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Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I want my little one to get a taste of the fun, so I am looking for some interesting Halloween activities to do with my 16 month old. I've seen signs for carnivals and parties at Tilden, the YMCA, etc., but I'm not clear if any of these have activities appropriate for younger kids. I checked the past recommendations, but they are about 5 years old, and don't specify what would be fun for toddlers. Festivals, street fairs, carnivals, anything in Berkeley/Albany/El Cerrito/Oakland for the week leading up to Halloween would be perfect. What did your kids love? All suggestions are appreciated. Thanks, and happy trick-or- treating! Pumpkin-loving Mom
You should also check with your local (large) malls. Some of them have trick or treat nites where the kids can dress up and go from store to store collecting candy in a safe environment. another Halloween fan
From: Dianne (10/97)
Oakland Zoo "Boo at the Zoo", Sat, Oct 25th.
Halloween activities at Jack London Square, Oak, Sat. Oct 25th (10-3) (lots
of activities, pumpkin patch, haunted house, etc).
Emeryville Parks & Rec Depart Halloween Carnival, Oct. 30th (6pm-8pm).
Downtown Berkeley YMCA Oct 30th, 7pm-9:30pm.
Lawrence Hall of Science (I don't know details, but you can call them).
City of San Leandro Halloween Carnival (I believe it's this Sat, Oct 25th,
but I'm not sure- this is especially good for 3-7 year olds).
Halloween party at St. John's Church in Berkeley (not sure of details)- they
warmly welcome all families.
We have been to San Leandro carnival, Lawrence Hall of Science,
Oakland Zoo, and Jack London Square activities. All were fun, but the Jack
London Square party was really great- kids love the activities, it is a
beautiful setting, the Barnes & Noble bookstore is a great place to take a
rest and peruse a book; also, if you call the Jack London Square "Hotline"
(I don't have number, you can get it from information) you can get
information on having your kids join their "Kids'Club" free- a membership
allows your kids special benefits in stores in Jack London Square, like
eating free (from the kids menu) at T.G.I. Friday, Kincaid's Bayhouse and
Pizzeria Uno, when the parents buy a meal. We use our membership all the
time to eat at these restaurants.
Have fun!
--------------
St. John's Church 2727 College Ave. Saturday Oct 25 at 6:30 PM
All ages - wear a costume - meet the coffin monster - see wizards -
drink from the witches' cauldron Admission: a book, food item, toy,
or treat for a homeless child or a donation in any amount. Teens are
invited to come early at 3pm to help build the haunted house.
--------------
From: Debbie
Although I've not been to an event at LHS, the party advertised on their
web page sounds fun to me! Here is some of their blurb:
LHS "Harmonious" Family Halloween Party. Sat., Oct. 25, 6:30 pm - 9 pm.
Music, science and spooky fun are in harmony during an evening of
entertainment, games, art activities, a treasure hunt and costume parade.
TX are $9 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under. 642-5134
And, if you're a Neighborhood Mom, be sure to come to the Halloween party
on Sun., Oct. 26, 3;30 - 5 at Epworth Church on Hopkins. RSVP by 10/24 to
Debbie at dwoods@uclink4.berkeley.edu or 643-3012. We'll have games,
refreshments, prizes, and a costume parade.
Also, I think the downtown Y is having a family Halloween party. Call the Y
for info.
------------------
From: Wendy
For a Halloween party: The Randall museum has a party scheduled for
Halloween, 6-9pm. I've gone in past years, when my child was as young as 3,
and I think it would keep the attention of anyone up to preteen years. The
museum has an animal room, somewhat like the Lindsey Museum but smaller, I
believe. It's located on Museum Way, near 14th and Castro in SF. I'd suggest
calling to find out more if you're interested.
Good Trick or Treating Neighborhoods near El Cerrito
September 2001
Does anyone know the good place where our 2 kids can trick-or-treat? We are
from outside of the country. More than half of our neighbour live in an
apartment including us and I guess no trick-or-treat here. I know some malls
have Halloween events but I would like to take our kids to other neighbors. Can
we do that? If so, where is the good place?
I also check the old recommendation for it, but it's a bit far from here. We
live in El Cerrito, so I prefer to taking them to El Cerrito, Albany, North
Berkeley, or Richmond area.
Thanks.
Rie
Our neighborhood in the flats of El Cerrito is a very
popular trick or treating spot. We live on Liberty
Street 1 1/2 blocks down from Potrero. Maybe because
it is a flat one-way street or maybe because there are
lots of houses close together, plenty of folks come
here with their kids. It makes for a fun festive
night. So fun that we usually sit out on the front
porch and have a ball handing out candy! In the past
my 6 year old has enjoyed that more then getting her
own candy.
Also, the retirement home on Gladys and Lexington has
an annual Halloween event where the residents give out
candy. I think that starts at about 6pm.
Allison
A great, safe place to trick-or-treat is at El Cerrito Plaza. Some time
before halloween (you have to check the paper, or go to the plaza and
ask), the stores hold a trick-or-treat afternoon. The children go from
store to store and trick-or-treat. Is safe, easy, and very sweet. We
went last year, and it was fine.
Mary
Well, I don't want to get TOO many more kids coming to our house. (I counted
nearly 200 one year) But our neighborhood - also on McGee seems to be very
popular,
especially with the littler kids and their parents. Its on the other side of
Cedar from Totland. I don't know why its so popular but we usually have a
pretty good display at our house and some of our neighbors are also into it -
not elaborate - no real skeletons or coffins but lots of giggling ghosts. I
would recommend coming from just after dark to about 7:30 - after that we all
start to shut down because the bigger kids start to come and also a lot of
them are making their second rounds by then.
Even though the streets are pretty well lit, don't forget your reflectors or
flashlights!
Try UC Village in Albany! We live there and took our 2 year
old up and down one block and that was perfect. She got to
see all the other kids in costume and collected enough goodies
to last us a while.
Jennifer
The neighborhood right around Totland Park (intesection of Virginia & McGee
in North Berkeley) is a great neighborhood for trick-or-treating -- very
safe, lots of kids, mostly 1-and 2-family houses, minimal traffic. If you do
take your kids trick-or-treating here, be sure to check out our landlords'
festive Halloween display (usually includes cobwebs, gravestones etc.) at
1630 Virginia St. (right next to Totland).
We lived in Rockridge until '93 when my daughter turned 3, and for two
years we went around the blocks of Boyd between Hudson and Clifton?
and Lawton and gee, the street names left me, but that neighborhood
had people out playing music on their stoops, incredibly carved
jack-o-lanterns, and LOTS of kids with parents out
trick-or-treating. Near the new Rockridge Library, a few blocks in
from College. It's an enclave of families with little ones. I always
felt very safe and happy there.
Very popular in Berkeley is the neighborhood around College Ave. and
Russell St. (the Elmwood area of College just north of Ashby). This
might be too intense for kids under 5; it is a carnival atmosphere with
streets closed and lots of people walking around in costume. But the
houses here go all out with decorations: haunted houses, smoke
machines, strobe lights, etc. My kids never miss it.
Trick or Treating in San Francisco
October 2005
Our son is all set for his first (okay, second, but he was too
little last year) halloween! We're planning on going to the Boo
at the Zoo on Saturday the 29th, but I would also love to take
him trick or treating on halloween. I haven't been trick or
treating since I was a kid, and I used to just go around the
neighborhood. I haven't had many trick or treaters since I moved
out on my own (maybe half a dozen in the last 15 years,
seriously). Are kids just not roaming their own neighborhoods
these days? Are there places in San Francisco where people take
their kids trick or treating? I've heard that kids sometimes go
trick or treating at the mall, but that just sounds so weird to
me.
ED
Next year head to Fair Oaks Street (on the border of Noe Valley/Mission). They close
6 blocks of Fair Oaks to kids on Halloween. It's between 21st -26th/Guerrero-
Dolores. It's a lovely street with lots of cute houses and flats, there are tons of kids.
anon
Belvedere St in Cole Valley is the place to take kids on
Halloween in SF. The houses are all decorated, people are
friendly -- it's a fun scene.
city trick or treater
When my husband and I were pre-child we used to dress up and go
to the party in the castro. Unfortunately, I don't think that
would be ideal with young kids. We live in Berkeley, so I don't
know if this advice will work. In the Berkeley flats, it is nice
to trick or treat around your block and meet your neighbors. I
often introduce us, if the people seem friendly, so as to create
a slightly greater social density in the neighborhood. If you
live in the Mission, or Noe Valley, or Glen Park, or the
Richmond, or the Sunset, I think that would work.
likes dressing up
Costume Parades & Contests
2000
What are some fun Halloween activities in the East Bay where babies can show
off their cute costumes?
Jodi
The Parkway Theater is holding a baby costume contest witth their 630 showing
of night of the living dead. I am not much on the movie, but it will be great
fun with all the babies. By the way, every monday night the Parkway theater
shows movies and babies are allowed. See their website at picturepubpizza.com.
They have good food, and it is fun to see all the babies. last week they showed
Space Cowboys. I think this month they are going for the oldies (not my favorite),
but they should be getting back to the newer ones in November.
Molly
Habitot Children's Museum does a fun and "not to spooky" party for kids the
Saturday before Halloween, October 28th. We've always enjoyed it.
Kathy
Fairyland and the Oakland Zoo always have wonderful daytime Halloween
events.
Shoshana
There are parades in Montclair and in Piedmont. Check the Montclarian for
info.
Gab
I didn't see the original post, but I see many responses about good places to go on
Halloween. This would be for children and adults of all ages, not just infants The
New School of Berkeley has a Halloween fair every year. It is Saturday October 28,
11-4 at Cedar and Bonita in Berkeley. HUGE yard sale with tons of kids stuff, pumpkins,
really good food for sale, kids' activities, live music, and much more. It's a funky low-key
atmosphere and just a nice place to be.
Sybil
1998
From: Gail
There is an annual Halloween parade on College Avenue in Rockridge. It is
happening this year, although I am not sure what day. I have heard rumors
that it will be on Saturday, Halloween, but do not know this for sure. I
live in the neighborhood and have not yet seen flyers for it.
From: Deborah
the Piedmont Ave parade is always the Sat before Halloween (the 24th this
year). I believe it starts at 10:30, but there should be flyers up at shops
on Piedmont Ave with the exact time. The parade is very low-key and lots of
fun: A bag-piper and a mounted police officer and LOTS of kids in costume
(with their parents). Then there's trick-or-treating at most of the shops
afterwards. It's wonderful. There's also one on College Ave that I believe
is the Sun before Halloween in the afternoon. Don't know about Solano.
From: Diana
A while back, someone asked about neighborhood Hallowe'en
events, and I mentioned the toddlers parade & trick-or-treating on
Lakeshore Ave. in Oakland. I now have all the details and thought I'd
pass it on. There's a green space at Lakeshore & Mandana which will
be the meeting ground. The event starts at 11:00 am on Saturday, and
is specifically geared to babies and toddlers. I think there will be
a pumpkin patch, and a clown (or is it a magician?) Anyway, I think
the whole thing only goes on for an hour or two, and the local
businesses will have treats for the kiddies.
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