Your Cosplay, Anime, or Video Game Plans for the Weekend

If you need something to do this weekend, the staff at 8Bit/Digi has you covered with a selection of events running from October 29th to November 1st, 2026. The lineup includes not just Halloween focused evented but also trading card shows, cupsleeve events, game nights, cosplay gatherings, and more. This is not a complete list, just a few picks we pulled together to help you out.

Here is a breakdown of select events that will be taking place in the Bay Area and surrounding area this weekend.

Santa Clara County

Festival Fright Nights at Winchester Mystery House (October 29th  to November 1st in San Jose): Festival Fright Nights concludes its run this weekend at the Winchester Mystery House. This will be your last chance to explore the historic mansion reimagined as a haunting experience.

All Leyline’s Eve Chaos Draft (October 30th in San Jose): SpaceCat Comics and Cards hosts a Magic: The Gathering chaos draft at 7 p.m. with packs from sets as old as the original Time Spiral block. Leyline of Anticipation promos are limited and first come, first served. Entry is expected to run $50 to $60, charged in store on the day. Preregister by calling the store or stopping by.

Guildhouse Halloween Party (October 31st in San Jose): Guildhouse opens its doors at 3 p.m. From 6 p.m., guests in costume get full-sized candy bars while supplies last. An air clay activity hosted by Nici Pottery starts at 7 p.m., followed by a costume contest hosted by Onecuppacoffee at 8 p.m. DJ Plastic Disease spins dark wave from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., and DJ JP Breganza closes out the night with dance hits until 1 a.m.

Tessora’s Halloween Party (October 31st in Campbell): Tessora’s Wine Bar brings Wild West spirit to Downtown Campbell with a free Halloween party featuring music, wine, and a costume contest.

Brick Realm LEGO Fan Convention (October 31st to November 1st in Santa Clara): California’s newest LEGO fan convention fills the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara with fan built displays, vendors including Brickmania and Citizen Brick, games, and activities. Costumes are welcome. Public admission is $25 on Saturday and $20 on Sunday. Full passholders get all four days starting October 29th.

HypeCon Bay Area (October 31st to November 1st in Santa Clara): HypeCon takes over the Santa Clara Convention Center with vendors selling trading cards, Pokémon, collectibles, and K-pop merch. Tickets start around $12.50.

Cyberpunk TCG Prerelease (October 31st to November 1st in San Jose): SpaceCat Comics and Cards hosts prerelease events for the new Cyberpunk trading card game. Players can learn the game, play, and walk away with a set.

San Mateo County

Pokémon TCG: Delta Reign Prerelease (October 29th in Redwood City): Game Kastle hosts a Delta Reign prerelease from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Gundam Card Game: Stardust Trails Release Events (October 30th and November 1st in Redwood City): Game Kastle celebrates the launch of the Gundam Card Game’s GD06 set, Stardust Trails, with release events on Friday from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Warhammer 40K Incursion Tournament at Gator Games (November 1st in San Mateo): Gator Games hosts a 1,000 point Warhammer 40K tournament from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. under the 10th Edition rules, with scores reported to the ITC. Entry is $10 plus tax, and the tournament is capped at 8 players.

San Francisco

Beautiful Nightmares (October 29th and October 31st in San Francisco): The Roxie’s Japanese horror series comes to New People Cinema with two cult classics for Halloween week. Nobuhiko Obayashi’s psychedelic haunted-house film Hausu (1977) screens Thursday at 8:40 p.m., and The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch (1968), adapted from Kazuo Umezu’s horror manga, screens Saturday at 4:45 p.m. Both are in Japanese with English subtitles.

Cosplay Halloween Ball (October 30th in San Francisco): Level Up Events hosts a cosplay party at Thriller Social Club from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., with a cash-prize costume contest. Cosplay as an anime, gaming, or movie character is mandatory: no costume, no entry. Tickets are around $29.

Halloween in the Science Lab (October 31st in San Francisco): Skyfaring Events hosts an Umamusume cupsleeve at Screen Savor in Japantown, from noon to 5 p.m. Expect exclusive drinks, merch, in-game races, and a chance to meet local trainers.

Halloween at the Balboa (October 31st in San Francisco): The Balboa Theatre celebrates Halloween with a full day of screenings. Scream plays on 35mm at 2 p.m., presented by the Odyssey Film Institute. The Rocky Horror Picture Show runs at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., with doors at 6 p.m. and a pre-show before the 7:30 p.m. film. The theater is also hosting a Halloween Mystery Marathon of four secret horror picks.

Alameda County

Fight Nights at The MADE (October 29th in Oakland): The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment hosts its weekly Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The double-elimination bracket has a $10 venue fee, payable on Eventbrite or at the door, plus a $5 cash entry for players. Entry fees are pooled and split among the top three finishers.

Downtown Berkeley Halloween Hootenanny (October 30th in Berkeley): The seventh annual Hootenanny fills Downtown Berkeley Plaza with live music, face painting, tarot readers, and costume contests for kids, adults, families, and pets. The event is free and runs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Plus Arcade Halloween (October 31st in Oakland): Plus Arcade takes over BLOC15 starting at 6 p.m. with a cosplay and costume contest, a fashion show, video game tournaments, and a haunted escape room. DJs mix hip-hop, R&B, Afrobeats, and anime mashups all night.

Contra Costa County

Gundam Card Game: GD06 Prerelease at Games of Martinez (November 1st in Martinez): Games of Martinez, 1155 Arnold Drive, Suite E, hosts a Stardust Trails prerelease at 4 p.m. Entry is $30 and includes a four-pack kit, with a pack for every win. The event is capped at 16 players.

Contra Costa Halloween Con (November 1st in Concord): The show runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Hilton Concord ballroom at 1970 Diamond Boulevard, with free parking. Meet actors from Ghostbusters, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Walking Dead, The Book of Boba Fett, and more, and shop toys, comics, anime, and collectibles. The free cosplay costume contest awards cash and merchandise prizes, with judging at 3 p.m.

Northern California

Taylor Trades Card & Memorabilia Show: Halloween (October 30th in Santa Rosa): Taylor Trades brings a Halloween edition of its card show to the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building, with vendor tables of sports cards, TCGs, and memorabilia.

Harajuku Halloween Fest (October 31st in Benicia): The Aquarian Artisan Market’s Harajuku Halloween takes over the city park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with Pokémon cards, POP MART drops, collectibles, and Japanese, Thai, and Korean street food. The first 150 guests get a free Harajuku Halloween bag. The costume contest for kids and adults starts at 1 p.m., and you register at the event by 12:30 p.m.

CVC Show Clovis (October 31st in Clovis): The Central Valley Cards & Collectibles Show brings sports cards, Pokémon, anime collectibles, and more to Clovis.

Sac Gamers Expo (October 31st to November 1st in Sacramento): Sacramento’s video game convention takes over Cal Expo with gaming legends including Garry Kitchen, Pitfall! creator David Crane, Atari’s Rich Adam, and Atari 2600 co-inventor Ron Milner. Expect vendors, tournaments, free-to-play games, and panels.

Weekend Planning

We will continue to spotlight a diverse range of events focused on anime, video games, TCGs, and other fandoms across the Bay Area. If you have an upcoming event, reach out to us so we can add it to this list or cover it in an article.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides insight into the gamer and cosplayer community of the San Francisco Bay Area.