Ridgecrest Trunk-or-Treat Set for October 30: Free Entry, Costumes, Haunted House and Family Activities

RIDGECREST, Kern County — October 23, 2026. Families planning Halloween activities in the Indian Wells Valley have a confirmed city-hosted event to consider. The Ridgecrest Parks and Recreation Department has scheduled its annual Trunk-or-Treat for Friday, October 30, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Kerr McGee Community Center, 100 W. California Avenue, according to the city’s official event calendar.

What the program includes

The city advertises decorated car trunks handing out candy, activities and games, a haunted-house attraction, a live DJ and a selection of food vendors. Entry is listed as free; food and drinks are available for purchase. A free admission statement does not mean that every offered product is free or that supplies and candy can never run out.

The city encourages participants to wear costumes. Specific age limits, accessibility arrangements, parking overflow areas and vendor prices are not detailed in the official calendar entry. Visitors who need information about wheelchair access, sensory considerations or large-group arrangements should contact the event coordinator rather than assume those details.

Who can participate as a trunk host?

The department also provides an interest form for people who want to host a decorated vehicle or activity, as well as for food vendors. Its annual event page links to the signup process. A submitted form is an application of interest, not a guarantee of placement or an exemption from vendor requirements.

Location and contact information

Ridgecrest Parks and Recreation lists 760-499-5151 for event questions and coordinator Teresa Moffatt at tmoffatt@ridgecrest-ca.gov. The official city calendar is the source of truth for last-minute changes due to conditions or operational requirements.

Why the event matters beyond one neighborhood

The Kerr McGee Community Center serves residents from Ridgecrest and surrounding desert communities. Families in Inyokern, Johannesburg and Searles Valley may also be interested in a publicly advertised community event, though travel times and availability of evening transportation vary. Parents should arrange safe pickups, account for dusk conditions and follow posted traffic rules.

For local government decisions affecting parks and recreation, readers can follow Ridgecrest News and our recent report on the Sgt. John Pinney Aquatics Center. The aquatic center’s opening date is separate from this Halloween event.

Source check: City of Ridgecrest Parks and Recreation’s 2026 event listing and organizer page, reviewed October 23. This story previews a future event; it does not report that the event has already happened.

Send updated organizer information to Ridgecrest News. Support independent local reporting.

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