Halloween in El Segundo has two calendars this year. The city's Recreation, Parks and Library department runs a short string of events for young children: a bonfire for preschoolers, a pumpkin patch floating in the city pool, and an afternoon of bounce houses on Main Street. Old Town Music Hall runs the other one, with a different horror film almost every weekend in October. Several screenings get live accompaniment on the theater's Mighty Wurlitzer, and every showing listed for the rest of the month is a classic.
The two calendars barely touch. They overlap on two days, Saturday, October 24 and Saturday, October 31. If you plan around those two Saturdays, you can fit a toddler's afternoon and an adult's evening into the same day without anyone missing out.
The City's Version Is Built for Small Hands
The age range on the city's events is the first clue to who they're for. The Boo Bucket Bonfire on Friday, October 23 is a free event for children ages 3 to 5, each with an adult. It runs from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Fire Circle in Recreation Park, 401 Sheldon Street. According to the city's event listing, children paint candy buckets, then move on to s'mores, sweets and a family-friendly Halloween movie. Costumes are encouraged. The listing doesn't say whether you need to register, so it's worth calling the number it gives, 310-524-2362, before you go.
The next afternoon brings Pumpkin Poolooza at The Plunge, 219 W. Mariposa, from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 24. The city's description promises a floating pumpkin patch, pumpkin decorating, games and raffles. Picking a pumpkin out of the water is an unusual way to start the week, and the two-hour window is short enough for a nap schedule.
The series ends with the Halloween Frolic on Saturday, October 31, from noon to 4 p.m. on the 300 and 400 blocks of Main Street. The city's October bulletin lists bounce houses, arts and crafts, games, music and food. Presale wristbands cost $10 and have been on sale since Monday, October 5 at the Clubhouse and Joslyn Center. Questions go to 310-524-2700.
Put the three together and you have a calendar centered on preschool and early elementary ages, run on weekend afternoons, mostly free and never late. It works well for that age group. For a household without young children, it leaves the evenings empty.
The Wurlitzer Takes the Evening Shift
Old Town Music Hall fills those evenings. Its October lineup is a survey of horror film history, with silent classics in the afternoons and later-era favorites at night. It's also clear these shows aren't a niche draw. Both showings of Young Frankenstein on Sunday, October 18 were listed as sold out on the theater's site. If you want a specific date over the next two weekends, buy tickets early.
Here is what's left on the schedule from publication day through Halloween:
- Saturday, October 24, 2:30 p.m. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, listed as a silent film.
- Saturday, October 24, 7 p.m. Poltergeist, the 1982 film, introduced by "Horror Nerd" comedian Samantha Hale.
- Sunday, October 25, 2:30 p.m. Bride of Frankenstein.
- Sunday, October 25, 7 p.m. Night of the Living Dead.
- Saturday, October 31, 2:30 and 7 p.m. The Phantom of the Opera, the 1925 silent version with Lon Chaney. Robert York accompanies it live on the Mighty Wurlitzer, and film archivist Stan Taffel introduces it.
The theater's ticket price page lists regular films at $12 general admission and $10 for seniors 65 and older. Silent films are $20 a ticket. The Phantom listing pairs the silent film with live accompaniment on the Mighty Wurlitzer, so the $20 ticket comes with a live organist as well as the movie.
The theater adds its own ritual too. The listings for Poltergeist and The Phantom of the Opera both say the show opens with spooky music on the Mighty Wurlitzer and an old-fashioned sing-along. For an adult, an evening like that is Halloween with a program, a crowd and a start time, and no costume required.
Saturday, October 24, When the Calendars Overlap
The weekend before Halloween has more going on in one day than any other date on either calendar. Two family events and two screenings fall between 10 a.m. and the end of the evening:
- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free Sun & Sea Family Fun Halloween Pop-Up at The Point brings about 30 vendors to an outdoor market. The center's event page also lists trick-or-treating, costumes, face painting, hair tinsel, permanent jewelry and sweets. Admission is free, and RSVPs go through Eventbrite.
- 1 to 3 p.m. Pumpkin Poolooza at The Plunge, 219 W. Mariposa.
- 2:30 p.m. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari at Old Town Music Hall.
- 7 p.m. Poltergeist at Old Town Music Hall, with Samantha Hale's introduction.
The times line up well for a household with mixed ages. Children can trick-or-treat at The Point in the late morning and pick a pumpkin out of The Plunge after lunch. Caligari is a choice for an older child or an adult who would rather skip the pool deck. Poltergeist is rated PG on the theater's listing and runs 1 hour 54 minutes. The 7 p.m. show fits after an early dinner.
If you do only one thing this weekend, this is the day to choose. If the theater is the priority, buy those tickets first. The family events are free and casual, and judging by the sold-out Young Frankenstein weekend, the theater is where seats run out.
Halloween Falls on a Saturday
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so both calendars land on a weekend for their biggest day. The Frolic takes over Main Street from noon to 4 p.m. At 2:30 p.m., in the middle of the Frolic, Old Town Music Hall starts its first showing of the 1925 Phantom of the Opera. The second show starts at 7 p.m.
Those two start times work like a decision tree. A family with young children can finish the Frolic by 4 and keep the evening for trick-or-treating at home. A family with older children can split up. One adult takes the younger ones through the bounce houses while the other goes to the 2:30 Phantom with whoever is old enough for a silent film. The 7 p.m. show is for adults who have finished handing out candy, or who have arranged for someone else to answer the door.
The city's calendar entry for the Frolic gives El Segundo City Hall, 350 Main Street, as the location. That's an easy landmark to tell grandparents or friends meeting you there. If your family plans to go, buy the $10 presale wristbands at the Clubhouse or Joslyn Center ahead of time so you don't spend Halloween morning on errands.
A Short Planning Calendar
Here is the full remaining season in date order, for the refrigerator:
| Date | Time | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Oct. 23 | 5–8 p.m. | Boo Bucket Bonfire, free, ages 3–5 with an adult | Recreation Park Fire Circle, 401 Sheldon St. |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Sun & Sea Family Fun Halloween Pop-Up, free with RSVP | The Point |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | 1–3 p.m. | Pumpkin Poolooza | The Plunge, 219 W. Mariposa |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | 2:30 p.m. | The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari | Old Town Music Hall |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | 7 p.m. | Poltergeist | Old Town Music Hall |
| Sun., Oct. 25 | 2:30 p.m. | Bride of Frankenstein | Old Town Music Hall |
| Sun., Oct. 25 | 7 p.m. | Night of the Living Dead | Old Town Music Hall |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Noon–4 p.m. | Halloween Frolic, $10 presale wristbands | Main Street, 300–400 blocks |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | 2:30 and 7 p.m. | The Phantom of the Opera, live Wurlitzer | Old Town Music Hall |
Six of the nine entries fall on the two Saturdays, and five of the nine are at the theater. The free events are easy to drop in on. The paid screenings are the ones to book now, while there's still a choice of dates.
If you're thinking about what your home is worth in a town with this kind of October calendar, Corisandra Downing can prepare a free home valuation quietly and on your schedule.
