Vancouver’s Halloween season is anchored by Fright Nights at Playland, plus neighborhood trick-or-treat strolls on Halloween afternoon, a costumed parade in East Vancouver and a run of family events at Granville Island, the Aquarium and Science World.

On the PNE grounds at Hastings Park, OFF2 Entertainment and Insomniac present Dooms Night 2026 on Saturday, October 31, 6pm to 1am, with DJ sets from Alesso, Timmy Trumpet, Cosmic Gate, ARMNHMR and Darren Styles. It is all ages, with a 19-plus VIP area.

Fright Nights at Playland

Fright Nights at Playland, at Hastings Park, is billed as Western Canada’s largest haunted-house event. Its remaining 2026 nights are October 22-25 and 28-31, from 6 to 11pm, running to midnight on October 22, 23, 24, 30 and 31. Tickets are $39 to $59 in advance and $45 to $69 on the day, and it is recommended for ages 13 and up.

Neighborhood Trick-or-Treat Strolls

Three merchant-run strolls are confirmed for Halloween afternoon, Saturday, October 31 — a good option for younger kids who want a shorter, well-lit route:

Mount Pleasant along Main Street, 2 to 6pm.
The Robson Street Treat Trail, Burrard to Jervis, 2 to 4pm, free.
Trick or Treat Yaletown, 3:30 to 5:30pm, free.

More Family Events

For adults, The Parlour at 1011 Hamilton Street in Yaletown holds its annual Great Pumpkin Carving Party on Wednesday, October 28 — a dinner-and-drinks evening with two-hour table seatings from 6pm and a late-night DJ at 9pm. Each pumpkin carries a minimum $20 donation for a local charity.

The Granville Island Kids Market Halloweenie runs on October 31 from 11am to 5pm, free, with trick-or-treating from 11am to 1pm (1496 Cartwright Street). At the Vancouver Aquarium, Fin-tastic Fall runs daily to October 31, with underwater pumpkin carving daily from October 17 (included with a ticket). For adults, Science World's After Dark: Sinister Science is on Friday, October 30, 6 to 10pm, 19 and over, $44.99.

A bowl of Halloween sweets and a lit carved pumpkin on a front step of a Vancouver British Columbia house at dusk, warm porch light, autumn leaves

On Halloween night, the Parade of Lost Souls winds through East Vancouver from 7 to 10pm, with a family-friendly Parade of Little Souls at 7pm. The location is revealed after midnight on October 31, and there is a $10 suggested donation.

Homemade Halloween costume craft supplies laid out on a workbench in a Vancouver British Columbia apartment, paper bats, orange paint and cardboard under a warm lamp

Worth Knowing

The once-signature Stanley Park Ghost Train hasn't run since 2024: the miniature train has been offline because of aging infrastructure, and the Park Board is still reviewing proposals for its future — so don't plan an evening around it this year.

Fireworks and Safety

Fireworks are banned for the public in Vancouver: since 2021 you cannot sell, buy or set them off, and the only exception is certified technicians with a Vancouver Fire Rescue permit. The bylaw sets the penalty, and you can report fireworks to 311. See the City's fire bylaw page. For decorations and costumes, the City's Halloween fire safety tips (posted in 2025, and still sound) are a quick read.

A living room in a Vancouver British Columbia apartment decorated for Halloween, paper bats hanging from the ceiling and lit carved pumpkins on a shelf

Costume Ideas That Don’t Take a Costume Shop

The best Halloween costumes are usually the ones that come together from what’s already in the closet, plus one or two things from a dollar store or thrift shop.

Group costumes: pick a theme everyone can interpret loosely (a deck of cards, a box of crayons, a bag of jellybeans) rather than matching outfits, which is easier for mixed ages and budgets.
Layer for the weather: late October evenings are cold and often wet, so build costumes around a warm base layer and a jacket that can be part of the look, rather than fighting the costume to add one later.
Face paint over masks: masks limit peripheral vision and breathing, which matters more when kids are crossing streets after dark. Face paint (or a costume with an open, unrestricted mask) is safer for trick-or-treating.
Light it up: a strip of battery-powered LED lights sewn or clipped onto a costume, or a glow stick worn as a necklace, does double duty as both a design element and visibility for drivers.

Trick-or-Treating Safety

Halloween falls on the same date every year, but the basics are worth repeating each fall:

It gets dark early. Sunset on October 31 is around 5:55pm in Vancouver, so trick-or-treating happens almost entirely in the dark.
Be seen. Reflective tape, a flashlight or glow stick, and light-colored costume elements all make a real difference to drivers.
Walk, don’t dart. Cross at corners and crosswalks rather than between parked cars, and treat every driveway as if a car might be pulling out.
Go in a group. An adult or older sibling with younger trick-or-treaters, and a plan for where to meet up if a group splits up, covers most of what can go wrong.
Check the treats before eating. Look for anything unwrapped, torn, or unfamiliar before kids dig in, especially for children with allergies.
Drivers: slow right down. Residential streets fill with excited kids who aren’t always watching for cars. Halloween evening is one night a year worth driving noticeably slower than usual.

At-Home Halloween Ideas

Not every household is out trick-or-treating, and even the ones that are usually have some daylight hours to fill first.

Pumpkin carving (or painting): painting is a mess-free alternative for younger kids, and both are easy to turn into a family activity with newspaper down and a good knife for the adults.
Bake something seasonal: pumpkin seeds roasted with salt (or a spice mix) turn carving into a snack, and simple recipes like caramel apples or spiced cookies don’t need much more than what’s already in most kitchens.
A Halloween movie night: something age-appropriate and a bowl of the candy that didn’t get handed out is a reasonable plan B for a rainy evening.
Decorate the porch: a jack-o’-lantern, some string lights, and a bowl left out for trick-or-treaters when you’re not home all go a long way for very little effort or cost.