There are many Fall activities in and around the Orange County area to enjoy with the whole family. From apple picking and pumpkin patches to haunted houses and hay rides, here are some of the highlights you won’t want to miss this fall.
Please visit our Halloween Events and Fairs & Festivals pages for a full list of fall festivals and Halloween events.
Anaheim Fall Festival & Halloween Parade
Downtown Anaheim
Broadway & Clementine, Anaheim, CA
October 2022, Exact Dates TBA
The community of Anaheim has taken to the streets for nearly 100 years, celebrating the season with a Fall Festival and Halloween Parade. Guests 12 and under are invited to dress up in their best Halloween attire and take part in the Kiddie Costume Contest. The best-dressed pets can take part in the Halloween Pooch Pawrade. The parade travels down Center Street Promenade through Downtown and ends at the Anaheim Packing House. The first Anaheim Halloween parade was held in 1924, and led by baseball legends Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson. At the peak of popularity, the Anaheim parade drew nearly 150,000 spectators into the streets, and the event was televised in Los Angeles and Orange County.
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Apple Picking in Oak Glen
12201 S. Oak Glen Road, Yucaipa, CA 92399
Labor Day – Thanksgiving Weekend
Tuesday-Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Not in Orange County, but so close you can almost smell the cider. About an hour’s drive takes you to Oak Glen where you can enjoy one of the best fall traditions – apple picking. Riley’s Apple Farm is the original SoCal destination for this outing and they have more than just apples. Visitors can participate in a variety of activities (for a fee) including tomahawk and knife throwing, cider pressing, and archery. Enjoy a delicious lunch on weekends at the snack bar with BBQ chicken apple sausage, apple pie, sub sandwiches, cider floats, and raspberry shakes. Riley’s also features a gift shop and native wood for sale so you can stock up on logs for cozy fall evenings by the fireplace. There are several other ranches, orchards, and restaurants in the area to explore including Riley’s at Los Rios Rancho with picnic grounds and nature trails to explore.
Discovery Cube OC’s Annual Pumpkin Launch
Cal State Fullerton – 800 N. State College Blvd, Fullerton, CA
TBD
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Every year, Discovery Cube OC teams up with Cal State Fullerton for a smashing STEM event. Pumpkin Launch contestants use their engineering skills to build trebuchet machines that send the pumpkins sky-bound at the Cal State Fullerton Athletic Field. In addition to watching pumpkins launch and smash into targets, spectators will enjoy a variety of fun challenges and hands-on activities. Food trucks will be on site for visitors to purchase food and drinks at this fun annual event suitable for the whole family.
Great Park Balloon Jack-O-Lantern
6950 Marine Way, Irvine, CA 92618
Guests are invited to the Orange County Great Park to see the big orange balloon transformed into a giant jack-o-lantern. Every year a large crane lifts balloon pilots up into the air to attach the black vinyl tarp to the side of the balloon. “Jack,” as the Great Park Pumpkin is affectionately known as, will remain in the park until November 1st.
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Irvine Global Village Festival
8000 Great Park Blvd., Irvine, CA 92618
October 9, 2021
10AM – 7PM
The Irvine Global Village Festival returns to Great Park for a full day of food, art, music, and a celebration of Irvine’s diverse community. Celebrate 20 years of fun as the annual festival incorporates the best of Irvine’s historic fall festivals and includes kids’ activities, local and global cuisine, an artisan’s marketplace, music, art, and exhibits.
Turkey Trots and Fun Runs
There are many 5Ks, 10K, marathons, and fun runs happening during the fall season. See our list of events that are lined up for 2021.
Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch
5380 3/4 University Drive, Irvine, CA
September – October 31st, 2022 *Start Date TBA
Reservations are required for Friday after 12PM, Saturday, and Sunday.
Please see the Tanaka Farms page for full details.
Come out to the biggest Pumpkin Patch in town at Tanaka Farms. Visitors can wander the fields and choose their own pumpkin from acres of pumpkins. Visitors can also enjoy wagon hayrides; a petting zoo with goats, sheep, and an alpaca; a corn maze; and a u-pick vegetable patch.
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Underwood Family Farms
Moorpark Farm Center
3370 Sunset Valley Road, Moorpark, CA
Somis Farm Center
5696 E. Los Angeles Ave, Somis, CA
Both farms are open year round
Located about ninety minutes from Orange County these farms offer a variety of activities year round including a Fall Harvest with many activities lined up. The Animal Centers have baby pigs, bunnies, ducks, sheep, alpacas, chickens, and numerous other animals. The Farm Markets carry the includes many types of pickled vegetables, honey, nuts, juices, dried beans, farm fresh eggs and much more. You can even Pick Your Own (PYO) roma tomatoes, oranges and a variety of berries. Wagon rides are available on a first come, first served basis plus farm tours and camps.
Haunted Orange County
Did you know Orange County has many many haunted locations? This fall go on a historical ghost walk and explore the paranormal. Ghost walks are available through Old Town Orange, Santa Ana, San Juan Capistrano, Black Star Canyon, Fairhaven Cemetery and the historic Kellogg House.
Oktoberfest
Biergarten at Old World Huntington Beach
7561 Center Avenue #49, Huntington Beach, CA 92647
September-October 2022 * Dates TBA
This Oktoberfest is one of the oldest running Oktoberfest events in California and is held in a real Bavarian village. The Oktoberfest includes chicken dancing, amazing German food (voted “Best Bratwurst” in California), over 60 beers on tap, Oom pah pah bands, DJs, Dachshund races, The Biergarten Shotzie Girls, competitions, craft cocktails all in a 10,000 square foot open air Biergarten and ginormous Fest Hall. There are activities for both adults, families and kids including family nights and kinderfest.
The Phoenix Club in Anaheim also hosts a great Oktoberfest.
At Home & Backyard Fall Activities
- Make candy or caramel apples
- Host a Halloween scary movie night
- Play touch football
- Pitch a tent for some backyard camping
- Bake an apple or pumpkin pie
- Drink hot spiced apple cider
- Start a backyard bonfire with S’mores
- Nature scavenger hunt
- Make a scarecrow
- Carve a pumpkin and toast the pumpkin seeds
- Craft a kid’s (or adults) Halloween costume
- Bake pumpkin bread
- Host a football party
- Whip up a batch of mulled wine
- Make a big pot of chili
- Decorate the house and front yard
- Make a fall centerpiece for the dining table
- Light autumn scented candles
- Make a pumpkin spice coffee
Related Articles
| Halloween Events In Orange County | Halloween Time at Disneyland & California Adventure |
| Knott’s Scary Farm | Best Places To Go Apple Picking |
| Oktoberfests in Orange County | Orange County 5Ks and Fun Runs |
