Start Your Eek Right With Eleven Eleventh-Hour Halloween Events

Like a flame inside a jack o’lantern can be extinguished by a sudden breeze, or the final chocolate bar at the bottom of a pail can be devoured in an instant, Halloween plans can and do change quickly.

Perhaps you didn’t secure your dream costume or the haunted house you wanted to bravely check out sold out.

Whatever the case, we must be creative and nimble when the eeriest night of the year is finally here.

If you haven’t yet put your plans together for Halloween 2022, take (haunted) heart: There are some free happenings that are come-one-come-all, while other ticketed events still have spaces (but do check availability in advance and purchase your admission before leaving home, because events can and will sell out over the hours leading up to Halloween night).

Oct. 31 can be a bit fickle in nature, as mentioned, so your best bet: Secure your entry to your chosen ticketed festivity well before donning your clown make-up or glow-in-the-dark cat ears.

Good to know? Not all of the events will be right for all ages, so consult the event’s site first.

Ready for eleven eleventh-hour suggestions? Prepare to haunt the happenings below (and check before you go to make sure all the tickets haven’t flown away, like a bat on the wind).

Pacific Wheel: Nine-story “ghosts, bats, and jack o’lanterns” will shimmer on the side of the world-famous Santa Monica attraction from sunset to half past midnight. It’s happening nightly through Nov. 2 and is free to see in person or via the webcam.

Shaqtoberfest: The inaugural Long Beach bash, a dream of longtime Halloween fan Shaquille O’Neal, includes several themed areas, including Midway Madness, Lost City Boardwalk, and Shipwreck Graveyard. This is a ticketed event in the shadow of the said-to-be-haunted Queen Mary.

“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”: The cinematic wonder, a silent film that went on to influence many future fright movies, turned 100 in 2020. It will screen in the grand setting of Walt Disney Concert Hall with Clark Wilson on the venue’s “monster” pipe organ. Tickets are available but act fast.

Carved at Descanso Gardens: There are still some time slots available for this popular outdoor event, which gives people the chance to wend along pathways lit by all sorts of illuminated installations and carved pumpkins. Be sure to buy your admission before making for La Cañada Flintridge.

Cemetery Lane: The chance to enjoy nostalgic trick-or-treating in a film-like setting? It’s oh-so-rare, but it is happening at Heritage Square Museum off the Arroyo Parkway. The Victorian homes are decorated, people are in costume, and some tickets are available, but move swiftly.

Nights of the Jack: A glittery realm where thousands of imaginatively carved pumpkins add cheer, mystery, and photo-fun beauty to the night? It exists at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas. Toasty ciders, places for seasonal snapshots, and more are part of the event, which is ticketed.

Old Pasadena Trick-or-Treating: Costume-up and whimsically wander along the atmospheric alleyways of the Crown City from 5 to 8 o’clock. Kids can trick-or-treat at the stores (look for pop-up deals, too) while “Ghostbusters” will screen, for free, starting at 7 p.m. at the One Colorado Courtyard.

Los Angeles Haunted Hayride: We’re ready for a terrifying trip to Midnight Falls, the monster-filled village at the heart of this haunted happening, and sitting on hay while taking in all sorts of goosebump-inducing scenes? We’re ready. Check out age recommendations and tickets, which are “selling fast” for Oct. 31.

Halloween at Kidspace: The adorable daily parades will still take place on Halloween day, and other to-dos, like mask-making and pumpkin decorating, are on the schedule. Día de los Muertos festivities begin on Nov. 1. Tickets for Halloween? They’re $14.95 and several times are available, but buy before you go.

SkyPark at Santa’s Village: If you’re in the Lake Arrowhead area, you can enjoy trick-or-treating at this quaint and Christmassy hamlet over three sweet afternoon hours. There’s a cute costume competition, too, at 3:30 p.m. by Santa’s House. Purchase your ticket before going to this rare mash-up of Halloween and yuletide vibes.

Fall Harvest Festival: It’s the last day of this oh-so-beloved Underwood Family Farms celebration, an under-the-sun lark perfect for families seeking a gentle expression of the season. Giant spiders, a pumpkin house, and other cute-cute sights are part of the ticketed event in Moorpark.

Pictured: Cemetery Lane, Carved at Descanso Gardens, and the Pacific Wheel