I absolutely love Fall: the yummy spicy notes in all things apple and pumpkin flavored, crisp cool breezy evenings, family fun nights at so many events and activities celebrating the harvest season, and of course, being a kid again on Halloween. It is my favorite time of year. And so here I invite you in joining me in enjoying this wonderful season by checking out all of the amazing family fun to be had in this region. Just click on the event link for more details. Make sure to check back often as this list will keep growing week by week or Subscribe HERE and receive your free weekly e-newsletter with event updates. Are you hosting a Fall or Harvest event and want to get the word out to local families? Email me at zulema@macaronikid.com to be added to the North County Fall Family Fun Guide.
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| Local Pumpkin Patch! Carlsbad Strawberry Company, Carlsbad - October 1st-31st. Corn Maze, Pumpkin Patch, Hayrides, Hawaiian Shaved Ice, Pumpkin Painting and Haunted Maze. Open 9am - 7pm everyday. Haunted Maze is 7-11pm, Fri and Sat. Drive-worthy Patches.... Peltzer Winery, Temecula- October Nights October 2-30 (16 dates) Pumpkin farm and activities, Cannibal Creek Haunted House, Food, Live Music, Wine (of course) and More. Bate Nuts Farm, Valley Center- 2018 Pumpkin Patch September 22nd-October 31st Family and friends enjoy the tractor hayrides, & straw maze. We have a petting corral and Snows Pony Rides on Weekends & Weekdays starting October 9th as well! Grab a wheelbarrow and pick from a variety of pumpkins: Big Macs, Ghost, Cinderella, Jack O’ Lantern, minis, squash, gourds and other fall décor. In addition, weekends at Bates include live entertainment from 12:00 -3:00, BBQ, kettle corn, food trucks, rock climb, bounce, slide, and other family-friendly events. Check our calendar for details and schedule. Dogs on a leash are welcome at the farm. Julian Mining Company, Julian- Pumpkin Patch, Apple + Berry Picking Open weekends starting September 22nd Hayrides, Ciderpressing, candle making, Petting zoo, Archery & Tomahawk Throwing, Seasonal Crafts, & Family Fun |
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| CLOSED FOR THE SEASON Volcan Valley Apple Farm, Julian- U-Pick Harvest opens September 7th We will be open Friday through Monday from 9:30 – 4:30 pm. In addition to picking great fresh apples, we invite you to take advantage of our shaded picnic area. We will have cold water, fresh cider and applewoods for your smoker as well. Come and spend the day with us! Family fun. 7000 trellis grown apple trees. 7 apple varieties. Easy hand picking by all ages. $12 per bag Palomar Mountain State Park, Palomar Mountain- 8th Annual Apple Festival October 21st FREE entrance to the festival and the park! Enjoy the festival and then explore the park. This event features Free Apple Cider & Homemade Apple Goodies (While Supplies Last), Games, Arts, and Crafts for the Kids including bird boxes, corn husk dolls and more!ee event! Horse Carriage Rides! Live wool spinning! Live Music! |
 Harvest, Autumn, Fall, & Oktoberfest Festivals, they are all here: |
| San Elijo Town Center, San Elijo Hills- Family Fall Festival September 22 The event is free to the community and will feature family-friendly activities including Games, Music, Face Painting, a Pumpkin Patch, Food and Prizes. Fort Cross Old Timey Adventures, Julian- Julian Autumn Jubilee Every Weekend beginning September 29 thru October 28, 2018 Hayrides, Hoedowns, Jug Band Show, U-Pick Garden & Pumpkin Patch, Ghost Town Slingshot Range, Archery, Tomahawk Throwing, Petting Zoo, Reptile Show, Candle Dipping, Pumpkin Painting, Fairy & Dino Garden Making, Hay Fort, Games, and more! Free Admission. Encinitas Chamber of Commerce, Encinitas- Encinitas 23rd Annual Oktoberfest September 30 The event will feature a German band and Bavarian dancers, up to 200 vendors, including artisans with unusual arts and craft items, a family food tent serving authentic German food and beverages, and a ceremonial parade. There will be a family Funzone with children’s rides, family-oriented activities and much more, and a 21+ Craft Beer Garden. Admission is free. Holiday Park, Carlsbad- Carlsbad Rotary 36th Annual Oktoberfest & Fall Family Festival October 6 Plenty to do for kids and adults alike: new costume contests, music, arts & crafts, games, rides, and of course - good times with family and friends! Featuring authentic German meals, along with a few new choices this year. Plus apple strudel, and food booths galore which will satisfy your palette! Free admission for ages 9 and under. Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar- 2018 Del Mar Harvest Festival Original Art and Craft Show October 12-14 Shop hundreds of artisans of American handmade and embellished art & crafts featuring photography, fine jewelry, specialty food, blown glass, wood art, metalwork and more! This Kid-Friendly event will also include activities for children. Three days for the price of one ticket - you won't find a better bargain! Palomar Pumpkin Palooza, Carlsbad- Movie Night at the Patch October 12-28 (FRI-SUN only) FREE event & open to the public! Bring your family and friends to a night at the pumpkin patch. Food and drinks are allowed to bring in and set up a blanket and chairs for a movie under the stars. Vista Library, Vista- Fall Festival 2018 October 13 Come and enjoy food, entertainment, carnival games, crafts, and learning modules provided by the San Diego Children's Discovery Museum. Special guests include the Bayou Brothers (Zydeco Band) and the Palomar Square Dance Association. There is something for the entire family! Learning Modules-Square Dancing-Face Painting-Live Music-Decorate a Pumpkin-Nerf Game for Teens-Pumpkin Tic-Tac-Toe-Canvas Bag Screen Printing. FREE Event. San Marcos Chamber of Commerce, San Marcos- Fall Festival and Street Fair October 14 The Fall Festival & Street Fair is a great family outing and a favorite day of fun for all ages. The fair features displays from more than 150 local and nationwide vendors. A Kid's Festival is featured inside the fair and includes carnival rides and inflatables. Highlights of the fair include a wide variety of awesome food choices, a beer & wine garden and live performances by The Liquorsmiths; Enlightened Rouges & RoadDog on the main stage. Alta Vista Botanical Gardens, Vista- Fall Fun Festival October 20 Come join us for some Fall Fun at our TENTH annual Fall Fun Festival! Enjoy the scarecrow contest, performers, food and vendors, as well as plenty of family-friendly activities. Food available for purchase by Amigos de Vista Lions. FREE Event. San Dieguito County Park, Del Mar- San Dieguito Fall Festival October 20 Experience the fall season close to the coast! Try your luck to win prizes in our games, get your face painted or paint your own pumpkin masterpiece. Absorb the beauty of the fall foliage while drinking coffee or cider. We'll have critter camp set up so you can meet our pets and discover wildlife from the area. There will be fun picture opportunities, too! Costumes are encouraged. All ages are welcome, and there’s no cost to attend – but parking is $3 per vehicle. This fee supports park maintenance and the continuation of community activities, like this one. Inclement weather will cancel this event. The Centre, Escondido- Fall Harvest Festival October 20 Join us at our Fall Harvest Festival, our official celebration to welcome in the change of seasons. From pumpkin decorating & face painting to a train ride, this is an event for the whole family! Not to mention all the raffle prizes we will be giving away! On our 3rd level, Vintana Wine + Dine will be serving brunch from 10:30am-2pm & offering 50% off of kid's brunch. To make your brunch reservations, please call 760-745-7777. There will also be delicious fall treats at the Fall Harvest Festival perfect for the entire family! Aquatic Center at Alga Norte Community Park, Carlsbad- Pumpkin Plunge October 20 Bring a swimsuit and join the Halloween fun at Alga Norte Aquatic Center that transforms into spooky fun with pool activities and games with prizes, floating obstacles, and Key Logs. Dry activities include a pumpkin themed bounce house, Floating Pumpkin Patch where every child will get to lasso and keep a pumpkin, ring toss, and a photo op. The night ends with a special movie presentation of The Boxtrolls (rated PG) on the giant outdoor movie screen while you float in the water. Food and beverages are available for purchase at the event. Stonebrooke Church, Vista- Harvest Festival October 28 Stonebrooke Kids Ministry is throwing our annual Fall Festival! We have so many things in store - it's truly going to be fun for the whole family. We will be taking FREE family photos, have carnival style games, face painting, a bouncy house, plus all the great snacks & candy a kid could dream of. We will end the night by showing "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" This event is FREE to the public. We can't wait to see you there. |
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| Legoland California, Carlsbad- Brick or Treat Party NightsEvery Saturday from Sept 29th- October 27th Live Entertainment, Costume Contests, Meet and Greets, Dance Party, Special Lego builds, arts and crafts and more! Fort Cross Old Timey Adventures, Santa Ysabel- Fort Cross Haunted Harvest October 6, 13, 20, & 27 Special weekend evenings in October at Fort Cross will entail some seasonal spooky fun, if you dare... Activities for your event will include: Haunted Hayride, Pumpkin Seed Spitting Contest, Apple Bobbing Contest (3 person team, bobbing on a string), Harvest Hoedown with Jug Band, Apple Cider Pressing and Tasting. Reservations must be made in advance, food and refreshments available for purchase. Birch Aquarium at Scripps, La Jolla- Haunted Aquarium Sea Monster Mash October 26 & 27 Discover a sea of glowing beasts (big and small), get sticky with slime, and enjoy spooky stories, all while boo-gying down to live music and having a monstrously good time. Woodland Park, San Marcos- Boo Bags October 3rd & Family Night Halloween Party October 20th Halloween Arts, Crafts, and Activities geared towards children ages 3-12. Space is limited, Pre-Registration Required for each event, $3 Vista Civic Center, Vista- Trick or Treat HalloweenOctober 31st Kid-friendly, FREE event will be in the Vista Civic Center Alta Vista parking lot. The event will include Kids crafts, treats, fire & sheriff engines, squad cars on display and more! Jack's Pond Nature Center, San Marcos- Halloween at Jack's Pond Nature Center October 31st Visit the "Spooktacularly" transformed barn for games and crafts, activities, goodies and a howling good time. FREE event. The Shoppes at Carlsbad, Carlsbad- Trick or Treating at the Shoppes October 31st Who knows what's in store for you when you come Trick-Or-Treating at the Shoppes at Carlsbad? Mall-wide trick or treating at participating stores beginning at 4pm, while treats last! *Kids 10 and under, while supplies last |
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| Rancho Guajome Adobe, Vista- Dia de Los Muertos at Guajome October 27th A family event with much live entertainment, food, vendors, cultural dance, traditional altars, self-guided tours, FREE full face-painting for kids, FREE Wagon Rides, FREE arts and crafts, gifts and much more! Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside- Dia de Los Muertos October 28th The 8th Annual free family event featuring Por Siempre Car Club Car show/ Altares (public/car/groups)Aztec and many traditional Danzas/Catrina contest/Vendors/entertainment/museum/gift shop/ California Center for the Arts, Escondido- Cultura Fest SD Noche de Muertos November 2nd Join us for a special edition of #CulturaFestSD with a special screening of Pixar’s “Coco” in Spanish. Over 40 vendors with a DJ Dance Party Indigenous Aztec Blessing Ceremony by Calpulli Omeyocan and Beer Garden featuring Top San Diego Breweries and More! |
