Mark your calendar: Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, the first Saturday Halloween since 2020. Nobody’s rushing home for a work night. The week around it is also stacked: the Whitecaps have back-to-back home games at BC Place, Playland is closing out Fright Nights, and Capilano’s rainforest is lit up like a haunted movie set. Here’s how we’d plan it.
Wednesday, Oct 28: The ‘Caps come home
After five straight road games, the Whitecaps are back at BC Place on Wednesday, October 28 at 7:30 p.m. against San Diego FC. That’s a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Final. They’ve already clinched a playoff spot for the fourth season in a row, a club first, and they went into this weekend sitting top of the West. A midweek game in late October with that much on the line is worth getting out of the house for.
Sunday, Nov 1: Cascadia, Fan Appreciation and the upper bowl
This is the big one. The ‘Caps close out their regular-season home schedule against Seattle, Sunday, November 1 at 1:30 p.m. It was originally scheduled for Halloween night and got moved a day later, so you don’t have to choose between your costume and your scarf. Demand is high enough that the club opened BC Place’s upper bowl, with more than 25,000 tickets gone as of the announcement. It’s also the annual Fan Appreciation Match. A Sounders game at home with a full stadium is about as loud as Vancouver gets.
After that, the ‘Caps finish the regular season in Montréal on Decision Day (Nov. 7), and the playoffs start later in November.
Getting there: BC Place is all about the SkyTrain. Stadium–Chinatown station on the Expo Line is right across from the stadium, and the Canada Line’s Vancouver City Centre station is a short walk away. From East Van, the R4 on 41st Avenue gets you to Joyce–Collingwood for the Expo Line. Check TransLink’s trip planner before you head out.
All week: Fright Nights at Playland
Playland’s Halloween takeover is in its final stretch: seven haunted houses, 15+ rides after dark, and scare actors who will follow you down the midway. The last nights are Oct 28–31: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and 6 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are for a specific night, and the closing weekend is the busiest of the year. Buy ahead, and know that you probably won’t get through all seven houses on Halloween itself.
Things to know: it’s recommended for 13+, bags bigger than a sheet of letter paper aren’t allowed in, and there are costume rules. Read the guidelines on frightnights.ca before you show up in full makeup. The entrance is at Hastings and Windermere. The R5 Hastings RapidBus is the easy way in and out.
North Shore: Canyon Frights at Capilano
If you want spooky without the screaming, Canyon Frights at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park runs until November 1. The bridge, the canyon and the forest are lit up, with glowing mushrooms, graveyards, giant spiders and live music on the hour. Bonus local trivia: the Cliffwalk gardens got a Bruno Mars–themed makeover, with funky decor and skeletons, as a nod to his record-breaking five nights at BC Place this month.
The park is open until 9 p.m. Oct 30–Nov 1, and you can stay an hour past closing. It’s included with admission, and a free shuttle runs from downtown. Book a timed entry because peak nights fill up. Masks aren’t allowed, so save the full disguise for Saturday night.
Saturday night is Halloween
This is the main event: a Saturday Halloween with nothing to get up for on Sunday morning, unless you’ve got Whitecaps tickets at 1:30. The whole city’s out. A few things to sort out ahead of time:
- Plan your ride home before you leave. Transit gets packed, rideshare prices spike, and taxis are hard to find. Pick your SkyTrain line or a designated driver ahead of time.
- Bag rules are strict. BC Place has a clear-bag policy, and Playland caps bags at letter size. Pack light.
- Be good to your neighbours. Kids are trick-or-treating on Saturday evening, so slow down on residential streets.
Stocking up before the weekend
If you’re out in East Van running errands before a big weekend, our Knight Street store at Knight and 41st and our Victoria Drive store near Victoria and 39th are right on the way. North Shore folks can stop by Lonsdale. Come in, look around, and ask our team anything. You need to be 19+ with valid ID, every visit. Addresses, hours and directions are on our Visit Our Store page.
A quick housekeeping note, then we’ll let you go: nothing you buy should come to the stadium, the haunt or the bridge. Venues won’t let it in. If you’re driving, keep it sealed and out of reach, and never drive impaired. Leave it at home and enjoy the night.
The week at a glance
- Wed, Oct 28: Whitecaps vs San Diego FC, BC Place, 7:30 p.m.
- Wed–Sat, Oct 28–31: Fright Nights at Playland, final four nights
- Fri, Oct 30–Sun, Nov 1: Canyon Frights, open until 9 p.m.
- Sat, Oct 31: Halloween
- Sun, Nov 1: Whitecaps vs Seattle Sounders, BC Place, 1:30 p.m. (Fan Appreciation Match)
Check each event’s official site before you go, because times and rules can change. See you out there.
