This is Halloween, everybody make a scene! Get into that spooky fall spirit with some of these Halloween recommendations. Read below to discover some scary and not-so-scary local events, library programs, and books/media to enjoy this Halloween.
Palo Alto Community Events
- Check out Orchard Days at Filoli on Saturdays and Sundays, September 23-October 29.
- The Great Glass Pumpkin Patch, opens a new window is back! September 30th and October 1st at the Palo Alto Art Center.
- Enjoy Spooky Times at Deer Hollow Farm on October 21, 2023.
- The City of Palo Alto is hosting their 4th annual Jack-o-Jaunt on October 27, 2023.
- Halloween at the Junior Museum and Zoo will also be taking place on October 27, 2022.
- October 27 is also when San Carlos will be hosting a Goblin Walk down Laurel Street.
- Check out the Haunted Hangar at Hiller Aviation Museum from October 21 through October 31.
- Gamble Garden is hosting a Halloween event (with arts and crafts and live owls!) on October 28, 2022.
Library Events
- Family Craft: Pumpkin Decorating on October 17, 2023.
- Community Threads: Halloween Accessories (for teens and adults) on October 24, 2023.
- Jack O'Lantern Jamboree (Family Dance Party) on October 26, 2023.
- Family Storytime: Celebrate Halloween! on October 28, 2023 and October 31, 2023.
- HALLOWEEN HAUNT! for Teens on October 28, 2023.
Books
You can't spell books without BOO! Kids, try these searches to find Halloween books that are currently available at the library!
- Picture books about Halloween, opens a new window
- Early Reader books about Halloween, opens a new window
- Nonfiction books about Halloween, opens a new window
- Chapter books about Halloween, opens a new window
Or check out these booklists: Spooky Tales for Middle Grades or Spooky Reads for Teens
If all of these are loaned out or don't appeal, you can always use our catalog search to find books about pumpkins, ghosts, witches, zombies, werewolves, vampires, and other Halloween related creatures! Don’t forget to look for eBooks too.
You grown-ups out there might enjoy curling up with a book from one of these Autumn/Halloween-inspired booklists, curated by our Palo Alto librarians!
- Mysteries of Autumn
- Cozy Up to Murder
- Halloween Stories
- Not-Too-Scary Tales for Halloween
- Stages of Fear: Novels of Terror
- Stages of Fear: Revulsion
- Slasher Fiction
- Witchy Reads
- DIY Halloween
- Vampire Stories by Writers of Color
- So you wanna be a vampire...
- Creepy Dolls
- Nail-biting Graphic Novels
Spooky Media
Spooky movies and music are a big part of enjoying Halloween and the Library has lots to choose from:
- Physical DVDs for kids and for adults
- CDs to borrow, opens a new window
eLibrary Resources
- Stream or download horror movies from Kanopy
- Listen to spooky Halloween Horror audiobooks on Hoopla
- Stream or download Horror and Thriller audiobooks and eBooks on Libby
- Check out this free Halloween playlist on Freegal
- Search keyword "Halloween" to find Halloween mangas on ComicsPlus
- Search keyword "Halloween" to find relevant Asian language magazine articles on Kono
- If you are serious about Halloween and want to learn every aspect of the holiday, from origin to costume to economic impact, search keyword "Halloween" on ProQuest Central Student for scholarly papers, news articles, and more
Happy Halloween from everyone at the Palo Alto Libraries!
Devon Fernandez, Youth Services Librarian, Children's Library | Follow @devon_thelibrarian on Bibliocommons
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