The best Halloween memories rarely follow a program flow. They begin with a handmade costume, a pocketful of candy, or a family tradition that brings everyone back to the same place every October.
Photo: Rain Wu/Unsplash.com
This year, Ayala Malls The 30th turns that familiar feeling into Strange World, an immersive Filipino folklore experience where children can make wishes at a balete tree, discover mythical characters, create charms, and collect stories of their own.
Because years from now, they may not remember every activity. They may remember saying tabi-tabi po, meeting a creature from a Filipino legend, and telling their friends, “Nung bata ako, lagi kaming nasa Ayala 30th pag Halloween.”
That is the kind of experience Ayala Malls The 30th, Stellar Minds PH, and Katherine Joy Michaella Moreno hope to create: playful, distinctly Filipino, and meaningful enough to become a family tradition.
Photo: Ayala Malls The 30th/Facebook
A mystical celebration of local lore
Ayala Malls’ 2026 Halloween theme, “Keeping The Mystical Moments Alive Makes All The Difference,” brings Filipino folklore into a fresh setting for today’s generation. The campaign opens with the mystery of the balete tree and introduces families to ancient deities and creatures like Apolaki, Mayari, the engkanto, kapre, and duwende.
If you grew up saying tabi-tabi po around suspiciously old trees, you already know the feeling. At Ayala Malls The 30th, that feeling becomes Strange World, an immersive Halloween journey inspired by Filipino folklore.
Families can leave a wish at the balete wish tree, create art and potions at strange slimes and spells, and the anting-anting charm bar, dress up for the creature costume contest, and end the adventure with a Hiwaga blind box and Filipino treats.
Photo: Ayala Malls The 30th/Facebook
Where play meets purpose
It sounds like pure play, but something quietly educational is happening underneath. That is where the partnership with Stellar Minds PH becomes meaningful. Ayala Malls The 30th builds a larger world, while Stellar Minds PH ensures children can move, wonder, participate, and learn inside it.
For young children, learning does not always begin with a formal explanation. It may start with opening a mystery box, making slime, creating a charm, or meeting a character they have never encountered before.
Curiosity comes first. Learning follows.
Photo: Ayala Malls The 30th/Facebook
A child may leave knowing the name Mayari for the first time. Another may ask why Filipinos tell stories about the balete tree. A parent may find themselves retelling a story they last heard from their own grandparents.
That is the kind of learning Stellar Minds PH hopes to encourage: playful, natural, and deeply connected to a child’s own experience.
Designed by educators. Trusted by parents. Loved by kids.
Katherine Joy Michaella Moreno, Stellar Minds PH’s official partner, works alongside Stellar Minds. Since starting her company in 2022, she has built a creative partnership grounded in the belief that children’s events can be beautiful, thoughtful, and genuinely fun.
Photo: Marie-Hélène Rots/Unsplash.com
Rather than focusing solely on what looks good in a photo, they consider what children will notice, what they might ask about, and which detail will stay with them long after the event wraps up.
Surprises at every turn
The event’s brand partners add even more opportunities for surprise and connection.
Maven Hair Studio, Kaffa Cafe, GotSoul MNL, Matchpoint Sportsbar, Kalaro PH, Chiz Curls, Lush, Roller Coaster, Tiger Bites, and SIP are contributing prizes, treats, vouchers, creative takeaways, and other surprises.
One child might remember winning the costume contest. Another will savor the meal afterward or proudly bring home a painting set, blind box, or specialty prize.
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To adults, these may look like giveaways. To children, they turn into core memories—“Remember when I won this?” “Remember what I got?” “Can we go again next year?”
That is why these partners are more than just logos on a poster. Each adds another moment families can enjoy together.
Ayala Malls The 30th provides a home and the Filipino world to explore. Stellar Minds PH brings the educator’s lens. Katherine Joy Michaella Moreno helps shape the creative environment, while the partner brands fill the day with rewards, treats, and take-home surprises.
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Different contributions. One shared goal.
Traditions often begin quietly: with a child asking to come back next year, or a parent explaining who Mayari is and why people say tabi-tabi po.
Years from now, the decorations will be packed away and the prizes used up. But if someone passes Ayala Malls The 30th in October and says, “Dito kami lagi nag-Halloween nung bata ako,” then everyone who helped build the day will have created something truly lasting.
Catch Keeping The Mystical Moments Alive Makes All The Difference on October 29, 2026, at 3:00 PM at the Activity Center, 2nd Floor of Ayala Malls The 30th.
ALSO READ: What Is “Gay Halloween”? Here Are Ultra-Specific Costume Ideas You’ll Love
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