Halloween may be a few weeks away but spooky season is already in full effect. Some Halloween emblems like haunted houses and pumpkin patches opened late September in Berkeley to feed the appetite for haunted activities. Here is a list of places in Berkeley to get you in the spirit.
http://www.pumpkinpatch.info/pumpkin-patch/
Although this is technically in Oakland, it is only an extra five minutes away by bus or car. The pumpkin patch is open from 9 am to 8 pm every day through October and you do not have to pay admission. There are over a dozen types of pumpkin so you can find the perfect pumpkin to carve. Another cool feature of the patch is an additional Halloween store so while you shop for pumpkins you can also find a costume for the big night.
2- Halloween Haunt at Great America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3ue0tTnl-0
Halloween Haunt is the spooky edition of Great America on select nights. It entails walking (or running, depending on how scared you are) through themed mazes with monsters hiding inside so they can sneak up on you and scare you. And if you feel too uncomfortable, the regular park attractions like roller coasters remain open. There are also places to dance to music by live DJs, so you could just avoid the scary scene altogether and party instead.
3- The Rocky Horror Picture Show Screening
https://www.theuctheatre.org/e/rocky-horror-picture-show-75088763513/
For those of you who want a classic Halloween night, the UC Theatre is screening the paradigm Rocky Horror Picture Show at 8 pm. Tickets are either $16.50 or $26.50, depending on whether you want to sit or stand.
4- Masquerade: Haunted House Music
This haunted house doubles as a masquerade haunted house and musical fundraiser. From 2 to 4 pm on October 20, the group Sacred and Profane, A Chamber Chorus is performing at a private residence in Berkeley for its first concert of the year. The music will be Halloween-themed classical and jazz songs, so this event is the perfect combination of art and spook.
5- Dia De los Muertos Celebration
https://www.berkeleyside.com/2011/10/26/berkeley-ramps-up-dia-de-los-muertos-celebrations
If you want a cultural twist on Halloween, this is the event for you. The Ecology Center is hosting a Day of the Dead celebration at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market on Tuesday, October 29 from 2:30 to 6:30 pm. Admission is free and open to all ages. Activities include a traditional Dia de los Muertos Altar, a live band, a costume contest and clay skull decorating.
6- Fourth Street Halloween Celebration
http://www.fourthstreet.com/events/2017/10/31/halloween-fest-2017
This is the classic Halloween celebration, complete with trick-or-treating, a bubble show, live music, stilt walkers and pumpkin painting. It is located on Delaware at Fourth Street in Berkeley. All ages are welcome, even teenagers. It is on Halloween day from 2 to 5 pm so it is an ideal warmup for the fun night.