At 5:30 on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday evening this month, a group gathers inside the Fullerton Museum Center at 301 N. Pomona Ave. with a drink coupon and the galleries open around them. At 6:30 sharp the group heads out into downtown to hear ghost stories at Villa de Sol, the Fox Theatre and other stops along the way.
That walk opens a season that runs on a longer schedule than Halloween night. In 2026, Fullerton's Halloween and Día de los Muertos calendar spans about four weeks. Most of it is hosted by three local institutions: the Fullerton Museum Center, the Fullerton Public Library and the Muckenthaler Cultural Center. The dates overlap in a few useful places. A single evening downtown or a single Sunday on West Malvern can cover two events. The order below follows the calendar, starting with what is open today, October 8.
Already underway: the library ofrenda and the first tours
The quietest event of the season has been up the longest. The Fullerton Public Library's Día de los Muertos Community Ofrenda has been on display since October 1 and stays up through November 2. The library invites the community to add photos of loved ones who have passed. Submissions go to the Cards & Accounts desk, just inside the main entrance at 353 W. Commonwealth Ave. Photo submission cards are available inside the library, and you can also print one from the library's website.
The timing matters at the end. The library is closed on Sunday, November 1, and Monday, November 2. That means the last chance to add a photo or see the full display in person is Saturday, October 31.
The museum's Haunted Fullerton Walking Tour runs on the same weeknights in October. Its first date, October 7, has already passed. Tonight's tour is still ahead, followed by October 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29 and 30. The museum describes the route as about 1.5 miles. It changes from tour to tour and includes stairs. The tour is not recommended for children under 13, and the museum asks guests who need accommodations to tell staff in advance. The ticket page lists prices from $40 to $50 and noted that prices would rise on October 1, so the current price is worth checking when you book.
On Thursdays, the museum also hosts Garden Sessions from 4 to 8:30 p.m. on October 8, 15, 22 and 29. On those four Thursdays, a garden evening and a ghost tour start from the same address within about ninety minutes of each other.
The first conflict: Friday, October 16
The calendar first overlaps on Friday, October 16. That night, the museum runs a regular Haunted Fullerton tour. At the same time, the library hosts The HAUNT at the HUNT from 6 to 9 p.m. at Hunt Library, 201 S. Basque Ave. The program includes a haunted Fullerton tale, a scary movie, treats, crafts, a costume contest and free face painting.
Both events are built around local ghost stories, and they suit different groups. The library recommends the Hunt event for ages 12 and up and requires anyone under 17 to attend with an adult. The walking tour's guidance starts at 13. A household with a 12-year-old has one clear choice that night. Adults on their own can pick either one, or take the walking tour on Wednesday the 14th or Thursday the 15th and keep Friday for the Hunt.
Earlier that week, the City of Fullerton's special-events calendar lists Pup-toberfest on Sunday, October 11, from 1 to 5 p.m. It is the season's only listed event planned with dogs in mind.
Thursday, October 29: two events downtown
The season's busiest weeknight comes three days before Halloween. The City lists OktoBOOfest for October 29 at Downtown Fullerton Plaza, 125 E. Wilshire Ave. The city describes it as "Fullerton Night Market with a spooky twist," with vendors, food, a kids' corner, trick-or-treating, entertainment and contests. The city page does not list start or end times, so check the times before planning dinner around it.
On the same Thursday, downtown also has a regular Haunted Fullerton tour and the last Garden Sessions of October. All three events have downtown addresses, on Pomona Avenue and Wilshire Avenue. This is the one night when a family could take younger children to the night market while older members of the group take the walking tour.
Halloween weekend at the Muckenthaler
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and Fullerton's events start moving northwest to the Muckenthaler Cultural Center at 1201 W. Malvern Ave.
Downtown, the museum closes out its tour season on October 31 with a Special Halloween Edition. Along with the usual drink coupon, it adds light bites and a tarot card reader. Costumes are welcome, but prop weapons are not allowed.
On the same morning, the Muck opens the 32nd Artistic License Fair. The fair runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on October 31 and November 1, with no entry fee and free parking. The Muck describes it as a fine crafts show with more than fifty artisans from L.A., Orange and Riverside counties, selling handcrafted clothing, jewelry and art.
Sunday, November 1, is the day when the most free events land at one address. Here is the schedule:
| Time | Event | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Artistic License Fair, day two | Muckenthaler Cultural Center, 1201 W. Malvern Ave. | Free entry, free parking |
| Noon to 4 p.m. | Día de los Muertos Festival | Muckenthaler Cultural Center, 1201 W. Malvern Ave. | Free admission |
| All day | Library ofrenda | Fullerton Public Library, 353 W. Commonwealth Ave. | Library closed |
The Muck's Día de los Muertos Festival offers live music, local artisans, family activities and arts and crafts for children. The event listing is published in both English and Spanish. Because the festival's hours fall inside the fair's hours, one visit between noon and 4 p.m. covers both events. The library ofrenda is the one Día de los Muertos event in town that is closed that day, which is why Saturday matters if you want to see it.
Saturday, November 7: Noche De Muertos at the museum
The season wraps up back where the ghost tours began. The Fullerton Museum Center hosts Noche De Muertos on Saturday, November 7, from 4 to 8 p.m. The museum's event page lists community altars, live music, a beer garden, face painting, arts and crafts and local vendors.
The page does not list an admission price, and it names the Fullerton Museum Center as the venue without a more specific location. The Fullerton Observer's 2024 guide placed that year's Noche De Muertos at Downtown Fullerton Plaza. For 2026, the museum is the only confirmed venue, so check the event page for the exact layout and any cost before you go.
Community altars appear twice this season. The library's ofrenda runs October 1 through November 2, and the museum's altars come out five days after it ends. Someone who missed the photo deadline at the library still has a public place downtown to see altars a week later.
The season by date
- Now through November 2: Community ofrenda at the Fullerton Public Library. The library is closed November 1 and 2.
- Wed–Fri, October 8–30: Haunted Fullerton Walking Tour from the Fullerton Museum Center. Meet at 5:30 p.m. and depart at 6:30 p.m.
- Thursdays, October 8, 15, 22, 29: Garden Sessions at the museum, 4 to 8:30 p.m.
- Sunday, October 11: Pup-toberfest, 1 to 5 p.m.
- Friday, October 16: The HAUNT at the HUNT, Hunt Library, 6 to 9 p.m.
- Thursday, October 29: OktoBOOfest at Downtown Fullerton Plaza. Times not yet listed.
- Saturday, October 31: Haunted Fullerton Special Halloween Edition and day one of the Artistic License Fair.
- Sunday, November 1: Artistic License Fair day two and the Día de los Muertos Festival at the Muck.
- Saturday, November 7: Noche De Muertos at the Fullerton Museum Center, 4 to 8 p.m.
Organizers sometimes change times and details, so check each organizer's page before heading out. After Noche De Muertos, the museum's next listed event is the Winter Market on Saturday, December 5, from 2 to 6 p.m.
Sometimes a season like this one sets other plans in motion. Family may be in town for the weekend at the Muck, or a parent's longtime Fullerton home may be on your mind as the ofrenda goes up. If you are weighing a decision about a house in Fullerton, Regina Rey is glad to talk it through calmly and on your schedule. Work With Regina.
