Anaheim has been throwing a Halloween festival since 1923 and a nighttime parade since 1924, and both are back on Saturday, October 24, 2026. The Fall Festival and Classic Car Show fill Center Greens and the Center Street Promenade in downtown Anaheim from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the Halloween Parade steps off at 7 p.m. Everything is free to attend.
We covered the parade route and the basics in Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade Return Downtown on October 24. This guide is for planning the whole day: what to eat, the contests and their sign-up windows, the car show beer garden, and how to win a scavenger hunt. Details are from the festival’s official site as of September 28, 2026.
The quick version
| When | Saturday, October 24, 2026. Festival and car show 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parade 7 p.m. |
| Where | Center Greens (next to Anaheim City Hall and the Downtown Anaheim Community Center) and the Center Street Promenade, downtown Anaheim |
| Highlights | Costume contests for kids, families, and dogs, a Classic Car Show with a craft beer garden, a scavenger hunt with a Disneyland ticket prize, and the Halloween Parade |
| Admission | Free. Car show entry for vehicles is $65. |
| Ages | All ages |
| Parking | Free at the Center Street garage and CarPark 3; CarPark 4 is paid |
| Organizer | Anaheim Fall Festival, a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit |
| Official site | anaheimfallfestival.org |
What’s on the menu
The festival page lists these food vendors at Center Greens. The organizers say more details are coming in October, so treat this as a preview:
| Craving | Vendors |
|---|---|
| Savory | The Viking Truck, BBQ Skewers by Tatay Ry, Wicked Tacos, Mariscos Arenita, Arenita Gourmet Kitchen |
| Sweets and baked goods | The Cake Plug, With Love, From Scratch, Elaine’s Bread Pudding, Lucky 13 Sweets & Treats, It’s in the Filling, The Twisted Peel, Jar’d Up by CK |
| Cold treats and snacks | Kona Ice, Tocumbo Ice Cream, Buttery Popcorn Co |
The beer garden
Over at the car show on Center Street Promenade, a craft beer garden runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with Pfeiffer, Beachwood Brewing, Radiant Beer Co., and Unsung Brewing Company pouring.
Contests and sign-up times
The contests are first come, first entered, and registration windows are short. Set a phone alarm.
| Contest | Who can enter | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Kiddie Costume Contest | Kids 12 and under, plus a Best Family Group category (up to 4 people, with at least one child 12 or under) | 10 to 10:55 a.m. at the Information Booth, Center Greens. Limited to the first 300 entries. |
| Doggie Costume Contest | Small dogs (under 35 lbs), large dogs (over 35 lbs), and group or family (a costumed dog with themed humans), 20 per division | 1 to 2 p.m. at the Information Booth, Center Greens |
| Classic Car Show | American-made classics | $65 online; the site says only a few spots are left |
Kids and family costumes win prizes for first, second, and third place plus a Best in Show grand prize. Dogs are judged on concept, creativity, execution, and personality.
How to win the scavenger hunt
This is the sleeper hit of the day. Tricksters have “hidden” six parade floats around the festival and downtown. Here is the play:
- Pick up a Scavenger Hunt Passport at the Information Booth at Center Greens and fill in your contact info on the back.
- Find all six hidden floats and get a stamp at each official location. Not every float you see counts, so look for the stamp.
- Stuck? Ask the scavenger hunt volunteers for clues.
- Return the completed passport to the Information Booth for a chance at the grand prize: two tickets to Disneyland. Smaller prizes are handed out along the way while supplies last.
Around the festival
The festival page lists performances across multiple stages from King Kukulele, Bob Baker Marionettes, The Deadbeats, My Safe Harbor Folklorico, and Rene Pompa, who teaches drawing. Hands-on activities include painting a wooden ornament, piñata making, the Anaheim Public Library STEAM van, MUZEO, Halloween scratch art with the Boys & Girls Club of Anaheim, a silent film with live music at Davey B. Gravey’s Tiny Cinema, and folding an origami butterfly for the parade’s Bisabuela float. Wild Wing from the Anaheim Ducks is listed too.
The car show stage schedule runs The Tone Slingers at 10 a.m., J.P. McDermott & Western Bop at 11:30 a.m., Tequila Worms at 1 p.m., and Trevor Kelly & Mr. Man at 2:30 p.m., with awards at 3:30 p.m. Guest judge Pete Wittenberg of Pete’s Rod & Custom in Anaheim scores paint, body fit and stance, interior, engine bay, and originality, and winners get a chance to ride in the parade. More than two dozen artist vendors round out the day.
Getting there
- Free parking: the Center Street Parking Garage (across from the Downtown Anaheim Community Center) and Center City Parking, CarPark 3. Anaheim Parking Center, CarPark 4, is paid.
- City Hall parking is available, but you cannot enter or leave between 3 and 9 p.m. because of parade road closures. Park there only if you are staying for the whole parade.
- Parade-only visitors watching along Broadway can use overflow parking at Anaheim High School, which opens at 5 p.m. and is about a 10-minute walk from the route.
- Neighborhood streets are often permit parking only. Watch the signs.
The full parade route and announcer locations (English and Spanish) are in our news story and on the parade page.
Tips for a long day
- Split the day. The festival ends at 4 p.m. and the parade starts at 7, so plan a dinner break downtown in between.
- Register early. The kids’ costume contest closes at 10:55 a.m. or at 300 entries, whichever comes first.
- Bring layers. You will be outside for a morning festival and an evening parade.
- Know your parking lot’s rules before the 3 p.m. road closures start.
Family notes
The festival started as a way to keep Anaheim kids busy on Halloween, and it still leans that way: crafts, marionettes, a scavenger hunt, a kids’ costume contest, and a parade. The doggie contest means costumed dogs are part of the scene.
Accessibility
The festival has not posted accessibility information. Reach the organizers through the official site with questions.
Still to come
The festival page says to check back in October for more details, so the entertainment and vendor lineups may still change. Parade entries and grand marshal details have not been posted. The 824 Journal will update this guide when they are.
Sources
- Anaheim Fall Festival, official site (dates, hours, location)
- Anaheim Fall Festival: Festival (parking, entertainment, activities, scavenger hunt, costume contests, vendors)
- Anaheim Fall Festival: Classic Car Show (registration, schedule, beer garden, awards, judge)
- Anaheim Fall Festival: Halloween Parade
- Anaheim Fall Festival: Our History
- The 824 Journal: Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade Return Downtown on October 24
Featured photo: Orange County Archives via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
