On Saturday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., Lakewood holds Halloween carnivals at Biscailuz, Bloomfield, Bolivar, Boyar, Del Valle, Mayfair, Palms and San Martin parks. All eight start and end at the same time, and each has its own movie or TV theme.
Since all eight run in the same two and a half hours, you can only pick one. Most years the nearest park is the easy choice. This year the theme list may change some plans, because the haunted houses are at only three of the eight parks.
Eight Parks, Eight Themes, Three Haunted Houses
The city's 2026 event page gives the full lineup.
| Park | 2026 theme | Extra attractions |
|---|---|---|
| Biscailuz Park | Zootopia 2 | |
| Bloomfield Park | Toy Story | |
| Bolivar Park | K-Pop Demon Hunters | Haunted house |
| Boyar Park | Dr. Seuss | |
| Del Valle Park | Scooby Doo | Haunted house |
| Mayfair Park | Monsters Inc. | Inflatables, extra fee |
| Palms Park | Minions | |
| San Martin Park | Ghostbusters | Haunted house |
Admission is free. The one extra charge on the list is for the inflatables at Mayfair. The city's general Halloween page describes game booths, contests, prizes and family activities. It also lists who keeps them running: community volunteers, civic organizations and Tot Lot parents. If you have a question before the night, the event contact is [email protected] or 562-866-9771, ext. 2408.
The haunted houses matter most if you have older kids. The city calls them "not-so-scary," and this year they're at Bolivar, Del Valle and San Martin. If your nearest park is Biscailuz or Boyar, you have two options: a costume-and-booths night close to home, or a drive across town to one of the three.
The Lineup Changes Every Year
If you used last year's choice as your guide, you may notice this year looks different. In 2024, a Macaroni KID listing for the Lakewood-Cerritos-Cypress area had Shrek at Biscailuz, Nightmare Before Christmas at Bolivar and Gravity Falls at San Martin. That year there were four haunted houses, at Bolivar, Del Valle, Palms and San Martin. In 2025, the LA Public Press Halloween roundup reported themes including Coraline and Phineas and Ferb, and noted that Mayfair's inflatables cost extra that year too.
Put the two years side by side and one change stands out. Palms Park had a haunted house in 2024 but isn't on the 2026 haunted-house list. Palms now has the Minions theme, which suits a younger crowd. If a family made the Palms haunted house a tradition, this is the year they'll have to pick a different park.
The city's general Halloween page still says four parks have haunted houses. The 2026 event listing names three. Go by the event listing, since it's the one tied to this year.
Why Halloween Is Spread Across the Map
Lakewood's own history says its parks have held neighborhood Halloween activities for kids "since the mid-1950s." That puts the tradition at about seven decades old this year. That timing matches when the city was planned. The city describes one of its defining features from the 1950s as "a park located in every neighborhood of the city, so that every home is a short distance away from recreation and green space."
The city has never explained why Halloween became eight small events instead of one big one. Still, the format fits that planning idea. When the city was laid out with a park a short walk from every home, it makes sense that the holiday would be held there too.
The staffing history points the same way. Early recreation in Lakewood came from Los Angeles County and the Lakewood Park, Recreation and Parkway District. Then in 1957 the city formed its own Parks and Recreation Department and took over the district's employees. The city's history also says parents were recruited to run youth activities because the early staff was small. The carnivals still work that way. A city notice published Aug. 26, 2026, asks volunteers to run booths and to choose a specific park through park-by-park signup forms. The city's carnival page says it also needs help with the haunted houses.
The numbers line up as well. The city says eight of its parks have staff on site every day for supervision, so kids can stop by after school or on weekends. The carnival roster also lists eight parks. The city doesn't say they're the same eight. Even so, the city plans recreation by neighborhood park, and it plans Halloween the same way.
The Parks With Nothing Scheduled
Lakewood's history chapter says the city has twelve parks. Comparing that count and the parks named in the city's history pages against the 2026 carnival list, the four without a carnival appear to be Candleverde, Cherry Cove, Monte Verde and Rynerson. The history pages aren't dated, so treat that list as a guide. If your nearest park is one of those four, check the city's park finder for the closest carnival park.
Rynerson Park also has construction this month. On Sept. 28, the city started a street project on Studebaker Road from Del Amo Boulevard to Centralia Street, and on Centralia Street from Studebaker to the I-605 overpass. The work includes resurfacing, concrete work and permanent traffic calming, and it's expected to last through the end of November. Rynerson Park, Home Run Dog Park, the Little League field and the interior parking lot were closed from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2. They reopen beginning Oct. 3, though the city says "access may be limited at times as construction continues." Parking stalls on Studebaker south of Rynerson's main driveway will stay closed until the project ends. When it's finished, the city plans more stalls, including ADA-accessible spaces. If you take your dog to Home Run Dog Park, expect parking to be tight through November.
The Rest of October, Mostly Along Clark Avenue
Most of the city's other October events are on a short stretch of Clark Avenue. Here they are in date order:
- Saturday Farmers Market, every Saturday through Nov. 7. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lakewood Civic Center, 4900 Clark Ave. The city says it's run by the operators of a longstanding Long Beach farmers market.
- Fest-of-All, Saturday, Oct. 10. 3 to 7 p.m. at Palms Park, 12305 207th St. The festival has performances, food vendors, a craft village and a family fun zone. The city's history calls it Lakewood's newest community event, a celebration of all the cultures in the community.
- Lollipop Lane Craft Boutique, Saturday, Oct. 17. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mayfair Park, 5720 Clark Ave., with more than 100 crafters and free admission.
- Trunk-or-Treat and Haunted Jail, Friday, Oct. 23. 5 to 9 p.m. at the Lakewood Sheriff's Station, 5130 Clark Ave. The jail and the kids' maze are free; games and other attractions require tickets.
Three of those addresses, 4900, 5130 and 5720 Clark Ave., are within a few blocks of each other. The Haunted Jail is the one more Halloween event before the carnivals, and it falls on a Friday, so it doesn't overlap with anything on Oct. 31.
How Saturday, Oct. 31 Plays Out
Halloween is on a Saturday this year, so the city's events fill the whole day. The farmers market runs at the Civic Center from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lakewood Center has a family Halloween event listed for 1 to 3 p.m., with trick-or-treating, a DJ, balloon twisting, face painting and a costume contest. That page has an older site timestamp, so confirm with the mall before you go. Then the eight park carnivals run from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
The mall event ends three hours before the carnivals start. That leaves time for dinner and a costume change, and for deciding whether to stay at your nearest park or drive to Bolivar, Del Valle or San Martin for a haunted house. If you need disability-related accommodations at a carnival, you can contact [email protected] or call the event number above.
At The Elmer Team, we follow Lakewood's park calendar as closely as its home sales, because the park a few blocks away shapes daily life in this city. If you've ever wondered what your home near Mayfair, Palms or any of the other neighborhood parks is worth this fall, get your instant home valuation.
