Our list of the best Halloween happenings for singles in Los Angeles from haunted houses, to Halloween fundraisers, to costume parties, to massive Halloween extravaganzas.

It only makes sense in a town built on a love affair with fantasy and drama, that Halloween is one of our city’s favorite times of the year. And certainly, when you’re single, there’s nothing more fun than gallivanting about on a chilly October night, getting the you-know-what scared out of you and grabbing on to the nearest warm (and still living) body for comfort. Here is Singular magazine’s picks for the best Halloween happenings in Los Angeles, but we suggest that you enter at your own risk!

West Hollywood Halloween Costume Carnaval – If you’ve lived in Los Angeles for long and still haven’t been, it may be time to finally mark this massive Halloween extravaganza off your bucket list. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people converge on Santa Monica Boulevard (between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard) to enjoy the wildest; most mind boggling costume creations ever. Although festivities run for days in advance, the biggest draw is Halloween night, the evening of the Halloween Costume Contest and crowning of the “Queen of the Carnaval” (And, yes, that’s how they spell carnival.)

Expect fantastic live entertainment on multiple stages, specials at the many clubs and restaurants along the party route, food vendors and the wildest party you’ve ever attended that wasn’t behind closed doors.

Admission is free and starts at 6 pm and runs until 11 pm, but the many bars and clubs will be open late. To help visitors, permit parking restrictions will be suspended by the City of West Hollywood from 5 pm, Wednesday, October 31st to 6 am, Thursday, November 1. However parking meters are enforced and there will be street closures, so taking public transportation (gasp!) may be the best option.

The Blum House of Horrors – Jason Blum, the producer of such terrifying films as Paranormal Activity, Insidious and Sinister, is applying his talents to create a Halloween haunted house with a cast of 50 actors and 25 behind-the-scenes crew members who will scare the holy be-jeezus out of you in the 88-year-old Variety Arts Theatre located at 940 South Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles.

You’ll explore the corridors of this “possessed” theater that once featured such legendary stars as Al Jolson and also served as the set for Wes Craven’s horror movie, Scream 2. Blum spent several hundred thousand dollars on his haunted house that takes guests through the inner corridors and upper floors of the old theater before finally reaching the stage.

Tickets are available through November 3. General admission is $35 at the door with pre-sale tickets going for $29 if you buy online.

Spooky Saturday Westside Halloween Party – For those stubborn Westside singulars who won’t venture east of the 405 Freeway (you know who you are!) on Saturday, October 27 from 9 pm – 2 pm, Singular magazine, in association with the social networking group EOW (Every Other Wednesday), upscale online dating site Three Day Rule, and a cavalcade of merry-making miscreants, will turn the Sonoma Wine Garden into its own devil’s den, replete with DJ, dancing and drinks.

If you haven’t been to this picturesque venue, it’s on the top-floor dining deck at Santa Monica Place (the shopping center next to the Santa Monica Promenade) and looks out over the Santa Monica Pier.

Costumes are required and the dress code is “spooky, but swanky” with prizes for the ladies and gents with the “hottest,” “funniest” and “poshest” costumes.

Buy your tickets early for the “advance ticket price” of $25. There are a limited number of these discounted tickets. The price will go up closer to the party date. Your ticket includes admission to the private event, plus one drink ticket.

Wicket Lit – Calling all English and theater majors, check out the Wicked Lit series at Altadena’s Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum, produced by the Los Angeles-based theater collective known as Unbound Productions.

Unbound began performing staged readings of classic plays in schools and libraries across Los Angeles County. Now as an annual Halloween tradition, the group performs their Wicked Lit series, scary plays that unfold all around you as you walk through the hollowed burial grounds including, “Count Magnus,” “The Dead Smile” and “Wake Not the Dead.”

Although there are performances throughout the month of October, the only tickets remaining are for the final performance on Halloween night – Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 7:30 pm. So if this sounds like your cup of tea, we recommend you purchase tickets without delay.

KCRW Masquerade Ball – On Saturday, October 27 from 9 pm – 2 am, KCRW will once again rock the house, or rather the legendary Park Plaza Hotel in what will be its fourth Halloween celebration. Your $85 ticket does not include drinks or food, but does include live performances by Z-Trip, Mexican Institute of Sound, Hanni El Khatib and Dustbowl Revival; dancing to music by your favorite KCRW DJs in five uniquely themed ballrooms; the enticing antics of Vaudeville circus troupe Lucent Dossier; ghost stories from L.A.’s finest storytellers; a handful of frightfully tasty artisan food trucks; and some of the best costumes you’ve ever seen.

Proceeds from the party will benefit KCRW, so it’s a party with a purpose. The event sells out every year so best to buy your ticket in advance. If there are tickets still available at the door, the price jumps up to $100. The hotel is located at 607 S. Park View Street, Los Angeles, CA 90057.

Western Costume is offering KCRW listeners a 10% discount on costume rentals over $100 from their Halloween Store and you can keep the costume for the entire month of October. Just tell them KCRW sent you.

Forte Animal Halloween Fundraiser – One of our favorite animal rescue organizations, founded by SingularCity member Marie Atake, is holding a Halloween fundraiser on Wednesday, October 31 from 8 pm – 10:30 pm at the Little Bar located at 757 S. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, 90036. The Little Bar is a neighborhood favorite in the Miracle Mile area and is known for its great service, killer jukebox and friendly crowd. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door and include a complimentary drink and appetizers, a raffle and costume contest.

All proceeds from the event will go directly to Forte’s efforts to save pets that end up on death row at the city’s pounds and shelters. A 100% no-kill rescue, Forte saves all breeds and mixes, from poodles to pit bulls, with the belief that all animals deserve a chance at life. 100% of proceeds go directly to animal care.

To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit: http://fortehalloween.eventbrite.com/

South Bay Scream – The Max Entertainment Group is back with their annual South Bay Halloween mega-party on Saturday, October 27 from 9 pm – 3 am at the Convention Center for the Proud Bird located at 11022 Aviation Blvd. 90045 (just north of Manhattan Beach). With a capacity of 2,300 people, this is not the party for singles in Los Angeles who prefer more intimate soirees!

There will be seven “all-star” DJs spinning house, hip hop, top 40 and your favorite dance and club music. And besides all the costumes (required) and the costume contest, you can feast your eyes on performance artists, Burlesque shows and lighting and visual effects. There will be a smoking patio and valet parking available. Tickets are $40 if you buy early.

Fa-Boo-Lous Halloween Bash – Singular event planner Renee Simlak is hosting her annual Halloween party on Friday, October 26 starting at 9 pm at The Parlor located at 7250 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. There will be complimentary “ghoulish” buffet-style hors d’oervres between 9-10 pm and “spooktacular” drink specials all night long.

DJ “Monster Mash” is providing music for your dancing pleasure and there are four spacious rooms, witches brew at the outside fire pits and a costume contest (costumes are required).

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

Bob Baker’s Halloween Hoop-De-Doo – You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy the marionettes at “Bob Baker’s Halloween Hoop-De-Do” a show that first delighted children and their parents back in 1963. Featuring a fantastical cast of over 100 Halloween-themed puppets, from the Purple People Eater and the Invisible Man to a gaggle of Roaring 20′s skeletons dancing at Hernando’s Hideaway, Bob Baker’s magical cast of merry marionettes will whisk you away to “the place where imagination dwells.”

Presented cabaret style, the puppeteers serve as an integral part of the proceedings and also make the audience part of the show. After the performance, guests are invited to visit with the puppeteers and have refreshments in the theater’s party room. Tickets for children and adults are $15.00 with children under the age of 2, free.

Dia De Los Muertos at Hollywood Forever Cemetery – The 13th annual Dia de Los Muertos will be held at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the oldest memorial park in the city, on Saturday October 27, when hundreds of people will convene to honor and celebrate departed souls in an ancient Mexican spiritual celebration that includes ceremonial tributes and fascinating artistic altar creations all on the grounds of this famous cemetery.

The heart of the event is the meticulously crafted altars and spiritual shrines. These private tributes and offerings provide a link between ancestors and modern customs, and chronicle the perpetual relationship between faith, family and history.

The festivities start at noon and end at midnight, with food, music, Aztec dancers and full run of the cemetery. Come early to watch the evening stars appear as the cemetery comes to life with joyful celebrations. Visitors are encouraged to come dressed in their finest Calaca apparel. Tickets are $10 (exact change please) with children under 10 getting in for free if it’s before 4 pm. The cemetery is located at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90038.

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios – Of the theme-park-like Halloween attractions that happen every year, including Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor and Knott’s Scary Farm, we’re giving Universal Studios our pick for best user experience.  It’s hard to compete with a theme park that can tap into its massive movie know-how to create a Halloween experience that bridges the gap between reality and fantasy – and leaves you wondering if maybe you really have fallen down the rabbit hole and into an alternative universe.

There are six mazes, a “terror tram,” shows, rides and “scare zones.” Of course, because they are so good at what they do, it’s packed with people, so we recommend you pony up and purchase “front of the line” tickets, or even better, go with the top-of-the-line VIP tickets that gives you unlimited access at each maze, ride and terror tram; exclusive access to the VIP Horror Lounge and the back lot tour.

Ticket prices vary depending on the date you go, but VIP tickets are either $179.99 or $199.99. Front of the line tickets range from $109 to $119 to $129.  And if you’re on a budget, regular tickets range from $41 to $66.