- San Mateo Scoop
- Posts
- 🎃 Halloween & Fall Event Guide for the Peninsula
🎃 Halloween & Fall Event Guide for the Peninsula
Plus, Local Earns International Recognition for Animated Short
Greg Kemper
October 22, 2026
In partnership with
Good morning neighbors!
Welcome to this week’s San Mateo Scoop! Find out about the locally-made short film earning international recognition, and new restaurants and cafes are making a splash in San Mateo.
Let’s dive in!
In this week’s edition:
City Updates: Local wins awards for short animation
Business Updates: New dessert cafe & the Peninsula Italian American social club now serving dinner
Events: Fall and Halloween events are kicking off!
Fall’s best destinations are waiting
Mountain air, city lights or somewhere new? There's still time to make your fall plans take flight with Alaska Airlines. With hundreds of destinations, you can celebrate autumn to the fullest. See the fall foliage in Boston, sip cider in Seattle, or swap your flannel for a swimsuit and head to Hawai‘i.
With nonstop routes to over 100 cities across North America and beyond, getting to your fall destination is easier than ever. Whether you're chasing changing leaves or year-round sunshine, Alaska’s growing network means more ways to reach where autumn is calling.
Fares at great prices, so it's easier than ever to say ‘yes’ to a getaway before the season's gone.
Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.
San Mateo Filmmaker's Animated Short Wins Festival Honors
San Mateo resident Derrick Anthony Hall Jr., a music producer, filmmaker and CVICU nurse, is earning international recognition for his first animated short, Just Like Magic. The four-minute film, set in a futuristic world where creativity is fading, follows a young artist who turns pain into art and inspires the next generation to dream again. Hall wrote, directed, produced and composed the film independently.
After its world premiere at the Catalina Film Festival, it won Best Animation at the Portugal Indie Film Festival and Best Composer at the Tokyo Cinema Awards. It also received an Award of Merit (Special Mention: Animation) from the Best Shorts Competition and a Best Animation nomination at the Sasqwatch International Film Festival. It is an official selection of the Big Apple Film Festival and the Rocket City Short Film Festival in Huntsville, Alabama. A reviewer at Festival Reviews praised its mesmerizing visuals and its score, which moves from gentle guitar and vocals to orchestral and jazzy passages. Congrats to Derrick! Learn more here.
The Body Studio for Fitness Celebrates 30 Years
A San Mateo fitness studio is marking a major milestone this fall. Danny and Theresa Gordon founded The Body Studio for Fitness in 1996 as a personal training studio built around each client's individual needs and fitness goals. Thirty years is a long run in the fitness world, and it's a nice reminder of the staying power of local, owner-run studios. Read more here.
Peninsula Italian American Social Club Now Serving Dinner
The Peninsula Italian American Social Club's Ristorante Italiano, at 100 N. B Street in San Mateo, now serves dinner as well as lunch, and you don't need to be a member to dine there. Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and the club has rolled out a new lunch menu. The new dinner is a buffet with à la carte options, served from 5 to 8 p.m. The club bills the restaurant as traditional, inexpensive Italian fare. Head Chef Ricardo Chaidez, trained by former Caesar's Restaurant owner and head chef Matteo Crivello, leads the kitchen, and the staff aims to make guests feel like part of the family. On a warm afternoon, you can eat on the backyard patio with a glass of wine. The club lists Monday-through-Friday service for dinner and lunch. Learn more here.
Na Ya Dessert Cafe: Coming to Downtown San Mateo
Na Ya Dessert Cafe is bringing its Thai-inspired sweets to 30 E. 3rd Ave. in downtown San Mateo. The cafe puts a modern twist on Thai and Asian flavors, with treats like black Thai tea crepes, salted egg custard toast, mango desserts and bingsu shaved ice. It also serves savory crepes. It already has two San Francisco locations (Hayes Valley and the Inner Richmond), plus San Jose and Davis. Learn more here.
Sultana in Menlo Park
Sultana serves Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine inspired by traditional recipes, with a menu of grilled kebabs, mezze, and other Middle Eastern favorites. Starters include smoky baba ghanoush, hummus, falafel, and spanakopita, a Greek pastry filled with spinach and feta. For entrees, options include the divan kebab, made with spiced beef and lamb wrapped in lavash and served over garlic yogurt, and the pomegranate kebab, a signature dish featuring pomegranate flavors. The menu also includes Turkish-style lahmacun, a thin flatbread topped with minced meat and herbs, alongside vegetarian dishes and fresh salads. Located on El Camino Real, the restaurant offers indoor dining and a garden patio, as well as takeout and catering.
Click here to feature your business in front of over 10,000 local residents!
 |  |
We do our best to verify dates/locations of events, but please independently verify before attending as details are subject to change
☕ Belmont Centennial Coffee & Conversation | Belmont | The Local Spot | 10/22 | more
Celebrate Belmont’s centennial with a community coffee and conversation gathering at The Local Spot.
👻 Haunted Hangar | San Carlos | Hiller Aviation Museum | 10/23–11/1 | more
The Hiller Aviation Museum brings Halloween fun to its hangar with Haunted Hangar, running through November 1.
🏚️ Haunted House | San Carlos | Youth Center | 10/23–10/24 | more
The San Carlos Youth Center hosts a haunted house for Halloween season.
🎉 Belmont Centennial Fest | Belmont | Twin Pines Park | 10/24 | more
Belmont celebrates its 100th anniversary with Centennial Fest at Twin Pines Park.
🌿 Mom Needs a Minute | Burlingame | Growing Ivy | 10/24 | more
Growing Ivy hosts Mom Needs a Minute, an event focused on making space for moms to take a break and connect.
🍻 Boos and Brews on B Street | San Mateo | B Street Pedestrian Mall | 10/24 | more
San Mateo’s B Street Pedestrian Mall hosts Boos and Brews, bringing a Halloween-season theme to the downtown area.
🎃 Plus, Other Halloween Fun Around the Peninsula
From costume parties and haunted attractions to seasonal strolls and family-friendly festivities, there are plenty of ways to celebrate Halloween around the Peninsula this week.
🧙 Witches & Warlocks Wine Stroll | Los Altos | Downtown | 10/23 | more
Downtown Los Altos gets a seasonal twist with the Witches & Warlocks Wine Stroll.
🕺 Thriller Dance Workshop | San Mateo | Motion Arts Center | 10/24 | more
Learn the iconic choreography from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” at this Halloween-themed dance workshop. Motion Arts Center provides event information, including registration and class details.
🪄 Halloween Magic | Palo Alto | Gamble Garden | 10/24 | more
Gamble Garden adds a little Halloween enchantment to its Palo Alto grounds with this seasonal event.
🫖 Halloween Tea | Palo Alto | Gamble Garden | 10/24 | more
Celebrate the season with Halloween-themed tea at Gamble Garden.
🎃 Halloween Spooktacular | Redwood City | Red Morton Community Center | 10/24 | more
Redwood City’s Halloween Spooktacular brings seasonal festivities to Red Morton Community Center.
💄 Halloween Drag Brunch | Redwood City | Alhambra Irish House | 10/24 | more
Alhambra Irish House hosts a Halloween-themed drag brunch in Redwood City.
🎭 Halloween Hoopla Parade and Carnival | Menlo Park | Santa Cruz Avenue | 10/24 | more
Menlo Park’s annual Halloween Hoopla brings a parade and carnival atmosphere to Santa Cruz Avenue.
🍂 Fall Fest | Burlingame | Howard Avenue | 10/25 | more
Burlingame’s Howard Avenue hosts a fall-themed community festival.
🎃 Pumpkin Splash! | Menlo Park | Belle Haven Pool | 10/25 | more
Belle Haven Pool hosts Pumpkin Splash!, bringing a seasonal twist to a pool outing.
👻 Belmont Boo Bash | Belmont | Twin Pines Park | 10/28 | more
Belmont Parks and Recreation brings Halloween festivities to Twin Pines Park with the annual Boo Bash.