Table of Contents
Halloween Event
Belmont Park Beachside Fall Fest
Oct 20–26
Beachside Halloween energy with classic Belmont rides, live music, and all the seasonal treats—because San Diego prefers its pumpkin spice with an ocean breeze. It’s family-friendly and easy: wander the midway for games, catch tunes, then refuel with fall flavors between coaster laps. Bonus: park entry is free; you just pay for the rides and attractions, so you can tailor the night to your crew. Consider it Mission Beach’s way of proving spooky season and surf season can absolutely share a calendar.
Julian Autumn Jubilee
Oct 25–26
This rustic fall fest in Julian serves up hayrides, farm tours, and fresh mountain views with big harvest energy. Fort Cross keeps it hands-on for all ages, and the kids’ entrepreneur fair is a feel-good highlight that’s as educational as it is adorable. Expect plenty of old-timey charm, photogenic pumpkins-and-cornstalk backdrops, and enough country fun to tire out even the bounciest littles. It’s a two-day treat, so grab your flannel and go make some leaf-crunching memories.
North Park Halloween Festival & Pumpkin Costume Contest
Oct 24
North Park’s getting spooky in the best way at the City of San Diego’s North Park Recreation Center, with a community costume showdown for humans of all ages — and yes, pets, too. Come strut your look, cheer on pint-sized pumpkins and four-legged ghouls, and soak up neighborhood vibes without the haunted-house stress. Perfect for families, friends, and anyone who wants cute-over-creepy photo ops and fall fun close to home. Bonus: bragging rights if your costume snags the pumpkin crown.
Halloween Aglow at Birch Aquarium
Oct 24–25
This one glows at Birch Aquarium at Scripps, where trick-or-treating, live music, and underwater pumpkin carving make spooky season delightfully sea-rious. It’s family-friendly without being snoozy, so both little guppies and grown-up ghouls get their fill. Come for the candy, stay for the divers’ jack-o’-lantern showdown and ocean science vibes. If your Halloween needs more boo and fewer hay bales, this is your tide.
Barrio Logan Dia de los Muertos
Oct 25
Barrio Logan does Día de los Muertos with soul: glowing altars, live music, and cultural performances that turn remembrance into a block-party ofrenda. Expect rich traditions, local art, and a community vibe that’s more uplifting than your third cafecito. Bring your crew, your memories, and your best calavera face paint—this is how San Diego honors loved ones and throws down colorfully. Follow @allforlogan for updates and pro tips.
San Diego Zombie Crawl
Oct 24-Nov 1
Across San Diego, the Zombie Crawl turns themed bars into a weeklong horror playground. Expect costume-heavy crowds, DJs, and spooky entertainment spread over multiple nights, so you can stagger back for seconds (and thirds). It’s perfect if you want Halloween variety without being chained to one party, with energy peaking as Oct 31 creeps up. Follow @sandiegozombiecrawl for updates, schedules, and tips on where to join the horde.
Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld San Diego
Oct 23-26
SeaWorld flips the lights off and the fear switch on with haunted houses, scare zones, and roaming creeps that live for your shrieks. Night rides on the coasters hit different when you can’t see the drops, and themed bars with spooky sips plus bumping beats keep the adrenaline going between scares. It’s an after-dark, grown-up Halloween takeover in a place you usually associate with dolphins—aka the plot twist spooky season deserves. Bring your bravest friends and try not to be the one who sprints past the scare actors.
Halloween Haunted House at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe
Oct 25-26
Haunted-house chills meet old-California charm at this historic Rancho Santa Fe inn—because nothing says spooky like creaky floors with actual history. Expect moody grounds, eerie ambiance, and just enough jump-scares to make you grab your friend’s arm and call it cardio. Make it a full-night outing with dinner or a pre-haunt sip on property, then wander the towering trees like the lead in a gothic rom-com. Two nights only, so summon your bravest plus-one and your most photogenic scream.
Moniker Cocktail Co. Día De Los Muertos Fiesta
Oct 25
Trade spooky for soulful—this Día de los Muertos fiesta blends craft cocktails, music, and vibrant cultural vibes for a night that’s more marigold than monster mash. Moniker Cocktail Co. knows their way around a shaker, so expect sips as thoughtful as the celebration itself. It’s a festive, community-forward way to honor loved ones without sacrificing your Friday night groove. Dress to celebrate and bring your camera—the ambiance will be as photo-ready as your garnish.
Spooktacular Halloween Extravaganza
Oct 25
Skip the sticky-floored fright nights and go full glam at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar’s upscale Halloween bash. Think live music, themed cocktails, and chef-worthy bites in a setting fancy enough for Dracula’s dinner plans. It’s spooky-season meets luxury resort, with plenty of photo ops to prove you clean up frighteningly well. If you’re going to be ghosted this weekend, let it be by a five-star vibe.
Haunted Trail of Balboa Park
Sep 26–Nov 1
Balboa Park goes full goosebumps with an outdoor haunted trail packed with cinematic scenes, eerie woods, and jump-scare actors lurking where you least expect them. This long-running San Diego staple uses immersive special effects to turn the park into a scream-worthy labyrinth after dark. Timed-entry nights run from late September through early November and tickets tend to sell out, so snag yours early. Not recommended for kids under 10—or anyone who thinks the rustling in the bushes is “just the wind.”
Trick-or-Treat on India Street
Oct 26
Little Italy turns into a candy-fueled parade with real door-to-door trick-or-treating along historic India Street—no suburban cul-de-sacs required. The Piazza della Famiglia gets a full Nightmare Before Christmas glow-up with a 13’ Jack Skellington, pumpkin stacks, photo ops, local vendors, and maps to participating businesses. New this year: Shake Shack’s all-ages costume contest (sign up at 5:00pm, judging at 5:30pm) with prizes across kid and family/group categories. Cedar through Grape will be closed to cars, so bring the goblins, stretch those treat bags, and let the sugar sprint commence.
HalGlowEen at the San Diego Zoo
Oct 24–26
Come for the critters, stay for the glow—the Zoo flips to after-dark mode with a glittering, glimmering Halloween takeover every Friday–Sunday in October. Activities start at 5 p.m., delivering a light-up-the-night spectacular packed with eerie-sistible entertainment, interactive festivities, and not-too-spooky surprises. It’s a photo-op goldmine and a low-scare, high-fun option for families and fraidy-cats alike—perfect for Oct 24–26.
Autumn Festival at San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Oct 25-26
San Diegans, trade your beach towel for boots and hit the Safari Park where Safari Park Radio sets a modern-country soundtrack for a day with actual wildlife as your plus-ones. Between the toe-tappin’ scarecrow jamboree, a kid-friendly maze packed with Southwest wildlife clues, and a lantern-lit Reflections finale at 6:45 p.m., your autumn vibes are covered. Come hungry: Teriyaki Pork Chop Sandwiches, Surf and Turf Burritos, Caramel Apple Churro Fries, and sips like a Prickly Pear Margarita or Stone Fruit Spice Cocktail await. It’s all happening Oct 25-26, so lasso the family and make some cozy, conservation-powered memories.
Fair
Other Places Art fair
Oct 25, 2025
Co-presented with Harvest & Gather, OPaf is taking over the California Center for the Arts, Escondido for a one-day, indoor–outdoor mashup of art, ideas, and neighborly chaos from 11 AM to 6 PM. Expect 30+ booths and installations, plus performances, readings, talks, and the community-powered Workshop Tent where you can actually make things (and brag about it later). It’s free to enter (a friendly $5 keeps the magic going), and the 他の場所 popup brings Japanese artists and galleries into the mix for extra bragging rights. Less velvet rope, more conversation starters—aka the perfect North County Saturday.
Festival
BirdStock Music Festival & Artisan Market
Oct 25, 2025
Free festival alert: Bird Rock takes over 5500–5700 La Jolla Blvd for an all-day, 10am-8pm music bash with five stages and prime coastal vibes. Bring kids, pups, and your inner groove—there’s a pumpkin patch, mini-golf, street tennis, book readings, a pet adoption zone, and a Pup Halloween Costume Contest. Grown-ups can post up in the Beer & Wine Garden from 12-8pm while do-gooders line up for the dunk tank to raise funds for local schools. Come for the tunes, stay to shop local artisans, and leave with that smug I-just-helped-the-community glow.
Sports
San Diego FC vs. Portland Timbers
Oct 26, 2025, 6:30 p.m. PT
San Diego FC’s first-ever playoff match storms into Snapdragon with home-field swagger after a record-setting inaugural season. They’ll face the Wild Card winner (Portland or Real Salt Lake) in a best-of-3, and Game 1 is ours. Arrive early—first 25,000 fans get a commemorative SDFC scarf courtesy of Sharp HealthCare. If you must watch from the couch, it’s on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (free for Apple TV subscribers), but history sounds better in person.
