It’s time to take advantage of all the awesomeness and activities of Fall. California is one of the funnest states, so you know there will be events throughout the month of October. We’re halfway through the month but it’s not over yet. Check out all the fun activities.
Pumpkin Patch Festivities
The Golden State is full of farms that take pumpkin season seriously during October, often with the added fun of hayrides and entertainment. In Temecula, the Big Horse Corn Maze has one of the largest corn mazes in Southern California and also offers hayrides and a “corn cannon.”
Scarecrow Fest and ContestLos Olivos
Explore the town of Los Olivos in Santa Barbara County this month to find more than 20 spices on display and see who won awards like Most Humorous and Best Natural Materials. Visit on October 21 and you can also take part in the beloved Day in the Country festival, which includes vendors selling their wares, a small town-style parade, and plenty of local beer and wine.
Wild Tarantula Trails, Santa Barbara
Spiders don’t just come out this time of year to scare people—it’s mating season for the nocturnal male tarantula in the hills of the Gaviota Coast, just north of Santa Barbara.
Take one of the Wild Farmlands Foundation’s two-hour guided hikes—just a half mile through the wild oak grove—to learn about the lives and loves of the common California ebony tarantulas, with the possibility of capturing (and then releasing back. into the wild) one of them. Runs on select dates through Oct. 31.
JazzTrax FestivalCatalina Island
The festival’s 36th year—reportedly the world’s longest-running smooth jazz fest—spans two extended weekends (Oct. 12–15 and Oct. 19–22) at Catalina’s classic Descanso Beach Club & Casino Ballroom. This year’s lineup includes Sergio Mendes, Jesse Cook, and Keiko Matsui.
Boardwalk Bites & BrewsSanta Cruz
Santa Cruz’s boardwalk hosts its own form of Oktoberfest during the fall—a long happy hour (4–8 p.m.) on select nights through Nov. 19. Sample flights of Bay Area craft beers at Brews at the Beach, paired with small plates like poke nachos or chili-and-biscuit bites. Play some old-school boardwalk games after the neighboring Neptune’s Kingdom.
67th Annual Silverado DaysBuena Park
Join Buena Park’s classic Western-style fair at William Peak Park with a full complement of carnival rides, fair cuisine, pie-eating contest, hog calling, horseshoe competition, and corn hole tournament.
Pismo Beach Clam FestivalPismo Beach
This Pismo Beach festival has more than just mollusks: The weekend includes a clam dig and a chowder-making contest, as well as a wine and beer garden and the annual Clam Festival Parade.
Town’s 107th Birthday Party and Halloween ParadeCarmel-by-the-Sea
The town of Carmel-by-the-Sea in Monterey County was founded on Halloween 1916 and celebrates the holiday’s birthday. Come see the townspeople, costumed kids, and even pets as they parade downtown, then party trick-or-treating and other festivities at the shops and boutiques of village
