Palmdale Deputies Merge Car Show With Haunted Jailhouse for Antelope Valley's Biggest Halloween Bash

The Palmdale Sheriff's Station is throwing open its doors — and its jail cells — for what organizers are calling one of the largest Halloween celebrations in the Antelope Valley. The Palmdale Haunted Jailhouse Trunk or Treat and Car Show is set for October 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., right at Sierra Highway and Avenue Q in front of the station itself.

According to a Palmdale Sheriff's Station Facebook post, the free event will feature a haunted jailhouse walkthrough, trunk-or-treating, a kids zone, a petting zoo, live music, a vendor marketplace and food trucks, all with free admission and free parking. The show will also showcase hot rods, bikes, low riders and solos, with organizers still seeking vendors, sponsors and food trucks ahead of the date. Registration for cars, motorcycles and bicycles is being handled through pstrunkortreat.com.

One Big Event Replaces Two Smaller Traditions

This single-day gathering is actually a consolidation of two events that used to run separately. The Palmdale Sheriff Boosters previously held their Trunk or Treat & Car Show at Poncitlán Square, while the station ran its Haunted Jailhouse walkthrough on its own, according to the San Fernando Valley News Portal. Merging the two traditions into a single station-side festival has significantly boosted the event's footprint and turnout, per the same outlet.

Vehicle entries carry registration fees of $30 for cars and trucks, $20 for motorcycles and $15 for bicycles, with proceeds going directly to the Palmdale Sheriff's Boosters, the news portal reports. That booster funding helps support equipment and programs for deputies at the station.

Street Closures And Parking For Thousands Expected

Fitting a car show and thousands of attendees directly in front of the sheriff's facility requires major traffic changes. Local authorities will close Sierra Highway between East Avenue Q and East Avenue Q-6, with public parking directed to nearby lots including the former Hammack Center on East Avenue Q-9, the station said on Facebook.

Organizers have also laid out ground rules for safety on station grounds. Attendees and vehicle entrants are prohibited from wearing gang or motorcycle club colors, a policy the Palmdale Sheriff's Station has enforced at past installments of the event, according to its Facebook page. There are limited spaces remaining for car and vendor registrations, so early sign-ups are encouraged.

A Regional Tradition Among LASD Stations

Palmdale's Haunted Jailhouse mirrors a much longer-running tradition just over the hill in the Santa Clarita Valley, where the SCV Sheriff's Station has hosted its own Haunted Jailhouse for more than 30 years. That station's 2026 event is scheduled for October 18, according to KHTS Radio.

The two events differ in how they raise money. While Palmdale's car show funnels registration fees to its Sheriff's Boosters, Santa Clarita's Haunted Jailhouse is co-produced with the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley as a youth fundraiser, requesting a $5 entry donation, the Santa Clarita Valley Signal reports.

Part Of A Larger Community Outreach Effort

The October festival is one piece of a broader push by the Palmdale Sheriff's Station to build informal connections with high-desert residents. The station also organizes casual meet-and-greets such as “Pretzels with Police” at local businesses, according to its Facebook page.

The station, located at 750 East Avenue Q, provides 24-hour public safety coverage not just for the city of Palmdale but for unincorporated high-desert communities including Acton, Agua Dulce, Littlerock, Pearblossom and Sun Village, per the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. It was established as its own command on July 1, 1998, when the department split its former unified Antelope Valley Station into separate Lancaster and Palmdale stations.

Beyond seasonal festivities, the Palmdale and Lancaster stations jointly run an eight-week Community Academy program that gives residents access to patrol procedures, custody facility tours and ride-alongs, the sheriff's department notes. Programs like the academy and events like October's car show and jailhouse tour form part of an ongoing effort by LASD stations across North Los Angeles County to build positive touchpoints with residents outside of emergency calls.

The Palmdale Sheriff's Station has faced significant public attention in recent months, including an ongoing murder trial tied to the 2023 ambush shooting of a Palmdale deputy. Families interested in October's car show and haunted jailhouse can register vendors, sponsors or vehicles now at pstrunkortreat.com.