Candlelight Yorba Linda (1)

Credit: Wiki Commons. | Fever. | Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum.

Spooky season is almost here, and while trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, and dressing up are Halloween staples, there are plenty of other ways to celebrate around SoCal. For something a little more sophisticated, you can spend an evening listening to eerie movie themes and classical compositions performed live beneath the glow of thousands of candles.

This October, a special Halloween concert is coming to Yorba Linda for just two nights, transforming an unexpected OC venue into an atmospheric setting for some of the season’s most recognizable sounds.

A candlelit night of Halloween favorites

CandlelightVia Fever.

The 60-minute concert will take place at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum on October 22 and October 29. Rather than a traditional rock or pop show, the experience features a string quartet, a small ensemble made up of two violins, a viola, and a cello. 

Together, the four musicians reinterpret everything from iconic horror scores to classical pieces, giving familiar Halloween sounds a darker, more dramatic treatment. The setlist includes the following songs:

Candlelight Yorba Linda: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics

Thriller – Michael Jackson

Funeral March of a Marionette – Charles Gounod

String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor (Dresden Quartet), Op. 110: II. Allegro Molto – Dmitri Shostakovich

Tubular Bells (Theme from The Exorcist) – Mike Oldfield

Stranger Things (Theme) – S U R V I V E

Beetlejuice (Theme) – Danny Elfman

The Addams Family (Theme) – Vic Mizzy

Halloween (Theme) – John Carpenter

Psycho (Prelude) – Bernard Herrmann

Ghostbusters (Theme) – Ray Parker Jr.

Danse Macabre – Camille Saint-Saëns

Night on Bald Mountain – Modest Mussorgsky

Time Warp from The Rocky Horror Picture Show – Richard O’Brien and Richard Hartley

Medley from The Nightmare Before Christmas – Danny Elfman

The venue is part of the experience

Richard Nixon Presidential Library & MuseumCredit: Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum

The concert’s setting is arguably just as unusual as its soundtrack. The nine-acre property sits on the original site of Richard Nixon’s birthplace and includes museum galleries, gardens, and several full-scale presidential recreations.

One of its most eye-catching attractions is a full-size replica of Nixon’s Oval Office, recreated down to details including the Wilson Desk, presidential decor, artwork, and the distinctive California blue-and-gold color scheme. Visitors can even sit behind the desk for a photo.

The property also contains an exact replica of the White House East Room, the largest room in the Executive Mansion. The 4,800-square-foot space features crystal chandeliers and was specifically upgraded with staging, audiovisual technology, and lighting capabilities for performances and events.