For Halloween 2026, choose Nason’s Beer Hall for themed drinks and food, Top of the Hyatt for a skyline masquerade, Werewolf for a pub-and-karaoke stop, or Stone Brewing Kettner for an October movie night. If your plan is to dress up, drink, and finish dancing, make SideBar your final destination.This SideBar guide helps you choose a starting point and build a night around the celebration you want.
SideBar: make the dance floor your final destination
Choose SideBar when you want the evening to build toward a Halloween nightclub party. At 536 Market Street in the Gaslamp Quarter, its 2026 lineup gives your group three dates to consider:
- Wednesday, October 28: Industry Halloween Party, with guest list registration listed.
- Friday, October 30: BITTEN with Kevin Kon, with ticket and table options listed.
- Saturday, October 31: BITTEN with DJ Crooked, with ticket and table options listed.
All events are 21+ with valid identification required. Costumes and elevated Halloween attire are strongly encouraged. Explore SideBar’s Halloween events.
Our recommendation: choose your SideBar night first, then arrange an earlier stop around it. A shared destination gives the group a plan—and saves the “where next?” debate for another weekend.
Nason’s Beer Hall: start with food, beer, and Halloween atmosphere
Nason’s Boos and Brews brings a witches’ tavern theme to the beer hall throughout October 2026. The seasonal program includes Halloween décor, tarot and astrology readings, movie screenings and dance parties, with activities scheduled across the month. See the October program.
At 570 J Street, Nason’s serves beer and comfort food, making it a useful opening stop when your group wants dinner before dancing. Check the day’s programming if you’re visiting for a particular activity. Explore Nason’s Beer Hall.
Choose this start if your ideal evening begins around a table before moving to the dance floor.
Top of the Hyatt: dress up for a masquerade with skyline views
Top of the Hyatt’s Masquerade After Dark runs October 2–31, with seasonal cocktails and décor on the 40th floor. Explore the seasonal experience.
Its October 31, 2026 Halloween party runs from 5 p.m. to midnight, featuring a live DJ. Masks are encouraged, and attendance is first come, first served with no reservations required. Find it at 1 Market Place. See Halloween party details.
This is our pick for a dressed-up cocktail start with a view. If SideBar is your finale, plan your departure around your confirmed admission time rather than waiting until the masquerade ends.
Werewolf: add a pub stop and a sing-along
Werewolf, at 627 Fourth Avenue, offers pub food, cocktails, and nightly karaoke. Its regular karaoke schedule runs 9 p.m.–1 a.m. Explore Werewolf’s karaoke nights.
Consider it if your friends would enjoy grabbing the microphone before heading out to dance. Check the venue’s holiday arrangements before relying on its regular schedule for October 31.
For a two-stop evening, decide in advance how much karaoke time you want. One more song can easily become five.
Stone Brewing Kettner: celebrate earlier in October
Stone Brewing Tap Room – Kettner’s Friday Night Frights pairs outdoor Halloween movies with seasonal décor, beer, and nonalcoholic options.
The remaining October 2026 screenings run 7–9:30 p.m.:
- October 9: Drag Me to Hell
- October 16: Ghostbusters
- October 23: Zombieland
See Friday Night Frights details.
The tap room is at 1202 Kettner Boulevard, Suite 101. Put this on your calendar as an earlier-in-October outing: the listed movie series ends before Halloween weekend. Find the Kettner tap room.
How to plan your Halloween night
Choose one starting point and give yourself time to enjoy it. Trying to fit every venue into one evening leaves less time for the reason you went out.
Before heading downtown:
- Confirm your arrival window. Check your event date, opening time, and any admission deadline before planning an earlier stop.
- Check costume policies. Ask about masks, props, and accessories before building your outfit around them.
- Understand your booking. Guestlist registration, admission tickets and table reservations have different terms. Confirm what your selection includes.
- Get a full table quote. Ask about guest allowance, admission, minimum spend, taxes and service charges.
- Plan the ride home. Choose your transportation before the evening begins.
Wrap up Halloween at SideBar
Start with the part of the evening that suits your group: food, themed cocktails or a sing-along. Then end the night on the dance floor at SideBar.
Choose your Halloween night at SideBar and make it the destination your group plans around.
