More than a dozen Halloween events open across Los Angeles starting Thursday, Oct. 1.

The lineup stretches from Hollywood haunted houses to family-friendly pumpkin trails in Calabasas, with plenty of stops in between. Here are the highlights worth marking on your calendar.

Drunk Dracula at The Hotel Cafe

The Drunk Shakespeare Society launches its first-ever LA residency with "Drunk Dracula," a chaotic take on Bram Stoker's vampire tale. The format: one actor downs five shots of liquor before taking the stage while a sober cast tries to hold the plot together. No two nights are the same. The show runs through Nov. 14 at The Hotel Cafe, which Time Out Los Angeles reported is staging the production before the venue moves locations.

Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights

Universal Studios Hollywood's annual scare fest runs through Nov. 1 with haunted houses based on "Sinners," "Stranger Things 5," "Hellraiser," "Evil Dead Burn," "Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness" and "Killer Klowns From Outer Space," according to Geek Tyrant. An original house called "Dead Deader Deadest" and the Terror Tram starring Art the Clown round out the lineup.

Black Lagoon cocktail pop-up

The Halloween cocktail pop-up Black Lagoon takes over Melrose Umbrella Co. at 7465 Melrose Ave. from Thursday, Oct. 1, through Nov. 1. Created by beverage industry veterans Erin Hayes and Kelsey Ramage, the pop-up started as a one-night event in Toronto and now appears at 34 venues across North America, the Beverly Press reported. Seasonal drinks include the Bone Temple, made with tequila, sherry, tart cherry and absinthe, among other ingredients.

Hayes and Ramage said in a joint statement that Black Lagoon "has always been a place where Halloween fans, cocktail enthusiasts and everyone in between can come together."

Night of the Jack, Calabasas

Night of the Jack returns to King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas through Nov. 1 with a reimagined mile-long lantern trail. New for 2026: Jack's Carnival, with about a dozen kid-friendly rides and games, plus projection mapping and a hay maze, Time Out reported. Timed tickets range from $34.50 to $57, with the cheapest slots at the 6 p.m. "Almost Dark" session.

Family-friendly picks

Descanso Gardens' annual "Carved" event runs Friday, Oct. 2, through Nov. 1 with seasonal art installations. For the first time, the garden will host trick-or-treating on Halloween night, included with regular admission, Los Angeles Magazine reported.

South Coast Botanic Garden's Enchanted Hollow features more than 10,000 carved jack-o'-lanterns through Nov. 1. Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch opens Friday, Oct. 2, with a petting zoo, bouncy castles and a straw maze, plus a Día de los Muertos celebration on Oct. 25.

More on the calendar

  • Saturday, Oct. 3: Trunk or Treat in Historic Old Torrance, a nonprofit family event with a marketplace and kids trick-or-treating from decorated car trunks.
  • Sunday, Oct. 4: Art Deco Society of Los Angeles guided tour of Hollywood Forever Cemetery, featuring more than 20 early movie stars brought to life through historian narration and live performances.
  • Friday, Oct. 2–Nov. 1: St. Vincent Medical Center opens its underground to the public for the first time, with art installations and a Día de los Muertos section in the Hospital of Emotions exhibit.