ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA LIFE IN FULL COLORMeet the neighbors ↗
anaheim.one

Orange County roots.
Anaheim through and through.

Find your kind of day
Events & sports
6 min read

Fall Festival, Nightmare or Wicked Lit: Which Anaheim Halloween Fits You?

By Anaheim Life Editorial6 min read
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed in our publication workflow. Learn more
Share
An illustrated plaza path forking into four small trails, each marked with its own cluster of autumn objects: a pumpkin and car hubcap, a popcorn bucket on a blanket, a market basket of gourds, and a velvet curtain tassel beside a paper mask, all under orange trees at dusk.

Anaheim Halloween events 2026 come down to four main options between October 24 and November 2: the free Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade on Saturday, Oct. 24; a free Hocus Pocus screening at Farmers Park on Monday, Oct. 26; Nightmare on Center Street at the Thursday farmers market on Oct. 29; and Wicked Lit's ticketed theater at Chance Theater.

The parade gets the most attention, but each event suits a different crowd. Here is how to pick, with times, parking and costs taken from the organizers' own pages.

Quick picker

  • Whole family, weekend: Fall Festival and Halloween Parade, Saturday, Oct. 24. Free to attend.

  • Low-key family night: Hocus Pocus at Farmers Park, Monday, Oct. 26, 7pm. Free.

  • Little kids on a weekday: Nightmare on Center Street, Thursday, Oct. 29, 11am to 3pm.

  • Date night or grown-up scares: Wicked Lit, Oct. 29 to Nov. 2. Ticketed, and one play is for mature audiences only.

Saturday, Oct. 24: Fall Festival and Halloween Parade

The day starts with the Fall Festival at Center Greens, which the official festival site describes as the city park next to Anaheim City Hall and the Downtown Anaheim Community Center. Enjoy OC lists the address as 305 E Broadway. The festival and the Anaheim Classic Car Show on Center Street both run 10am to 4pm. The organizers list costume contests, local artists, live entertainment, kid's crafts, food, sweet treats and a scavenger hunt. The organizer, Anaheim Fall Festival, is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Admission is free, but Enjoy OC notes that food, crafts and some activities may cost money. Bringing a dog? Enjoy OC says the Doggie Costume Contest takes registrations from 1 to 2pm in three divisions (small dogs under 35 lb, large dogs over 35 lb, and group/family), with each division capped at 20 entries.

The parade starts at 7pm. According to the official parade page, the route begins at Anaheim Blvd and Broadway, turns left onto Center St. Promenade, continues along Broadway and ends at Broadway and West St.

Parking: The parade page lists the Center Street Parking Garage and Center City Parking (CarPark 3) as free, and Anaheim Parking Center (CarPark 4) as paid. An overflow lot at Anaheim High School opens at 5pm. Don't park at City Hall for the evening: road closures block entry and exit there from 3pm to 9pm. Enjoy OC suggests arriving early and planning around street closures.

Why it matters locally: According to PBS SoCal Artbound, the first Anaheim Halloween parade took place on October 30, 1924, with Babe Ruth as grand marshal. It was started to keep young pranksters out of trouble. Artbound reports that former Disney art directors Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily revived it in 2012.

Monday, Oct. 26: Hocus Pocus at Farmers Park

The Packing District calendar lists a Monster Monday Movie Night showing Hocus Pocus from 7 to 8:40pm at Farmers Park, 412 S Anaheim Blvd, presented by Lumen Experiences. The series offers free movies every Monday in October, so this is the last screening of the month.

Leave the picnic basket at home. The Packing District does not allow outside food or drinks. Only food and drinks bought at the Packing House, Farmers Park or the Packard Building are permitted, so plan to pick up dinner on site.

Thursday, Oct. 29: Nightmare on Center Street

Every Thursday from 11am to 3pm, the Downtown Anaheim Farmers Market sets up on Center Street Promenade in front of the Rinks. On Oct. 29, Downtown Anaheim gives it a Halloween theme with spooky vendors, trick-or-treating, costume contests and more.

It's a daytime, weekday event in the open air, and no admission is listed. That makes it a good fit for toddlers, preschoolers, parents with flexible schedules and anyone who can step out for lunch. It's also an easy pick if your kids won't last until a 7pm parade.

Oct. 29 to Nov. 2: Wicked Lit at Chance Theater

Unbound Productions is bringing back Wicked Lit, its Halloween theater festival, at Chance Theater, 5522 E La Palma Ave in east Anaheim. According to BroadwayWorld, Unbound hasn't produced a show since Wicked Lit's 2019 season at Mountain View Mausoleum. The Fullerton Observer reports that the festival has drawn more than 30,000 attendees at unconventional Southern California venues since it began in 2009.

This year's program is two one-act plays adapted by Jonathan Josephson. One is based on Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The other, Las Lloronas, is an original play drawing on La Llorona myths, folktales and historical events. The Fullerton Observer names Katie Chidester as director. There are two performances each night, at 7:30pm and 9pm.

Who it's for: BroadwayWorld says Las Lloronas is rooted in gothic horror, contains depictions of violence and is intended for mature audiences only. Wicked Lit's own page also labels it mature audiences only. This is better for a date night or a night out with adults than a family outing.

Extras and cost: Wicked Lit also has a Halloween artisan faire called La Placita of Curiosities, a museum and photo experience, a full-service bar with signature cocktails, and an opportunity drawing at $5 per entry or $20 for five. BroadwayWorld reports that tickets start at $50, that prices vary by date and time, and that there is ample free parking on site. Buy tickets through the producer or the theater directly.

On Halloween night and beyond

On Saturday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 9pm, the Packing District calendar lists a MAKE Vinyl Halloween Session with DJ Jose Jurado at MAKE, 500 S Anaheim Blvd, and a Halloween set by DJ Crisanto on the Anaheim Packing House Mezzanine, 440 S Anaheim Blvd. Visit Anaheim also lists the Hallowe'en Greetings and Tricks, Treats, and Traditions exhibit at Muzeo through Nov. 3, and Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort here in Anaheim (not Walt Disney World in Florida) through Oct. 31.

The short version

Families with a free Saturday should go to the festival and parade. For a quiet Monday night, catch Hocus Pocus at Farmers Park. For little ones at lunchtime, try Nightmare on Center Street. Adults looking for something theatrical and scary should get Wicked Lit tickets.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2026 Anaheim Halloween Parade?

The parade starts at 7pm on Saturday, October 24, 2026. It begins at Anaheim Blvd and Broadway and ends at Broadway and West St., per the official parade page. The Fall Festival at Center Greens runs earlier that day, 10am to 4pm.

Where can I park for the Anaheim Halloween Parade?

The official parade page lists the Center Street Parking Garage and Center City Parking (CarPark 3) as free and Anaheim Parking Center (CarPark 4) as paid. An Anaheim High School overflow lot opens at 5pm. City Hall Parking has no entry or exit from 3pm to 9pm.

Is Wicked Lit 2026 suitable for kids?

Not all of it. BroadwayWorld and wicked-lit.org say Las Lloronas, one of the two plays, is for mature audiences only, and BroadwayWorld notes it contains depictions of violence. It's better suited to an adults' night out.

Can I bring snacks to the Farmers Park movie night?

No. The Packing District does not allow outside food or drinks. Only food and drinks bought at the Packing House, Farmers Park or the Packard Building are permitted.

What is Nightmare on Center Street?

It's the Halloween edition of the Thursday Downtown Anaheim Farmers Market, held Oct. 29, 2026, from 11am to 3pm on Center Street Promenade in front of the Rinks. Downtown Anaheim lists spooky vendors, trick-or-treating and costume contests.