This year Halloween falls on Saturday, October 31, and Rancho Santa Fe has events at both ends of the day. Helen Woodward Animal Center's Howl-O-Ween Harvest Family Festival runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Horizon Church's Harvest Festival opens at 5 p.m. at 6365 El Apajo. The morning and evening are already set close to home. The hours from 1 to 5 are the ones to plan, and Del Mar and Solana Beach have the events that fill them.
9 a.m.: Howl-O-Ween on its final Saturday
The San Diego Union-Tribune listed the Woodward festival for four Saturdays: October 10, 17, 24 and 31. Halloween morning is the last of the four, so families who meant to go "some Saturday in October" have this as their final chance.
The festival takes place on the center's Humane Education Campus. Activities include hands-on animal encounters with Woodward's animal ambassadors, fall crafts, themed games, face painting and trick-or-treat stations. Each child also picks out a mini pumpkin to take home. Helen Woodward Animal Center aims the day at preschool through elementary-aged kids, calls it "not-so-spooky," and encourages costumes. The San Diego Family calendar lists the address as 6447 Helen Woodward Way and the price as $10 to $19. Dates, prices and booking are on the center's events page, behind the "Book Howl-O-Ween Harvest Family Festival" button.
The morning has competition. The Del Mar Foundation's Halloween Dog Parade and Costume Competition is at Powerhouse Park the same morning. Check-in is at 9:30 a.m. and the parade steps off around 10. Entry is free, registration is requested, and dogs must stay on leash, according to the Union-Tribune. Households with both a costumed toddler and a costumed dog may need to choose. One way to do both is to start at the parade and get to Woodward afterward, well before its 1 p.m. close.
The 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. gap
Woodward closes at 1 and Horizon opens at 5. Four nearby events cover those hours, and each one fits a different kind of afternoon.
| Time on Oct. 31 | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Howl-O-Ween Harvest Family Festival | Helen Woodward Animal Center, 6447 Helen Woodward Way, Rancho Santa Fe | $10 to $19 |
| 9:30 a.m. check-in | Halloween Dog Parade & Costume Competition | Powerhouse Park, Del Mar | Free, registration requested |
| 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Solana Beach Fire Department Open House | 500 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach | No price listed |
| Noon to 3:30 p.m. | Wicked Spooky Tea | Fairmont Grand Del Mar | $125 adult, $65 child, plus tax and gratuity |
| 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Pumpkin Station, final day | Del Mar Fairgrounds, 15555 Jimmy Durante Blvd. | Free walk-through and parking; $5 tickets for some rides |
| 4 to 6 p.m. | Halloween at Del Mar Highlands Town Center | 12925 El Camino Real, San Diego | No price listed |
| 5 p.m. | Harvest Festival | Horizon Church, 6365 El Apajo, Rancho Santa Fe | Free games and rides; food trucks |
For the youngest kids, the fire station. The City of Solana Beach lists station tours, a meet-and-greet with first responders, CPR and safety activities, and live music for its open house. Costumes are encouraged. It runs until 2 p.m., so families leaving Woodward at 1 have about an hour there.
For an afternoon that fills itself, Pumpkin Station. The patch at the Del Mar Fairgrounds has been open since September 25, and October 31 is its last day. Walking the patch and parking are both free, and some rides and activities take $5 tickets. Saturday hours run 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., per the Union-Tribune. Of everything on the list, it is the only event open from morning straight through Horizon's start time.
For a sit-down break, tea at the Grand Del Mar. The Fairmont Grand Del Mar's Wicked Spooky Tea is served Saturdays and Sundays in October from noon to 3:30 p.m. The hotel's Halloween page lists $125 per adult and $65 per child, plus tax and gratuity, and costumes are encouraged. Halloween is the last October Saturday, so this is one of the final seatings of the season. The hotel's page was originally published years ago and now carries 2026 details, so confirm the seating before you go.
For trick-or-treating before dark, Del Mar Highlands. Del Mar Highlands Town Center holds family trick-or-treating from 4 to 6 p.m., with maps and character stations. It overlaps Horizon's opening hour. That leaves two choices: go straight to El Apajo at 5, or trick-or-treat first and reach the Harvest Festival a little later in the evening.
5 p.m.: Horizon Church's Harvest Festival
The day ends back in Rancho Santa Fe. Horizon Church's annual Harvest Festival is open to all. The Union-Tribune reports free games and carnival rides, with food trucks on site selling food. The church's own event listing adds candy to the list.
That food truck detail helps with planning. Dinner is available at the festival, so a family coming from the afternoon events doesn't need to fit in a separate meal before Horizon opens.
The end time differs between sources. Horizon's calendar lists 5 to 8 p.m. Two Union-Tribune listings, from October 13 and October 14, say 5 to 9. The church's 8 p.m. is the safer one to plan around, especially with younger kids who are already fading after a full day.
If Saturday is too full, start Friday
Two Friday events, both on October 30, take some pressure off Halloween itself.
- Annual Haunted Hotel at Olivenhain Meeting Hall. Scout Troop 2000 of Encinitas puts on the event, which local scouts design, build and run, according to its Patch listing, at Olivenhain Meeting Hall, 423 Rancho Santa Fe Road in Encinitas. Friday's hours are 5:30 to 9 p.m., and general admission is free. Haunted Hotel tickets are $8 at the door, and the concessions, carnival and Candy Mystery Trail cost extra, per the Union-Tribune.
- Spooktacular Halloween at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. It starts at 5 p.m. at Grand Social, with the event page giving a 5 to 9 p.m. span. General admission is $50 per adult and $30 per child, plus tax and gratuity.
The two Fridays suit different families. The Haunted Hotel is a scout fundraiser where the only fixed cost is an $8 ticket. The Grand Del Mar evening is resort-priced for a family of four. Both are spooky enough that a Friday night there leaves Saturday free for the gentler events.
After the costumes come off
Woodward's calendar continues into winter. Its Wild Winter Family Festival is billed as a free community celebration with animal encounters, winter crafts, cookie decorating, letters and visits with Santa, and a free gift from Santa for every child. The center's seasonal events page does not yet show a 2026 date.
The Rancho Santa Fe Village Holiday Stroll and Tree Lighting has no announced 2026 date either. Last year's version gives a sense of what to expect. On December 4, 2025, the free stroll began at 4 p.m. with the Roger Rowe School Choir caroling from Amy Meier Design and ended at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe for a 5 p.m. tree lighting, as the Union-Tribune reported. Those were 2025's details. This year's schedule will come from the organizers.
At The Wright Group, we follow the Rancho Santa Fe calendar from the last Howl-O-Ween Saturday through the Village tree lighting. If you'd like a note when the 2026 stroll date is announced, or want to talk about the season ahead in the Covenant, Schedule a Call with our team.