Laguna Beach

Eeks get artsy at ‘Pageant of the Monsters,' a fanciful Laguna Beach tradition

The team behind summertime's celebrated "Pageant of the Masters" announced the Halloween pop-up will return.

Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach

What to Know

  • "Pageant of the Monsters" at Festival of the Arts in Laguna Beach
  • Oct. 27-29 and Oct. 31, 2023
  • Atmospheric and eerie scenes will fill the venue's backstage area

"PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS," the venerable hold-a-pose spectacular, has long possessed an imaginative aura. That's because, in large part, so many of the paintings and sculptures that the summertime event salutes draw on fantasy themes, the pastoral or surreal pieces that have adorned the walls of some of the world's most famous museums. But the 90-year-old "tableaux vivant" show may enter its most fanciful phase near Halloween, when a limited-time offering again haunts the backstage area of the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach. It's "Pageant of the Monsters," a whimsical, Halloween-inspired attraction that will be back, for four fun 'n frightful days, in 2023.

THE EERIE ANNOUNCEMENT... arrived just a few weeks before the traditional pageant opens for its two-month run in early July. The theme is "Art Colony: In the Company of Artists," with "real people posing in elaborate sets" inspired by iconic works of art. But just weeks after the main pageant has wrapped, monsters will come to play, so make plans, if you dare, to stop by the destination as Halloween grows near. "This beloved tradition, resurrected every five years, holds a special place in the cobweb-covered hearts of both locals and visitors. Prepare to be spellbound as you venture into the Pageant’s backstage area and scenic workshops, transformed into a family-friendly haunted house," shares the team.

TICKET INFORMATION... will be unveiled soon, but count on Oct. 27-29 and Halloween as the dastardly dates for this rare treat. It is rare for how infrequently it returns, yes, but we'll call the opportunity to peek backstage a rare thing, too. Halloween is on the pageant-pretty wind in lovely Laguna Beach.

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