Glassell Park's Halloween Starts at the Senior Center and Ends at the River
October 22, 2026
October 22, 2026
Glassell Park's Halloween runs from Friday, October 30, through Sunday, November 1. All three events are on the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks calendar. Friday is for adults 50 and up, Saturday is for everyone, and Sunday shifts toward Día de los Muertos with an altar contest beside the Glendale Freeway.
The two Verdugo Road events end at 4 p.m. If you want an evening, or a stop that isn't run by the city, you have to look a little past the neighborhood's edges.
The Glassell Park Improvement Association's own timeline lists a "Glassell Park Halloween Festival" in 2016, between its 1981 pool campaign and a 2018 National Night Out. This year, The Eastsider's 2026 Eastside guide to Halloween and Día de los Muertos lists events in Elysian Valley and other nearby areas, but none in Glassell Park. That leaves the three city events below as the neighborhood's Halloween, and how they're scheduled shapes your whole weekend.
| Day | Where | Hours | Who it's for | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct. 30 | Glassell Park Senior Center, 3750 Verdugo Rd. | 12 to 4 p.m. | Adults 50+ | $15 members, $20 non-members |
| Sat, Oct. 31 | Glassell Recreation Center, 3650 Verdugo Rd. | 12 to 4 p.m. | All ages | Free |
| Sun, Nov. 1 | Rio de Los Angeles, 1900 San Fernando Rd. | 4 to 9 p.m. | All ages | Free |
Each event is aimed at a different group, and the first two are only 100 street numbers apart on Verdugo Road.
The weekend opens at the Glassell Park Senior Center, 3750 Verdugo Rd., on Friday from noon to 4 p.m. The Rec and Parks 2026 Halloween list promises a costume contest, games, lunch, and dancing, for adults 50 and older. It costs $15 for members and $20 for non-members, and the center's number is (323) 550-8809.
It's the only paid event of the three, and the only one that comes with a meal. Nearby senior centers on the same list ran their parties in the morning. The Lincoln Heights Senior Citizen Center goes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, and the Montecito Heights Senior Citizen Center goes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. Glassell Park's afternoon slot makes it the easiest of the three to fit around a late morning, or around a parent or neighbor who doesn't do early starts.
The best pre-party stop is also on Verdugo. Highland Cafe, the York Boulevard spot, has opened a second location at 4112 Verdugo Rd. in the former Polka Polish Restaurant space. The Eastsider reported that the cafe serves breakfast and lunch, with drinks like the cinnamon-chocolate "Mayan." Owner Arnie Miller, whose family has deep roots in Glassell Park, told the outlet the new location felt "like a homecoming." Highland Cafe's locations page lists the Glassell Park location as open daily from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with online ordering and a phone line at 213-334-8713. A late breakfast there puts you on Verdugo shortly before the noon start on Friday and again on Saturday.
On Halloween itself, the event moves to Glassell Recreation Center at 3650 Verdugo Rd., from noon to 4 p.m. It's free and open to all ages. The city lists carnival games, a costume contest, interactive games, candy, arts and crafts, cookie decorating, prizes, and face painting. Call (323) 257-1863 with questions.
Noon to 4 is the standard slot across Council District 1. Alpine, Carlin G. Smith, Downey, Lincoln Heights, and Ramona Hall all use the same hours on October 31. That means every daytime city event in the area ends at the same moment, at 4 p.m. on Halloween.
The one exception is close by. Cypress Park Recreation Center at 2630 Pepper Ave. runs its event from 5 to 9 p.m. on October 31. It's free and open to all ages, with a costume contest, carnival games, arts and crafts, face painting, prizes, and refreshments. Cypress Park starts an hour after Glassell Rec wraps up, so a family could spend the afternoon on Verdugo, take a break for dinner, and still have an organized evening. It's the only city event in the area that runs into Halloween night.
If your kids are into tumbling, there's one more Saturday option in Elysian Valley. The Klub Gymnastics' Boogie Bash runs from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at 1683 Blake Ave., and The Eastsider's guide lists admission at $15 and up.
The weekend ends at Rio de Los Angeles, 1900 San Fernando Rd., on Sunday, November 1, from 4 to 9 p.m. It's the longest of the three events, the only one that runs into the evening, and the only one with Día de los Muertos elements. The city lists carnival games, an altar contest, face painting, arts and crafts, a costume contest, a poetry reading, and a movie screening. It's free and open to all ages, and the number is (323) 276-3015.
The site works for a five-hour evening. California State Parks lists parking, restrooms, drinking water, picnic areas, hiking trails, sports fields, a children's playground, and a recreation building, and says its trails and restrooms are accessible. The city's recreation center page adds courts, rooms, picnic tables, and walking paths. If you're driving, State Parks says to take the Glendale Freeway to the N. San Fernando Road exit and head south to the park entrance.
State Parks lists the park's general hours as 8 a.m. to sunset, while the city event runs until 9 p.m. The event times come from the Rec and Parks list. If you're planning to stay for the movie, a call to the recreation center will confirm which areas are open after dark.
The bigger story nearby is still years away. The city's Taylor Yard G2 River Park is slated to open in 2028, on a timeline that still needs City Council and mayoral approval. For this Sunday, the park you can actually use is Rio de Los Angeles.
The Rio de Los Angeles event doesn't start until 4 p.m., but two other Día de los Muertos events nearby run earlier in the day and can fill your Sunday.
In that order, you go from a craft studio to a community altar to a park screening, and the only paid stop is the class in Eagle Rock.
One opening on the other side of the neighborhood is still in progress. The Eastsider reported that an Island Pacific Market is coming to the former Rite Aid at 4044 Eagle Rock Blvd. The city building permit describes the project as a supermarket with a dine-in restaurant. Its latest final inspection, dated October 16, 2026, is marked "Not Ready for Inspection." For now, the Verdugo Road corridor, with a senior center, a rec center, and a new cafe close together, is where Glassell Park's weekend happens.
If you're watching the Verdugo corridor for different reasons, like what's opening, what that means for your block, or whether this is the year to sell, Kenya Reeves-Costa and The LA Home Girl Team follow Glassell Park as closely as its event calendar. Reach out after the costumes are put away, and let's talk through what your home could do in this market.
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