The phrase refers to a set of organized actions and festivities that happen in the course of the Halloween season (usually October) throughout the geographical area of Northern California. These actions can embody a large spectrum, starting from family-friendly pumpkin patches and corn mazes to haunted homes designed for thrill-seekers, costume events, themed parades, and group gatherings. Examples embody haunted homes in Sacramento, pumpkin farms in Sonoma County, and Halloween parades in San Francisco.
The importance of those seasonal celebrations lies of their contribution to native economies via tourism and leisure income. They supply alternatives for group engagement and foster a way of native id. Traditionally, Halloween customs, together with these tailored and celebrated in Northern California, have advanced from historical harvest festivals and beliefs surrounding the transition between seasons, reflecting themes of remembrance, keeping off evil spirits, and embracing the altering pure world.