Halloween Eve in La Jolla Village: Candy Crawl at 3, Soul Train Line at 8:30

The La Jolla Village Merchants Association doesn't publish a list of treat stops for the Creepy Candy Crawl, because there isn't one to publish ahead of time. On Friday, October 30, the businesses that hand out candy don't sign up weeks in advance. They decide that same day.

The La Jolla Art & Wine Festival takes down its tents on Girard Avenue today, and the San Diego Union-Tribune's preview put its lineup at about 170 artists. Next up on the Village calendar is something different in kind. The festival is a single event with a set footprint. The crawl gets built by individual merchants on the day it happens, and most of what the Village has planned between now and late November works the same way.

The Route Gets Decided at Noon

The 2026 Creepy Candy Crawl announcement says plainly that merchants don't need to pre-register. A business becomes an official treat stop by picking up a balloon at the merchants association office, 7734 Herschel Way, Suite C, starting at noon on the 30th. The balloons are the map. Any business that has one tied out front by 3 PM is part of the route, and there's no way to know the full roster in advance.

That changes how the afternoon starts. Families begin at REBA, the Real Estate Brokers Association, at 908 Kline Street, to pick up goodie bags. From there, they follow the balloons. The crawl runs from 3 to 6 PM, is free, and is open to children of all ages.

A few details shape the first hour:

• The judges are in costume. According to the association, judges dressed as witches walk the Village looking for the most memorable costumes.
• The contest ends early. Winners are announced back at REBA at about 4:15, so a family that starts at 3 and heads out without circling back can miss it.
• The prizes are local. Geppetto's, the Village toy store, donated the costume contest prizes.
• Businesses are competing too. New this year, a Village Spirit Award will go to the businesses with the most creative decorations, energy and costumes.

The Spirit Award gives merchants a reason to do more than set out a bowl of candy. The association's message to them is direct:

"Expect hundreds of little ghosts and goblins, so stock up on treats! Dress up. Decorate. Get your staff involved. HAVE FUN!"

That line was written for shop owners, and it lays out the deal. Merchants bring the decorations and the candy, and families bring the foot traffic. The October 1 fall checklist from the merchants association describes the crawl as "a great way to generate foot traffic."

At 5 PM, the Museum Starts the Second Shift

While the last trick-or-treaters are still out on Girard, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego opens its doors at 700 Prospect Street for something aimed at an older crowd. The museum's FIC Studio (Spooky) Sessions is a Halloween edition of its Jazz Night, produced with Future is Color Studio Sessions and inspired by Soul Train. It runs from 5 to 10 PM in Axline Court and Art Park.

The evening runs on a schedule across two spaces:

1. 5 PM, Axline Court. Doors open with a listening room for Michael Jackson's Thriller, focused on the album's music, its cultural impact and its long connection to Halloween.
2. 6:30 PM, Art Park. A DJ starts outside as the space fills up.
3. 7 PM, Axline Court. A vinyl DJ picks up where Thriller leaves off with funk, soul, disco and boogie for a smaller dance party.
4. 7:30 PM, Art Park. A live band plays funk, soul, disco and dance music, the musical centerpiece of the night.
5. 8:30 PM, Art Park. A Soul Train line opens through the crowd, and the costume contest happens there.

The museum hasn't named the DJs or the band. Tickets are listed at $35 to $45, with a $35 early-bird price that goes up starting October 23. The ticket checkout shows $35 general admission and says all ages are welcome. As of today, 12 days remain before the price change.

The Hour When Both Are Running

From 5 to 6 PM, both events are going at once. The crawl is in its last hour on the shopping streets, and the museum's Thriller room has just opened on Prospect. That's the one window when a household can do both without missing either. One adult can stay with the kids for the final round of balloons while another goes ahead to the listening room. Or everyone can finish trick-or-treating and walk down together for the 6:30 DJ set in Art Park.

The start and finish points are easy. The goodie bags and the 4:15 contest announcement are at REBA on Kline Street, and the night ends at the museum on Prospect. What's in between depends on which businesses picked up a balloon that day.

Two of the newer storefronts on Girard Avenue are worth a look on the way, though neither has said whether it will be a treat stop.

Mahj Theory Collective opened August 12 at 7863 Girard Avenue as a dedicated mahjong club, according to the Union-Tribune's September business roundup. Two-hour open-play sessions cost $35 per person and include equipment, light bites and a glass of champagne. Memberships run $99 to $299 a month. The club is run by mother and daughter Deb and Sam Solomon, whose family also runs The Pastrami Stand at the Sunday La Jolla Open Aire Farmers Market. The same roundup notes reserved all-day parking for $5 at 875 Prospect Street, two blocks from the studio.

La Jolla Perfume & Cologne at 7606 Girard Avenue soft-opened August 1 and was still waiting on its outdoor sign when the Union-Tribune covered it. The shop carries niche fragrance houses including Amouage, Memo Paris, Ormonde Jayne and Nishane. Co-owners Adriana and Henry Herrman plan a grand opening once the sign goes up.

The Same Opt-In Model Runs Through November 22

The balloon system is the most visible example of how the merchants association works. The rest of its fall calendar runs on the same idea: the association sets the date, and individual businesses decide whether to show up.

The First Friday Art Walk on November 6 runs from 4 to 7 PM. The association's checklist asks merchants to "stay open late, host a pop-up artist, offer something special or simply welcome hundreds of Art Walkers." The November event listing calls it a free walk through 26 galleries and pop-up artists, lists LIK Fine Art at 1205 Prospect Street as the venue, and includes a map. No November lineup has been published. For reference, the October walk was self-guided with a digital route map, and its highlights included Brockton Villa, Lisa Flowers Contemporary Asia at 7910 Ivanhoe Avenue, Krista Schumacher's gallery, and pop-up artists at Unscripted Spaces, 7730 Girard Avenue.

MCASD's free days continue into November. Free Second Sunday falls on November 8 at 11 AM and Free Third Thursday on November 19 at 11 AM. On November 7 at noon, the museum hosts a book release and artist talk for Louis De Guzman's Along the Way. November 8 is also the last day of "The Dean Collection Presents: Hometown Heroes." "Visiones Nocturnas: Queer Nightlife in Contemporary Art" stays up through January 17, 2027.

The Holiday Open House on November 22 is where the opt-in model is spelled out most clearly. Participating businesses offer treats, activities and specials, and Santa makes the rounds. Merchants who want to be in the association's advertising campaign are asked to put in about $150 to $200. No 2026 participant list is out yet. Last year's list gives a sense of who tends to join: Warwick's, Geppetto's Toys, Girard Gourmet, Ace Meanley Hardware, Bowers Jewelers, Teuscher Chocolates, Parakeet Café, Mangelsen Images of Nature and Unscripted Spaces, among others. That's a 2025 roster, not a promise for this year.

Here is the full stretch of dates in one place:

One more opening is set for just after this stretch. Mavi Mediterranean is expected to open Wednesday, December 2, at 7536 Fay Avenue next to The Flower Pot. The Union-Tribune's September 25 roundup reports that date, which replaces an earlier October estimate.

The Village's fall runs on its merchants, and as a locally rooted team we pay close attention to it. For thoughts on which corners of the Village feel most like home, or just to compare notes on Halloween Eve, the Nelson Brother Team is always glad to talk. Let's Connect.