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Best Fall Festivals and Fairs in Los Angeles for Fall Family Fun

Pick a peck of pumpkins at the Annual Pumpkin Festival Cal Poly Pomona. Photo courtesy of the Cal Poly Pomona Facebook page
Pick a peck of pumpkins at the Annual Pumpkin Festival Cal Poly Pomona. Photo courtesy of the Cal Poly Pomona Facebook page
9/1/24 - By Toby B

Fall festivals in Los Angeles do exist, even if the warm beach weather says otherwise. While other places have a season called fall, LA has something more like extended summer weather with back-to-school fun and a pumpkin aisle at Trader Joe's.

Of course, the beauty of an endless summer that fades gently into Halloween or Thanksgiving—usually right up until that guy in the red suit arrives—is that family-friendly fall festivals keep going strong through November. Check out some of our favorite annual faux fall festivals in Los Angeles, from Labor Day through Day of the Dead. 

For more fall fun, visit the best pumpkin patches in Los Angeles, go apple picking near LA, and see what other seasonal activities should be on your fall bucket list in our Fall Fun Guide for Los Angeles and OC Kids.  

See tall ships and more at Dana Point's Maritime Festival. Photo courtesy of the festival
See tall ships and more at Dana Point's Maritime Festival. Photo courtesy of the festival

Best Fall Festivals in Los Angeles: Pumpkin Festivals & More

Fall Festival, A Night in the Park

Burbank - FREE
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Burbank celebrates the season with its Fall Festival - A Night in the Park in Johnny Carson Park.  Highlights of this free festival include a live concert by Angela O’Neill and The Outrageous8, food trucks, art vendors, and a screening of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. READ MORE

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival at the Bowers Museum

Santa Ana - Free
Sunday, September 8, 2024
The Bowers celebrates the season with its annual Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. The day includes live performances of traditional music and dance, art projects, free face painting, and more. READ MORE

Ocean Institute Maritime Festival

Dana Point
Friday-Sunday, September, 13-15, 2024
The Ocean Institute on Dana Point hosts the 40th annual Maritime Festival. Kids can tour tall ships, experience a mermaid breakfast, meet pirates, learn about marine life and pan for gold, enjoy carnival games and bounce houses, take part in cannon battles at sea, and more. READ MORE

Irvine Mid-Autumn Festival

Irvine - FREE
Friday, September 13, 2024
Irvine honors the timeless tradition of the Mid-Autumn Festival, with a family-friendly event featuring educational displays, live entertainment, crafts, specialty food trucks, artistic demonstrations, and more. The community is invited to explore unique cultural displays and discover valuable resources provided by local community organizations.  READ MORE

Moompetam: Celebrating Coastal Native Americans

Long Beach
Saturday & Sunday, September 14-15, 2024
Aquarium of the Pacific hosts its 19th annual Moompetam Festival, celebrating the indigenous California maritime cultures, including Tongva, Chumash, Acjachemen, Costanoan, Luiseno, and Kumeyaay. READ MORE

Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch

Orange
Starts Saturday, September 14, 2024
Irvine Park Railroad and the Pumpkin Patch once again open for the season with the Pumpkin Train, a moon bounce, hayrides, and a haunted house.  Other daily fun includes panning for gold, carnival games, John Deere races, face painting, cookie decorating, and more.  READ MORE

Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch

Irvine
Starts Saturday, September 14, 2024
Tanaka Farms is one of the only farms in Orange County with a real pumpkin patch where kids can pick their own pumpkins out in the field. Get ready to stay up late for Pumpkin Patch Nights! On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, starting October 4, the patch stays open til 9pm. READ MORE

Family Days@LA Plaza: Fiestas Patrias

DTLA - Free
Sunday, September 15, 2024
September 16 marks the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence. LA Plaza visitors can learn more about the day with activities for the entire family at this festival celebrating Mexican Independence. READ MORE

Baja Splash Cultural Festival

Long Beach
Saturday & Sunday, September 21- 22, 2024
The Aquarium  of the Pacific celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with the 23rd Annual Baja Splash Festival. Where else can you see ancient Aztec dance performed in the shadow of a shark tank? READ MORE

2024 Orange County Children's Book Festival

Costa Mesa -FREE
Sunday, September 22, 2024
Read all about it: the Orange County Children's Book Festival unites children's books authors, illustrators and readers. READ MORE

3rd Annual Westminster Fall Festival

Westminster - FREEE Admission
Thursday-Sunday, September 26-29, 2024
Westminster's Fall Festival promises a weekend filled with fun. Highlights include carnival rides, live entertainment, vendors, tasty food from local vendors, a beer garden and more.  Attendance over the weekend is expected to be several thousand visitors. READ MORE

Oktoberfest on Catalina

Catalina
Friday, September 27, 2024
The family-friendly event features live music by Hammerstein, an authentic Bavarian polka rock band,  and the traditional singing of the schnitzelbank. Bratwurst with toppings and sides are included in ticket. German and domestic beer, wine, and other refreshments are available for purchase. Dressing in your finest lederhosen and dirndls is encouraged. READ MORE

Annual Pumpkin Festival Cal Poly Pomona

Pomona
Starts Saturday, September 28, 2024
The Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Fest returns for its 31st year. Favorite fall activities return this year at a month-long celebration—the huge pumpkin patch, a petting farm, hayrides, corn and sunflower mazes, a cow train, and duck races. READ MORE

27th Annual Fall Harvest Festival at Underwood Farms

Moorpark
Starts Saturday, September 28, 2024
Underwood Family Farms' annual Fall Harvest Festival features pig races, animal shows, a corn maze and gourd tunnel, a combine slide, tractor rides, Farmer Craig’s Chicken Show, hay pyramids, and animals to feed, as well as a gigantic pumpkin patch. READ MORE

Locale 90254 Oktoberfest

Hermosa Beach
Saturday & Sunday, September 28-29, 2024
This South Bay take on the Bavarian tradition promises authentic German cuisine, craft brews, and live entertainment with German music and dancing, and carnival rides and games. READ MORE

Reyes Adobe Days

Agoura Hills - FREE
Saturday & Sunday, October 5-6, 2024
Reyes Adobe Days returns! The weekend-long celebration of California's heritage doesn't scrimp on the fun, with a parade, pony rides, and a petting zoo. READ MORE

One Colorado Fall Fest

Pasadena - FREE
Sunday, October 6, 2024
One Colorado hosts an afternoon of live music, fall treats, games, a beer garden and more. The Fall Wall photo moment is available for seasonal snaps throughout the month of October. READ MORE

Water Harvest Festival

El Segundo - FREE
Saturday, October 5, 2024
The Water Harvest Festival is back as an in-person event, held at the front parking lot of the Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility. This year's event welcomes community members to enjoy a day of free family-friendly activities including: tours of the water recycling facility, stage shows, interactive water education booths, games, kids’ costume contests, and opportunity drawings. READ MORE

Santa Ana Mid-Autumn Festival

Santa Ana - FREE
Saturday, October 5, 2024
There's free moon cakes at the Santa Ana Mid-Autumn Festival (while supplies last!) The festival highlights Asian cultures and the Vietnamese members of the community. Traditionally this festival is meant to be a celebration of the fall harvest and full moon, a time when families get together to enjoy each other's company and the bountiful harvests after a year of labor and care. READ MORE

2024 Glendora Pumpkin Festival

Glendora
Saturday, October 19, 2024
It's more than just pumpkins! The annual Pumpkin Festival at Glendora's Centennial Park celebrates all the best things about fall. READ MORE

Fall Festival (Original Farmers Market)

Fairfax - FREEE
Saturday & Sunday, October 19-20, 2024
Kids can enjoy the wonders of a country fair in the middle of the city. The Original Farmers Market on Fairfax plays host to the Fall Festival, featuring such family-friendly attractions as a pumpkin patch, a petting zoo, fall-themed games, kids crafts, photo ops, and live entertainment.  READ MORE

Fall Fun Fest & Pumpkin Patch at Santa Anita Park

Arcadia
Saturdays & Sundays, October 19-27, 2024
The infield at Santa Anita Park comes alive with carnival rides, bounce houses, carnival games, pony rides, face painting, and a pumpkin patch. All that, plus you can enjoy the horse racing. READ MORE

Calabasas Pumpkin Festival

Calabasas
Sunday, October 20, 2024
The annual Calabasas Pumpkin Festival returns for one day only this year! Families can enjoy music, carnival games, crafts, inflatables & rides, a marketplace, and a pumpkin patch. Pumpkin facts and history are shared, too - after all, calabazas means pumpkins. READ MORE

Pumpkin Race Festival

Manhattan Beach - FREE
Sunday, October 20, 2024
The city of Manhattan Beach holds its annual Pumpkin Race on the pier. Families are encouraged to attend in costume and create their own crazy pumpkin race cars at the pier's colorful Pumpkin Race Land. READ MORE

LA Fall Fair

South El Monte
Friday-Sunday, October 25-November 3, 2024
The largest fall festival in Los Angeles County boasts 12 acres of amusement rides, live music (on Saturday and Sunday), games, local artisans, and food available for purchase. READ MORE

Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade

Anaheim - FREE
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Happy 100!  Though the Anaheim's Fall Festival began in 1923, the parade was not added until the following year, making 2024 its Centennial.  READ MORE

Glendale Annual Fall Festival

Glendale - FREE
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Glendale welcomes autumn with its Annual Fall Festival The event features carnival games, arts & crafts, a bounce house, a pumpkin patch, a photo station, and the Glendale Rocks! climbing wall. READ MORE

Mexican Day of the Dead Festival at Bowers Museum

Santa Ana - FREE
Sunday, November 3, 2024
The Bowers Museum celebrates Dia de los Muertos (Mexican Day of the Dead) live this year in the Bowers courtyard. The festival includes live performances, art making, face painting, and more. READ MORE

Canoga Park Dia de los Muertos Festival

Canoga Park
Sunday, November 3, 2024
Canoga Park's annual Día de los Muertos Festival fills Sherman Way between Canoga Avenue and Topanga Canyon Blvd. with all manner of Day of the Dead entertainment. Booths line the street; highlights include traditional holiday altars and ofrendas. READ MORE

Autumn Festival

Long Beach
Saturday & Sunday, November 16-17, 2024
The Aquarium of the Pacific celebrates Asian culture with its annual Autumn Festival. Families can learn about the arts, cuisine, cultures, and marine environments of Japan, China, Korea, and the Philippines. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Festival at AGRIscapes
Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility
Whittier Narrows Rec Park / LA Prada Plaza
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