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The BOO Crew Loves Halloween!
Do you love Halloween? All the friendly characters here in BOO Alley do too—well, except for Wendella the Witch of course. But with your help, we can break Wendella’s curse and make it a happy Halloween for everyone!
The Great Big BOO at Gilroy Gardens is the immersive family-friendly Halloween celebration that returns to Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, September 26 through November 2, 2025. It’s the Bay Area’s best Halloween celebration—with live musical entertainment, themed rides, and tricks and treats for the whole family.
To get everyone excited for Halloween and ready to “Do the BOO,” we’ve asked some of our BOO Alley ambassadors to share the things they love most about Halloween.
A Fun Popcorn Craft from Wolfgang Werewolf
Wolfgang Werewolf loves rock-and-roll, of course—but also popcorn!
Here’s a fun, easy and tasty Halloween popcorn craft you can make—and eat!—at home. And if you want, you could even bring one to share with Wolfgang when you visit! (He’s likely to howl with delight if you do.)
POPCORN BOO BAGS
What You’ll Need:
- Popcorn (or any other tasty treats)
- Clear plastic treat bags with twist-ties
- Black permanent marker
How to Make Them:
- Ask a grownup to help you pop your favorite kind of popcorn.
- While it’s popping, use the black marker to draw a spooky or silly face on the bottom half of the bag.
- Scoop a couple of handfuls of popcorn into the bag.
- Twist the top of the bag and tie with a ribbon.
[Wolfgang was inspired by these treat bags at 100 Directions]
Vinnie the Vampire’s Best Ways to Stay Safe in the Dark
Trick-or-treating on Halloween night (or ANY night during The Great Big BOO at Gilroy Gardens) is lots of fun—but it’s also important to stay safe in the dark. Even though Vinnie is a vampire, he’s actually a little scared of the dark. So here are some of his favorite ways to safely have fun after the sun goes down:
- Carry a flashlight, just like Vinnie does while riding on the BOO Train.
- Wear glow-stick necklaces and bracelets. Maybe even think of ways to make them part of your costume—such as a glowing tiara, a neon belt, or a light-up sword.
- Go trick-or-treating with a group of friends, and stay together at all times.
- Hold a grownup’s hand whenever you’re crossing the street.
- Stay on sidewalks and only walk in well-lit areas.
Pumpkin Fingerprint Art from Sammy Jo Scarecrow
Sammy Jo the Scarecrow loves pumpkins—especially the giant Pumpkin Pyramid in Downtown BOO Alley. Be sure to stop by Sammy Jo’s Pumpkin Patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin to take home.
Instead of carving your pumpkin, you might want to use your fingers and some Tulip Soft Brush-on Fabric Paint to create cool designs like these.
With a grownup’s help, you can dip your fingers in black paint to make spiders or white paint to make ghosts. Once those have dried, go back and add in details like legs, eyes and mouths. You can even brush orange, yellow and white stripes on your fingers to create fun “candy corn” fingerprints! Once all the paint has dried, add some colorful bows to put on the finishing touch.
[For more detailed instructions, watch the how-to video at Creative Living with Lynn and Lilly.]
Halloween Costume Ideas from Princess Priscilla
Princess Priscilla loves to dress up—which is not too surprising, considering she’s a princess and all. So picking out a new Halloween costume is one of her favorite things to do for Halloween!
If you’re stuck for costume ideas this year, here are some cool, cute and clever costumes for kids that she thinks you’ll love and are easy to order from Amazon:
Cranium’s Candy Color-Mixing Potions
Cranium the Mad Scientist loves experimenting in his laboratory and mixing up different potions. When you visit The Great Big BOO at Gilroy Gardens, you can even sample some of his creations (both mocktails and cocktails) at Cranium’s Mad Lab.
Did you know that you can make your own “potions” using some of your leftover Halloween candy?
Here’s all you need:
- A few small glass cups or bowls
- Water
- Colorful candy (such as Skittles, Gummy Bears, Nerds, Smarties, etc.)
The name of the game here is just to try different things and have fun! Fill up a bowl with clear water and then drop in one or two pieces of candy. What do you think will happen? What do you actually observe?
Does the water change color? Does the candy stay together (intact) in the bowl, or does it start to break apart (dissolve)? How long does that take? Are some candies different than others? What if you mix together two different kinds of candy? Or maybe even three? If a grownup says it’s OK, you can even take a sip of your “potion” to see what it tastes like (all in the name of science, of course)!
This fun idea came from housingaforest.com, where you can find even more ideas for kid-friendly experiments and crafts.
A Pumpkin Roll Recipe from Wendella the Witch
Wendella may hate Halloween, but she LOVES this tasty Pumpkin Roll—and she thinks you will too! This one will require some help from a grownup in your house. It’s a sweet treat that’s fun to share with friends and family!
Items Needed:
- PAM cooking spray
- Parchment paper
- Jelly roll pan
- Cheesecloth or thin cotton towel
Cake Ingredients:
- 1 box of Spice Cake mix
- 3 Eggs
- ⅔ cup Pumpkin (canned or fresh)
- ¾ cup Flour
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 5 tsp Cinnamon
Filling Ingredients:
- 1 8-ounce container of Cream Cheese
- 1½ cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- ¼ cup Butter
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Coat jelly roll pan with PAM. Cover with parchment paper and spray again with PAM.
- Mix cake ingredients and then spread over parchment paper. Bake 15 minutes at 350°F.
- Sprinkle cheesecloth generously on both sides with powdered sugar. Invert jelly roll pan with cake onto towel and roll tightly. Yes, you want the towel between the rolls!
- Refrigerate 20 minutes to cool.between the rolls!
- Unroll cake. Spread with filling mix and re-roll (minus the towel this time!). Refrigerate several hours or overnight. This roll may be frozen, if desired. Just defrost before serving.
- Slice and eat!
Stay and Play for More than Just One Day
If you’re traveling to Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park from out of town, book a hotel room here and then check out the VisitGilroy.com website to plan your trip—and learn more about other fun Halloween events and activities you can do while you’re in town!