October, the Teen Book Swap will host a Halloween costume exchange! Come by with your family and get some free books and exchange your old costumes for some new ones! Teen Book Swap is located in the Teen Area on the second floor of the SLO Library. Read my personal review about Downtown San Luis Obispo Library. Address: 995 Palm Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93403

October 8 - 12, 2024 - Halloween Costume Exchange for Kids and Teens at Oceano Library. Visit the library and pick out your costume or share an old costume you don't need anymore. No donation needed to participate. For babies, kids, and teens only. Address: 1511 19th Street, Oceano, CA 93445

October 11, 2024 (Fri) - Halloween Costume Exchange at Cambria Library. Visit the library and pick out your costume. No donation needed to participate. Address: 1043 Main Street, Cambria, CA 93428

October 12, 2024 (Sat) - Halloween Costume Exchange at Shandon Library. Visit the library and pick out your costume. No donation needed to participate. Address: 195 N. 2nd Street, Shandon, CA 93461

October 15 - 19, 2024 - Halloween Costume Exchange for Kids and Teens at Nipomo Library. Free! Visit the library and pick out your costume or share an old costume you don't need anymore. No donation needed to participate. For babies, kids, and teens only. Address: 918 W. Tefft, Nipomo, CA 93444

October 16, 2024 (Wed) - Halloween Crafts for Kids at Shandon Library from 2:30PM - 3:30PM.They will be making Halloween-themed pinecone projects. No registration required. This is for kids who are 5 years old and up. Address: 195 N. 2nd St., Shandon, CA 93461

October 16, 2024 (Wed) - Kids' Craft Club at Atascadero Library Polin Community Room from 3:30PM - 4:15PM. Make a Halloween craft to take home! This is for ages: 6 - 12 years old. Address: 6555 Capistrano Ave., Atascadero, CA 93422

October 19, 2024 (Sat) - Halloween Costume Exchange at San Miguel Library. Free! Visit the library and pick out your costume. No donation needed to participate. Address: 254 13th Street, San Miguel, CA 93451

October 19, 2024 (Sat) - Frankenpumpkin Kids Craft at Outdoor Supply Hardware in Pismo Beach from 10AM - 1PM. Decorate a mini pumpkin and take it home. They will supply hardware, decorations, and a free pumpkin. Free for kids 12 and younger, accompanied by an adult. I went to this event last year with my kids and it was very fun! Address: 825 N. Oak Park Blvd., Pismo Beach, CA 93449    

October 19, 2024 (Sat) - Golden Oak Honey & Pumpkin Festival and Kids' Flea Market from 10AM - 5PM in Downtown City Park in Paso Robles.[ Not a trick or treating event. Fall theme event only. ] Free admission. Honey, pumpkin pie eating contest, antiques, arts, crafts, and misc merchandise along with a special area for the Kid's Flea Market. Address: Spring St &, 12th St, Paso Robles, CA 93446

October 20, 2024 (Sun) - Free "Boo-tanical" Family Day at San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden from 10AM - 2PM. Come and decorate a pumpkin, go on a photo scavenger hunt, get your face painted, and listen to a story! There will be a crafts, activities, balloons, and a tasty treat or two. Costumes encouraged! (From the description, this does not look like a trick or treating event.) In the past when I'd come for Free Family Day, I still just had to pay $3 to park there. Address: 3450 Dairy Creek Road San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

October 22 - 25 (Tues - Fri) - Halloween Exchange for Kids & Teens at Shell Beach Library. Visit the library and pick out your costume or share an old costume that you don't need anymore. No donation needed to participate. For babies, kids, and teens only. Address: 230 Leeward Ave., Pismo Beach, CA 93449

October 25, 2024 (Fri) - Boo Bash at Meadow Park from 4PM - 7PM. Free event. Canned food donations are encouraged to support the local SLO Food Bank. Sensory-free Haunted House is from 4PM - 4:30PM, Lights-on-kid-friendly Haunted House is from 4:30PM - 5:30PM and Traditional Haunted House is from 5:30PM - 7PM. There will be games, Photo Booth, food trucks, a movie and haunted house. Address: 2251 Meadow St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

October 25, 2024 (Fri) - Annual Trunk or Treat at Ramona Garden Park in Grover Beach from 5PM - dark. Free event. Safe trick-or-treating. I've been to this great community event before! See a picture that I captured below from the event.

Address: 993 Ramona Ave., Grover Beach, CA 93433

October 25 & 26, 2024 - Halloween Carnival and Haunted Maze: 2 Day Monster Mash in Arroyo Grande. This is a 2-day Halloween event at Elm Street Park (corner of Ash and Elm streets). Children of all ages and adults are invited to enjoy unlimited bounce-n-play, carnival games for candy and toy prizes, food vendors, the haunted maze, a costume contest and a pumpkin decorating contest, and more! To enter the pumpkin decorating contest participants should bring decorated pumpkins from home. This is not a free event! Tickets for the carnival and maze can be purchased at the Recreation office, 1221 Ash Street, or at the door. Address for GPS: 1221 Ash St, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

October 25 & 26, 2024 - SLO Elks Lodge 15th Annual Haunted House and Carnival. Free entry event that they are opening to the public. I'm seeing two different sources saying the times are different from each other for some reason. Some say it starts at noon and some say 5PM - 9PM so I'll have to update this when it is clearer. Bounce house, carnival games, candy and treats. Address: 222 Elks Lane, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

October 26, 2024 (Sat) - Pumpkins in the Park at Dinosaur Caves from 10AM - 1PM, followed by Downtown Trick or Treating in Pismo Beach from 12PM - 2PM. There are two locations to these events but they are planned by the same organizers. In order to get a map of the trick or treating businesses in the past that I've attended for this, you'd come to the Pumpkins in the Park first and get a a list of businesses that are participating in the trick or treating event that takes place in downtown. I'm guessing it'll be the same thing this year. Address to Dinosaur Caves: 2701 Price St Pismo Beach, CA 93449 and Address to Downtown for GPS as a guess without attending the event yet this (I may upload it that day if I happen to attend and have the list in hand): Pomeroy Ave & HWY 1, Pismo Beach, CA 93449

October 26, 2024 (Sat) - Wiggle Waggle Fall Festival 2024 at Woods Humane Society from 12PM - 3PM. This is a community pet celebration event. Address: 875 Oklahoma Ave., San Luis Obispo, CA

October 26, 2024 (Sat) - Halloween at the Market at SLO Public Market from 1PM - 6PM. Live music, trick or treat, costumes, vendors, photobooth, food and drinks for sale, bounce slide. Address: 3845 S Higuera St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

October 26, 2024 (Sat) - Morro Bay Trick or Treat from 2:30PM - 5:30PM. 10th Annual Morro Bay Trick or Treat in Downtown Morro Bay is an event for kids to go trick or treating at businesses. There will also be face painting, photo booth, haunted trolley and live music. Address for GPS: 307 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay, CA 93442

October 26, 2024 (Sat) - Trunk or Treat at SLO City Church from 5PM - 7PM. Open to the public. There will be inflatables, candy, games, prizes and pizza. Costumes encouraged. Address: 1150 Laurel Ln., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

October 25 &  26, 2024 (Fri & Sat) - Zoo Boo at the Charles Paddock Zoo from 5PM - 8PM. They now have two different dates. Bring the entire family out to a not-too-scary evening at Zoo Boo! You can expect Halloween decorations throughout the Zoo, carnival games, a costume contest, Halloween-themed activities, a haunted house, and tricks & treats to enjoy! Admission is $16 for regular admission, $15 for Zoo members and free for kids 2 years old and under. Tickets are purchased at the zoo. We went to this event before! See my instagram reel of our experience from the past at Zoo Boo at Charles Paddock Zoo. Address: 9100 Morro Rd., Atascadero, CA 93422

October 27, 2024 (Sun) - 1st Annual Halloween Bash at Nipomo Feed & Ranch Supply from 12PM - 5PM. Nipomo Feed and Ranch Supply presents our first annual Halloween Event! We will have Face Painting by Inspirational Art Center (Free) , games, arts and crafts, hay maze, roping and bounce houses. Address: 1275 North Thompson Ave., Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
       
October 27, 2024 (Sun) - Trunk or Treat at Sunken Gardens from 4PM - 6PM. Free event hosted by 5 local churches. There will be candy, games and food vendors. Address: 5545 Ardilla Ave, Atascadero, CA 93422

October 31, 2024 (Thurs) - Safe & Fun Halloween Downtown in Paso Robles from 3PM - 6PM. Free event. GPS: Starts at 12th and Park Streets, Paso Robles, CA 93446

October 31, 2024 (Thurs) - Templeton Trick or Treat on Main Street from 3:30PM - 6PM. Businesses between Gibson Rd and 8th St., will open their doors for trick or treaters. Address for GPS: Gibson Rd & S. Main St., Templeton, CA 93465

October 31, 2024 (Thurs) - Trunk or Treat at San Simeon Restaurant/Lodge from 4:30PM - 6PM. Address: 9520 Castillo Drive., San Simeon, CA 93452

October 31, 2024 (Thurs) - Trick or Treat Downtown in Atascadero from 5PM - 8PM. Free event. People and pets of all ages are welcome to come and enjoy family, children, and pet costume contests, games, and of course, Trick or Treating! Address for GPS: 6905 El Camino Real, Atascadero, CA 93422

October 31, 2024 (Thurs) - Oceano Plaza 1st Annual Trunk or Treat from 5PM - 8PM. Free event. There will be classic vehicles, a dj, games, churros, popcorn, candy, food for purchase & more! They will present trophies for best costume contest & a pet costume contest, as well as a car contest. All are welcome to join this fun, filled, family, community event. Address: Corner of 17th & Beach street in Oceano, CA 93445

October 31, 2024 (Thurs) - Halloween Festivities at the Downtown SLO Farmers Market from 6PM - 8PM. Fun-filled evening of costumes, candy, and karaoke! Activities include the beloved Trick-or-Treat Trail at dozens of downtown businesses, a Costume Contest in Mission Plaza, festive photo opportunities, and more. This event is free, family-friendly, and open to the public! We've attended this event in the past. See our video clip below of our walk through the market: 

Address for GPS: Higuera St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

(*Keep scrolling to see a list of 10 Pumpkin Patches in San Luis Obispo County in the next section.)

All of October - Scarescrows on display in Cambria and San Simeon. Hundreds of unique creations are expected to be on display between the 2 towns. The even planners say this is family-friendly and best viewed during the day. If you think your kids would be scared of their faces, then I wouldn't bring them. See pictures that I've taken of these creative scarecrows in Cambria. Or, you can press the play button below of a short video I took during my stroll to see the scarecrows. Address Suggestion for GPS: 2277 Main St, Cambria, CA 93428

To see all events that are not Halloween related nor Harvest season related, like Christmas events, go to the main Family-Friendly Events page. 


Suggested Costumes for Kids:

Pumpkin Patches and Farm Fun

List of Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes and Farms in San Luis Obispo County with Pumpkins

  1. Avila Valley Barn has pumpkins during the fall season starting mid-september and also offers hayrides for a cost. You can visit farm animals for free! See pictures that I've taken at Avila Valley Barn on this blog post. This barn is open year round and attracts a lot of tourists. Parking is free and you can even shop at their market for produce, desserts and toys. They also have some lunch options from their bbq.

    See my instagram reel to see my recent visit at Avila Valley Barn in October.
     Avila Valley Barn Address: 560 Avila Beach Dr, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
  2. The Pumpkin Patch in Edna Valley starts selling pumpkins on September 14, 2024 from 9AM - 5PM. They also have a corn maze (costs money). I especially love coming here because you have the option to pick pumpkins and cut them straight from the vine on their farm!

    See our pumpkin patch IG video reel of our personal visit through the corn maze here    . Address: 2315 Biddle Ranch Road San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
  3. Brookshire Farms will usually open starting in September to sell pumpkins. They also usually have night mazes here during the weekends of October, in addition to pumpkins. Address: 4747 Los Osos Valley Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
  4. Nipomo Pumpkin Patch will open on September 28, 2024. They have the largest pumpkins around with the best prices. It's a great place for a photo opportunity. See a picture that I've taken at Nipomo Pumpkin Patch on instagram. Address: 662 Eucalyptus Rd, Nipomo, CA 93444 
  5. River "K" Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze usually opens in Paso Robles for October. Free parking, free entry, no dogs allowed. According to their instagram, they prefer to take cash. Address: 5670 N River Rd, Paso Robles, CA 93446
  6. SLO Creek Farms is usually open in the fall.

    Besides for pumpkins during the fall season, they also have fresh flowers and other fruits that you can pick yourself throughout the year. It's a beautiful farm for a photo opportunity. See my video reel on instagram at SLO Creek Farms from our past visit. Address: 6455 Monte Rd., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
  7. Jack Creek Farms usually has pumpkins in the fall for October and their hours change by the season. They have been named one of the top 30 pumpkin patches in U.S.A. by Yelp. Address: Jack Creek Farms, 5000 CA-46, Templeton, CA 93465
  8. Chesebrough Farm Family Fun usually has dozens of varieties of pumpkins and winter squash and they are open to the public starting Oct 1 through Oct 31 every day from 10AM - 6PM. Address: 790 Moss Lane, Templeton, CA 93465
  9. Willow Pumpkin Patch usually opens in October. There are pony rides that you will have to pay for. This is a church fundraiser. Among this list of pumpkin patches in San Luis Obispo County, they usually announce their opening for the season the latest of the bunch. They suggest a parking donation to park there. Address: Willow Rd & Hetrick Ave., Nipomo, CA 93444
  10. Tar Creek Ranch is located in AG and took a bit of a drive through the rural part. I was impressed with how many kids' activities they had in the past but, they were not open to the public last year and now only focuses on event planning for private parties. See my video reel on instagram of my past family visit at Tar Creek Ranch in Arroyo Grande during October from a couple of years ago. They are a great venue for special events like a wedding or work party. Address: 2514 Huasna Rd., Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

More About Pumpkin Patches in the Area

Some pumpkin patch places allow you to cut the pumpkins you've selected off the vine or they have already been cut and you can just pick from their pile! A few places have corn mazes and other kid-friendly activities too. 

SanLuisObispoMom on IG 

@sanluisobispomom

Haunted Houses in San Luis Obispo 

Even though it's not a Haunted House, the Spirit Halloween Store in San Luis Obispo is my favorite place to bring the kids for a seasonal scare. Scroll down to see a video of the Spirit Halloween Store in San Luis Obispo on Madonna Rd. Spirit Halloween in SLO is only open around Halloween Season and last year it was open as early as late July (way in advance of Halloween) as they were starting to stock merchandise. It was located in the former Bed Bath & Beyond Store located at 317 Madonna Rd., San Luis Obispo, CA 93405. It's always fun to walk around the store and check out the costumes. Scroll down to see my video from my past visit at Spirit Halloween.

List of Haunted Houses

The Haunt in Atascadero

Usually The Haunt In Atascadero starts opening on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays  starting in October. It's interactive theater-based with multiple times offered per day.  Address: 5805 El Camino Real, Atascadero, CA 93433

Nightmare from Main Street in Paso Robles

This haunted house in Paso Robles will be open for specific different dates in 2024. They are: October 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26, 30 & 31  and November 1 between the hours of 7PM -10PM. Address: 828 14th Street, Paso Robles, CA 93446

Spirit Halloween Store in San Luis Obispo

It's not a haunted house but they have a lot of scary things inside for you to look and interact with while you're costume shopping! The Spirit Halloween Store reopens a couple of months before Halloween every year! 

Here's the 2023 video reel of my visit at the Spirit Halloween Store.

See all photos and videos of Spirit Halloween San Luis Obispo that I took in the past. 

Last year, the Spirit Halloween Store was open in the Former Bed Bath & Beyond Store: 317 Madonna Road San Luis Obispo, CA 93405. Before I go to their check out stand, I would make sure to go to their Spirit Halloween website and find the San Luis Obispo location page by using their  'search by city' search bar. Then, from that page, go to the "more info" link and find a 20% off coupon to use for Spirit Halloween's stores or online!

Major Haunted Houses in Southern California for 2024

Living on the Central Coast, we're only a few hours drive from really scary haunted houses and fun rides at major attractions. Here are ticket offerings for attractions that offer a Haunted House experience at night during the Halloween season.

Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights 

Universal Studios Hollywood in LA offers Halloween Horror Nights General Admission for $74 online through arestravel.  Universal Studios Hollywood is a 2 hour and 56 minute drive south from SLO (if no traffic).Haunted House Universal Studios

Knott's Berry Farm Haunted Experience

On select nights. Knott's Berry Farm turns into Knott's SCARY Farm! It's so scary, it's not recommended for anyone under 13 years old. Knott's Berry Farm is about a 3 hour and 54 minute drive from SLO (if no traffic). Gate price is can be high but you can secure Knott's Scary Farm tickets online at a discount from arestravel.

>>> San Luis Obispo Mom Facebook

San Luis Obispo Mom - SanLuisObispoMom.com
Recommended Fall Instagram Reels:

Wine tasting in San Luis Obispo County has many options for wineries among 300 different vineyards and wine tasting rooms. They harvest the grapes in the fall. See my favorite wineries or wine tasting rooms in San Luis Obispo County (encompassing Edna Valley and Paso Robles).