Arts & Culture

How to have a spooktacular Halloween experience

By Isabel Smith STAFF WRITER

It’s that time of year again! A time full of pumpkin carving, spooky decorations, and scares. Halloween is just around the corner and it’s time to figure out how to celebrate.

Out of ideas? We’re here to help you. From parties to haunted trails and everything in between, we’ve compiled a list of the best Halloween events around San Diego.

Here are a few fun options that are sure to make Halloween a night to remember:

Don’t feel like leaving campus? Here at San Diego State, we have some upcoming Halloween-themed Aztec Nights.

Aztec Nights: Scream, Qweenz!: Starting on Oct. 30, our annual drag show is getting a spooky makeover. This

Halloween eve show is full of tricks and treats with performances by your favorite queens, a costume ball, and special guests. Immerse yourself in the night’s festivities and join the audience as you walk among the tombstones.

Aztec Nights: Halloween Monster Mash: Show up in your costume for this Halloween bash. Get ready to be spooked by Spidey the mentalist, Chris Moon the Paranormal Investigator, and a haunted maze. Enjoy a DJ dance party, pizza, candy, games, pumpkins, and more!

Halloween is all about the spooks and scares and here in San Diego there are a ton of places to get your scream on:

The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park: There’s a reason CNN named this one of the top 10 best haunted attractions in America! This mile long terrifying trail through twisted pines and gnarled oaks will have you dodging Pennywise, nuns,

clowns and more. Before you step foot on the trail, you will be sent through the horrifying eXperiment Maze.

The Haunted Hotel’s Disturbance: Featured on the Travel Channel, this event now features three haunts in one location: 3D Freak Fest, Killbilly Chaos, and The Haunted Hotel full of scares from zombies, clowns, chainsaws and more. Not to mention the extra entertainment with light shows, axe-throwing, DJ’s, themed cocktails, and more.

Not into scares? Celebrate this Halloween by visiting a local pumpkin patch.

Bates Nut Farm: For those of the faint of heart, a pumpkin patch is the perfect way to celebrate the season. Open for more than 50 years, Bates Nut Farm has carried out fall traditions and created many memories. You and your friends can enjoy live entertainment, tractor hayrides, and, of course, picking the perfect pumpkin!

Photo by Sara Rott

Student desperatley fighting for their life to hang on to the erratic mechanical bull at Pumpkin Patch Palooza.