Blackstone's Halloween Extravaganza runs four nights at the clubhouse at the end of October, but the event started on October 1. This year's theme is "Galactic Invasion." It opened with a scavenger hunt spread across the neighborhood, and residents are being asked to help build the spaceship the party takes place in. By the time the doors open on October 23, the hunt will have been running for more than three weeks.
That changes how the month works. Most of Blackstone's October calendar either feeds into the Extravaganza, runs alongside it, or lands on the same days as the public El Dorado Hills events.
The party began on October 1
The hunt's active window runs from 10/01 to 10/23. You start at the clubhouse at 1461 Blackstone Parkway, where you pick up "operational orders" and a map of the "Area of Operation." Then you go out into the neighborhood to find "debris sites" and record clues. The story is played straight:
You are an Agent for Joint Task Force 37F that specializes in Foreign Matter Exploitation.
The clues gathered now are described as "critical" for "reverse engineering the alien technology" in the second phase. That second phase opens at the party. Here's how the hunt is set up:
- Phase I, October 1 through 23. Pick up a map at the clubhouse, find the debris sites around the community, and record the clues.
- Phase II, October 23 at 4 p.m. Hunters get early access to the final puzzles at the Extravaganza, an hour before Night 1 opens to everyone at 5 p.m.
- Six primary puzzles. Once an agent wins a first-place prize on one primary puzzle, they can't win first place on the other five.
- Three grand-prize puzzles. These are described as "extreme difficulty," and anyone can try them, including agents who already won a primary prize.
- Golden Tickets. If you solve a puzzle after its prize is already claimed, you get a Golden Ticket. Turn it in at the Raffle Station to enter a drawing open only to hunters.
The hunt is open to all ages. Anyone under 18 has to be accompanied by an adult, and before starting, every team has to check in at the clubhouse so an adult can sign a waiver. As of October 4, that leaves 19 days to collect clues before the final puzzles open.
The rule against winning more than one first-place prize spreads the six top prizes across six different teams. A strong team that finishes early can still play for the grand prizes and the Golden Ticket drawing, so the hunt keeps going after the first winners.
The spaceship is being built by neighbors
The second part that starts early is the set itself. Blackstone is running a prop and decoration contest to "help bring our spaceship and alien planet to life." It's looking for control panels, Star Wars-style wall decor, droids, and "sci-fi inspired decor of all types." The prize is a chance to win four one-day Disneyland passes, listed at a $500 value. Rules and deadlines are on the contest details page linked from the Halloween site, so check there before you start building.
So the hunt and the prop contest work together. One sends families out into the neighborhood for three weeks, and the other has residents building the set at home. Both lead to the same four nights at the clubhouse.
Four nights, one ticket rule
The Extravaganza runs Friday, October 23; Saturday, October 24; Friday, October 30; and Saturday, October 31, from 5 to 9 p.m. each night at the Blackstone Clubhouse. The September newsletter flyer lists a haunted maze, games and raffles, live shows, and food and drinks for purchase.
Ticket rules are the same all four nights:
- Residents, all ages: free
- Guests, ages 12 and up: $5 per person, per night
- Tickets are per person, not per household, so register for everyone in your group
- Registration opened October 1, and the HOA asks people to register online to avoid lines at the door
All four event pages say "Residents & Invited Guests Welcome" and use the same Galactic Invasion description. They don't list a different theme or age group for each night. The posted materials also don't say whether guests under 12 need a ticket, how many guests a household can bring, or whether there's a costume contest. Ask the clubhouse if any of that matters for your group.
Because the guest fee is charged per night, a household bringing the same three teenage cousins on two nights pays $30 in guest tickets. Bringing them on one night costs $15.
The two weekends before the doors open
The hunt overlaps Blackstone's two other big October events, and both are at the same clubhouse where you pick up the hunt maps.
Fall Festival & Oktoberfest, Saturday, October 10, 2 to 5 p.m. The HOA describes a family event with music, fall games, a pumpkin patch, food, and beer for ages 21 and up. It's free for residents, and no registration is needed.
CHP Bike Rodeo, Sunday, October 11, noon to 2 p.m. It's free and open to all ages with no registration. Bring a bike and helmet to the clubhouse's south parking lot. The October newsletter says it's aimed especially at kids ages 5 to 12 and their parents. It lists safety demos, obstacle courses, helmet fittings and gear checks, a chance to meet CHP officers, prizes, and ice cream, hot dogs, and drinks.
If you have kids moving from regular bikes to e-bikes, the helmet check is a good time to review the state rules. In an April 14, 2026, consumer alert, California's Attorney General reminded families that riders under 16 may only ride Class 1 or Class 2 e-bikes. Class 3 riders must be 16 or older and wear a helmet.
The following weekend is quieter but still uses the clubhouse. On Saturday, October 17, from 9 a.m. to noon, there's a Master Gardeners "Back to Basics" session sponsored by El Dorado County, with registration through UC Master Gardeners of El Dorado County. The Taste of Blackstone Club meets Sunday, October 18, at 4 p.m.
Where the public Halloween events fall
The El Dorado Hills Community Services District runs its own fall events, and two of them fall on the same days as Blackstone's. Here's the month side by side:
| Date | At the Blackstone Clubhouse | Public EDH CSD event |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 1–23 | Scavenger hunt, Phase I | None |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Fall Festival & Oktoberfest, 2–5 p.m. | Pumpkin Splash Patch, CSD Community Pool, 1–3 p.m., ages 2–12, $18, preregistration required |
| Sun., Oct. 11 | CHP Bike Rodeo, noon–2 p.m. | None |
| Fri., Oct. 16 | None | Trunk and scarecrow applications close for Trunk-Or-Treat |
| Sun., Oct. 18 | Taste of Blackstone Club, 4 p.m. | Yoga in the Park, Promontory Park, 9 a.m., free, preregistration required |
| Fri., Oct. 23 | Hunt Phase II at 4 p.m.; Extravaganza Night 1, 5–9 p.m. | None |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Extravaganza Night 2, 5–9 p.m. | None |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | Extravaganza Night 3, 5–9 p.m. | Trunk-Or-Treat & Scarecrow Contest, EDHCSD Pavilion Parking Lot, 4:30–7 p.m., free to the public |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Extravaganza Night 4, 5–9 p.m. | None |
On October 10, the Pumpkin Splash Patch and the Oktoberfest overlap by one hour. Splash Patch kids pick a pumpkin, decorate it, and swim during Rec Swim, and the session ends at 3 p.m. Oktoberfest runs until 5.
October 30 is the bigger overlap. The CSD Trunk-Or-Treat runs from 4:30 to 7 p.m., while Blackstone's Night 3 runs from 5 to 9 p.m. The scarecrow contest is free to enter and open to individuals, families, clubs, groups, and businesses, with one entry per person, family, or group. Applications for both trunks and scarecrows close October 16. If you're already building sci-fi props for the clubhouse, the scarecrow contest is another place to use those skills.
Before or after, down Latrobe
The nearest new places to eat before a long night at the Extravaganza are at Carson Creek, at Latrobe Road and Golden Foothill Parkway, both at 4456 Golden Foothill Parkway.
Mountain Mike's Pizza opened there in July. It's owned and run by Ranjit Singh and Sandeep Kaur, who also own the Mountain Mike's locations in Cameron Park and Placerville. The 2,400-square-foot restaurant has a weekday all-you-can-eat pizza and salad lunch buffet, a salad bar, a kids' arcade area, beer on tap, and an outdoor patio. It's open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., an hour later than the Extravaganza runs. If you're hosting a group of guests and the clubhouse food lines are long, the 20-inch "Mountain-sized" pizzas are a practical choice.
Jersey Mike's is now open in Suite 120 of the same center, daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. When Folsom Times reported the lease in February, no opening date had been announced.
For more on the clubhouse, trails, and everyday life around them, see our Blackstone neighborhood guide and our earlier look inside Blackstone's club and trails.
If your family is thinking about a move after the holidays, we'd be glad to help you plan it around the season. The Friedrich Team can tell you what your Blackstone home is worth this fall before the spring market starts. Request a free home valuation and we'll send you a figure based on recent Blackstone sales, in time for your planning after Halloween.
