Halloween Events on Catalina Island 2025
Halloween on Catalina Island is anything but ordinary. Whether you're bringing the kids for carnival games, teens looking for spine-tingling ghost tours, or you're ready to dive into some adults-only pirate revelry, the island offers a packed calendar of festive events this October. Here’s your complete guide to Halloween 2025 on Catalina Island, organized by age and interest – so everyone in your crew can get in on the spooky fun.
👨👩👧👦 Family Halloween Fun on Catalina Island – October 2025
From beachside carnivals to cultural celebrations and glow-in-the-dark adventures, Catalina Island is packed with family-friendly Halloween happenings this October. Whether your little ones are trick-or-treating for the first time or your teens are craving some spooky action, Avalon has it all.
🎡 Seaside Fall Carnival
Avalon’s waterfront transforms into a charming autumn fair, complete with pumpkins by the sea and the scent of cider in the air. Kids can bounce their energy away in inflatable play zones, try their luck at carnival games, and get their faces painted like their favorite Halloween creatures. Grown-ups can enjoy live music on the Wrigley Stage, cozy fall snacks from local vendors, and photo ops with a seaside pumpkin patch backdrop.
It’s festive, family-focused, and free to attend—just bring your spooky spirit and a few bucks for treats and games, which support local schools and nonprofits.
📍 Crescent Avenue, Avalon
🗓️ Friday, October 17, 2025
🕔 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
🎭 Costumes & Chaos: Avalon's Halloween Parade + Zombie Bash
This island tradition is all about celebrating community—and costumes! Families kick off the fun by gathering in full Halloween attire and parading along Avalon’s shoreline. The parade ends at the Avalon Kids Park, temporarily reimagined as “Zombie Park,” where a high-energy after-party awaits.
Expect bounce houses, spooky games, music, and a lively costume contest with age-based prizes. And once the sun dips below the horizon, downtown Avalon transforms into a trick-or-treater’s dream, with businesses and residents handing out goodies to costumed kids (and parents too, if you're lucky).
📍 Downtown Avalon
🗓️ Friday, October 31, 2025
🕔 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
(Community Trick-or-Treating begins immediately afterward)
🔫 Ghost Battles on the Beach: Halloween Laser Tag
Once the parade winds down, the action heats up at Middle Beach. Older kids, teens, and even parents can jump into a fog-filled, glow-in-the-dark laser tag battle right on the sand. It's a high-energy, totally unique island Halloween experience—with spooky soundtracks, team challenges, and plenty of friendly fire.
Equipment is provided, the beach is lit up for spooky vibes, and no sign-up is required. Just drop in, pick your side, and start zapping.
📍 Middle Beach, Avalon (South Beach Waterfront)
🗓️ Friday, October 31, 2025
🕔 Approximately 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
💀 Día de los Muertos Family Festival
Honor loved ones and celebrate culture at Catalina’s annual Día de los Muertos event, hosted by the island’s art and history museum. The evening includes sugar skull decorating, face painting, music, and colorful folklórico dance performances. Kids can get creative with hands-on crafts, while adults enjoy authentic food and tequila tasting in the courtyard.
Visitors are invited to contribute to the community altar (ofrenda), and children can enter a themed art contest for fun prizes. It’s a warm, inclusive celebration for every generation.
📍 Catalina Museum for Art & History, Avalon
🗓️ Saturday, November 1, 2025
🕕 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
🧛♂️ Teen & Youth Halloween Activities on Catalina Island – 2025
Not just for the little ones—Catalina’s Halloween scene is packed with after-dark fun, spooky thrills, and eerie adventures tailor-made for teens and older kids. From ghost tours to laser battles and cult-classic film nights, here’s where the island’s bravest youth can get their scare on this October.
👣 Haunted Catalina Ghost Tours
Got a teen who lives for all things eerie? Catalina’s ghost tours are a Halloween must. These guided nighttime experiences take brave guests through the darker corners of Avalon’s history. Walk by lamplight as storytellers share hair-raising tales of haunted hotels, restless spirits, and paranormal sightings tied to the island’s past.
Tour options range from a one-hour walking experience to a longer golf cart ride, perfect for those who want to explore farther without the uphill climb. For the truly fearless (18+ only), there’s even an EMF detector tour that goes full ghost-hunter mode. Expect spine-tingling legends, strange sightings, and more than a few goosebumps.
Space is limited and these tours fill fast, so advanced booking is strongly recommended. Dress in layers, wear comfy shoes, and meet your guide 15 minutes early—you never know who (or what) you’ll run into out there.
📍 Downtown Avalon
🗓️ Nightly throughout October
🕗 Various evening start times
🎬 Frightful Films at the Avalon Theatre
Classic horror meets vintage charm at Avalon’s historic art deco theatre. Every weekend in October, teens can settle in for a lineup of spooky, silly, and suspenseful Halloween films on the big screen. From ghostly family favorites to cult classics from the '80s and '90s, there’s something for every level of thrill-seeker.
Grab some popcorn, settle into the plush seats of this iconic 1929 movie palace, and enjoy flicks like Beetlejuice, Casper, The Addams Family, Ghostbusters, and more. It’s a great low-key evening for teens, tweens, and families to enjoy together—or a chill way to wind down after a day of island exploring.
Tickets are standard movie pricing, with discounts for kids and teens. No special passes required. Bonus points if you show up in costume or your best Halloween sweater!
📍 Avalon Theatre (Casino Building)
🗓️ Fridays & Saturdays in October
🕖 Evening showtimes (around 7:00 PM)
🔫 Halloween Beach Laser Tag
Forget haunted houses—this is haunted sand! On Halloween night, Middle Beach becomes an open-air laser tag arena lit by the moon and filled with fog, music, and friendly competition. Teens can team up with friends and dive into fast-paced laser battles against other costumed players in one of the most adrenaline-pumping events of the season.
While open to all ages, this after-dark game zone is a teen favorite. It’s drop-in style—no sign-ups, no tickets, just pure fun. Bring your best moves, wear something you can run in (yes, even if you’re dressed like a vampire), and get ready to make memories that glow in the dark.
📍 Middle Beach, Avalon
🗓️ Friday, October 31, 2025
🕔 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
🌌 Bonus Tip for Adventurous Teens
The spooky vibes don’t end with official events. Catalina’s natural nighttime ambiance makes for a thrilling backdrop all its own. For a more relaxed but equally eerie adventure, consider a guided twilight hike up to the Botanical Garden, or take a moonlit stroll along the waterfront boardwalk. Just make sure to stay with a buddy, stick to well-lit paths, and keep your phone charged—because ghost stories come to life fast in the dark.
Feeling more cerebral than spooky? Escape Room Catalina offers a pirate-themed escape challenge that’s perfect for teen groups during Halloween week. It’s immersive, tricky, and a great way to cap off an island evening. (Advanced reservations recommended.)
🍸 Adults-Only Halloween Events & Nightlife on Catalina – 2025
When the sun sets and the trick-or-treaters head home, Catalina Island reveals its wilder side. From swashbuckling pirate parties to spooky bar crawls and ghost tours under the stars, this island knows how to throw a Halloween bash that’s strictly 21 and over. Leave the kids with a sitter and dive into the grown-up festivities!
🏴☠️ Buccaneer Days: Catalina's Legendary Pirate Party
Raise your tankard and prepare to plunder—Catalina’s most iconic adults-only celebration kicks off Halloween season early with four rowdy days of pirate-themed chaos. Buccaneer Days is a full-blown festival where hundreds of costumed partygoers take over the peaceful shores of Two Harbors for beach games, treasure hunts, rum-fueled revelry, and nights filled with live bands and dancing under the stars.
Daytime brings pirate games and impromptu beach competitions, while evenings crank up the energy with DJ sets and rock bands on the main stage. Saturday’s pirate costume contest is the stuff of legends, with prizes for the most outrageous buccaneers. The entire harbor turns into a sea of eye patches, fishnets, and flintlocks.
Tickets are required and sell out fast—especially mooring spots and campsites. No kids, no pets—just a rum-soaked, island-style escape into full pirate mode.
📍 Two Harbors, Isthmus Cove
🗓️ Thursday–Sunday, October 2–5, 2025
🕓 All-day and night event (21+ only)
🍹 Avalon Halloween Nightlife & Costume Parties
Once the family-friendly festivities wrap up, Avalon’s bar scene turns up the volume. Catalina’s Halloween nightlife is a local tradition, with bars, pubs, and tiki lounges pulling out all the stops for costumed revelers. Stroll along Crescent Avenue and you’ll stumble into karaoke contests, DJ dance parties, and creative drink specials with spooky twists.
Expect live music, themed cocktails (yes, even the Wicky Wacker gets a seasonal makeover), and over-the-top costumes. Legendary spots like El Galleon, Marlin Club, and Luau Larry’s go all out—think fog machines, dance-offs, and costume contests with actual prizes. Whether you’re a day-tripper looking to extend the fun or an islander letting loose, Avalon’s nightlife welcomes all who come dressed to impress.
No general tickets are needed—just bring ID, a few bucks for cover charges, and your most ridiculous Halloween getup.
📍 Various bars and venues, Avalon
🗓️ Friday, October 31, 2025
🕚 Evening to late night (21+ only)
👻 Haunted Catalina "After Dark" Ghost Tour
Looking for Halloween chills without the club music? This adults-only ghost tour takes things up a notch—literally. As the fog rolls in and the town quiets down, your guide leads a small group through Avalon’s most haunted locations, telling deeper, darker stories not shared on the daytime family tour.
EMF detectors, ghost-hunting tools, and spine-tingling island history come together in a 90-minute walking tour that’s perfect for brave souls and paranormal enthusiasts. You’ll hear tales of tragic deaths, lost spirits, and mysteries that still linger in the Catalina air.
Group sizes are small for maximum goosebumps, and tickets must be booked in advance. If you’re the type who loves a good scare—and you’d rather hunt ghosts than do shots—this is your Halloween highlight.
📍 Avalon (downtown meeting location provided upon booking)
🗓️ Nightly in late October
🕘 Start times around 9:00 PM (18+ only)
🌟 All-Ages Halloween Festivals & Community Events on Catalina – 2025
Halloween on Catalina Island isn’t just for kids or partygoers—it’s a true community affair, filled with joyful traditions and creative celebrations that invite everyone to join the fun. Whether you're chasing mermaids, painting sugar skulls, or enjoying an outdoor movie under the stars, these all-ages events make the island glow with autumn magic.
🧜♀️ Catalina Island Mermaid Festival (1st Annual)
Brand new for 2025, Catalina Island is making waves with the debut of its Mermaid Festival—a whimsical, ocean-inspired celebration that turns the waterfront into a seaside fantasy. Visitors can stroll through mermaid-themed art booths, browse oceanic crafts, and enjoy interactive installations all along Avalon’s picturesque Front Street.
Kids can meet and "swim" with real-life mermaid performers, while adults can sip coastal cocktails in the beachside beer garden. Enjoy live music, face painting, and creative activities like the Mermaid Tail Sand Sculpture Contest and the quirky Rubber Ducky Derby. As night falls on Saturday, families are invited to relax on the sand for an outdoor screening of The Little Mermaid—just bring your blankets and snacks!
The festival is free to attend, with plenty of food, drinks, and artwork available for purchase. Come for a day or stay the weekend—each day brings something a little different to this under-the-sea celebration.
📍 Front Street & South Beach, Avalon
🗓️ Saturday & Sunday, October 25–26, 2025
🕙 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily
🎡 Avalon Fall Carnival (All Ages Welcome)
While it may be spotlighted as a kids' event, Avalon’s beloved fall carnival welcomes everyone. Locals of all ages—parents, teens, and even couples on date night—gather to soak in the seasonal spirit. With music on the Wrigley Stage, autumn-themed treats, and old-school carnival games lining Crescent Avenue, it’s a perfect way to start the Halloween season.
📍 Crescent Avenue, Avalon
🗓️ Friday, October 17, 2025
🕔 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
🎭 Halloween Parade & Community Trick-or-Treat
This event brings the entire island together for one joyful, costumed evening. Even if you’re not marching, you’re encouraged to dress up and line the streets to cheer on the parade. Costumed families, solo ghouls, and islanders of every age join the fun as the procession winds through downtown.
Afterward, Avalon’s streets open up for community-wide trick-or-treating. While it’s mainly for kids, don’t be surprised if friendly homeowners hand out treats to costumed adults too. It’s that kind of island charm.
📍 Downtown Avalon
🗓️ Friday, October 31, 2025
🕠 4:30 PM Parade Start; Trick-or-Treating to Follow
💀 Día de los Muertos Festival at Catalina Museum
Though billed as a family event, this vibrant celebration of life and remembrance welcomes every generation. Guests of all ages are invited to paint sugar skulls, admire traditional altars, and enjoy live music and folklórico dance performances. Adults can explore the tequila tasting station while kids create art, and everyone is encouraged to contribute to the community ofrenda.
This multi-cultural event blends beauty, creativity, and community in one meaningful evening.
📍 Catalina Museum for Art & History, Avalon
🗓️ Saturday, November 1, 2025
🕕 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
🎬 Frightful Films at the Avalon Theatre
Perfect for a relaxed night out, Avalon’s historic theatre rolls out a weekly lineup of Halloween movies throughout October. The programming includes everything from animated favorites for young children to spooky cult classics that adults will love. Grab some popcorn and enjoy the eerie glow of the silver screen in one of California’s most charming vintage cinemas.
📍 Avalon Theatre (Casino Building)
🗓️ Fridays & Saturdays in October
🕖 Evening showtimes (around 7:00 PM)
🏴☠️ Two Harbors "Halloween" Vibes
Although Buccaneer Days (the big pirate bash) is 21+, its swashbuckling theme adds Halloween spirit to the west side of the island early in the month. Kids love spotting pirate flags, costumes, and island décor even if they’re not attending the actual event. Outside of Buccaneer Days, Two Harbors stays quiet on Halloween night, so families typically head to Avalon for the big day-of festivities.
📍 Two Harbors, West End of Catalina
🗓️ Pirate-Themed Events: October 2–5, 2025
🕓 All-day atmosphere (Note: Event itself is adults-only)
🎃Halloween for Everyone on Catalina Island
From mermaids and sugar skulls to pirates, parades, and spooky screenings, Catalina Island offers something magical for every age and every kind of traveler during Halloween 2025. Families can share the season through pumpkin-spiced carnivals and colorful festivals. Teens can hunt ghosts and challenge friends in glow-in-the-dark beach battles. And grown-ups? Well, they can party with pirates and toast the moonlight in costume.
Whether you're here for a day trip, a weekend getaway, or a week-long island adventure, the Halloween spirit is alive and well across Avalon and Two Harbors. Just don’t forget your costume—and maybe pack more than one. You’ll need it.
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