Guide to Halloween in the Albuquerque Area

Here are some local happenings that are sure to be SPOOKtacular!

We’d like to thank Manzano Day School for sponsoring this Guide to Halloween.

Manzano Day School is dedicated to innovative child-centered education, excellence in teaching, and Joy in Learning® to prepare children for a life of discovery and community involvement in our diverse world.

Founded in 1938, Manzano Day School is an independent, nonprofit elementary school for children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school’s historic six-acre campus borders Old Town and downtown Albuquerque.

On Sunday, November 14, join Manzano Day School for a tour of campus and to meet faculty, administrators, and current parents. You will learn more about their core values, how we inspire Joy in Learning^® through our curriculum, the one-of-a-kind Fenton Ranch environmental education, and service learning projects, as well as the admission process and financial aid.

Check out some Halloween events happening in and around Albuquerque. Events are listed by date.

Dragons House of Horror

Oct 1 – Nov 5 | 405 Central Ave NW

This is the current record holder for the longest haunted house in the world, certified by Guinness World Records. Who knew? Not suitable for children.

NM Slaughter House

Oct 1 – Oct 31 | Cottonwood Mall

NM Slaughter House Haunted Attraction was voted America’s top 50 best haunted attraction. Not suitable for children.

McCall’s Haunted Farm

Every Friday & Saturday in October | 2 McCall Lane, Moriarty

There are so many spooky attractions at McCall’s including the Haunted Barn and the Field of Screams. These attractions are not recommended for children under 13 years old.

Frightening Fall Feast

Oct 22 – Oct 31 | Electric Playhouse

Frightening Fall Feast – A culinary trip through those classic haunts that make October such a chilly time of year. Fall food flavors accompany a visual powerhouse of spooky locations and interactive elements. One part Halloween, one part Fall Harvest Dinner – Frightening Fall Feast is a new addition to the haunted house genre, with food!

Aunt Goodie’s Magic Potion Party

Oct 23 | Color Wheels Toys

Join Aunt Goodie for some spooky fun! Tinker in the Magic Potion Lab to make your own vial of potion. This event will be held outside, directly in front of Color Wheel Toys. Cost of $5 per kid!

Barely Scary Barn Party

Oct 23 | Loving Thunder Therapeutic Riding in Rio Rancho

Trick-or-treating on horseback, costume contest (for humans & horses), fun, games, & more.

Plant Powered Pop Up Market: Halloween Bash Edition

Oct 23 | The ABQ Collective

Rio Rancho Fall Festival

Oct 23 | Campus Park at City Center and the Rio Rancho Events Center

The City of Rio Rancho is excited to announce its inaugural Rio Rancho Fall Festival, a free family-friendly event. City Center will be decorated to celebrate the fall season and live music will be playing throughout the day in the Sky Room at Campus Park. The event will also include carnival games, pumpkin carving, food trucks, a beer garden, and trunk or treating. This community event provides something for everyone, between all of the fun at the Fall Festival and the Galloping Goat Pumpkin Patch.

Sugar Skull Fun Run

October 24 | National Hispanic Cultural Center

The Bernalillo County Sugar Skull Fun Run is back for 2021! Drag your bones to the scenic Bosque Trail for an exhilarating 5k run/walk. Dia de Los Muertos themed attire is encouraged but not required. Pets are welcome.

Day of the Tread

October 24 | Sawmill District or Virtual

Day of the Tread is a Day of the Dead/Halloween-themed bicycling event for cyclists of all ages and skill levels. There is truly something for everyone. This ride benefits Zia Freewheelers, a program of the Carrie Tingley Hospital Foundation, and Pegasus Legal Services For Children.

Pumpkin Swim

Oct 29 | Rio Grande Indoor Pool

Costume contest, face painting, music, pumpkins, games, and a haunted house. What more could a kid at Halloween ask for?

Boo at the Zoo

Oct 30 | ABQ BioParkZoo

Boo at the Zoo is back and ready to lift your spirits! We welcome you back to eat, drink, and be scary as we turn our menagerie macabre for one day only! There will be costumes and candy, family and friends, and tricks and treats!

Halloween Festival presented by New Mexico Kids Matter

Oct 30 | National Hispanic Cultural Center

This is an all-ages event for children currently in foster care and their foster families, so join us for an afternoon of spooky fun. There will be a costume contest, so make sure to wear a costume! Please RSVP by clicking the link below and you will receive more info as it becomes available. We can’t wait to party with you!

Halloween Spooktacular

October 30 | Popejoy Hall

Sweep away the cobwebs, sneak out of the house, and put on your Halloween best for a symphonic tribute to the greatest musical chills and thrills of all time! It’s time for the New Mexico Philharmonic’s Halloween Spooktacular!

Great Pumpkin Chase

October 30 | 1744 Kit Carson SW

Yes, Charlie, there is a Great Pumpkin Chase! Register today for the 16th Annual Great Pumpkin Chase: 10K, 5K and Kids K. Enjoy hundreds of participants as they make their way through the scenic Albuquerque Country Club Neighborhood on a flat and fast loop course. Whether you come dressed in your costume.

Rio Rancho Fire & Rescue’s Halloween Open House

Oct 30 | 5 Fire Stations in Rio Rancho

Each station will host a two-hour open house, which will feature Halloween decoration displays, costume contests, hands-on demonstrations of equipment, tours of apparatus, and will focus on community fire safety in recognition of National Fire Safety Month.

Halloween in Old Town

October 31 | Old Town

Celebrate Halloween in the plaza. Let the kids trick or treat with our boutique vendors while the adults partake in libations from local New Mexico producers.

Trunk or Treats

Do you love a good Trunk or Treat? Well, you are in luck because the Albuquerque area is a verifiable gold mine of Trunk or Treats. Find them all here on our Trunk or Treat list.

More Halloween Fun

• Looking for pumpkin patches and corn mazes? Look no further!
• Check out this post for all kinds of fun at-home Halloween ideas.
• Don’t forget to “boo” your friends and neighbors. Get all the details here.
• What does one do with all that leftover candy? We got those answers here.