On Oct. 30, 1924, Anaheim city leaders sent a parade through downtown. They wanted to give local kids something to do on a night known for pranks. Baseball stars Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson led a two-mile nighttime procession of decorated cars, costumed marchers and floats, and the Anaheim Gazette called it a "howling success," as the Los Angeles Times recounted for the parade's centennial.
The 2026 parade starts Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. at Anaheim Boulevard and Broadway. It's only the biggest night of a longer stretch. From Monday, Oct. 19, through Halloween night, downtown Anaheim has six Halloween events, and every one of them is on Anaheim Boulevard, Center Street Promenade or Center Greens. If you live nearby, you can plan the whole season as a few short walks. The one day that takes real planning is parade Saturday, when the streets close.
Six Events on Two Streets
Here is the full run, in order. Each event takes place on Anaheim Boulevard, Center Street Promenade or Center Greens.
- Monday, Oct. 19, 7 to 8:40 p.m. Monster Monday Movie Night with "The Addams Family" at Farmers Park, 412 S. Anaheim Blvd. Free.
- Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anaheim Fall Festival at Center Greens and Center Street Promenade, with a Classic Car Show. Free.
- Saturday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m. Anaheim Halloween Parade. Free.
- Monday, Oct. 26, 7 to 8:40 p.m. Monster Monday Movie Night with "Hocus Pocus" at Farmers Park. Free.
- Thursday, Oct. 29, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nightmare on Center Street, a Halloween version of the farmers market, on West Center Street Promenade. Free.
- Saturday, Oct. 31, 6 to 9 p.m. MAKE Vinyl Halloween Session with DJ Jose Jurado at MAKE, 500 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Five of the six events are listed as free. The MAKE listing doesn't say whether there's a cover charge. Only one day on the list closes roads, and that's where most of the planning goes.
Saturday Starts Earlier and Ends Sooner Than Last Year
The 2026 Fall Festival runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In 2025, the Orange County Register listed festival hours of 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. So this year's daytime portion starts an hour earlier and ends two hours sooner, while the parade stays at 7 p.m. Last year, an hour separated the end of the festival from the start of the parade. This year, it's three hours.
The festival spreads across Center Greens, the city park in the middle of downtown, and Center Street Promenade. The festival organizers list local artists and small businesses, costume contests, a scavenger hunt and live performances. The page has also posted a list of performers, but nothing on it confirms that list is this year's lineup, so check back closer to the date before planning around a specific act.
The parade route is short and easy to picture. It starts at Anaheim Boulevard and Broadway, turns left onto Center Street Promenade, then heads back down Broadway and finishes at Broadway and West Street. The parade is run by local volunteers working with organizations from across Anaheim. They describe it as a celebration of Halloween, Día de los Muertos and the harvest season.
Where the Car Goes
The organizers warn of "many road closures the day of the event." Parking depends on where you plan to watch and what time you arrive.
| Lot | Cost | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Center Street Parking Garage | Free | On Center St. across from the Anaheim Downtown Community Center |
| Center City Parking, CarPark 3 | Free | Near the parade route on Center St. Promenade |
| Anaheim Parking Center, CarPark 4 | Paid | Near the parade route on Center St. Promenade |
| Anaheim City Hall Parking | Available | No entry or exit from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. because of parade road closures |
| Anaheim High School overflow lot | Overflow | Opens at 5 p.m., about a 10-minute walk south to the route on Broadway |
The City Hall rule matters most. If you park there for the festival and stay past 3 p.m., your car is stuck until 9 p.m., two hours after the parade starts. The Anaheim High School lot opens at 5 p.m. and works best for people who plan to watch along Broadway. The organizers also point out that many of the surrounding neighborhoods are permit parking only, and they ask visitors to be respectful of the people who live there.
Where to Stand
The parade has volunteer announcers calling it in English and Spanish, and each one has a fixed spot. The English announcer is at the Car Show Stage at Lemon Street and Center Street Promenade. The Spanish announcer is in front of CarPark 3 along Center Street Promenade. Both spots are on the Promenade section of the route, so you can choose your viewing spot by the commentary you want to hear. The organizers also note that you don't need to hear either announcer to enjoy the parade.
The Weeknight Events Use the Same Streets Without the Closures
Saturday is when downtown is at its most crowded. The other events on the list use the same streets on days when nothing is closed.
Farmers Park hosts both Monster Monday Movie Nights, on Oct. 19 and Oct. 26. Both run 7 to 8:40 p.m., are free and are presented by Lumen Experiences. The second screening, "Hocus Pocus," falls two days after the parade, at 412 S. Anaheim Blvd., the same boulevard where the parade starts.
Nightmare on Center Street runs during the day instead. The Downtown Anaheim Association is turning its farmers market into "a Halloween-themed Farmers Market," with spooky vendors, trick-or-treating and a costume contest, according to the event listing. It runs Thursday, Oct. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on West Center Street Promenade, which makes it the only event on the list that ends before evening.
Halloween itself falls on a Saturday this year. The Anaheim Packing District's event listing has MAKE at 500 S. Anaheim Blvd. hosting a vinyl session with DJ Jose Jurado from 6 to 9 p.m. that night. We didn't find a 2026 Día de los Muertos or ofrenda event confirmed downtown, so it's not on this list.
Three Kitchens That Weren't Here Last October
The same streets also have new places to eat, and two of them sit right next to this month's events.
TORIKIZOKU TO-GO soft-opened Oct. 2, 2026, at 185 W. Center Street Promenade. A release from the company describes it as the Japanese yakitori chain's first takeout-focused concept. It's on Center Street Promenade, which the parade turns onto, and a takeout counter there suits the three-hour gap between the festival and the parade.
Ari's Thai Eatery soft-opened Sept. 26 at Farmers Park, 430 S. Anaheim Blvd. The Packing District has a grand opening celebration tentatively set for Sunday, Oct. 25, the day after the parade. It's the third restaurant from co-founders Calvin Vuong and Arissara "Ari" Sastaravaha, after Basil & Co in Diamond Bar and the original Ari's Thai Eatery in Azusa. Along with pad Thai and pumpkin curry, the menu includes Kra Pow Duck Breast, Panang Brisket and Crying Tiger, a pan-seared USDA Prime ribeye served with papaya salad. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday. That means it stays open until 9:30 on parade Saturday and on Halloween night. The Packing District's announcement also notes that Orange County Register readers voted the district the county's best food hall in both 2025 and 2026.
Marrakesh Restaurant opened in January 2026 in the Anaheim Packing House, 440 S. Anaheim Blvd., #103, in the former Cook's Chapel event space. The Los Angeles Times reported that it's a new independent Anaheim business with no connection to the closed Costa Mesa restaurant of the same name.
Farmers Park at 412, Ari's at 430, the Packing House at 440 and MAKE at 500 all sit on South Anaheim Boulevard. Together they account for three of this month's events and two of the three new restaurants. The rest of the calendar is on Center Street Promenade and Center Greens.
The next big addition is farther out. OCVIBE's Katella Commons, a planned two-story market hall, is scheduled to open in early 2027 with names including Amiga Amore, Burritos La Palma, Evil Cooks, MFK Filipino and Gelato Paradiso, the Orange County Register reported in August.
When you're walking Center Street Promenade on parade night and start wondering what owning a home within walking distance of it would cost, the team at NAMY Inc can walk you through the numbers and loan options for downtown Anaheim. Schedule a free consultation.
