Showing posts with label halloween in the park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label halloween in the park. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Happy Halloween 2023! 🎃🦇👻

Hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween tonight! If you have a favorite neighborhood for trick-or-treating please post it in the comments or on X (Twitter).

Also, please be sure to check out our "wishlist" post for Halloween in the Park!






Wednesday, October 25, 2023

San Jose Wishlist - Halloween in the Park (Part XV)

As Halloween approaches, it is time to resurrect one of my top event wishlist items for San Jose. "Halloween in the Park."

Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year. It's the one day where you get to interact with your neighbors and the wider community. The level of creativity in decorations and costumes is also the most eclectic and interesting out of all the holidays for me--whether that's for trick-or-treating, Halloween parties, or work events.

In October it's tradition for The San Jose Blog have a wish-list post for Halloween in the Park. The idea is to build on the momentum that Christmas in the Park brings to San Jose each year and create something of similar scale for the month of October. A lot of the infrastructure such as wiring, lighting, and booths might even be able to be shared between the events. The goal would be to make Downtown San Jose the epicenter of October Halloween experiences, much as it is today with Christmas in the Park.

Below you will find brainstorming ideas we have collected for this concept so far over the years. Please have a look and provide your feedback and suggestions in the comments or on X (Twitter). Thanks!





The largest draw to Downtown San Jose for many years now has been Christmas in the Park. It has continued to grow year after year and brings in visitors from all over the Bay Area. It's economic impact is substantial and helps keep many Downtown businesses and restaurants alive.

What would you think about a similar event for Halloween? Picture Downtown lit up in orange and purple with elaborate Halloween displays assembled by local artists. Perhaps infrastructure could even be shared with Christmas in the Park (e.g. retail booths). A strong event in October would help maintain traffic between the summer months and Christmas in the Park. 
Here are the ideas we have so far:
  • Animated Halloween Displays
    • Created by local artists
    • Analogous to the Christmas displays that attract many families during Christmas in the Park (almost half a million visitors)
    • Family friendly so that everyone can enjoy it (PG/PG13, perhaps around the same level as Great America Halloween Haunt)
    • Halloween Lighting
      • Orange, purple, and green LED lighting on trees
      • May be possible to use programmable LED lighting that can go from Halloween colors to Christmas colors with the push of a button, allowing the lights to stay up for Christmas in the Park as well and reducing setup/take-down costs.
    • Halloween Food
      • Booths with candied apples, chocolates, candy, pumpkin seeds, etc.
      • Food trucks
      • Trick-or-treating station - a free piece of candy to anyone wearing a costume any day in October (could also be used to hand out promotional flyers for Downtown events/businesses/resources)
    • Retail Booths selling Halloween items, for example:
      • Artwork (paintings, glass pumpkins, etc.)
      • Home decor/crafts like candles
      • Light-up hats/necklaces/bracelets
      • Costumes
      • Zombie/Halloween make-up station 
    • Halloween-themed Carnival Games
      • Pirates of Emerson and Candlelighters (Fremont) do a good job of providing family-friendly games themed around Halloween
      • A handful of children's rides could also be added to the Paseo and reused for Christmas in the Park
    • Interactive Art
      • Subzero/ZERO1-style, but with a Halloween spin.
      • Halloween-themed video game kiosks and/or arcades
    • Pumpkins
      • Instead of the sponsored Christmas trees in Christmas in the Park, how about decorated Pumpkins (can even be Styrofoam so there is no mess/decay)?
      • Pumpkin carving station for families. 
      • Pumpkin carving contest.
    • Costumed Entertainers
      • Walking around the area, not necessarily scaring people but adding to the ambiance and providing photo opportunities for families
    • Haunts / Mazes
      • Would be ideal if these were nearby, perhaps in vacant retails spaces, surface parking lots, the San Jose Convention Center tent, or at SJSU.
      • Could partners with one of the established San Jose haunt providers such as the Winchestor Mystery House or The Bernal SCREAM.
    • Potential Events
      • Zombie Crawl / 5k Run
      • Dia De Los Muertos Events (already quite a few today)
      • Halloween/Dia De Los Muertos Bike Party
      • Horror Movie Trivia Contest
      • Weekly horror movie screening (perhaps in the Circle of Palms area?)
      • Costume Ball
      • Pet costume contests and pet-friendly events

      Saturday, October 14, 2023

      27th Annual Pumpkins in the Park in Downtown San Jose

      Are you looking for a fun and family-friendly way to celebrate the fall season in San Jose? If so, you won’t want to miss the 27th annual Pumpkins in the Park festival, hosted by the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy. This event is a family-friendly harvest festival that brings thousands of visitors to enjoy a variety of activities and entertainment, while also raising awareness about one of our region’s unique natural resources, the Guadalupe River Park.

      Pumpkins in the Park is a free event that takes place on today from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Discovery Meadow in downtown San Jose. The festival features a giant pumpkin patch, where you can pick your own pumpkin and decorate it with paints and stickers. You can also enjoy live music, dance performances, puppet shows, and storytelling on two stages. There are also plenty of games and crafts for kids of all ages, such as pumpkin bowling, ring toss, bean bag toss, and face painting. You can also bounce around in inflatable slides and obstacle courses, or take a ride on a trackless train. If you get hungry, you can visit the food trucks and vendors that offer a variety of delicious options, such as pizza, tacos, burgers, ice cream, and more.

      The festival aims to promote the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy, which is a nonprofit organization that manages and advocates for the Guadalupe River Park and Gardens. The Guadalupe River Park is a three-mile ribbon of parkland that runs along the banks of the Guadalupe River in the heart of downtown San Jose. It offers scenic views, recreational opportunities, environmental education, and cultural attractions for the community. The Guadalupe River Park Conservancy works to preserve and enhance this natural resource, as well as to engage people in its stewardship and enjoyment.

      For more information head over here.



      Monday, October 31, 2022

      Happy Halloween 2022!! + Halloween in the Park (Part XIV)

      Happy Halloween everyone, hope you have a blast tonight! This might be the first Halloween in 3 years where the event is back full-force! Halloween is my favorite "holiday" of the year. It's the one day where you get to interact with your neighbors and the wider community. The level of creativity in decorations and costumes is also the most eclectic and interesting out of all the holidays for me--whether that's for trick-or-treating, Halloween parties, or work events.

      Usually in October we have a wish-list post for Halloween in the Park. The idea is to build on the momentum that Christmas in the Park brings to San Jose each year and create something of similar scale for the month of October with Halloween in the Park! A lot of the infrastructure such as wiring, lighting, and booths might even be able to be shared between the events. The goal would be to make Downtown San Jose the epicenter of October Halloween experiences.

      Below you will find brainstorming ideas we have collected for this concept so far over the years. Please have a look and provide your feedback and suggestions in the comments. Thanks!




      The largest draw to Downtown San Jose for many years now has been Christmas in the Park. It has continued to grow year after year and brings in visitors from all over the Bay Area. It's economic impact is substantial and helps keep many Downtown businesses and restaurants alive.

      What would you think about a similar event for Halloween? Picture Downtown lit up in orange and purple with elaborate Halloween displays assembled by local artists. Perhaps infrastructure could even be shared with Christmas in the Park (e.g. retail booths). A strong event in October would help maintain traffic between the summer months and Christmas in the Park. 
      Here are the ideas we have so far:
      • Animated Halloween Displays
        • Created by local artists
        • Analogous to the Christmas displays that attract many families during Christmas in the Park (almost half a million visitors)
        • Family friendly so that everyone can enjoy it (PG/PG13, perhaps around the same level as Great America Halloween Haunt)
        • Halloween Lighting
          • Orange, purple, and green LED lighting on trees
          • May be possible to use new programmable LED lighting that can go from Halloween colors to Christmas colors with the push of a button, allowing the lights to stay up for Christmas in the Park as well and reducing setup/take-down costs.
        • Halloween Food
          • Booths with candied apples, chocolates, candy, pumpkin seeds, etc.
          • Food trucks
          • Trick-or-treating station - a free piece of candy to anyone wearing a costume any day in October (could also be used to hand out promotional flyers for Downtown events/businesses/resources)
        • Retail Booths selling Halloween items, for example:
          • Artwork (paintings, glass pumpkins, etc.)
          • Home decor/crafts like candles
          • Light-up hats/necklaces/bracelets
          • Costumes
          • Zombie/Halloween make-up station 
        • Halloween-themed Carnival Games
          • Pirates of Emerson and Candlelighters (Fremont) do a good job of providing family-friendly games themed around Halloween
          • A handful of children's rides could also be added to the Paseo and reused for Christmas in the Park
        • Interactive Art
          • Subzero/ZERO1-style, but with a Halloween spin.
          • Halloween-themed video game kiosks and/or arcades
        • Pumpkins
          • Instead of the sponsored Christmas trees in Christmas in the Park, how about decorated Pumpkins (can even be Styrofoam so there is no mess/decay)?
          • Pumpkin carving station for families. 
          • Pumpkin carving contest.
        • Costumed Entertainers
          • Walking around the area, not necessarily scaring people but adding to the ambiance and providing photo opportunities for families
        • Haunts / Mazes
          • Would be ideal if these were nearby, perhaps in vacant retails spaces, surface parking lots, the San Jose Convention Center tent, or at SJSU.
          • Could partners with one of the established San Jose haunt providers such as Deadtime Dreams or The World's Largest Haunted House.
        • Potential Events
          • Zombie-O-Rama can be used to kick off Halloween in the Park (late Sep. / early Oct. time-frame)
          • Zombie Crawl
          • Dia De Los Muertos Events
          • Halloween/Dia De Los Muertos Bike Party
          • Horror Movie Trivia Contest
          • Weekly horror movie screening (perhaps in the Circle of Palms area?)
          • Costume Ball
          • Pet costume contests and pet-friendly events

          Sunday, October 31, 2021

          Happy Halloween 2021!! + Halloween in the Park (Part XIII)

          Happy Halloween everyone, hope you have a blast tonight! I'm optimistic today will mark some return to some normalcy after a brutal two years.

          Usually in October we have a wish-list post for Halloween in the Park. The idea is to build on the momentum that Christmas in the Park brings to San Jose each year and create something of similar scale for the month of October with Halloween in the Park! A lot of the infrastructure such as wiring, lighting, and booths might even be able to be shared between the events. The goal would be to make Downtown San Jose the epicenter of October Halloween experiences.

          Below you will find brainstorming ideas we have collected for this concept so far over the years. Please have a look and provide your feedback and suggestions in the comments. Thanks!




          The largest draw to Downtown San Jose for many years now has been Christmas in the Park. It has continued to grow year after year and brings in visitors from all over the Bay Area. It's economic impact is substantial and helps keep many Downtown businesses and restaurants alive.

          What would you think about a similar event for Halloween? Picture Downtown lit up in orange and purple with elaborate Halloween displays assembled by local artists. Perhaps infrastructure could even be shared with Christmas in the Park (e.g. retail booths). A strong event in October would help maintain traffic between the summer months and Christmas in the Park. 
          Here are the ideas we have so far:
          • Animated Halloween Displays
            • Created by local artists
            • Analogous to the Christmas displays that attract many families during Christmas in the Park (almost half a million visitors)
            • Family friendly so that everyone can enjoy it (PG/PG13, perhaps around the same level as Great America Halloween Haunt)
            • Halloween Lighting
              • Orange, purple, and green LED lighting on trees
              • May be possible to use new programmable LED lighting that can go from Halloween colors to Christmas colors with the push of a button, allowing the lights to stay up for Christmas in the Park as well and reducing setup/take-down costs.
            • Halloween Food
              • Booths with candied apples, chocolates, candy, pumpkin seeds, etc.
              • Food trucks
              • Trick-or-treating station - a free piece of candy to anyone wearing a costume any day in October (could also be used to hand out promotional flyers for Downtown events/businesses/resources)
            • Retail Booths selling Halloween items, for example:
              • Artwork (paintings, glass pumpkins, etc.)
              • Home decor/crafts like candles
              • Light-up hats/necklaces/bracelets
              • Costumes
              • Zombie/Halloween make-up station 
            • Halloween-themed Carnival Games
              • Pirates of Emerson and Candlelighters (Fremont) do a good job of providing family-friendly games themed around Halloween
              • A handful of children's rides could also be added to the Paseo and reused for Christmas in the Park
            • Interactive Art
              • Subzero/ZERO1-style, but with a Halloween spin.
              • Halloween-themed video game kiosks and/or arcades
            • Pumpkins
              • Instead of the sponsored Christmas trees in Christmas in the Park, how about decorated Pumpkins (can even be Styrofoam so there is no mess/decay)?
              • Pumpkin carving station for families. 
              • Pumpkin carving contest.
            • Costumed Entertainers
              • Walking around the area, not necessarily scaring people but adding to the ambiance and providing photo opportunities for families
            • Haunts / Mazes
              • Would be ideal if these were nearby, perhaps in vacant retails spaces, surface parking lots, the San Jose Convention Center tent, or at SJSU.
              • Could partners with one of the established San Jose haunt providers such as Deadtime Dreams or The World's Largest Haunted House.
            • Potential Events
              • Zombie-O-Rama can be used to kick off Halloween in the Park (late Sep. / early Oct. time-frame)
              • Zombie Crawl
              • Dia De Los Muertos Events
              • Halloween/Dia De Los Muertos Bike Party
              • Horror Movie Trivia Contest
              • Weekly horror movie screening (perhaps in the Circle of Palms area?)
              • Costume Ball
              • Pet costume contests and pet-friendly events

              Thursday, October 31, 2019

              Happy Halloween 2019!! + Halloween in the Park (Part XII)

              Happy Halloween everyone, hope you have a blast tonight!

              Usually in October we have a wish-list post for Halloween in the Park. The idea is to build on the momentum that Christmas in the Park brings to San Jose each year and create something of similar scale for the month of October with Halloween in the Park! A lot of the infrastructure such as wiring, lighting, and booths might even be able to be shared between the events. The goal would be to make Downtown San Jose the epicenter of October Halloween experiences.

              Below you will find brainstorming ideas we have collected for this concept so far over the years. Please have a look and provide your feedback and suggestions in the comments. Thanks!




              The largest draw to Downtown San Jose for many years now has been Christmas in the Park. It has continued to grow year after year and brings in visitors from all over the Bay Area. It's economic impact is substantial and helps keep many Downtown businesses and restaurants alive.

              What would you think about a similar event for Halloween? Picture Downtown lit up in orange and purple with elaborate Halloween displays assembled by local artists. Perhaps infrastructure could even be shared with Christmas in the Park (e.g. retail booths). A strong event in October would help maintain traffic between the summer months and Christmas in the Park. 
              Here are the ideas we have so far:
              • Animated Halloween Displays
                • Created by local artists
                • Analogous to the Christmas displays that attract many families during Christmas in the Park (almost half a million visitors)
                • Family friendly so that everyone can enjoy it (PG/PG13, perhaps around the same level as Great America Halloween Haunt)
                • Halloween Lighting
                  • Orange, purple, and green LED lighting on trees
                  • May be possible to use new programmable LED lighting that can go from Halloween colors to Christmas colors with the push of a button, allowing the lights to stay up for Christmas in the Park as well and reducing setup/take-down costs.
                • Halloween Food
                  • Booths with candied apples, chocolates, candy, pumpkin seeds, etc.
                  • Food trucks
                  • Trick-or-treating station - a free piece of candy to anyone wearing a costume any day in October (could also be used to hand out promotional flyers for Downtown events/businesses/resources)
                • Retail Booths selling Halloween items, for example:
                  • Artwork (paintings, glass pumpkins, etc.)
                  • Home decor/crafts like candles
                  • Light-up hats/necklaces/bracelets
                  • Costumes
                  • Zombie/Halloween make-up station 
                • Halloween-themed Carnival Games
                  • Pirates of Emerson and Candlelighters (Fremont) do a good job of providing family-friendly games themed around Halloween
                  • A handful of children's rides could also be added to the Paseo and reused for Christmas in the Park
                • Interactive Art
                  • Subzero/ZERO1-style, but with a Halloween spin.
                  • Halloween-themed video game kiosks and/or arcades
                • Pumpkins
                  • Instead of the sponsored Christmas trees in Christmas in the Park, how about decorated Pumpkins (can even be Styrofoam so there is no mess/decay)?
                  • Pumpkin carving station for families. 
                  • Pumpkin carving contest.
                • Costumed Entertainers
                  • Walking around the area, not necessarily scaring people but adding to the ambiance and providing photo opportunities for families
                • Haunts / Mazes
                  • Would be ideal if these were nearby, perhaps in vacant retails spaces, surface parking lots, the San Jose Convention Center tent, or at SJSU.
                  • Could partners with one of the established San Jose haunt providers such as Deadtime Dreams or The World's Largest Haunted House.
                • Potential Events
                  • Zombie-O-Rama can be used to kick off Halloween in the Park (late Sep. / early Oct. time-frame)
                  • Zombie Crawl
                  • Dia De Los Muertos Events
                  • Halloween/Dia De Los Muertos Bike Party
                  • Horror Movie Trivia Contest
                  • Weekly horror movie screening (perhaps in the Circle of Palms area?)
                  • Costume Ball

                  Wednesday, October 17, 2018

                  Wednesday Wishlist: Halloween in the Park (Part XI)

                  Keeping with San Jose Blog tradition, in October we have a "wishlist" post for Halloween in the Park. The idea is to build on the momentum that Christmas in the Park brings to San Jose each year and create something of similar scale for the month of October with Halloween in the Park! A lot of the infrastructure such as wiring, lighting, and booths might even be able to be shared between the events. The goal would be to make Downtown San Jose the epicenter of October Halloween experiences.

                  Below you will find brainstorming ideas we have collected for this concept so far over the years. Please have a look and provide your feedback and suggestions in the comments. Thanks!




                  The largest draw to Downtown San Jose for many years now has been Christmas in the Park. It has continued to grow year after year and brings in visitors from all over the Bay Area. It's economic impact is substantial and helps keep many Downtown businesses and restaurants alive.

                  What would you think about a similar event for Halloween? Picture Downtown lit up in orange and purple with elaborate Halloween displays assembled by local artists. Perhaps infrastructure could even be shared with Christmas in the Park (e.g. retail booths). A strong event in October would help maintain traffic between the summer months and Christmas in the Park. 
                  Here are the ideas we have so far:
                  • Animated Halloween Displays
                    • Created by local artists
                    • Analogous to the Christmas displays that attract many families during Christmas in the Park (almost half a million visitors)
                    • Family friendly so that everyone can enjoy it (PG/PG13, perhaps around the same level as Great America Halloween Haunt)
                    • Halloween Lighting
                      • Orange, purple, and green LED lighting on trees
                      • May be possible to use new programmable LED lighting that can go from Halloween colors to Christmas colors with the push of a button, allowing the lights to stay up for Christmas in the Park as well and reducing setup/take-down costs.
                    • Halloween Food
                      • Booths with candied apples, chocolates, candy, pumpkin seeds, etc.
                      • Food trucks
                      • Trick-or-treating station - a free piece of candy to anyone wearing a costume any day in October (could also be used to hand out promotional flyers for Downtown events/businesses/resources)
                    • Retail Booths selling Halloween items, for example:
                      • Artwork (paintings, glass pumpkins, etc.)
                      • Home decor/crafts like candles
                      • Light-up hats/necklaces/bracelets
                      • Costumes
                      • Zombie/Halloween make-up station 
                    • Halloween-themed Carnival Games
                      • Pirates of Emerson and Candlelighters (Fremont) do a good job of providing family-friendly games themed around Halloween
                      • A handful of children's rides could also be added to the Paseo and reused for Christmas in the Park
                    • Interactive Art
                      • Subzero/ZERO1-style, but with a Halloween spin.
                      • Halloween-themed video game kiosks and/or arcades
                    • Pumpkins
                      • Instead of the sponsored Christmas trees in Christmas in the Park, how about decorated Pumpkins (can even be Styrofoam so there is no mess/decay)?
                      • Pumpkin carving station for families. 
                      • Pumpkin carving contest.
                    • Costumed Entertainers
                      • Walking around the area, not necessarily scaring people but adding to the ambiance and providing photo opportunities for families
                    • Haunts / Mazes
                      • Would be ideal if these were nearby, perhaps in vacant retails spaces, surface parking lots, the San Jose Convention Center tent, or at SJSU.
                      • Could partners with one of the established San Jose haunt providers such as Deadtime Dreams or The World's Largest Haunted House.
                    • Potential Events
                      • Zombie-O-Rama can be used to kick off Halloween in the Park (late Sep. / early Oct. time-frame)
                      • Zombie Crawl
                      • Dia De Los Muertos Events
                      • Halloween/Dia De Los Muertos Bike Party
                      • Horror Movie Trivia Contest
                      • Weekly horror movie screening (perhaps in the Circle of Palms area?)
                      • Costume Ball

                      Tuesday, October 31, 2017

                      Happy Halloween 2017!!! + Halloween in the Park (Part XI)

                      Keeping with San Jose Blog tradition, in October we have a Wednesday Wishlist post for Halloween in the Park. Since tomorrow is already November, I thought it might be neat to do this post on Halloween itself. The idea is to build on the momentum that Christmas in the Park brings to San Jose each year and create something of similar scale for the month of October with Halloween in the Park! A lot of the infrastructure such as wiring, lighting, and booths might even be able to be shared between the events. The goal would be to make Downtown San Jose the epicenter of October Halloween experiences.

                      Below you will find brainstorming ideas we have collected for this concept so far over the years. Please have a look and provide your feedback and suggestions in the comments. Thanks!




                      The largest draw to Downtown San Jose for many years now has been Christmas in the Park. It has continued to grow year after year and brings in visitors from all over the Bay Area. It's economic impact is substantial and helps keep many Downtown businesses and restaurants alive.

                      What would you think about a similar event for Halloween? Picture Downtown lit up in orange and purple with elaborate Halloween displays assembled by local artists. Perhaps infrastructure could even be shared with Christmas in the Park (e.g. retail booths). A strong event in October would help maintain traffic between the summer months and Christmas in the Park. 
                      Here are the ideas we have so far:
                      • Animated Halloween Displays
                        • Created by local artists
                        • Analogous to the Christmas displays that attract many families during Christmas in the Park (almost half a million visitors)
                        • Family friendly so that everyone can enjoy it (PG/PG13, perhaps around the same level as Great America Halloween Haunt)
                        • Halloween Lighting
                          • Orange, purple, and green LED lighting on trees
                          • May be possible to use new programmable LED lighting that can go from Halloween colors to Christmas colors with the push of a button, allowing the lights to stay up for Christmas in the Park as well and reducing setup/take-down costs.
                        • Halloween Food
                          • Booths with candied apples, chocolates, candy, pumpkin seeds, etc.
                          • Food trucks
                          • Trick-or-treating station - a free piece of candy to anyone wearing a costume any day in October (could also be used to hand out promotional flyers for Downtown events/businesses/resources)
                        • Retail Booths selling Halloween items, for example:
                          • Artwork (paintings, glass pumpkins, etc.)
                          • Home decor/crafts like candles
                          • Light-up hats/necklaces/bracelets
                          • Costumes
                          • Zombie/Halloween make-up station 
                        • Halloween-themed Carnival Games
                          • Pirates of Emerson and Candlelighters (Fremont) do a good job of providing family-friendly games themed around Halloween
                          • A handful of children's rides could also be added to the Paseo and reused for Christmas in the Park
                        • Interactive Art
                          • Subzero/ZERO1-style, but with a Halloween spin.
                          • Halloween-themed video game kiosks and/or arcades
                        • Pumpkins
                          • Instead of the sponsored Christmas trees in Christmas in the Park, how about decorated Pumpkins (can even be Styrofoam so there is no mess/decay)?
                          • Pumpkin carving station for families. 
                          • Pumpkin carving contest.
                        • Costumed Entertainers
                          • Walking around the area, not necessarily scaring people but adding to the ambiance and providing photo opportunities for families
                        • Haunts / Mazes
                          • Would be ideal if these were nearby, perhaps in vacant retails spaces, surface parking lots, the San Jose Convention Center tent, or at SJSU.
                          • Could partners with one of the established San Jose haunt providers such as Deadtime Dreams or The World's Largest Haunted House.
                        • Potential Events
                          • Zombie-O-Rama can be used to kick off Halloween in the Park (late Sep. / early Oct. time-frame)
                          • Zombie Crawl
                          • Dia De Los Muertos Events
                          • Halloween/Dia De Los Muertos Bike Party
                          • Horror Movie Trivia Contest
                          • Weekly horror movie screening (perhaps in the Circle of Palms area?)
                          • Costume Ball