At this point in the Halloween season, people are scrambling to put the finishing touches on their costumes, and many may be realizing they forgot to make plans altogether. 

Luckily, Long Beach and Signal Hill have many haunted traditions to appease people of all ages and desires, from trunk or treats and pet-friendly costume parties to a 21-and-older celebration and a classic horror film. The many events run from this week all the way up to Halloween night, so buy that last part of your costume and get to planning!

All events on this list are free to attend unless stated otherwise. 

Pumpkins growing in the back patio area of Black Ring Coffee Roasters on Sept. 7, 2021. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)

Lindbergh Circle Harvest Festival: Oct. 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Homes in the Lindbergh Circle neighborhood in North Long Beach are coming together to host their first harvest festival, with a costume contest, games, prizes, music and more. 

YMCA Trunk or Treat: Oct. 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Fairfield Family YMCA (4949 Atlantic Ave.) is hosting a boo-tiful evening of creatively decorated car trunks, candy, games, arts and crafts, music, prize drawings, resources, face painting and pizza and drinks for sale. 

Los Cerritos Harvest Festival: Oct. 25 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Los Cerritos Neighborhood Association is hosting the second annual Harvest Festival at Los Cerritos Park, featuring line dancing, games, a farmers market, trunk or treat, folklorico dancers, ghoulish Shakespeare, pumpkin decorating, a mac and cheese contest and more. 

A DJ plays music for attendees as they browse art exhibits and installations at the Downtown Long Beach Art Walk. (Courtesy of Downtown Long Beach Alliance)

Downtown Halloween Street Party: Oct. 25 from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. This all-day Halloween open-street party will take over Pine Avenue and The Promenade, between Broadway and Third Street. Families and friends can enjoy live entertainment, food, drinks, local vendors, scare actors and a street full of costume-wearing party-goers. After 6 p.m., those 21 and older who have purchased an event wristband can enjoy exclusive experiences and themed specials inside the surrounding restaurants and bars.  

Spootacular Howl-O-Ween: Oct. 25 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. This afternoon will be full of fun for the furry family members, with a costume contest for pups and yappy hour specials for their humans at Roxanne’s Bar & Grill (1115 E. Wardlow Road). 

Signal Hill Halloween Carnival: Oct. 25 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Signal Hill’s annual carnival invites monsters of all ages for trunk or treating, carnival games, bouncers and much more at Signal Hill Park (2175 Cherry Ave.). A $5 wristband is required for anyone over the age of 1. Call 562-989-7330 for information on how to purchase a wristband. 

Wrigley Pumpkin Palooza: Oct. 25 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The YMCA Wrigley Youth Center (2299 Pacific Ave.) is hosting its second annual pumpkin palooza for local youth, with a costume contest for kids, adults and pets, face painting, pumpkin painting, arts and crafts and carnival games. 

A Jack-o-lantern is displayed near people’s front doors in a Long Beach neighborhood on Oct. 28, 2021. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)

Cal Heights Howl-O-Ween Festival: Oct. 25 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. This neighborhood Halloween festival at 1240 E. Wardlow Road will feature live performances by a kids’ indie band and Halloween choirs, face painting, a photo booth and more spooky surprises. 

District 8 Trunk or Treat: Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Join the North Village Neighborhood Association for free candy, dancing, games, music and more festive fun at 5730 Linden Ave. Those who want to host a trunk (or table) can sign up online. 

Goblin on the Greenbelt: Oct. 26 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. This monster-friendly event invites creepers of all ages to the Red Car Greenbelt (between Park and Ximeno) for trick-or-treating, pumpkin decorating, and a free pumpkin for the first 125 children. 

Kids’ Halloween: Oct. 26 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. A slew of neighborhood orgs are teaming up for the ultimate kids’ Halloween party at Bixby Park (130 Cherry Ave.), featuring tons of treats, a costume contest, games and crafts. 

Resources Trick-or-Treat: Oct. 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Vice Mayor Roberto Uranga and Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal are hosting this festive resource fair at Silverado Park’s Social Hall (1545 W. 31st St.) with trick-or-treat stations for kids, community resource booths, costume contests and raffled off prizes. 

Din Djarin the Mandalorian gives a fist bump to a young Spider-Man with a bag full of candy from the Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital trick-or-treating event for hospital patients on Halloween 2023. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)

Halloween Parade: Oct. 31 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Kids ages 0 through 12 can walk through various festive stations at the Billie Jean King Main Library (200 W. Broadway) to trick-or-treat, then create a spooky craft and enjoy a movie with their families. Costumes are encouraged but not required. 

Halloween Carnival Monster Mash Bash: Oct. 31 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Long Beach’s Neighbor-to-Neighbor program is hosting its second annual Halloween carnival at Silverado Park (1545 W. 31st St.).This all-ages event will feature game stations and play stations including guessing games with Halloween candy prizes, alien pinball, zombie eyeball toss and knock down, tic-tac-toe and slam dunk games. Attendees will also have opportunities to trick-or-treat, win prizes at the ring toss, get crafty creating Halloween masks, balloon animals and slime, try their hand at cookie decorating and participate in a cake walk. Plus, residents are invited to dress in their best Halloween attire to show off their scary, unique, cute, glam, classic and superhero costumes at the Carnival Costume Contest.

Ghouls Night Out: Oct. 31 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Ghouls Night Out is a frightfully fun celebration at 2ND & PCH (6480 Pacific Coast Highway), featuring a treats trail with several retailers and restaurants, a trunk or treat feature sponsored by Fletcher Jones Toyota Carson and Audi Long Beach, a costume contest hosted by Christopher T. Magician, live music, and festive photo ops. Guests must RSVP in advance to participate in the costume contest.

The neon lights and marquee of the Art Theatre of Long Beach illuminate the the sidewalks of 4th Street on Feb. 28, 2023. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)

Trunk or Treat: Oct. 31 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Grace Long Beach Church is hosting this trunk or treat in its parking lot at 3601 Linden Ave., with music, games and plenty of candy for the whole community. 

“Nosferatu”: Oct. 31 at 10 p.m. The Art Theatre of Long Beach (2025 E. Fourth St.) is screening the 1922 silent horror classic “Nosferatu” accompanied with a live orchestra, the Jack Curtis Dubowsky Ensemble. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online. 

Are we missing your event? Please let us know by emailing Newspaper@signaltribune.com with all the details of your event and we’ll add it to the list.