Here are 4 fun Halloween activities happening before Oct. 31

So you have your Stranger Things costume and your Pinterest-inspired pumpkin and you’re waiting for the big night. You know, Halloween—the night where you walk around the neighborhood, hitting your neighbors up for candy.

Trick-or-treating is always a fun time (unless someone gives you a box of raisins and a toothbrush). However, there’s no need to wait until Oct. 31 to start the festivities. Here are four local activities that celebrate Halloween, no neighbors required.

1. Zoo Boo and Stomp n Chomp

By now you’ve probably heard of Zoo Boo, which is an evening of trick-or-treat fun at Fresno Chaffee Zoo. During this event, the zoo is decorated, carnival games are played, and live entertainment combines with animal engagement for an exciting, kid-friendly night. There are four nights to choose from: Oct. 20, 21 27 and 28. Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for children and you can grab them here.

Of course, animals like treats, too. So on Sunday, Oct. 29, you can visit the zoo for Stomp N Chomp Fall Themed Animal Enrichment Day. Basically this is your opportunity to see elephants and other animals nosh on pumpkin-y treats. These treats are not only festive but good for the animals! As a bonus, this event is free with regular zoo admission.

2. Hocus Pocus screening

Although there’s a litany of spooky movies being shown at the Crest Theatre in downtown Fresno this month, I’m here for Hocus Pocus. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21 and the movie starts at 8. Happily, the showing is free (donations are welcome) to celebrate the grand re-opening of Fulton Street. For more information about the Hocus Pocus screening, check out the event page here.

If you can’t make it on Saturday and still want to see that 90s classic in a theater, Maya Cinema is showing it, too. Tickets to this showing are $7 but kids who are dressed up get a free goodie bag. Plus, all proceeds benefit the Maya Education Fund which gives scholarships to students. The show starts at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27 and 11 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28. Grab your tickets here.

3. Halloween ComicFest

Despite the abundance of action hero costumes, perhaps you’ve never seen a connection between Halloween and comic book stores. Let’s change that this year by sending you to your local comic book shop for Halloween ComicFest.

This is a nationwide event. Here in Fresno, Heroes Comics and Legends Comics and Games stores will celebrate on Saturday, Oct. 28. Not only will there be free comic giveaways, there will also be costume contests and games.

4. Trunk-or-Treats throughout town

You guys, there are a LOT of trunk-or-treat and family-friendly events going down in the 559. If you’ve never been to a trunk-or-treat, basically you take your tikes around a parking lot full of decorated cars and gather candy from trunks.

Due to math things like area and square footage, it’s an efficient way to fill up your treat bag with very little effort. Often bonus activities like carnival games and petting zoos are included. Since these events are kid-friendly, often scary costumes aren’t allowed. Here’s a list of a few places in the Fresno area where you can get your Trunk-or-Treat experience on:

• 3rd Annual Boofest at Sierra Vista Mall. Saturday, Oct. 21 from 5-9 p.m. (Details here)

• Trunk-or-Treat at Manchester Center. Sunday, Oct. 22 from 4-6 p.m. (Details here)

• Customer Appreciation/Boo Fest 2017 at Madera Auto Center. RSVP by Oct. 22. Event is Saturday, Oct. 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Details here)

• Spooky Scent Fundraiser. Benefitting Valley Children’s Hospital at the Meux Home Museum, this event includes food trucks, a car show and or course candy. Sunday, Oct. 29 from 1-5 p.m. (Details here)

• Northpointe Trunk or Treat. Tuesday, Oct. 31 from 6-8:30 p.m. (Details here)

• Fallapalooza at Northwest Church. This event actually doesn’t have trunks, but there will be candy (and free pony rides!). Tuesday, Oct. 31 from 6-8:30 p.m. (Details here)

• Trunk or Treat at Common Space. Tuesday, Oct. 31 from 5 to 8 p.m. (Details here)

 

This is not an exhaustive list, because that would be exhausting. However, if I missed an event you want to share with the group, feel free to drop it in the comments. Happy Halloween!