It's the spookiest time of the year and ghouls looking for things to do in Vancouver have several Halloween events to check out.
From a spooky party ship to the Parade of Lost Souls, an amusement park with over a dozen haunted houses, to a costume-clad pub crawl, Halloween fans have a wide variety of events to choose from.
Have a look at some of the top spooky season events in and near Vancouver in the week leading up to Halloween 2024.
Vancouver Ghost Ship Halloween Party Cruise
Halloween revellers can take their spooky party to the high seas with the annual ghost ship cruise.
The event has been sold out for the past 16 years and sails from Vancouver's pier aboard the two-decker Burrard Queen boat, cruising through False Creek, English Bay and the inner harbour.
DJs will spin a wide range of music including top 40, hip hop, throwback, R&B, reggaetón, EDM, salsa, latin tropical, afrobeats, and dancehall.
When: Saturday, Oct 26, at 8 p.m. until midnight
Where: Burrard Queen - 760 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver
Cost: $68.58 – $824. Get tickets.
Stanley Park Ghost Train
This year's theme is "Ghosts in the Graveyard," and riders can expect to experience "supernatural surprises and spectacularly spooky sights" while journeying through the haunted terrain.
As always, the train plaza will feature all sorts of family-friendly fun, including crafts, food vendors, Halloween decorations, and lots of photo ops.
When: Now through Oct. 31, 2024, from 6-10 p.m. Matinee rides from 2-5 p.m. on October 26, and 27.
Where: Stanley Park Train - Pipeline Road, Stanley Park. Enter via the West Georgia Street park entrance.
Cost: $11-17 per person
Halloween Pub Crawl
The official Halloween Pub Crawl visits the city's top pubs and clubs the weekend before Halloween. Hundreds of people will venture across the city and won't have to pay cover at the bars. Two to three drinks or shots are included and professional photographers will join the group.
Participants will also get a custom keychain lanyard with a bottle opener, exclusive drink and food specials at select venues, and admission to an after party.
When: Saturday, Oct. 26, from 4 p.m. to midnight
Where: Kicks off at The Yale Saloon - 1300 Granville St, Vancouver
Cost: From $12.78. Get tickets.
Cirque Costume Ball 2024
The Cirque Costume Ball at Science World welcomes guests to three "rooms of music," and two dance floors with cirque performance artists. Some of the talent includes silk aerialists, contortionists, led dancers, stilt walkers, jugglers, and more.
Ten of Vancouver's top DJs will also play music at the event. There will be five fully licensed bars and 1,200 costumed attendees.
The new "Cirque" theme promises to "wow" guests will thrilling performances from professional acrobats.
When: Saturday, Oct. 26, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Where: Science World - 1455 Quebec St., Vancouver
Cost: $60-$75. Get tickets.
Fright Nights
Vancouver's largest amusement park has been transformed into a terrifying Halloween wonderland.
Fright Nights returns to Playland for the spooky season on Friday, promising eight haunted houses and dozens of creepy scare actors for a night of bone-chilling fun.
The annual event is the largest haunt in Western Canada, featuring elaborate, themed haunted houses, over 15 rides, entertainment, games, spooky food, and other attractions.
When: Oct. 24-31 from 6 p.m. - midnight
Where: Playland - 2901 E Hastings St
Cost: $33-61. Get tickets.
The Lost Souls of Gastown Tour
Participants will wander through the neighbourhood's cobblestone streets and alleys and hear tales of its "gruesome history" from a guide.
"You’ll step inside a world of murder, revenge, and true grit in a dramatic retelling of Victorian Gastown’s earliest stories. Hear tales of deadly fire, smallpox, and more in this unique performance-theatre experience," according to Forbidden Vancouver.
When: Now through Oct. 31, starting at 7 p.m.
Where: 356 Water St, Vancouver
Cost: $30-$33
Halloween Pop-up: Black Lagoon
A Halloween pop-up called Black Lagoon is coming to Butcher & Bullock in Vancouver.
Returning for its fourth year, the Black Lagoon offers "spine-chilling haunts" with a bewitchingly curated cocktail menu with Halloween-themed drinks created by co-founders and bar maestros, Kelsey Ramage and Erin Hayes.
- Nosferatu’s Rise - Coconut Oil Lot 40, Lustau Amontillado Sherry, Cinnamon Syrup, Bitter Queens Caribbean Bitters, Saline
- Hex Appeal - Fords Gin, Honeydew Cordial, Lustau Vermut Dry, Lemon Juice, Seltzer, Saline, Absinthe, Chlorophyll/Green Food Dye
- Memento Mori - Mezcal Union, Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur, Cruzan Blackstrap Rum, Cold Brew Concentrate, Giffard Banane, Lustau Amontillado, Saline, Bitter Queens Chinese 5 Spice
- Blood Lust (N/A) - Giffard Sirop, Miso Falernum, Rooibos Tea, Lemon Juice, Ginger Beer
When: Daily through Oct. 31
Where: The Butcher & Bullock Public House - 911 W Pender St, Vancouver
Parade of Lost Souls
The free, annual Parade of Lost Souls celebrates life and honours death through creative performances, art installations, food trucks, and vibrant costumes on Friday, Nov. 1.
The Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret Society says this year's event will move to Trout Lake (John Hendry Park) with the theme "Unplugged!," encouraging participants to unplug from their daily lives and connect with each other in the park.
The event begins with the family-friendly Parade of Little Souls at 6:30 p.m., followed by the main event from 7 to 10 p.m. and parades at 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The celebration continues with The Lost Souls After Party at The Biltmore Cabaret from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.
“The spirit of All Hallows’ Eve and Dia de los Muertos is in the air—a time when the veil between worlds is said to be thinner—and we’re thrilled to unveil a new chapter for our beloved Parade of Lost Souls,” says Kat Single-Dain, co-founder and artistic executive director of The Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret Society.
When: Friday, Nov. 1, from 6:30 - 10 p.m. Afterparty from 10:30 p.m. until 2 a.m.
Where: Trout Lake Park (John Hendry Park) - 3360 Victoria Dr, Vancouver. Afterparty at the Biltmore Cabaret - 2755 Prince Edward St, Vancouver
Cost: Free to participate.
Halloween events near Vancouver
Canyon Frights
The Capilano Suspension Bridge will be decked out with spooky surprises for the Halloween season, welcoming guests into a "frightful forest" filled with twinkling lights, pumpkins, animatronic skeletons, and more.
There is also live entertainment nightly at the Loggers’ Grill Plaza from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.
On weekends, visitors to Canyon Frights can also check out the owls of Raptors Ridge Birds of Prey.
When: Now through Oct. 31. Park hours: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Extended hours: Oct. 25 - 27 from 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Where: Capilano Suspension Bridge Park - 3735 Capilano Rd, North Vancouver
Cost: Child (6-12 years) $24.95; Youth (13-17 years) $42.95; Student (18 years+) $59.95; Senior (65 years+) $66.95; and Adult (18-64 years) $71.95. Get tickets.
Pumpkins After Dark
Canada’s largest outdoor Halloween event will feature over 6,000 hand-carved pumpkins at Swanguard Stadium in Burnaby.
Visitors can walk through the experience and see new pumpkin displays, carving demonstrations, treats, and Instagram photo opportunities.
When: Now through Oct. 31, various times
Where: Swangard Stadium - 6100 Boundary Rd, Burnaby
Cost: $17.49 - $43.29
DreadWorks Haunted House
The creators of a new "immersive and cinematic" scare experience called DreadWorks describe their attraction as "a factory where nightmares are made" in haunted houses at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds.
Guests are challenged to "survive the 40-minute journey inside The DreadWorks Factory, where they become the heroes in their own horror story, battling nightmarish creations in a fight to escape."
Scare bands allow guests to tailor their experience to ensure they don't experience anything outside of their comfort zones (or miss out on the full experience if they are a terror aficionado).
When: Now through Nov. 3, showtime at 7 p.m. nightly
Where: Cloverdale Fairgrounds - 17728 64 Ave, Surrey
Cost: $60 - $75. Get tickets.
Haunted featuring the Scariest Corn Maze in Canada
Maan Farms' hugely popular haunted maze swallows scare-seekers into a winding journey through towering walls of corn with chainsaw-wielding creatures chasing you with meaning fury.
The five-acre scare-fest has been re-imagined this year (as it is each year) and continues the Agatha’s Unseen saga. Agatha's dark presence rises above the corn stalks and haunted houses, casting her eerie spell and "unleashing unprecedented rage."
Before or after the scary attracts, guests can fuel up with freshly popped kettle corn and infused apple and pumpkin dishes including Double Pumpkin Spice Cream, Double Apple Spice Cream, apple cider slushies, spice mini donuts, caramel apples, apple pie tacos, and field-to-plate pumpkin pies and festive beverages.
The farm also has a selection of berry wines and savoury meals including Maan's popular butter chicken poutine, butter chicken naan tacos, butter chicken rice bowls, chickpea curry naan tacos, chickpea rice bowls, and samosas.
When: Now through Nov. 3, 2024
Where: Maan Farms - 790 McKenzie Rd, Abbotsford
Cost: $50 to $180 depending on when you buy tickets, the dates you purchase, if you opt for VIP inclusions, and how many experiences you'd like to try. Limited early bird tickets are available for 10 per cent off regular prices until quantities last. Buy tickets online.
With files from Lindsay William-Ross
