Halloween fun and friendly competition, Malibu style

By Hayley Mattson · Thu Nov 05 2026

Costumes, community celebrations and a busy volunteer patrol shift marked the Halloween festivities

Halloween spirit stretched from the surf at First Point to school celebrations, pumpkin displays and community gatherings as Malibu families, businesses and volunteers found their own ways to celebrate the season. There were trunks full of treats, costumes at the farmers market and a little friendly competition on the Halloween calendar. Behind the festivities, local volunteers also helped keep the evening moving safely — and helped bring three missing children back to their families across the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station service area. At First Point Malibu, the Malibu Costume Cup Expression Session, dubbed the “Spooky Surf Off,” put a coastal spin on Halloween. Hosted by the Malibu Surfing Association, the event brought surfers together on Saturday, Oct. 31, as they traded their usual lineup attire for spooky costumes and friendly competition in the waves.

The morning began with coffee and donuts, followed by surfing from 9 to 11 a.m. Awards for Best Wave, Best Costume and the Survivor Award added to the festivities, combining costumes, community and surfing for a distinctly Malibu Halloween celebration. On land, Malibu Elementary School Parent Teacher Association’s Trunk or Treat brought school families together for another round of Halloween festivities.

“Trunk… or treat…?! We did both and had a blast!” the PTA shared. Following the event the PTA thanked event chair for organizing the celebration.

The City of Malibu’s Bu Bash added to the seasonal celebrations at Malibu Bluffs Park, where a haunted pumpkin patch display was among the Halloween sights.

At Pepperdine University, the 2026 Great Waves Pumpkin Bash paired community fun with Waves athletics ahead of a women’s soccer match. A post celebrating the event thanked Pepperdine Waves Athletics for bringing families and children together before the game.

The Malibu Farmers Market also welcomed the season with costumes and Halloween festivities, adding a festive touch to the community gathering.

“We loved seeing our community come together and make such special memories,” said Deb Bianco, co-founder and CEO of the Malibu Farmers Market, thanking those who attended.

Local businesses joined the fun, too. Coldwell Banker Realty Malibu held a Halloween potluck, with colleagues sharing food, sweet treats and their spookiest real estate stories. The celebration was filled with laughter, teamwork and a little Halloween magic.

The Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station’s volunteer services also held its first Trunk or Treat, with the Malibu Search & Rescue Team taking part.

For the station’s Volunteers on Patrol, Halloween night brought both community celebrations and unexpected calls for help.

Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station Volunteers on Patrol deployed five marked Sheriff’s patrol vehicles to support deputies and local security teams throughout Malibu, Westlake, Agoura, Calabasas, Hidden Hills and surrounding communities. Volunteers conducted high-visibility patrols and assisted with traffic and pedestrian control as families made their waythrough neighborhood Halloween festivities.

During the evening, VOPs assisted in searches for three children who had become separated from their families. All three were located and reunited with their families through the efforts of deputies, volunteers, parents and private security.

VOP Team Leader Mark Russo personally located one child while patrolling the Haunted Hempstead event. Two other children were located with assistance from VOPs Bill Melcher and Lilly Bradshaw in The Oaks neighborhood of Calabasas.

Russo’s shift took another turn while he was returning from his Halloween assignment. Along Kanan Road, he spotted a vehicle approximately 10 feet down an embankment and stopped to check on the driver.

The driver had exited the vehicle, and Russo confirmed there were no additional occupants before coordinating a response from Sheriff’s deputies, California Highway Patrol and fire personnel. No injuries were reported, according to the VOP account.

From school celebrations and market costumes to pumpkin displays and neighborhood patrols, Malibu’s Halloween festivities reflected the many people who help bring the community together — including those whose work continued after the treats were handed out.