10 Things to Do with Bay Area Kids in October 2026
October is a BIG month for Bay Area families. The Blue Angels are back for Fleet Week, Bluey is live in San Jose, the world's largest bounce house lands in Antioch, and Halloween is everywhere from Sausalito to Gilroy. Here are the 10 events worth planning around, with dates, prices, and ticket links.
📅 Every event below, plus hundreds more, is on our Bay Area Family Events Calendar. Bookmark it before October gets away from you.
October is a BIG month for Bay Area families. Blue Angels over the bay, the world's largest bounce house, Bluey live on stage, and Halloween happening in every corner from Sausalito to Gilroy. Here are the 10 worth planning around, in date order, with the ones that sell out flagged.
1. 🚢 Off the Grid: Treasure Island
The last three Saturdays of the season. Fifteen-plus food trucks, a huge open lawn, and a skyline view that's hard to beat. The free ferry from the Ferry Building is the secret weapon: for most kids, the boat ride is the whole event. Ferry RSVP is required in advance.
📍 Cityside Park, 387 Avenue of the Palms, Treasure Island, San Francisco
📅 Saturdays, October 3, 10 & 17 🕐 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
💵 FREE entry · free ferry with advance RSVP
2. 👺 Goblin Jamboree at Bay Area Discovery Museum
Marin's longest-running Halloween festival, built for the littlest goblins. The whole museum turns just-spooky-enough: giant spiderwebs to crawl under, fizzy potion brewing in Goblin Village, a glowing bug dig, and a Beetlelady with live insects. There's even a harvest play space just for kids 42" and under. Costumes encouraged, rain or shine.
📍 Bay Area Discovery Museum, 557 McReynolds Rd, Sausalito
📅 Weekends Oct 3–4, 10–11, 17–18, 24–25, plus Halloween (Oct 31) 🕐 Doors 9:00 AM
💵 $25–$30 general admission · members $5 (tickets required for members too)
3. ⚔️ Northern California Renaissance Faire
The final four weekends, and each one has a theme: Cottagecore (Oct 3–4 and 10–11) for the fairy-wings crowd, Oktoberfest (Oct 17–18), and Halloween Fantasy (Oct 24–25) with costume contests and trick-or-treating through the village. Jousting, falconry, and a kids' quest keep little ones busy all day. Kids 12 and under get in free.
📍 Casa de Fruta, 10031 Pacheco Pass Hwy, Hollister
📅 Weekends through October 25 🕐 Sat & Sun 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
💵 Adults $42 · kids 12 & under FREE · parking $12
4. 🎃 Nightfall & Autumn Days at Filoli
One estate, two very different visits. Autumn Days (10 AM–5 PM) is the gentle daytime version: a Scarecrow Field, Pumpkin Meadow, hay play, apple cider, and the new Redwood Autumn Railway. Nightfall (5:30–10 PM) is the after-dark story: 1,000 glowing jack-o'-lanterns, a woodland trail, a witches' village, and a new miniature railway with eight looping trains. Nightfall runs 2–2.5 hours and is spookier, so little kids may do better by day. It set an advance-sales record this year, so don't wait on late-October nights.
📍 Filoli, 86 Cañada Rd, Woodside
📅 Both run daily Sept 26 – Nov 1 (Nightfall closed Oct 8)
💵 Autumn Days from $39 · Nightfall varies by date · members save
🔗 Autumn Days · Nightfall
5. 👻 The Great Big BOO! at Gilroy Gardens
The Bay Area's best Halloween for kids who are too little for anything with "haunt" in the name. A trick-or-treat BOO Trail through the park, an animated light tunnel, character meet-and-greets, and live shows. Silly, sweet, and deliberately not scary. Costumes welcome (no full-face masks).
📍 Gilroy Gardens, 3050 Hecker Pass Hwy, Gilroy
📅 Select dates through November 2 🕐 Check the park calendar
💵 Included with park admission or membership
6. ✈️ Fleet Week Air Show
The Blue Angels are back, and this year is extra special: it's the team's 80th anniversary, after the 2025 show was grounded by the government shutdown. Three afternoons of jets over the bay between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, plus the United 777, F-22 Raptor, and F-35B. Watching from the waterfront is free. Pack ear protection for little ones, and take transit.
📍 San Francisco waterfront (Marina Green and along the Bay)
📅 Air show Oct 9–11 (full Fleet Week Oct 4–12) 🕐 12:00–4:00 PM
💵 FREE from the shoreline · paid seating available
7. ⛸️ Disney On Ice: Find Your Hero
This year's Disney On Ice tour hits both sides of the bay back to back, so pick whichever arena is closer. Weekend matinees are the sweet spot for younger kids. The Magical Pass add-on gets you in an hour early to meet a Disney character.
📍 Oakland Arena · SAP Center, San Jose
📅 Oakland Oct 15–18 · San Jose Oct 22–25
8. 🔬 Bay Area Science Festival
Northern California's largest free science celebration, and one of the best free days of the whole year. More than 125 hands-on experiences, live demos, lab tours, and science role models, all in one afternoon at UCSF. Good for curious kids of every age.
📍 UCSF Mission Bay, Koret Quad, San Francisco
📅 Saturday, October 17 🕐 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
💵 FREE
9. 🎈 The Big Bounce America
The world's largest bounce house lands in Antioch for two weekends: a 50,000-square-foot inflatable world with a 900-foot obstacle course, a sports arena, a space-themed ball pit zone, live DJs, and food trucks. Tickets are timed sessions split by age (little kids, bigger kids, even adults-only), so book the right one.
📍 Contra Costa Fair & Event Park, 1201 W 10th St, Antioch
📅 Oct 17–18 & 24–25 🕐 Sat 9 AM–9 PM · Sun 9 AM–6 PM
10. 🐶 Bluey's Big Play
Bluey and Bingo, live on stage in puppet form, trying to get Dad off the bean bag. It's an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm with new music by the show's composer. At 50 minutes with no intermission, it's the rare theater show a preschooler can actually sit through. Halloween-morning show, anyone? Every person needs a ticket, including babies.
📍 Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd, San Jose
📅 Oct 30 – Nov 1 🕐 Fri 6 PM · Sat & Sun 10 AM and 2 PM
Even more October fun
Ten picks barely scratches the surface this month. Before you plan a single weekend, check these:
📅 Bay Area Family Events Calendar has every event on this list plus hundreds more, searchable by date and region.
🎃 Ultimate Bay Area Pumpkin Patch List covers every patch, corn maze, and hayride, sorted by region. Half Moon Bay weekends sell out, so book early.
👻 Bay Area Halloween Events Guide rounds up trick-or-treat trails, Boo at the Zoo nights, costume parades, and not-too-spooky options for little ones.
What are we missing? Tell us what your family is doing this month at @bayareakidsgo.
Dates, hours, and pricing are accurate as of publication but always subject to change. Verify directly with each venue before you go.
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