Fright Night, Halloween at The Block + 31 More Things To Do (Oct 30–Nov 1)

Can't pick just one? Make it a double feature. Friday night is a free fright fest at North Domingo Baca, and Saturday is an all-day Halloween party at The Block in Rio Rancho. Both are free.

FRIDAY: FRIGHT NIGHT AT NORTH DOMINGO BACA

The city is bringing a full night of Halloween fun to North Domingo Baca, with a carnival, food trucks, trunk-or-treat, a dance party, a haunted house, and a screening of Coraline. Costumes are encouraged, so come dressed up and ready for a night of Halloween fun!

Bring family and friends and make an evening of it. With activities happening throughout the event, there’s plenty to check out, whether you’re stopping by for the trunk-or-treat, grabbing something from a food truck, or sticking around for the movie.

When: Friday, Oct. 30, 5:30–9 PM
Where: North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center, 7521 Carmel Ave NE, Albuquerque
Cost: Free Entry

SATURDAY: HALLOWEEN AT THE BLOCK

The Block in Rio Rancho is going all out on Halloween, with the family fun earlier in the day and the grown-up party at night. Here's the schedule:

Heads up: the 10 PM party and costume contest are adults only.

When: Saturday, Oct 31, 12–11 PM
Where: The Block, 7805 Enchanted Hills Blvd NE, Rio Rancho
Cost: Free Entry

MORE THIS WEEKEND

Trunk-or-treating this weekend? We rounded up the Friday and Saturday trunk-or-treats, plus the festivals, in our latest Instagram video. Watch the reel on @dukecityparents

FRIDAY, OCT 30

Halloween Pet Parade at Manzano Mesa
Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center, 501 Elizabeth St SE
10–11 AM · FREE

Halloween Extravaganza by Parents Reaching Out
5130 Masthead St NE
1–6 PM · FREE

ACS Trunk-or-Treat
Albuquerque Community Safety HQ, 1210 San Mateo Blvd SE
3–7 PM · FREE
City-run, and the third annual.

Taylor Ranch Library Boo Fest
Taylor Ranch Library
3:30–4:30 PM · FREE
Ages 0–18.

Trunk or Treat at Homewise
5041 Indian School Rd NE, Ste 100
4–6 PM · FREE
Teal-pumpkin trunks hand out non-food treats, and strollers and wagons are welcome.

Bounce n Boogie Parents Night Out
4210 Carlisle Blvd NE
5:30–8:30 PM · $40
Ages 3+.

Fall Festival at The Learning Experience
4580 Nunzio Ave NW
6–8 PM · FREE

Trunk or Treat / Car Show
1720 Louisiana Blvd NE
6–8 PM · FREE
The event collects donations for Cuidando Los Niños: nonperishable food items, adult face soap or body wash, and infant soap or lotion.

SATURDAY, OCT 31 (HALLOWEEN)

Great Pumpkin Chase
Rio Grande Park, 915 Alcalde Pl SW
9–11 AM · $20–$48 (plus signup fees)
10K, 5K, 1-Mile Walk, Kids K, and Inflatable Costume Mad Dash. Start times: 10K 9:00 AM, 5K 9:05 AM, 1-Mile Walk 9:50 AM, Kids K 10:15 AM, Mad Dash 10:30 AM.

Explora-ween!
Explora, 1701 Mountain Rd NW
10 AM–3 PM · Included with Explora admission ($11 adults 12–64, $7 kids 1–11, $8 seniors/students/military; members and under-1 free)

Halloween Costume Party with Liv & Mimi's
Liv & Mimi's Play Cafe, 10301 Comanche Rd NE
10 AM–2 PM · $16.05
Includes one adult (extra adults $6), and infants under 12 months are free with a paying older sibling.

Dave & Buster's Boo Bash
2100 Louisiana Blvd NE
10 AM–1 PM · $27.94–$33.01
Pancake breakfast, costume contest, and scavenger hunt. Price includes tax and gratuity, and anyone under 18 needs an adult age 25 or older.

Trunk or Treat at First Presbyterian
215 Locust St NE
10 AM–12 PM · FREE

Fall Fest & Trunk-or-Treat
Oasis Event Center, 3700 Ellison Dr NW
10 AM–3 PM · FREE

Halloween Storytime & Trick-or-Treat Trail
Loma Colorado Library, 755 Loma Colorado Blvd, Rio Rancho
10:30 AM–12:30 PM · FREE

Spooktacular Fall Festival
Main Library, 501 Copper Ave NW
11 AM–1 PM · FREE
Games, music, and fall activities for kids ages 0–18. Wear a costume and bring a bag for candy.

Halloween Carnival
Lomas Tramway Library, 908 Eastridge Dr NE
12–2 PM · FREE

Halloween Trunk or Treat at Indian Motorcycle
4509 Alameda Blvd NE
12–2 PM · FREE
Candy and a costume contest.

Trunk or Treat at Tower Pond Park
601 86th St SW
12–4 PM · FREE
Decorated trunks, face painting, candy, live music, and 30+ vendors. It wraps up early enough to trick-or-treat afterward.

Underwater Pumpkin Carving
ABQ BioPark Aquarium, 2601 Central Ave NW
1:30–3 PM · Included with admission
Watch divers carve pumpkins underwater. Included with regular aquarium admission.

Grace Church Trunk or Treat
6901 San Antonio Dr NE
2–4 PM · FREE

Mall-O-Ween
Cottonwood Mall, 10000 Coors Bypass NW
3–5 PM · FREE

Eastern Hills Baptist Church Trunk or Treat
3100 Morris St NE
4–6 PM · FREE

Heights Fall Festival
Heights Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 8600 Academy Rd NE
4–7 PM · FREE

Trick or Treat So Others May Eat!
Coronado Center, 6600 Menaul Blvd NE
5–7 PM · Canned-food donation

Fall Festival at Monterey Baptist Church
12501 Lomas Blvd NE
5:30–8 PM · FREE

Mesa Valley Church Trunk or Treat
1704 Blake Rd SW
7–9 PM · FREE
One of the later ones, good for after dark.

SUNDAY, NOV 1

Free Sunday Mornings at the Balloon Museum
9201 Balloon Museum Dr NE
9 AM–1 PM · FREE

Free Sunday Mornings at the Albuquerque Museum
2000 Mountain Rd NW
9 AM–1 PM · FREE

Corrales Growers' Market
500 Jones Rd, Corrales
9 AM–12 PM · FREE
The final market of the season.

South Valley Día de los Muertos Celebration & Marigold Parade
Westside Community Center, 1250 Isleta Blvd SW
12–5 PM · FREE
Motorized parade at noon.

Andrea’s face painting business started with a happy accident. While working as a truck driver and equipment operator in California, she was asked to face paint at a public event. The event quickly revealed a natural talent for face painting, and it wasn’t long before others started asking her to paint at their own celebrations. When a coworker asked her to paint at their daughter’s birthday party, Andrea’s talent shined once again, and everyone wanted her business card. In June 2012, a business was born.

More than a decade later, what keeps Andrea coming back is the kids themselves. She loves helping nervous children feel comfortable, including kids with sensory sensitivities who might otherwise struggle with the experience. And when children get so excited to see her that they run up for a big hug? Those are the moments that melt her heart.

Whether she’s helping a shy child try something new or giving an excited birthday kid the butterfly, superhero, or colorful design they’ve been dreaming of, Andrea wants every child to feel included and leave with a memory they’ll love.

MORE THAN JUST FACE PAINT

Andrea encourages parents to consider the products a face painter uses, their experience working with children, and whether they’re insured when choosing someone for their event.

Andrea charges by the hour rather than by the number of children, making her a fun option to consider for birthday parties and other celebrations. Holiday dates can fill up months in advance, so if you’re planning a party during a busy season, it’s worth reaching out early.

CATCH ANDREA AROUND ALBUQUERQUE

You can find Andrea at local events throughout the holiday season! Here are a few upcoming opportunities to stop by, say hello, and let the kids get their faces painted.

Want to book Andrea for your next birthday party or family event?

Chef Sean Sinclair, the former Level 5 executive chef (Hotel Chaco’s rooftop restaurant, across from Sawmill Market), was a 2025 James Beard Best Chef: Southwest semifinalist. Now he’s traded fine dining for smash burgers, and Albuquerque families get to benefit.

The menu centers on a green chile smash burger that won the Judges’ Choice award at Santa Fe’s 2019 New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown, back when Sinclair was chef at Bar Castañeda in Las Vegas, NM. The signature Patty Man comes with Tucumcari cheddar, Hatch green chile, and special sauce on a house-made Shokupan milk bun.

Bringing the kids? There’s The Kiddo, plus a veggie burger, crinkle-cut fries, and malted milkshakes in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Gluten-free buns are available for an extra $2, and the fries are gluten-free.

I visited the Park Square Market location in Uptown, and it was a nice surprise. I’d never been to Park Square before, and I found it to be a relaxed spot to grab a bite. If you’re in the area, it’s worth checking out.

Where: Park Square Market, Uptown. There’s also a Patty Man at Sawmill Market, 1909 Bellamah Ave NW, Albuquerque.

Hours: 11 AM–9 PM daily at Sawmill Market, 11 AM–8 PM at Park Square Market. Check before you go.

Menu prices:
• Patty Man burger: $19
• Veggie burger: $21
• The Kiddo: $12
• Fries: $4.50
• Malted milkshake: $7

Good to know: Patty Man is a counter inside a food hall. Burgers are on the pricier side, so The Kiddo is a more budget-friendly option for little ones. Follow along at @pattyman_abq.

🏫 No school Tuesday, Nov. 3 or Wednesday, Nov. 11. APS is closed for Election Day and Veterans Day, so it's worth lining up child care now. Rio Rancho families, check rrps.net for your calendar. Details

⚠️ Check the costume box before Halloween night. The CPSC recalled Bamamon LED finger light toys and CIYTI light-up princess costumes (button batteries kids can reach), plus Costway convertible high chairs (no passive restraint, so a child can slip through the tray gap). It also issued a stop-use warning for Kaizou squishy toys with water beads. Stop using all of them. Bamamon finger lights and CIYTI costumes: full refund after you throw them away and send a photo to the seller — nothing goes back (write 'RECALLED' on each CIYTI piece first). Costway high chair: free replacement after you return it on a prepaid label. Kaizou squishy toys: no refund is offered — stop using them and dispose of them. Details

🏛️ APS right-sizing meeting: Thursday at 6 PM. It's in the Highland High cafeteria, 4700 Coal Ave SE. APS says no schools have been named for closure and a decision isn't expected until March or April. More meetings are Nov. 2, 10, 12 and 19. Details

🎅 Free Santa photos at Bass Pro. Santa arrives at the ABQ store (5151 Lang Ave NE) on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 5 PM with a tree lighting, treats, and a free mini reindeer plush for kids while supplies last. Free 4×6 Santa photos run Nov. 8–Dec. 24. Reservations are required and open Nov. 1. Details

📚 Free books are coming home for K–3 kids. New Mexico's Public Education Department announced Oct. 28 that 75,000+ K–3 students will get 750,000+ books this school year, plus an individual family literacy plan and a "Take-Everywhere Literacy Pack" with activities and video phonics lessons, sent home four times a year. Districts begin handing out the first packs in November. Details

📖 Rio Rancho's Esther Bone Library closes January through May 2027. The city approved a roughly $990,000 renovation that adds a nursing room; the new children's shelving is funded separately by $175,000 in state capital outlay. Bookmobile visits and a pickup locker are planned while it's closed. Details

🐾 Free pet food if money is tight. Albuquerque's Animal Welfare Department runs a pet food pantry for residents facing financial hardship: up to two bags of dog food and/or one bag of cat food per visit, first come, first served, and bring an ID. Find it at the Eastside shelter (Sun, Mon, Wed, 10 AM–2 PM) or the Westside shelter (daily, 7:30 AM–6 PM). Details

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