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.
Aliso Viejo Fall Harvest Festival
Grand Park/Town Center Amphitheater
6101 City Lights Drive, Aliso Viejo
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
TBA
Come out and enjoy the annual Fall Harvest Festival and Food Drive hosted by the Aliso Viejo Community Association. Guests will enjoy crafts for kids, fun carnival games, balloon twisters, entertainment, and more. Participants are invited to dress up and join the costume parade at 10:30 a.m. Guests who donate five or more canned food items or pet food, or make a donation to South County Outreach will receive a wristband for a free pony ride for their child. Pony rides will only be available to those who bring a donation.
Aliso Viejo AVCA Drive-In Movie Night
The Commons Aliso Viejo
26501 Aliso Creek Road, Aliso Viejo
October 16, 2020
5:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Come out for a viewing of Halloween favorite Hocus Pocus. Bring five non-perishable food items to donate to the food pantry and be entered in the raffle. Purchase food from businesses at The Commons or bring your own snacks as concessions will not be available at this event.
Anaheim Fall Festival & Halloween Parade
Downtown Anaheim
Broadway & Clementine, Anaheim, CA
Drive-thru parade on October 24, 2020
*For 2020, the Anaheim Fall Festival will be held primarily online for the month of October and a drive-thru parade will be held on October 24th. Details will be announced via social media.
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.
Fall Festival at Fairhaven
Fairhaven Memorial Park
1702 Fairhaven Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92705
TBA
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Fairhaven Memorial Park is hosting a family friendly fall festival with 10 holiday-themed stations for guests to walk through. The event is free but registration is required.
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 18th-October 31st, 2021
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 rides; a petting zoo with goats, sheep, and an alpaca; a corn maze; and a u-pick vegetable patch.
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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 |
Heidi Deal is the author of the Newcomers Handbook to Living In Los Angeles & Orange County, an expert at exploring all that Orange County has to offer, and a children’s book author specializing in history and human rights.
