The two Halloween events this month that are actually in Orangecrest both depend on people who live here. The City of Riverside's Boo Bash in the Crest takes over Orange Terrace Park on Friday, October 16, and it's co-sponsored by the Orange Terrace Advisory Committee. On Halloween night, the Horror Fest of Orangecrest opens as a free haunted house. It has run for more than 20 years, and 10 to 20 adults from the neighborhood staff it, according to the Press-Enterprise.
The neighborhood's season opens and closes with these two events, and both run on volunteer time from inside the neighborhood. Everything else on the calendar fits around them.
The Party With a Committee's Name on It
Boo Bash in the Crest runs from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, October 16, at Orange Terrace Park. It's free and open to all ages. The city's event description promises candy, crafts, "creepy activities," and "eerie entertainment," and it invites guests to come in their best costume.
The last line of the listing is the important one. It says the event is co-sponsored by the Orange Terrace Advisory Committee. Parks, Recreation and Community Services lists several Halloween events across Riverside over the same couple of weeks, including a Halloween Spooktacular on Saturday, October 17, and a Monster Bash on Thursday, October 29. The Orangecrest one is the only one with "the Crest" in its name and a neighborhood committee listed beside the city.
The timing sets it apart too. October 16 is fifteen days before Halloween, so Boo Bash doesn't compete with trick-or-treating on the street or with anything planned for the 31st. It's a second chance to wear the costume, or a first test run of one still being finished.
Some details aren't covered. The city's listing doesn't mention a costume contest format, a trunk-or-treat, food vendors, or parking. If any of those matter for your group, check the flyer image on the event page or call the park directly. The direct link riversideca.gov published for the event was returning a not-found page as of this week. The same event is still listed on the city's Fall 2026 events page and on its community calendar.
A Haunted House With More Than Two Decades Behind It
The Press-Enterprise reported in August that the free haunted house will be open from 6 to 10:30 p.m. on Halloween, October 31. Citing an email from the event's producer, Tommy Montana, the paper said it has been presented for more than 20 years, with 10 to 20 adults from the neighborhood staffing it.
Twenty years is a long run for something with no admission fee and no institution behind it. The paper's item this year was a call for volunteers. Montana was looking for performers, and the article set a September 20 deadline for anyone who wanted to sign up. That date has passed for this year. If you want to be on the inside of the haunted house in 2027, the August timing of this year's call is a useful marker.
A few things haven't been published. The Press-Enterprise item gives no street address, no theme for 2026, and no estimate of crowd size. Orangecrest has also had other well-known Halloween displays over the years, so be sure the house you're heading to is the one called Horror Fest. Anyone who hasn't been yet will need to find the location the old-fashioned way.
The Daylight Hours on October 31
Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026, which leaves a full day before the haunted house opens at 6 p.m. March Field Air Museum is filling the afternoon. From 2 to 4 p.m. on October 31, the museum is hosting trick-or-treating and a children's costume contest, both included with general admission. Children ages 5 to 11 who come in costume get in free on Halloween.
The museum's costume contest has a Best Costume award in two age groups, ages 0 to 4 and ages 5 to 11. The museum calls it "No tricks, just treats!", which makes it a gentler counterpart to the evening's haunted house. Free entry for costumed 5-to-11-year-olds makes it a low-cost outing, especially for families with kids in that range. Adults and kids outside that age range pay general admission.
The Season on One Page
| Date | Event | Where | Hours | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct. 16 | Boo Bash in the Crest | Orange Terrace Park | 5 to 8 p.m. | Free, all ages |
| Sat, Oct. 31 | Halloween Trick-or-Treating and Children's Costume Contest | March Field Air Museum | 2 to 4 p.m. | Included with general admission; costumed kids 5 to 11 free |
| Sat, Oct. 31 | Horror Fest of Orangecrest | Location not published | 6 to 10:30 p.m. | Free |
| Sat, Dec. 12 | Breakfast with Santa | Orange Terrace Community Center | 8 to 11 a.m. | $10 per participant or $35 for a family of four |
| Wed, Dec. 23 | Hot Cocoa & a Christmas Movie Marathon | Orange Terrace Community Center | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Free, all ages |
How Halloween Saturday Fits Together
Because the museum event ends at 4 p.m. and the haunted house opens at 6, the two don't overlap. A family could do both in one day:
- 2 p.m. Arrive at March Field Air Museum in costume for trick-or-treating, and enter the contest in the right age group.
- 4 p.m. The museum event ends. That leaves two hours to get home, eat, and fix whatever costume pieces didn't survive the afternoon.
- Early evening. Trick-or-treat in your own neighborhood as the sun goes down.
- 6 to 10:30 p.m. Horror Fest of Orangecrest is open. The four-and-a-half-hour window lets younger kids go early and older kids or adults come back later.
Two weeks earlier, Boo Bash gives you a test run of the whole costume on a Friday evening at Orange Terrace Park, where nothing is on the line.
The Same Park Carries the Calendar Into December
Halloween isn't the only thing happening at Orange Terrace. The city's fall events page lists two more December events at Orange Terrace Community Center.
- Breakfast with Santa is on Saturday, December 12, from 8 to 11 a.m. It costs $10 per participant or $35 for a family of four, and registration is required for guests age 6 and older.
- Hot Cocoa & a Christmas Movie Marathon is on Wednesday, December 23, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It's free and open to all ages.
The breakfast is the only event in this post that needs registration, and the cost difference is easy to work out. For four people, the family rate saves $5 over paying $10 each. The December 23 marathon runs eight hours, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., so you can drop in for part of it.
If you're curious how your Orangecrest home would be valued in today's market, 1903 Realty can put together a home value estimate based on recent sales in your part of the neighborhood. Request yours after the costumes are put away.