Fall is almost here! While we may not experience a huge change in temperature this time of year compared to other parts of the country (not that we’re complaining), Orange County definitely gets into the fall and festive spirit with seasonal events and activities for locals and tourists alike. Whether you’re looking for family-friendly festivals, spooky attractions, or ways to make the most of the outdoors, we’ve got you covered. Check out our guide to the best things to do in Orange County this fall.

1. Shop for Festive Decor at Roger’s Gardens Halloween Boutique

• Dates: September 1 – October 31
• Location: 2301 San Joaquin Hills Rd., Corona Del Mar

Every year, Roger’s Gardens throws a spectacular Halloween boutique. It has not only an incredible selection of seasonal decor alongside their regular selection of beautiful plants and merchandise, but it is also staged in a way to make it a wonderfully immersive experience. Each year they decorate along a different theme. This year, their theme is “The Gathering,” so expect to feel as though you’re in an overgrown forest where a coven of witches secretly congregate.

While you’re there, grab a bite at their farm-to-table restaurant and enjoy their weekly Swig for Selflessness that benefits a rotating local nonprofit!

2. Go Apple Picking in Oak Glen

• Dates: September – Thanksgiving
• Location: Oak Glen

Okay, so this one isn’t actually in Orange County like the rest on this list, but it’s only a short 1.5 hour drive away and is a favorite day trip for many locals this time of year! Up in the mountains of the San Bernadino National Forest, Oak Glen is a small agricultural community that is not only a great place to the witness the changing colors of the trees (especially later in the season) but it is also host to a number of family-owned apple groves where you’re invited to pick-your-own. During weekends, many of the farms host live music and wagon rides.

The season ends over Thanksgiving weekend when they celebrate the end of autumn with an Apple Butter Festival, which is worth a visit even if just for all the delicious apple butter treats!

3. Pick Your Own Pumpkins at Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch

• Dates: September 14 – October 31
• Location: 5380 3/4 University Drive, Irvine

If you’d prefer a U-Pick experience that is closer to home, Tanaka Farms is your place! While there are a number of really amazing places worth checking out where you can choose your own pumpkin in Orange County (check out our ultimate guide here), the Pumpkin Patch at Tanaka Farms is the only REAL pumpkin patch in the area. In addition to choosing your pumpkin, you can also enjoy wagon rides, a corn maze, a barnyard educational exhibit, and more.

If you visit over the weekend, you can also enjoy their Fall Harvest Festival! This features all the same fun during the week with the addition of arts & crafts, festival games, live music, and their famous pumpkin cannon.

4. Get Spooked at Knott’s Scary Farm

• Dates: September 19 – October 31
• Location: Knotts Berry Farm, Buena Park

If you’re the type that loves a good scare, there is no better experience in OC that a visit to Knott’s Scary Farm. Open only in the evenings, the theme park becomes transformed into a thrilling nightmare filled with haunted mazes, scary shows, and over 1,000 terrifying ghosts and ghouls ready to pop-out to fill you with terror at any moment. The production is genuinely impressive and is so scary that it’s not recommended that guests come if they are under 13.

5. Catch Stunning Aerial Stunts at the Great Pacific Airshow

• Dates: October 4-6
• Location: Huntington Beach between Twin Dolphin St. & Beach Blvd

Every autumn, the skies come alive over Huntington Beach at the Great Pacific Airshow. This incredible airshow features military and cilivian pilots performing jaw-dropping stunts, with headliners including the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. The show is free to watch from the beach (though you can reserve a spot in the VIP area for an enhanced viewing experience) and there are food vendors and live entertainment nearby to enjoy before, during, and after the show. It certainly makes for a fun and unique beach day! It does gets crowded, so we recommend arriving early to find good parking.

6. Enjoy a Multi-Cultural Feast at Irvine Global Village Festival

• Dates: October 5
• Location: Great Park, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine

The Irvine Global Village Festival in Irvine’s Great Park is a one-day event that you won’t want to miss. From 10 AM to 6 PM, this family-friendly festival features international food, live performances, art exhibits, and hands-on activities that allow you to experience a global cultural experience that celebrates the amazing diversity we have here in Orange County.

TIP! While the Irvine Global Village event might be the largest festival, there are a ton of other amazing cultural harvest festivals happening this fall, too! Check them out here.

7. Admire Artistic Masterpieces at Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational

• Dates: October 5 – 13
• Location: 414 N. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach

Watch as art comes alive at the Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational! “Plein Air” is a French term translated as “outdoors.” Laguna Beach was a favorite destination of French Impressionist artists during the early 1900s, and today the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association nonprofit hosts a 9-day invitational for landscape artists to demonstrate why.

During this over a weeklong event, artists from across the country gather to paint the stunning landscapes of Laguna Beach in real time. Throughout the week, you can observe live painting, attend artist meet-and-greets, and even purchase an original work if you find one you fall in love with.

8. Celebrate Fall-O-Ween at Heritage Hill Historical Park

• Dates: October 11-13 & 18-20
• Location: 25151 Serrano Road, Lake Forest

For a Halloween experience a little more family-friendly than Knott’s Scary Farm, you won’t want to miss Fall-O-Ween at Heritage Hill Historical Park in Lake Forest. In addition to touring the historical grounds, you can explore the Halloween grounds adorned with festive autmn and Halloween decor. Kids are welcome and even encouraged to come dressed in costume and enjoy trick-or-treating, costume contests, themed crafts, hay maze, and more. There are also a number of other fun activities to enjoy, including a scavenger hunt, photo opportunities, and live entertainment.

The best part is that this event is FREE and even your pets can attend (so long as they are leashed), making this a fun and budget-friendly event the whole family can enjoy.

9. Grab Some Spooky Fare from a Local Themed Eatery or Drinkery

• Dates: Through Halloween
• Location: Various locations throughout OC

We have so many great locally owned bars, cafes, and restaurants here in OC, and many of them go all out for the seasons and holidays! We rounded up some of our favorite spooky-themed eateries and drinkeries that best immerse you in the Halloween vibes. From a witch-themed bar with a hidden room to a Victorian goth high tea experience, check out our full list here.

10. Enjoy Boo at the Zoo at Santa Ana Zoo

• Dates: October 19-20 & 26-27
• Location: 1801 East Chestnut Avenue, Santa Ana

Bring the kids for a spooky (or, alternatively as they themselves describe, “merry not scary”) evening at Boo at the Zoo! In addition to just getting to enjoy seeing all the animals at the Santa Ana Zoo, this family-friendly Halloween event features trick-or-treating, themed crafts, nocturnal animal encounters, a scavenger hunt, and a costume parade. The whole park is lit up in fun and festive lights and decorations. Kids 12 and under are encouraged to wear their costumes to really get into the experience.

11. Take a Hike Through Santiago Oaks Regional Park

• Dates: All Autumn Long!
• Location: 2145 Windes Drive, Orange

While we don’t always get to see a true changing of the leaves here in Orange County, the best opportunity to stay local and experience the change of seasons is to explore a shaded trail like those in Santiago Oaks Regional Park. The Santiago Creek Trail is an easy 10.1 mile point-to-point trail that ventures through groves of live oak and sycamore trees. Most of the trail is paved and there is also a lot of wheelchair accessible parking spaces, so those in need of mobility equipment or are looking for a stroller friendly hike can also enjoy!

12. Go for an Autumn Whale-Watching Cruise in Dana Point

• Dates: All Autumn Long!
• Location: Dana Point Harbor

Fall is the prime time for whale-watching in Dana Point, particularly if you want to witness the migration of blue, fin, and humpback whales! A number of companies in Dana Point Harbor offer whale watching cruises, and in addition to catching glipses of these majestic beasts, you might also catch other marine life like sea lions and dolphins. Because the temperatures have cooled down, the cruise along the coast feels particularly magical with the crisp air blowing on you as you glide along the coast.

Do you know of a hidden gem or a must-do activity happening this fall? Comment below!