The leaves may not be falling just yet, but the spooky season is creeping in!
Fall is upon us, well, technically. But this stretch of the West Coast would never know it if it wasn’t for the smorgasbord of pumpkin-flavored everything being churned out at bakeries and coffee shops. Or, the elaborate seasonal events taking over the city. Perhaps it’s that the notion of fall is so elusive in the surrounding natural landscapes, that Angelenos feel compelled to make up for it in festive events and activities. So, even if you’ll still be soaking up the sun for most of the month, here are some of the most exciting ways to get into the fall spirit.
1. Wander Through Haunt O’ Ween’s Dazzling Halloween Wonderland
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Credit: Haunt O’ Ween, Experiential Supply
Wander through Haunt O’ Ween’s dazzling 150,000-square-foot Halloween haven with multiple zones filled with spooky delights. This 31-day walk-thru adventure features large-scale multi-sensory scenes, new haunting characters, pumpkin-picking with carving stations, trick-or-treating and a glowing Jack-O-Lantern tunnel. Get your tickets here.
2-10. Pick The Perfect Pumpkin At One Of These Wonderful Patches
- Credit: Skywalk Santa’s Village
Find the perfect gourd at one of these picturesque farms around L.A. You’ll get into creative carving and fill your home with your own glowing masterpieces. Plus there’ll be plenty of fun seasonal activities to keep you entertained while you’re at it. Find our favorite places to go pumpkin picking here.
11. Mingle With Spectres At This Macabre Haunted Cocktail Soirée
Step through the doors of this macabre manor in Highland Park and you’ll be transported to a world of phantasmic refinement as you mingle with strange specters, witness secret ceremonies, commune with the spirits on a giant Ouija Board, and enjoy themed cocktails, magic, music and more! The beloved House of Spirits cocktail soiree returns with a new season, new characters, and new delectable concoctions. Get your tickets here.
12. Enter Escape Halloween’s Wicked Wonderland
Escape Halloween is bringing the night to life with a labyrinth of glowing superstructures, monstrous beats, haunting performers and audiovisual trickery that will captivate your soul. SoCal’s dark underworld will rise at Nos Events Center for two days of bone-rattling revelry starting on October 29th. Get your tickets here.
11-14. Settle In For An Enchanting Concert By Candlelight
The wildly popular Candlelight concerts have never ceased to captivate audiences across the globe. The series brings you talented musicians who perform live concerts in beautiful settings, all bathed in Candlelight. While the virtual performances during the lockdown were just as magical, the exclusive event is now taking over iconic indoor spaces for a unique evening:
- Candlelight Halloween: A Haunted Evening of Classical Compositions
- Candlelight Open Air: Songs from Magical Movie Soundtracks at JW Marriott Anaheim
- Candlelight: From Bach to The Beatle
- Día De Los Muertos: Celebrating Day of the Dead
15. Experience The Sistine Chapel At This Incredible Multisensory Exhibition
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition showcases the awe and wonder of arguably one of mankind’s greatest artistic achievements while allowing its visitors to experience this art from an up-close, life-sized, and never-before-seen perspective. Allow the artistic genius’s masterpieces to blossom around you, enfolding you in their brilliance. Get your tickets here.
16-28. Go Chasing One Of These Gorgeous Waterfalls Around L.A.
After the heavy rainfall brought in by the October storms and with L.A.’s very agreeable “fall” weather, it’s the perfect time to go seeking these magical waterfalls hidden amongst the rocks and trees. The soothing sound of a rushing waterfall in the distance makes the treks to find them all worth it. Find them all here.
29. Hop On This Harry Potter-Themed Murder Mystery Returns To The Napa Valley Wine Train
- Credit: Napa Valley Wine Train
Don your robes and wands out, and take a spellbinding trip on a vintage wine train. If you love wine, mysteries and all things Potter, then this experience is a whole new level of magic. And the train departs this October! Find out all you need to know here.
30-36. Pick The Perfect Apple At One Of These 7 Picturesque Farms Around L.A.
- Credit: Unsplash
The weather begins to change and the leaves turn a different shade—well, sort of. Here in L.A., it means apples are ripe and ready for harvesting! One of our favorite things about this time of year is going apple picking! Find 7 of the most wonderful farms to celebrate this delicious fruit.
37. Go Inside The Mind Of The Elusive Street Artist At This Incredible Banksy Exhibition
The renowned Banksy: Genius or Vandal? expo has finally landed on L.A. shores after a successful tour across major global cities. Explore over 80 of the enigmatic artist’s legendary works and dive straight into the controversial artistic universe of one of the most influential creators of our time. In addition to the largest collection of Banksy art pieces anywhere in the world, the exhibition also features interactive installations, plus photos and videos showing street works that are currently lost, back in their original locations. Get your tickets here.
38-44. Tick Off Some Of These 7 Natural Wonders From Your Bucket List
No matter what imaginative creations we manage to conjure up and manufacture, nature seems to offer something that tops it all. Here are all the stunning and unusual natural wonders less than 4 hours away from L.A. that you need to see at least once.
45-49. Enjoy A Cinematic Feast With Street Food Cinema’s Halloween Series
Street Food Cinema is known for matching up the movie, food, and settings to the season. Whether it’s a classic horror film at the Million Dollar Theater replete ghouls and spooky treats or the Yuletide Cinemaland outside the heritage museum, you’re always in for a charming (and delicious) surprise. Since it’s Halloween, you can gather your picnic clique and head to one of these deliciously thrilling Halloween screenings at various open-air locations around L.A. Here’s what showing every Saturday throughout the month:
Saturday, October 9: Jurassic Park
Saturday, October 23: Hocus Pocus
Saturday, October 23:Rocky Horror Picture Show
Saturday: October 30:Beetlejuice
Saturday: October 30: The Craft
50. Journey To ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ With This Epic Pink Floyd Exhibition For Music Lovers
The iconic pig will be floating into Hollywood next month. Except, instead of packing into a stadium like sardines, fans will be taken on an audiovisual journey that transcends time and space. The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains brings the visionary universe of one of the most successful bands to life like never before. Get your tickets here.
51. Keep Up With The Class At The Haunted House: The Clown Academy
- Credit: The Clown Academy
Enter an abandoned school run by clowns with this ultra-realistic horror maze. High-energy music will reverberate through the haunted hallways and you find your way out. You’ll be immersed in carnival games with live entertainers, waiting to welcome you. Get your tickets here and keep up with the class!
52. Immerse Yourself In A World Of Magic & Sip On Potent Potions At The Black Rabbit Rose
Step into the shadows of this embellished theater, hidden in the heart of Hollywood where a mysterious world of wonders lies behind the doors. Every weekend, the Houston brothers’ will be bringing their signature brand of allure and spectacle to Black Rabbit Rose. Your adventure into a world of illusions begins with a swirling craft cocktail that’s an entire act on its own. Get your tickets here.
53-57. Enjoy A Gourmet Feast And Pet Therapy In The Santa Monica Mountains
The idyllic 29 Oaks Ranch is known for pairing delicious farm-style food and quality time with adorable farm animals. When it comes to creating irresistible experiences you didn’t know you needed, there is simply nothing that matches it. Here are 3 blissful outdoor experiences for animal lovers:
- Wine & Cheese with Goofy Goats at 29 Oaks Ranch
- Exotic Tea Tasting Afternoon with Goofy Goats at 29 Oaks Ranch
- Bubbly Mimosa Brunch with Goofy Baby Goats!
- Happy Hour & Tarot Reading With Friendly Farm Animals
- Whiskey Tasting with Wacky Goats at 29 Oaks Ranch
60. Discover The Secrets Of The Universe Through Jaw-Dropping Artworks At This Immersive Exhibit
Wisdome in Downtown L.A. will be transformed into a 24,000-square-foot, multi-dimensional wonderland from September 17, and it’s going to blow your mind. The cutting-edge exhibition ‘Mystic Universe’ delves into ancient cultures, philosophies, and architecture through a unique combination of mind-bending art, live performances, 360-degree technology, sculpture mapping, sound, and VR. Get your tickets here.
61. Take In 360-Degree Views At This New Rooftop Inspired By The French Riviera
Paring the breezy sophistication of Côte d’Azur with arresting views of the Hollywood hilltops, this new rooftop spot is a postcard for the laidback 60s glamour. Occupying the rooftop of the new Thomspon Hotel, which made its debut earlier this year, featuring two restaurants with world-renowned chefs, a luxurious rooftop pool terrace, 11 storeys of inviting designer interiors. Find out more about the stunning Bar Lis here.
62. Celebrate Dia de los Muertos At The Historic Olvera Street
- Credit: Olvera Street
Olvera Street is one of the city’s oldest landmarks and serves as a popular destination because of it’s colorful marketplace and handful of delicious restaurants! The annual Dia de los Muertos Festival has been held on Olvera Street for over 30 years and has brought Angelenos the opportunity to celebrate life in such a beautiful way. From October 25 to November 2, participate in candlelight processions where Mayan blessings and cleansings will be offered; following each procession, free pan de muerto (sweet bread) and champurrado (Mexican hot beverage) will be served! Find out more here.
63. Indulge In This Decadent Cirque-Style Soirée Happening In Palm Springs
- Credit: AirOtic
Break out the bubbly and enjoy the show! AirOtic Soireé is hosting a series of special Cirque-style Cabaret Dinner Shows at Hunters Palm Springs so you and your friends can enjoy an exclusive night out full of excellent cocktails and world-class acrobatics.
64. Hike To This Giant Pumpkin Rock For A Creepy Halloween Photo Op
Drop the candy and treat yourself to a scenic hiking trail instead. This giant pumpkin boulder in Norco might just be the perfect alternative to the usual Halloween traditions. Perched upon the highest hill in this small town, this huge Pumpkin Rock offers plenty of photo opportunities and comes with stunning 360-degree views. Find out more here.
65. Get Lost In This Epic Corn Maze
Pumpkins get all the attention over the spooky season, but there’s nothing as enthralling as finding your way out of a maze of giant corn stalks. And the Tapia Brothers are the masters of creating artist trails through their giant maize patch. Find out more about this festive challenge here.
66. Celebrate All Things Dark And Wonderful At This Burton-Themed Bar
It’s Halloween every day for Willy Wonka, Jack Skellington, Joker, Beetlejuice and the rest of Tim Burton’s eccentric characters. But the spooky season is by far the most popular time to don your favorite striped suit and indulge in an “Edward Burger Hands” while sipping on concoctions like a “Jameson and The Giant Peach” as sword swallowers, fire eaters, psychics and mentalists bring the magic right to your table. Find out more here.
67. Explore A Glowing Trail Of Gourds At Descanso Garden’s ‘Carved’
Descanso Garden’s beloved Carved trail returns for three weeks starting from October 11. Guests will take evening strolls under the stars amongst hundreds of glowing, beautifully hand-carved pumpkins and other oversized sculptures created from natural materials like sticks. Find out more here.
68. Enter A Terrifying Trail Haunts At Fear Grounds—If You Dare!
From the award-winning team that brought attractions for Disney, Universal Studios, Six Flags, and more to life, comes a Halloween experience full of haunts and screams! At Fear Grounds, you’ll explore two horrifying open-air haunts—The Cage, and The Terror Trail – and do your best to make it out in one piece. You’ll also have access to the Dead Zone Beer Garden, a cozy area with food, fun and excitement! The horrors lurking in the Fear Grounds are loud, in-your-face, and pure wickedness. Get tickets here…if you dare!
69. Go On A Hunt For L.A.’s Spookiest Displays
- Credit: Haunts of L.A.
Every year, Halloween artisans pour their blood, sweat and tears into creating an otherworldly experience in their front yards. While there may be a few tweaks and fewer interactive mazes, there are still spooky spectacles going on. So add these thrilling installations to your list of Halloween activities. Find our area guide here.