Noe Valley Halloween 2026: The Day Moves Off 24th Street

Halloween falls on Saturday, October 31, this year, and in Noe Valley the day doesn't center on 24th Street. It starts with an 11 a.m. pet parade from Church Street, moves to a 3 to 5 p.m. costume stroll on Sanchez, and ends with Fair Oaks closed to cars for trick-or-treating from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The merchants on 24th will hand out candy, but they're keeping it low-key.

Key Findings

• 24th Street is scaling back. Merchants Association President Kristen McCaffery told the Noe Valley Voice that shops will still hand out candy, "but we're not planning anything special this year."
• A Saturday Halloween runs all day. The Voice expects festivities from morning to night, with three separate events on three different streets.
• Fair Oaks is still the evening anchor. It closes to traffic between 22nd and 26th streets from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
• Fair Oaks isn't on SFMTA's closure list, but two nearby blocks are: Randall Street from Whitney to Sanchez, and Sanchez from 30th to Randall.
• Fresca is back on 24th Street after six years, in time for a post-trick-or-treat dinner.

What's happening in Noe Valley on Halloween weekend?

Here's how the weekend lines up, from the Voice's October calendar and news pages.

Only the first two happen on 24th Street, and both are the street on a normal week. Once the costumes come out on Saturday, Noe Valley moves onto its side streets.

That's what I find interesting about this year. The shopping street is the neighborhood's front door, but the Halloween that people actually plan around has always happened on residential blocks. A Saturday date just makes that obvious.

Where does the Howl-O-Ween pet parade go?

The parade leaves Noe Valley Pet Company at 1451 Church Street at 11 a.m. It goes up Comerford Alley, the short connector between 27th and Duncan, to Sanchez Street, then over to Noe Cafe at the corner of 26th for the pet costume contest.

Comerford is the kind of alley most people walk past without noticing. For one late morning it carries a costume parade from a Church Street storefront to a Sanchez Street cafe.

The timing works if your Saturday starts at the farmers market. The market runs until 1 p.m., so you can shop before the parade or after it, depending on whether your dog is marching or you're just watching.

When is the Slow Sanchez Halloween Stroll?

From 3 to 5 p.m., on Sanchez between Clipper and 27th. Dave Olson of Resilient Noe Valley described it to the Voice as a low-key tradition where families simply come out to walk in costume. There's no stage and no contest. The walk is the event.

It works because Sanchez is already a slow street, closed to through traffic most of the time. I wrote about how that happened, and what it means for the blocks along it, in my post on Slow Sanchez Street. Halloween is the day that design gets its biggest crowd.

For families with young kids, the stroll is the daylight version of Halloween. It ends at 5 p.m., half an hour before Fair Oaks closes to cars.

What time does Fair Oaks close for trick-or-treating?

From 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, between 22nd and 26th streets, according to the Voice. Fair Oaks runs between Dolores and Guerrero, and it's been Noe Valley's Halloween street for years. The Voice listed a similar closure last year, 22nd to 26th from 5 to 8:30 p.m. The San Francisco Standard wrote in 2023 that the stretch from 21st to 26th draws crowds of costumed kids every year.

One practical note before you go. Fair Oaks doesn't appear on SFMTA's street closures and events list, which does show other October 31 closures. Two of them are close by: Randall Street from Whitney to Sanchez, and Sanchez from 30th to Randall, both just south of 30th Street. SFMTA's trick-or-treat street closure program is how neighbors apply to close a block, so check the list again closer to the day. If you're driving, plan around Fair Oaks either way.

Where does 24th Street fit in?

It plays a smaller role than usual, but it's not absent.

• Candy from merchants. Shops on 24th will hand out treats on Saturday, without an organized program behind it.
• The farmers market. Regular Saturday hours, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Town Square.
• Dinner after trick-or-treating. Fresca, at 3945 24th Street, reopened on August 24 after closing at the start of the pandemic in 2020. Brothers Ivan and Jose Calvo-Perez run it now. Their father opened the family's first Fresca in 1996, and the Noe Valley location dates to 2004. The menu is Peruvian with Japanese, or Nikkei, influences, and there's a weekday happy hour from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Weekend hours weren't part of the Voice's coverage, so call ahead before you plan a post-Fair Oaks dinner around it.

What's on after Halloween?

The weekend winds down on Sunday, November 1, with Noe Music's "Quartets on the Mainstage" at 4 p.m. at 1021 Sanchez Street. Later in the month, James Lick Middle School stages A Chorus Line: Teen Edition November 5 through 7 at 1220 Noe Street, with 7 p.m. shows and a 1 p.m. matinee on Saturday the 7th. The Noe Valley Library hosts Family Board Game and LEGO Night on November 10 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at 451 Jersey Street.

What does Halloween tell you about living in Noe Valley?

More than you'd think. A neighborhood's busiest day shows you how it actually works, and Noe Valley's Halloween is run almost entirely by neighbors. A pet store, a resilience group and a block of homeowners each organize their own piece, and the pieces happen to fit together.

That's the same thing I tell buyers about Sanchez Street. The programming isn't city-run. It depends on people continuing to show up, and on these blocks they do. You don't see that in a listing, but you feel it on a Saturday like this one.

It's also a reminder that in Noe Valley, the block matters as much as the neighborhood. A house on Fair Oaks and a house a few blocks west are a short walk apart, and they have very different October 31sts.

From experience: I encourage buyers who are serious about a specific block to walk it twice, once on an ordinary weekday and once on its busiest day. Most people only see a street at the hour of the open house. The second visit tells you whether you'll love the block's big day or spend it looking for parking.

Strategic Implications

For buyers. If you're touring Noe Valley that weekend, use it. Walk Fair Oaks after 5:30 and Sanchez in the afternoon. You'll learn more about those blocks in an hour than from any listing description. Entry-level houses here run around $3 million, as the SF Standard reported in May 2026, so the block-level read is worth the time. My guide to whether Noe Valley is the right neighborhood for your family goes deeper.

For sellers. If you're listed on Fair Oaks or the stroll's stretch of Sanchez, think twice about a Saturday afternoon open house on October 31. Cars won't get through Fair Oaks from 5:30 on, and Sanchez will be full of costumes from 3 to 5. A Friday broker tour or a Sunday open house avoids the closures and still lets you mention the street's Halloween reputation in the marketing.

For the Noe Valley market. Event days are part of what buyers pay for here, even though nobody can put a number on it. The neighborhood's appeal has always been street-level, and Halloween is the clearest single day to see it.

FAQ

Is there a Halloween event on 24th Street in Noe Valley this year?
Not an organized one. Merchants will hand out candy on Saturday, October 31, but the Merchants Association isn't planning anything special. The St. Philip's school parade is expected on 24th Street on Friday morning, October 30.

What time is the Noe Valley Howl-O-Ween pet parade?
It starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 31, at Noe Valley Pet Company, 1451 Church Street. It goes up Comerford Alley to Sanchez and ends at Noe Cafe at 26th Street for a pet costume contest.

When is the Slow Sanchez Halloween Stroll?
From 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, on Sanchez Street between Clipper and 27th. It's a low-key costume walk with no stage or contest.

When does Fair Oaks Street close for Halloween?
From 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, between 22nd and 26th streets. It's closed to cars so kids can trick-or-treat in the street.

Is the Noe Valley Farmers Market open on Halloween?
Yes. It keeps its regular Saturday hours, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Noe Valley Town Square, 3861 24th Street.

Can I drive through Noe Valley on Halloween night?
Plan around Fair Oaks between 22nd and 26th from 5:30 to 8 p.m., and around Sanchez between Clipper and 27th in the afternoon. SFMTA's list also shows closures on Randall Street and on Sanchez south of 30th.

Work With Sean Mamola

Wondering how a block's character shows up in what a Noe Valley home is worth, or how it compares with full-service high-rise living downtown? Sean Mamola is a Global Luxury Specialist with Compass and a Bay Area native with 17+ years of experience, from entry-level condos to an $8.7M South Beach penthouse. He can walk you through the blocks, the buildings and the comps.

Schedule a consultation or call (415) 704-3640.