Once Upon a Hallowe'en takes over Old Poway Park this Saturday, Oct. 24, from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. It's free to get in. The haunted house in Templars Hall doesn't close when the carnival packs up, though. The City has it scheduled every night from Sunday, Oct. 25 through Friday, Oct. 30, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the same $1 per person.
That makes the park on Midland Road a Halloween stop with seven possible nights. On Saturday you get the parade, the new Trunk or Treat, carnival games and the haunted house all in five hours. Sunday adds daytime train rides and a movie on the lawn. After that, the haunted house runs on its own through Friday. Which night works best depends on what your household wants out of it.
Saturday puts everything into five hours
The big day has the most going on and the tightest schedule. Here's what the City has posted for Oct. 24 at 14134 Midland Road:
- 3:30 p.m. Check-in for the Halloween Parade. Participants register in advance by calling 858-668-4579.
- 3:45 p.m. The parade starts.
- All afternoon and evening. Haunted carnival games, train rides and treats, each for what the City calls a nominal fee.
- Haunted House. $1 per guest. The City says it's not recommended for children under 5.
- Trunk or Treat. New for 2026 and co-hosted by the Poway Chamber of Commerce.
The Trunk or Treat is the only part of the event that's new this year. The Poway Chamber of Commerce lists it on its calendar as "Trunk-or-Treat!" on Oct. 24. The City's event page links to a SignUp.com page for Once Upon a Hallowe'en 2026 that recruits volunteers of all ages for the day. If you want to help with the event, that's the place to sign up.
The trains are part of Saturday too. The Poway-Midland Railroad's Oct./Nov. 2026 schedule calls Oct. 24 "HALLOWEEN IN THE PARK DAY!" The cable car runs from 11 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., and the locomotive runs 3:30 to 8:30 p.m., matching the festival hours. Families who come early for a cable car ride will have a gap of almost two hours before parade check-in. That's long enough for lunch and costume changes.
Saturday has the most to do. It also asks you to fit a parade, carnival games, trains, trunks and a haunted house into one late afternoon and evening. The rest of the week offers more space.
Sunday turns the park into an all-day stop
On Oct. 25 the park changes pace. Train rides fill the late morning, and the movie and haunted house share the evening, so one family can spend a whole day there without repeating anything from Saturday.
Time on Sunday, Oct. 25 | What's running | Cost listed |
|---|---|---|
11 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. | Poway-Midland Railroad speeder with ore cars | Not listed on the schedule |
6:15 to 10 p.m. | Halloween Movie in the Park: "Hocus Pocus 2" | No price listed |
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Haunted House in Templars Hall | $1 per person |
The movie listing has a playful tone. The City of Poway's event page tells guests to "Bring your spooky treats and deathly blankets down to Old Poway Park" and says the film starts about 15 minutes after sunset. The event starts at 6:15, so there's time to lay out blankets, and the haunted house opens 15 minutes later. That means one adult can hold the family's spot on the lawn while another takes older kids through Templars Hall.
The speeder with ore cars is a different ride from Saturday's cable car and locomotive, so for train fans Sunday isn't a repeat. The railroad notes that its schedules can change because of weather, maintenance, staffing or other issues, and asks visitors to check for updates. If trains are the main reason you're going, check that page the morning of.
Five weeknights, one dollar, same hall
From Monday, Oct. 26 through Friday, Oct. 30, the haunted house runs alone. Hours stay at 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., admission stays at $1 per person, and the City's guidance for children under 5 stays the same.
These five nights suit a few kinds of households:
- Families with kids who finish school or activities late. A two-hour window starting at 6:30 fits after dinner on a weeknight.
- Older kids and teens who want the haunted house itself and don't care about the carnival or the parade.
- Grandparents and visiting relatives in town the week before Halloween who missed Saturday.
- Anyone who wants a second walk-through. At $1, going back costs less than a coffee.
The run ends Friday, Oct. 30. Halloween falls on Saturday, Oct. 31 this year, and the haunted house isn't scheduled that night. Friday is the last chance to go, and it's also the night before the busiest trick-or-treating evening of the year.
Plenty of work goes into the house for a one-dollar ticket. 10News reported in 2022 that volunteers spend the whole year building the haunted house at Old Poway Park, laying out a spooky path through Templars Hall. That story is from four years ago, so the crew this fall may be different. The week-long run on the 2026 calendar does mean a version of that effort stays open long after the Saturday crowd goes home.
The Lake Poway campout fits around the park schedule
Across town, Lake Poway has its own Halloween weekend. The Halloween Campout runs from 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 to 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25.
Here's what the City's campout listing includes:
- Price. $67 per car for residents and $80 per car for non-residents.
- Activities. A ranger-led spooky night hike, a costume contest, trick-or-treating, and a craft starting at 3 p.m.
- Audience. The City describes it as being for "ghouls and goblins of all ages."
On paper, the campout and Once Upon a Hallowe'en compete for Saturday afternoon. The campout's craft starts at 3 p.m., and the parade checks in at 3:30. A camping family probably can't do both on Saturday. The week-long park schedule helps here. Checkout at Lake Poway is 10 a.m. Sunday, which leaves the whole day open. The speeder rides start at 11, and the movie and haunted house begin that evening. A family can camp Saturday night, catch the trains Sunday morning and finish on a blanket in front of "Hocus Pocus 2" without missing much.
For residents, the $13 gap between resident and non-resident pricing also makes the campout an easy weekend to plan with friends from elsewhere in the county. Each car pays its own rate.
Picking your night
Because of how the schedule is built, no single night has to cover everything:
- Saturday, Oct. 24 for the parade, the first Trunk or Treat, carnival games and the locomotive, all from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 25 for daytime speeder rides, the movie and the haunted house, or as the day after the Lake Poway campout.
- Monday through Friday, Oct. 26 to 30 for the haunted house alone, at $1, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
General questions about Old Poway Park events go to the City at 858-668-4576. Parade registration uses the separate 858-668-4579 line. The Chamber's calendar lists the Trunk or Treat, and the railroad's visit page has the latest train times.
At Abundant Path Homes, we keep up with what's happening around Poway because that's part of knowing a neighborhood well. If walking to Templars Hall from your front door has you wondering what your home near Old Poway Park is worth this fall, we'll put together a clear, no-pressure number for you. Get Your Free Home Valuation.
