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 :
Members Save 50% Off Tickets
Adults (13+): $22.50 for members | $45 for general public
Children (Ages 3-12): $20 for members | $40 for general public
Children 2 and under are free.
Advanced reservations are required as the event is expected to sell out.
DATES : Friday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 25 | 6 – 8:30 PM
Zoomar’s
31791 Los Rios Street San Juan Capistrano, CA
Petting Zoo, Pumpkins, Pony Rides, and so much more!
DATES:
Weekdays: 10:00am to 4:00pm
Weekends: 10:00am to 4:00pm
Last Entry is at 3:30 pm
Anaheim Fall Festival
Parade and fun festival!
DATES :
October 25
TIMES:
Festival 11am–5 pm
Parade 7 pm
Roger’s Gardens
2301 San Joaquin Hills Rd. Corona del Mar, CA 92625
Midnight Market Halloween Boutique
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
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:
Thurs-Sun, Sept. 25 – Oct. 31, 2025, plus Columbus Day (Oct. 13)
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!
Mon, Thurs, Sun @ 6:30PM + Halloween
Check HERE for prices.
Halloween Spooktacular
Mariners Park & VJ Community Center, 1300 Irvine Ave. Newport Beach, California 92660
Includes costume contest, pumpkin decorating, cakewalks, bingo, pumpkin hunt, and inflatables.
DATES:
October 25
TIMES:
5:30 pm – 9:00 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 25th
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
Mid-Autumn Festival
The Park (Fountain Area by The Residences)
- Live Cultural Performances (Lion Dance & Traditional Chinese dance) that showcase the beauty and energy of this holiday.
- Delicious Mooncake Tastings – a sweet treat symbolizing harmony and togetherness.
- Free folding fan giveaways – while supplies last*
- Hands-On Lantern Crafts – create your own lantern to take home!
- Face Painting – fun designs for all ages!
- Themed Photo Backdrop & beautiful fountain for magical photo moments.
- Interactive Storytime sharing the Legend of the Moon.
5 pm – 7 pm
Costume Week at Pretend City
Happy Halloween! Step into a world of enchantment, mystery, and creepy crawlers. It’s a perfect time for kids and families to enjoy festive activities and create unforgettable memories. It’s going to be a spook-tacular night!
DATES:
October 26, 29, 30
Haunted Trails
Laguna Niguel
Haunted Trails is back for another 4 terrifying nights of bone chilling horror. Step inside a world of abandoned hospitals, deranged doctors, and failed experiments that should’ve never seen the light of day. Not recommended for children under 10 years old. Tickets are available for purchase at Crown Valley Community Center, Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. You may also purchase tickets on event nights. You must present a physical ticket to enter the trail. To stay up to date with Haunted Trails, follow @ cityoflagunaniguel on Facebook and Instagram.
*For group sales larger than 10 participants, please contact the Parks and Recreation Registration Office at (949) 425-5100 or visit us in-person at Crown Valley Community Center.
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 18th
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
Dates: October 26
Times:
3 pm – 6 pm
2025 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
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
