October in Los Angeles: The Heart of Hollywood Guide to the Season
By staff writer,
Few cities dress for October quite like Los Angeles. The light turns amber, the evenings cool, and the entertainment capital turns its talents toward the art of the scare. Throughout the month, Heart of Hollywood Magazine will bring you twice-weekly guides to the events worth your evening, from horror premieres to free community celebrations.
The Haunts That Define the Month
Four of the region's signature Halloween attractions are already open on select nights through November 1: Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, open since September 3; the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride in Griffith Park; Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain; and Dark Harbor at the Queen Mary in Long Beach.
Art After Dark
October opens with DTLA ArtNight on Thursday, October 1. On the first Thursday of each month, more than 25 Downtown galleries debut new exhibitions, and MOCA offers a free exhibition tour at 5 p.m., according to Time Out. https://www.moca.org
The following evening, Friday, October 2, from 5 to 10 p.m., Frogtown First Fridays fills the riverfront neighborhood with food, crafts, games, music and gallery exhibitions, starting at Salazar, 2490 Fletcher Drive. Admission is free, and organizers recommend rideshare because parking is limited. https://evartscollective.com
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On Stage and On Screen
Bruno Mars plays five nights at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on The Romantic Tour: September 30 and October 2, 3, 6 and 7, according to Ticketmaster. https://www.brunomars.com
Screamfest, which bills itself as the largest and longest-running horror film festival in the United States, returns to the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres October 6 through 15. https://www.screamfestla.com
Rebel Without a Cause screens at Griffith Observatory, where key scenes were filmed, on October 5 and October 26. Both dates are at capacity, but the Observatory is taking waitlist sign-ups. https://griffithobservatory.lacity.gov/support/rebel-without-a-cause/
Insecure: The 10th Anniversary Tour with creator Issa Rae and showrunner Prentice Penny stops at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood on Thursday, October 8. https://www.youtubetheater.com
A Season of Remembrance
The month closes with two of the city's best-known traditions. Hollywood Forever hosts its 27th annual Día de los Muertos on Saturday, October 24, and Gloria Molina Grand Park opens its free Downtown Día de los Muertos altar exhibition the same day, running through November 2. We will cover both in depth later this month.
Join Heart of Hollywood Magazine every Monday and Thursday this month for the season's essential guides. Event details, times and prices are set by each organizer and may change, so please confirm on the official website before you go.
Sources
Time Out Los Angeles, DTLA ArtNight: https://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/art/dtla-artnight
Time Out Los Angeles, Frogtown First Fridays: https://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/things-to-do/frogtown-first-fridays
Ticketmaster, Bruno Mars 2026 tour dates: https://blog.ticketmaster.com/bruno-mars-2026-tour-dates/
Screamfest Horror Film Festival: https://www.screamfestla.com
Griffith Observatory, Rebel Without a Cause: https://griffithobservatory.lacity.gov/support/rebel-without-a-cause/
YouTube Theater, Insecure: The 10th Anniversary Tour: https://www.youtubetheater.com
Hollywood Forever, https://www.ladayofthedead.com; Gloria Molina Grand Park, https://grandparkla.org; haunted attraction dates from Theme Park Insider, NBC Los Angeles and Visit Long Beach
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