Want to make the most of the upcoming Halloween season? Instead of knocking the dust off your costume & buying candy, why not be a brave soul and plan a getaway! Here’s an assortment of ways you can enjoy this Halloween in the High Sierra.
Freaker’s Ball
Learn more about the Freaker’s Ball happening on October 25th & other Halloween events
Up first is the classic Halloween party like no other… Freaker’s Ball. More than four decades old, this “monster” of a party is the ultimate way to mingle with the creatures of the night and enjoy Halloween. Named after the 1972 song written by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show, “Freakin at the Freakers Ball”, expect an atmosphere like a wild four-ring costume circus extravaganza. Let’s just say you’ll want to put this Halloween party on your bucket list.
YOU Are the Halloween Magic in Truckee
Learn more about historic downtown Truckee’s Halloween festivities
Truckee rolls out the bed of shimmering yellow Aspen leaves for Halloween. Truckee’s annual Halloween celebration takes place the Friday before the actual day of Halloween. For this year, that means October 24th, and the event kicks off at 4:30 pm with a costume contest at 5:30 pm. Everyone is invited to trick-or-treat through downtown from local shops and then make your way over to the Community Arts Center and downtown park for even more ghoulish delights.
All Hallows Faire
Learn more about All Hallows Faire
From haunted hotels to Copperopolis’ Trick or Treat Street, and Murphys Dia de los Muertos, there is a lot going on this fall season. Looking for something new? Explore all of Calaveras’ fabulous Halloween and October events here. One of the more unusual experiences to be had in Calaveras is the All Hallows Faire on October 25th & 26th. What started as a way to celebrate the Celtic festival of Samhain has now transformed to include all types of fantasy. This two-day fantasy faire features live music, food, drink, a variety of other entertainers such as storytellers and the Harvestman Fire Show on Saturday night. The All Hallows Faire has a strong focus on creativity in regards to costumes. They encourage the public to design original costumes and not wear store-bought items. With a costume contest featuring four different themes, let your imagination run wild and start crafting.
Dia De Los Muertos
Learn more about this one-of-a kind experience in Hornitos
The town’s name means “little ovens” in Spanish and was named for the above-ground rock and adobe graves of Mexican settlers found in the area. Each year on November 2nd, Hornitos plays host for Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. The candle-lighting and procession winds its way from the plaza to the cemetery. A modern mix combining Dia de Los Muertos, the Mexican day of prayer and celebration, with All Souls Day, the Catholic tradition including a blessing from a Bishop to culminate the religious part of the evening.
Whether or not you believe in ghosts or spirits, the quiet town of Hornitos may challenge your notions or solidify them especially at the event. Be sure to set aside some extra time to take in the location where Domingo Ghirardelli an Italian confectioner began his famous company Ghirardelli chocolates which has been in business since 1852.
All Aboard The Spooky Train
Learn more about the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad’s Halloween service
The bone-chilling whistle as if a dragon was awakened. A high-pitched shriek of steel against steel. The loud clatter of train cars locking in as the beast begins to move. We aren’t talking about a monster from a movie. It’s the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad’s Halloween Limited train service.
A combination of dinner, train ride to the loop, and an outdoor spooky story time, both your kids and you will remember the experience forever. For an extra special adventure, consider getting their Fright Class service with complimentary beverages and table service for dinner. Then you’ll hop on board their caboose for a spooky story and a chance to ride in the cupola as you look out for scary creatures in the woods. Make it a full weekend of fun by taking in the Bass Lake’s Halloween Carnival followed by a salute to native arachnids at the Coarse Gold Tarantula Awareness Festival. We guarantee that the entire family will have one spook-tacular of a time.
Stroll Down Boo Boulevard
Learn more about Tuolumne County’s October spooky lineup
If you’re looking for a spooky week to dive into, Tuolumne County has the event calendar to usher you into the Halloween spirit. Starting on Friday, October 24th, you’ll find Halloween movie nights, a Spooky Street Dance Party, Trick or Treat Streets , a Halloween Parade, and even a celebration down Boo Boulevard in Columbia State Historic Park. With a full week of ghostly fun laid out, you can keep the spooky spirit going all the way till Halloween night itself.
On the surface, trick or treating at home might be fun. But we guarantee a trip up to the mountains will be much more memorable & create lasting memories. The High Sierra is no stranger to nightmarish occurrences and spooky events so this is only a snippet of the fun you can find this “spooky” season.
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