Downtown Napa's official trick-or-treating this year starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, and ends at 1 p.m., according to the event listing.
That midday window is one stop in a longer run. Downtown's 2026 Halloween calendar covers the 15 days from Oct. 24 to Nov. 7, across three Saturdays. It opens at a cemetery founded in 1857, continues on the Napa River the next morning, comes up to First Street at lunchtime on the 31st, and closes the following Saturday at Veterans Park. Most of it happens in daylight, and the groups running each piece are local ones you probably already know by name. Here's the sequence, in order, with what each stop asks of you.
Saturday, Oct. 24: The Season Opens With Napa's Own History
The first event takes place at Tulocay Cemetery, 411 Coombsville Rd. The Napa County Historical Society presents its 2026 Heritage Halloween Tulocay Cemetery Tour from 4 to 5:30 p.m., and Napa County Landmarks is the sponsor.
The setting is the reason this tour works. Tulocay is among the oldest public cemeteries in California. It was founded in 1857 on the Juarez Tulucay Rancho and has served Napa continuously since then. The 90-minute walk starts at the cemetery's Juarez Building, just inside the original gates. It loops through some of the oldest sections while a Tulocay Cemetery intern tells the stories of the people who shaped Napa's history. Maps and whisper headsets are provided, so the group can hear every word without anyone raising their voice among the headstones.
A few practical points from the event listing:
- Tickets cost $30 for Historical Society members and $45 for nonmembers, sold at napahistory.org/events.
- The paths are paved, but parts of the cemetery are steep and hilly. Wear comfortable walking shoes, and if you use a scooter, walker or other mobility aid, check that it can handle inclines.
- The listing says the event always sells out and advises buying early.
With a 4 p.m. start, the tour ends at 5:30, which leaves the rest of the evening open.
Sunday, Oct. 25: Out on the River by 10:30
The next morning the calendar moves onto the water. The second annual Witches Paddle meets at Napa's Main Street Dock. The listing asks paddlers to arrive at 9:45 a.m. and says the group leaves at 10:30 a.m. sharp, paddling together to Oxbow and back.
The event page has the tone of something its organizers are enjoying. It tells paddlers to "give yourself time to launch, find your coven, and get your hat on straight," and warns that "the procession leaves right on time." You can bring your own kayak, canoe or paddleboard, rent one, or book a seat on an authentic Venetian gondola with Napa Valley Gondola. Costumes are encouraged, and witches and warlocks are both welcome.
The listing leaves some things out. It names no organizer, gives no price and says nothing about spectators. If you plan to watch from the riverbank rather than paddle, that's your call, because the page doesn't address it.
The route links the Main Street end of downtown with the Oxbow end, which is where this month's weeknight events happen.
The Weeknights Around It: Oxbow Keeps Its Own Schedule
Outside the weekend events, the Oxbow end of First Street keeps its own steady schedule. Oxbow Public Market holds Shop, Sip & Stroll every third Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m., with a glass in hand and music while you walk the market. This month's date is Thursday, Oct. 15, ahead of the Halloween stretch.
Two newer things at Oxbow fit this month as well. Roman Holiday Gelato, which the Press Democrat reported was moving into Suite 2 at 610 First St., held its grand opening at the market on Sept. 20. It makes small-batch Italian gelato and sorbet with local ingredients, and its posted hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Those hours run later than any event on this list.
At Rotation by Feast it Forward, chef Ranjan Dey of San Francisco's New Delhi Restaurant has a residency running Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, cooking Royal Indian and spice-driven regional dishes. The residency ends on Halloween. If you've been meaning to go, the last weekend of October is your last chance.
Saturday, Oct. 31: Trick-or-Treating at Lunchtime
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and downtown's version runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. At Hometown Halloween, parents can bring children to trick-or-treat at more than 100 downtown businesses, which hang black and orange balloons to show they're taking part.
The event listing names the anchors:
- First Street Napa, 1300 First St. Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley runs fall activities here from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with pumpkin painting, face painting, seasonal sips and more. That's two hours longer than the trick-or-treat window.
- Napa County Historical Society, listed as one of the stops. A week after its cemetery tour, the same organization is handing out candy downtown.
- The Goodman Library, 1219 First St., promoted as "haunted" for the day, with candy and chilling décor.
The Napa Kids event calendar lists Hometown Halloween as free. None of the pages names one overall organizer or a full list of participating businesses, so the balloons are the way to tell which doors are open.
The schedule here matters. Downtown's Halloween event is in the middle of the day, and the official activity winds down by mid-afternoon. Everything after that, including costumes after dark, isn't on downtown's calendar. Families can spend lunchtime on First Street and still get home before dark.
Saturday, Nov. 7: The Calendar Closes at Veterans Park
One week later, the season ends at the Main Street end of downtown. The 2026 Napa Dia de los Muertos takes place at Veterans Park, 800 Main St., and along Brown Street from 3 to 8 p.m., hosted by City of Napa Parks and Recreation. Visit Napa Valley's listing describes it as a family-friendly celebration of art, tradition, music, dance and food.
The published listings don't go much further than that. They give no details on ofrendas, a procession or vendors, and no admission or registration information, so check closer to the date if you want a fuller program.
The cemetery tour that opened the season told the stories of Napa families going back to the rancho era, and the season closes with a celebration centered on remembrance. The first and last events are about the same subject, one through a historical society and the other through the city's parks department.
The Season at a Glance
| Date | Event | Where | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Oct. 15 | Shop, Sip & Stroll | Oxbow Public Market | 5–7 p.m. | Not listed |
| Sat, Oct. 24 | Heritage Halloween Tulocay Cemetery Tour | 411 Coombsville Rd. | 4–5:30 p.m. | $30 members, $45 nonmembers |
| Sun, Oct. 25 | Second annual Witches Paddle | Main Street Dock to Oxbow and back | Arrive 9:45 a.m., launch 10:30 a.m. | Not listed |
| Sat, Oct. 31 | Hometown Halloween | First Street Napa and 100+ downtown businesses | 11 a.m.–1 p.m.; Boys & Girls Clubs activities until 3 p.m. | Free |
| Sat, Nov. 7 | Napa Dia de los Muertos | Veterans Park, 800 Main St., and Brown Street | 3–8 p.m. | Not listed |
What Comes After November 7
Downtown's next confirmed dates come four weeks later. Napa's 61st annual Christmas Parade runs Saturday, Dec. 5, starting at 5 p.m. Participants assemble from 3 p.m. This year's theme is "Joy to the World and Peace on Earth." The parade starts at Second and School streets, heads east on Second, turns south on Brown and then west on Third back to School, with judging on Third near Coombs. Afterward, Santa will be at the Napa Valley Welcome Center in First Street Napa. If the weather is bad, the parade will be canceled.
The following Saturday, Dec. 12, the Downtown Napa Association and First Street Napa host the Holiday Shop, Sip & Stroll from 3 to 5 p.m. A $10 wristband gets you a wine glass and wine splashes at participating businesses, and you pick up your glass in front of the Napa Valley Welcome Center.
Then comes the next big date on downtown's calendar. The Napa Lighted Art Festival returns Jan. 16 through Feb. 14, 2027. It's free and walkable, open 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with projection art on three downtown buildings during the first nine nights, Jan. 16 through 24.
Some downtown holiday dates haven't been published yet. As of today, no 2026 schedule is posted for Santa visits beyond parade night, for a downtown tree lighting, or for Small Business Saturday. Those listings should appear as the season gets closer.
Halloween downtown now runs across three Saturdays, and planning the stops in order takes some local knowledge. The same is true of the blocks around them. If you'd like to talk through how downtown Napa's calendar shapes everyday life on a particular street, Stefan Jezycki has watched these traditions grow for more than thirty years and is happy to help. Schedule a free consultation.