Things To Do In Orange County This Fall
There are so many fun Fall activities in Orange County. And, because we’re committed to making planning family memories as easy as possible for our community, we’ve compiled a list of the ones we think are worth taking the whole family to check out!
Click on the links to learn more about each one!
Halloween Aglow
Birch Aquarium
After the sun goes down, the aquarium lights up!
- Trick-or-treat around the aquarium in your Halloween costume — bonus points if it’s ocean-themed!
- Boo-gie down to live music from Billy Lee and the Swamp Critters!
- Play ghoulishly fun games like Skeeball, Whac a Mole and more!
- Explore the Living Light Experience to see the ocean’s bioluminescence and fluorescence up close
- Learn about some of the weird and wonderful research being done at Scripps Oceanography!
TICKETS :
Adult Ticket Price: $36 members | $40 general public
Child Ticket Price (Ages 3-17): $31 members | $35 general public
Children 2 and under are free.
Advanced reservations are required as the event is expected to sell out.
DATES : October 25 and 26 from 6 to 8:30 p.m
Zoomar’s
31791 Los Rios Street San Juan Capistrano, CA
Petting Zoo, Pumpkins, Pony Rides, and so much more!
DATES:
Every day from 10 am – 4 pm
Last entry is 3:30 pm
Anaheim Fall Festival
Parade and fun festival!
DATES :
October 26
TIMES:
Festival 11am–5 pm
Parade 7 pm
Roger’s Gardens
2301 San Joaquin Hills Rd. Corona del Mar, CA 92625
‘The Gathering’ Halloween Boutique. If you love all things magical you won’t want to miss this spooky good time!
DATES :
NOW – October 31st
TIMES:
9 am – 6 pm
Boo at the Zoo
Santa Ana Zoo
- trick-or-treating
- lights & decorations
- nocturnal animal presentations
- scavenger hunt
- rides (ride tickets required)
DATES:
October 19, 20, 26 and 27
TIMES:
5:30p – 7:30p
Have we missed any?! Comment below so we can get it added!
Knott’s Spooky Farm
Knott’s Berry Farm , 8039 Beach Boulevard Buena Park CA, 90620
Enjoy the Halloween season at Knott’s Spooky Farm, a family-friendly daytime celebration. Little ghouls can trick-or-treat around the town of Calico’s shops and buildings to collect sweet treats, plus enjoy even more kids’ Halloween activities including a costume contest and trick or treating.
DATES:
Daytime Thursdays-Sundays, September 26 – October 31, 2024, plus Columbus Day
Pirate’s Dinner Adventure
7600 Beach Blvd, Buena Park, CA 90620
Travel back to the 1800’s where you’ll climb aboard the Evil Captain Sebastian the Black’s ship for an interactive family friendly evening filled with adventure, romance and a spooky good time. While enjoying a four-course meal so delicious it’s scary, you’ll witness feats of aerial artistry, swordplay, death defying stunts and dynamic duels as Captain Sebastian Black’s dastardly crew of “Vampire Pirates” attempts to defeat the Vampire Hunter. Can the Vampire Hunter overcome the Vampirates before becoming… their dinner? It only takes one bite!
Check HERE for dates and prices.
Halloween Spooktacular
Mariners Park & VJ Community Center, 1300 Irvine Ave. Newport Beach, California 92660
Includes music, trunk-or-treat area, a haunted walkthrough, carnival games, bounce houses, costume contests, food trucks, and fun for the whole family! Food will be available for purchase from local favorites.
DATES:
October 26th
TIMES:
3 pm – 6 pm
Spooky Seas 2024
Ocean Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr. Dana Point
Back again this year with new family friendly frights from bioluminescence laser tag to the mad scientist laboratory there’s something fun for the whole family to enjoy! Bats & ghouls – come in costume to participate in our costume contest, trick or treat throughout the night, and enjoy our haunted tall ship tour on the Spirit of Dana Point!
DATE:
October 26
TIME:
5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Jack O’Lantern Jamboree
Garden Grove City Hall, 11222 Acacia Parkway Garden Grove, CA 92840
Reservations are required for entrance. Costumes encouraged!
Event activities include bubble shows, inflatable obstacle courses, a reptile booth with educational shows, carnival games, glitter tattoos, face painting, a pumpkin patch, and crafts! Please note, only children ages 2-10 will receive a pumpkin and pumpkin decorating kit. All other activities will be open to all event attendees. Kettle corn, lemonade, shaved ice, and ice cream treats will be available for purchase from local vendor, C&M Ohana.
DATE:
October 26th
TIME:
1 pm – 4 pm
PRICING:
Ages 0-1: FREE
Ages 2-10: $12
(Each child will receive a goody bag for treats and a pumpkin!)
Ages 11+: $3
Kids Club – Spooktacular Halloween
The Green in front of Century Theater.
Must RSVP!
-
Costume Parade
-
Music and Entertainment
-
Games + Activities
-
Live Creepy Crawlers with Doodle Bugs
-
Create a Halloween themed craft
-
Raffle – $25 Jamba Juice Card
Costume Week at Pretend City
Get into the Halloween spirit at Pretend City’s costume week, where spooky fun and creative costumes make The City so much fun! Dress up your little ones in costumes – and enjoy $2 off child admission.
- Discount is only valid for child admission tickets
- Discount is only available 10/23-10/25 and 10/30-10/31 (not valid on weekends)
- Tickets must be purchased at the door. No adjustments can be made to pre-purchased tickets.
DATES:
October 23 – October 31
Haunted Trails
Laguna Niguel
Haunted Trails is back for another unnerving, dreadful year! Join us on the trail for four memorable nights that are sure to haunt your dreams. Our undead monsters are eagerly awaiting your arrival.
Ticket sales begin Friday, September 13 at Crown Valley Community Center. Tickets are available for purchase during normal operating hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm. Pre-sale ends Wednesday, October 9 and costs $13 per person.
Ticket price goes up to $15 starting October 10.
Ghoulish Group Rate: Groups of 10+ individuals can purchase tickets at $10 per person
You must present a physical ticket to enter the trail. This event is not recommended for children under 10 years old.
Pumpkin Splash
San Clemente Aquatics Center, 987 Avenida Vista Hermosa San Clemente, California 92673
All ages can swim in the pool, play on the activity structure, and dive in to find the perfect pumpkin. Listen to spooky music, play on floating inflatables, and enjoy Halloween-themed activities in and out of the pool! Each participant gets one pumpkin for decorating while supplies last. Its sure to be a ghoulishly good time!
DATE:
October 19th
TIME:
12 PM – 4 PM
PRICING:
Entry fee for all swimmers and spectators is $7 per person pre-registered or $10 at the door.
Fall-O-Ween
25151 Serrano Road Lake Forest, CA 92630-2534
OC Parks’ Fall-O-Ween at Heritage Hill Historical Park returns for its fourth year this fall! Tour the decorated historical grounds and take your picture at a variety of Halloween and fall-themed photo opportunities during special park hours.
Try to find your way through the straw maze and complete a scavenger hunt* for ghoulish goodies at this family-friendly event.
Costumes are encouraged and pets are welcome on leashes no longer than 6 feet.
*Scavenger hunt prizes available while supplies last.
DATE:
October 11th
TIME:
4:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Halloween Carnival
Central Park, 7821 Walker St La Palma
2024 Costume Contest Schedule:
- 4:30 p.m. Scariest Costume
- 4:45 p.m. Funniest Costume
- 5:00 p.m. Most Original Costume
- 5:15 p.m. Best Duo Costumes
- 5:30 p.m. Best Family/Group Costumes
- 5:45 p.m. Best Pet Costume
Dia De Las Muertos
10961 Reagan St. Los Alamitos, CA 90720
No entry fee • Costume Contest
• Altar Contest
• Great Food & Entertainment
Reserve your Altar Space ($35 fee)
DATE:
November 2nd
TIME:
2 pm – 9 pm
Halloween Family Festival
Central Park, 30842 La Miranda
Central Park will be transformed into a Halloween wonderland filled with fun for all ages. Trick-or-treat with your family and enjoy candy, bounce houses, and inflatables. Our highly-anticipated costume contest features categories for children, pets, and families. Capture your Halloween memories at our festive photo opp and enjoy DJ music and games. Also be on the look out for our local vendors to purchase refreshments and snacks. Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to enjoy this event. Activity wristbands can be picked up in advance at the Beach Club (information below). Halloween Family Festival is hosted in partnership with the RSM chamber of Commerce and the City of Rancho Santa Margarita.
DATE:
October 31st
TIME:
2:30 pm – 5:30 pm
