Things to do on Halloween in Sacramento area

Drakeon

So the GF and I are looking for things to do on Halloween in the Sacramento area. Anyone have any experience here? I know theres a few others who live around this area.

I guess it'd help if I specified what kind of things we were looking to do... I think she's looking for festival type stuff with costume contests and the like, not so much the dance clubs hosting parties (although parties in and of themselves not a bad idea, just not at the night clubs). I noticed a place called the Callson Manor but im not sure what to think of it, beyond it being a haunted house (although they specify they have really good animatronic work). Really, we're looking for something to do on Halloween and neither of us have much experience with doing anything on halloween beyond trick or treating (which neither of us have done for years). Not sure where to look for this sort of thing either, so if anyone can point me in the right direction or offer some suggestions on what to do, I'd really appreciate it.

Fagatron

I don't know of much like that in or near Sacramento. There's a pretty great pumpkin patch out near Auburn I think, years since I've been there, but they have draft horses and wagon rides and I remember it being fun.

If you're up for a drive, the Winchester Mystery House is doing some sort of midnight tour, tickets are like fifty or sixty bucks. Was going to do it with my girlfriend but I don't think finances are going to permit this year.

Gylen

Well, after having lived there for 10+ years, I never particularly found much to do, but your best bet for contest type stuff will involve going to Old Town, almost assured. I went there the past few years with friends and that is definitely what goes on if you go for bars, they aren't night clubs there like they are in downtown or midtown.

Nocren

Yeah, last year I wound up taking a couple of friends to a haunted house in the middle of a field out in Roseville. It was meh at best (though one of the event staff did hook us up with VIP tickets for the third event after we visited the other 2).

Fagatron, is that at the Auburn Fairgrounds or somewhere else? (I live in Auburn actually)

dispatch.o

Nocren wrote: »

Yeah, last year I wound up taking a couple of friends to a haunted house in the middle of a field out in Roseville. It was meh at best (though one of the event staff did hook us up with VIP tickets for the third event after we visited the other 2).

Fagatron, is that at the Auburn Fairgrounds or somewhere else? (I live in Auburn actually)

It's in San Jose, but worth the drive.

Nocren

I meant the Pumpkin Patch thing, not the Winchester House.

Fagatron

You know, I thought it was in Auburn, but after consulting Google I think it might've been Bishop's in Wheatland. I'm not seeing any draft horses though so I could be wrong, it's been literally over a decade since I was there.

Fagatron

Also OP, reminiscing about childhood trips got me thinking about Apple Hill, it doesn't look like they've got much going on for Halloween, but it is a fun place to go to anyway, and if you're in Folsom you're almost there anyway.

http://www.applehill.com/pdfs/CP_Events10_web.pdf

3drage

Bishop's Pumpkin patch in Wheatland is pretty good, at least it was a few years back. I know they've gotten really commercial lately but their baked goods are still fantastic. Best bet is to find some friends that know friends that do kick ass Halloween parties.

I have some great memories about Apple Hill, but that was mostly around Christmas time.

mts

you can do the corn maze in winters, its the record holder for largest i think. Last year i think it didn't happen to to weather issues, but presumably it has rebounded. its a good time at night.

GenlyAi

I don't live there anymore, so this might be out of date, but:

If you're willing to drive to San Jose, just drive to San Francisco. The Castro has/had the hugest Halloween block party-type thing I've ever seen. I'd have to park 2 miles away from my house every October 31st because so many people were there. A couple people might get stabbed every year, but if you want to feel like you're in the center of Halloween, that's a small price to pay.

TL;DR: San Francisco, being pretty godless and pretty gay, has replaced Christmas and 4th of July with a single holiday, and it's Halloween.

Fagatron

You must've been gone for a while, it's been canceled four years running now. Originally they just didn't grant the permits in 2007 and they promised it'd be back on '08, then they realized that because of pesky things like people getting stabbed, the city was a lot safer that night if they just continued not to have the party. Since then they've continued not only to not grant the permits, but also to enforce the city's public drinking laws with zero tolerance on Halloween in the Castro.

GenlyAi

Yeah, I left in mid-2007, and I remember them discussing shutting it down. Oh well. Winchester mystery house is probably pretty good on Halloween.

Drakeon

See, I looked up events in SF and a lot of them seemed to be scattered, but I didn't know about the party on castro street (although that looks like it was because it was canceled).

We were at the Winchester Mystery House last year, just out of curiosity, is it much different on halloween? Basically, my GF wants to show off her costume (I think). She expressed some interest in the haunted house in roseville, but she wanted something like a party I guess.

3drage

Well hell, you can go anywhere to show off a costume. The malls usually do something at night, well except for Natomas it's probably all bankrupt by now.

toolbert

A good place to go, but it's quite a drive for you, is Santa Cruz. The college peeps and locals take over the downtown streets and parade up and down in their costumes. Plus, there are a couple of cool bars to check out as well as The Catalyst. It's like what The Castro was, but more organized and less stabby.

Nocren

I don't know how much of a party campus UC Davis is, but he, it's right down the road from Sac.

There's also American River College as well.

If you want to stay local, Powerhouse is sure to have SOMETHING going on that night.

mts

the only real halloween party at DAvis is watching the coeds wear entirely too little costumes.

JimAHS

You really should try the Maines Mansion show on the corner of 25th and I streets in Midtown. It's a haunted house, but also a really cool production. And it's free! You can donate $5 or so to the charity they promote...Sunburst Projects. The best thing is...you can choose from eight nights leading up to Halloween to see the show. Shows start this Friday, October 22! and run through Halloween...No show on Monday. Tuesday is a VIP ($25 ticket) night with behind the scene tour.

See www.myramaines.com

And, yeah, I'm in the show...we've been doing this for five years. Gotta check it out!

mts

mts wrote: »

you can do the corn maze in winters, its the record holder for largest i think. Last year i think it didn't happen to to weather issues, but presumably it has rebounded. its a good time at night.

sorry to reply to my old post but the corn maze is at Cool Patch pumpkin patch

it was on Jeopardy the other day. worlds largest cornmaze

go at night and bring a sixer.

Drakeon

JimAHS wrote: »

You really should try the Maines Mansion show on the corner of 25th and I streets in Midtown. It's a haunted house, but also a really cool production. And it's free! You can donate $5 or so to the charity they promote...Sunburst Projects. The best thing is...you can choose from eight nights leading up to Halloween to see the show. Shows start this Friday, October 22! and run through Halloween...No show on Monday. Tuesday is a VIP ($25 ticket) night with behind the scene tour.

See www.myramaines.com

And, yeah, I'm in the show...we've been doing this for five years. Gotta check it out!

Thanks for the link, might check it out.