Lost Souls of Gastown Tour; Photo: Joel Schatt
With the changing autumnal leaves and the gradually darkening days, Vancouver is the ideal city to celebrate Halloween. Various events around town invite you to dress up in your most ghoulish costume, sip coffin-themed cocktails, take the kids out trick-or-treating, and generally get in the Halloween spirit.
Here are 10 diverse events, ranging from the family-friendly to events for 19+ mingling and dancing.
Fright Nights at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE)
Photo: PNE Fright Nights
The beloved Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) returns this Halloween (now until October 31) with the very popular Fright Nights. The park will transform into a zombie apocalyptic landscape with seven haunted houses bound to have you screaming in terror, as well roaming scary creatures. Over fifteen rides, a scare zone, live entertainment, and Halloween-themed food will be part of the experience. The PNE is also holding “Trick and Treats,” a candy scavenger hunt October 29 and 30 for the whole family.
Lost Souls of Gastown Tour
Photo: Joel Schatt
Back for an eleventh Halloween season, Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours is offering their Lost Souls of Gastown Tour. With a lamplight illuminating your way, your guide will lead you through an immersive and spine-chilling tour of Vancouver’s historic Gastown for 1.5 to 2 hours. Once the tour begins, you’ll be transported to Victorian Gastown where disease, ghosts, and tragic incidents occurred. Your tour will be a compelling telling of stories related to unsolved murders, the Great Fire, and smallpox outbreaks. Actors playing characters from 1890s Vancouver will perform scenes in the alleyways and iconic cobbled streets of the neighbourhood. The show/tour will take place multiple times every night until the end of this month.
Black Lagoon Halloween Pop-Up Bar at Butcher & Bullock
Photo: The Black Lagoon
From now until October 31, Butcher & Bullock will be the location of a Black Lagoon Halloween Pop-Up Bar. Conceived by Erin Hayes and former Vancouverite Kelsey Ramage, this immersive Halloween experience is happening across Canada and the US. In Vancouver, Butcher & Bullock will transform into a creepy dungeon-like space, along with cocktails, such as the Screaming Banshee and Closed Casket, specially crafted for witches, goblins, and zombies.
Halloween Mystery Nights
From now until October 31, Vancouver Mysteries is hosting Halloween Mystery Nights downtown. Teams of 2-6 players will roam the city core looking for and trying to unpack clues to solve one of three challenges/mysteries. “Crime in Downtown” has your team working together to figure out the killer for a case recently reopened, “Secret Mission” has you trying to save the city from an evil organization that threatens it, and finally “Heroes and Villains” involves a super villain that your team must stop before it’s too late. There’s also “Mystery Games for Kids.” Costumes are encouraged, and prizes will be given out.
Deadhouse Saturday and Real Scary at Celebrities Nightclub
On October 29, Celebrities Nightclub has a special Halloween edition of its Deadhouse Saturdays with DJs Yurie, Seb C., and Reezy. There’s a best costume contest where the winner gets $500 so go out all with your costume this year! Meanwhile, October 31, the club is having a “Real Scary” night, hosted by Freeky P.
Boo-Lesque and Devils and Drag at Strange Fellows Brewing
Photo: Strange Fellows
Strange Fellows is hosting two exciting Halloween events. The first, Boo-lesque: A Haunting Night of Cabaret and Burlesque takes places October 20 and will feature Portia Favro and Miss Kiss as the headliner. Meanwhile, October 27 will be Devils and Drag: A Strange and Eerie Drag Show, hosted by The Established, Shanda Leer, with curation by Bruce and Beer.
Eat, Drink, and Be Scary at BREWHALL
Photo: BREWHALL
It’s always good times at BREWHALL in Olympic Village but they will be frightfully good on October 28 and 29. Besides craft beer, tasty bites, and a fun vibe, there will be Halloween décor as well as DJs. Staff will be dressed up in their Halloween scariest; plus, guests who come in costume could win a $150 gift card for BREWHALL.
Stage Fright: Murder at the Improv Centre
Photo: The Improv Centre
The Improv Centre is holding Stage Fright Fridays and Saturday until October 29. The show is set in 1951 and involves a murder of a lead actor at The Emerald Playhouse. The 90 minute show will involve audience participation, lots unexpected (and improvised) plot developments, as well as comedy, with a dash of mysterious horror.
Halloweenie at Kids Market
Photo: Kids Market
If your children are looking for somewhere to trick-or-treat, head over to Granville Island’s Kids Market on October 30 from 11am to 2pm for Halloweenie. Besides the usual great kid-centric stores and entertainment in the Market, the event will feature trick-or-treating, a loot bag (while supplies last), and the chance to take a spookie selfie at a photo booth.
Fear for Teens and Mystery After Dark at Science World
Science World’s Youth Advisory Group runs SWEET (Science World’s Extravagant Evenings for Teens). The Halloween one happens October 21 and spotlights fear. Teens will learn about the effects of being afraid on the human body and can also try their hand at creating scary special effects. There will be a haunted theatre, carnival games, horror VR, as well as other presenters. Meanwhile, Mystery After Day on October 27 involves music, food, and drinks for adults. The premise is a billionaire Conrad Geime who is having a costume party at the Paleontological Museum. Solve the mystery and have an enjoyable evening at a unique Vancouver venue.
