Visit the rescue animals at Kfar Saba Urban Farm. Photo by Limor Ness
Fall Bucket List for Kids: 35 Top Things To Do in Los Angeles This Fall
Everything at the Cayton has been carefully crafted with one goal in mind: to help create a better world through the power of play.
Guide to the Cayton Children’s Museum in Santa Monica–A Parent Review
Nothing says fall like apple picking, and believe it or not, there's great apple picking near LA!
Apple Picking near Los Angeles: Best Orchards for Apple Picking with Kids
Kids' classes like art lessons can help your LA kid grow and develop.
GUIDE
Classes Guide for Los Angeles Kids
Photo by Kylie Williams
Get Lost in Bubble World: LA's Newest Immersive Experience for All Ages
Enjoy vibrant Venice Beach celebrations! Photo courtesy of the Abbot Kinney Festival
33 Best Things to Do in Los Angeles September 2023 with Kids
GUIDE
Fall Fun Guide for Los Angeles and OC Kids
From local parking lot patches to farms near Los Angeles, here's where to find your perfect pumpkin.
Best Pumpkin Patches Near Los Angeles
Pick a peck of pumpkins at the Annual Pumpkin Festival Cal Poly Pomona. Photo courtesy of the Cal Poly Pomona Facebook page
Best Fall Festivals and Fairs in Los Angeles
We've launched a partnership with Care.com to bring background-checked nannies and sitters to the Mommy Poppins Directory.
Find Trusted Babysitters and Nannies Now on Mommy Poppins–Powered by Care.com
Delicious New Orleans fare awaits at Tiana's Palace in Disneyland. Photo courtesy of Disneyland Resort
NEW Tiana's Palace Opens in Disneyland
Kiddos can climb through the famous Ant Tunnel. Photo courtesy of Kidspace
Kidspace: An Insider's Guide to LA's Beloved Children's Museum
Imaginative play for preschoolers is music to our ears. Photo courtesy of Pretend City
39 Things To Do with Preschoolers in Los Angeles Before They Turn 5
Malibu is swell! Photo courtesy of Malibu Makos Surf Club
Malibu with Kids: 25 Best Things To Do in Malibu, CA
Visit LACMA's Levitated Mass. Photo by Joey Zanetti
100 Things To Do in Los Angeles Before Kids Grow Up
Look for whales and dolphins right from your table at Malibu Farm. Photo by Meghan Rose
Best Outdoor Dining in Los Angeles at Family-Friendly Restaurants
Climbing encouraged at Wild Child. Photo courtesy of Wild Child Gym
30 Best Indoor Playgrounds in Los Angeles: Indoor Play Spaces for Hot (or Rainy?) Days
You'll want s'more glamping adventures! Photo courtesy of Waypoint Ventura
Best Glamping Near Los Angeles for Family Fun
Newport Beach is literally home to the fun zone. Photo courtesy of Visit Newport Beach
35 Things To Do in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa with Kids
Put your young helpers to work and you can all sleep under the stars this weekend.
Camping near Los Angeles: 17 Great Campgrounds for Tent Camping with Kids
Photo by Bill Soistmann
GUIDE
Los Angeles Visitors' Guide for Families
There are endless activities at Ventura Harbor Village. Photo by Kylie Williams
Ventura with Kids: 39 Great Things To Do in Ventura County
Vincent Lugo Park, also called Dinosaur or Monster Park, was nominated to the California Register of Historic Places. Photo courtesy of the City of San Gabriel
The Best Playgrounds in Los Angeles: They’re Even Worth Crossing the 405
This 3 day itinerary will make you fall in love with LA. Photo by Roberto Nickson, via Pexels
3 Days in Los Angeles with Kids: Ultimate Itinerary by a Local Mom

Hispanic Heritage Festival, Dino Fest, and More Top Things To Do in Los Angeles This Weekend

Photo courtesy of Heal the Bay
Photo courtesy of Heal the Bay
9/20/23 - By Toby B

Looking for the best things to do in Los Angeles this weekend? Here are some of our favorite events and activities to add to your list this weekend.

It's a dino-mite weekend, booked with festivals and train rides. Start the weekend with a clean slate at the Coastal Cleanup. Sit back and enjoy the ride, hopping on the train at Griffith Park or the Santa Barbara Zoo. Then it's fiesta time, with choices of dinos, gorillas, or ukuleles. And pumpkins? You've got your pick, as patches are popping up in some of our favorite haunts. 

This weekend is the first official weekend of fall! So, if autumn traditions are on the mind, discover the best fall fairs and festivals in LA, have a gourd time choosing a pumpkin in the best pumpkin patches near Los Angeles, and find more fall festivities in our Fall Fun Guide for Los Angeles and OC Kids. 

More Things To Do in Los Angeles This Week With Kids:

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

This festival will be dino-mite. Photo courtesy of NHM via Facebook
This festival will be dino-mite. Photo courtesy of NHM via Facebook

Best Things To Do This Weekend in Los Angeles

Live Oak Canyon Pumpkin Patch

Redlands - Opens Friday, September 22
Live Oak Canyon boasts the largest outdoor pumpkin patch in Southern California. Guests can enjoy pumpkin-picking, a big train ride, the corn maze, food trucks, photo ops, rides, and more. There are more than 400 animals in the petting zoo, including Highland cows, alpacas, Brahma bulls, and llamas READ MORE

Hispanic Heritage Festival (Inglewood)

Inglewood - Saturday, September 23
Free
The city of Inglewood celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with an annual festival. Guests can enjoy a classic car show, health and community services, live bands, children's activities, vendor booths, and a food court. READ MORE

75 Cent Train Rides at Griffith Park

Griffith Park - Saturday, September 23
All aboard for bargain train rides! In honor of its 75th birthday, the Griffith Park Train Ride sells tickets for 75 cents. READ MORE

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Sea Fair

San Pedro - Saturday, September 23
Free
The annual celebration of the sea at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium offers ocean-related activities throughout the day. Highlights include face-painting and ocean-themed crafts and activities; guests can learn how to cast a fishing rod. READ MORE

Westchester Arts & Music Block Party

Westchester - Saturday, September 23
Free
This free, day-long, family-friendly celebration features live music and dance performances, vendors & community booths, kids' activities, garden tours, and food trucks – plus a beer and wine garden. READ MORE

Duarte's 66th Anniversary City Picnic

Duarte - Saturday, September 23
Free
The city of Duarte celebrates its 66th birthday with a picnic in Encanto Park. Highlights of the celebration include live music, food booths and food trucks, a beer garden, free rides and games, inflatable attractions, and a classic and custom car show.  Kids should bring swimsuits for the Splash Zone. READ MORE

Coastal Cleanup Day 2023

Multiple Locations - Saturday, September 23
Free
Coastal Cleanup Day organizes in-person group cleanups at coastal, inland, and river sites throughout L.A. County Volunteers pitch in at a variety of clean-up sites, removing the plastic bags, cigarette butts, and soda cans that sully our shores. READ MORE

Pasadena Loves YA

Pasadena - Saturday, September 23
Free
This annual YA book event returns at a new location: the Jefferson Branch Library.  Readers can meet Young Adult authors for panel discussions and book signing.  READ MORE

A Faery Hunt Enchantment

Simi Valley - Saturday, September 23
A Faery Hunt shows are outdoor, interactive, and immersive performances. The musical stories are designed to inspire creativity, imagination, and fun. Winner of the Nickelodeon Award for Best Children's Theater, A Faery Hunt performs almost weekly. Shows are geared toward ages 2 -9, and the whole family will enjoy this outdoor adventure. READ MORE

Big Sunday Books N' Brunch

East Hollywood - Saturday, September 23
Free
Big Sunday wants to get books into the hands of young readers ... and you can help! The annual Books N' Brunch offers many opportunities for folks of all ages to help out. Volunteers at the in-person event help sort the donations. READ MORE

Central Avenue Jazz Festival

South Central - Saturday, September 23
Free
It's music to our ears: the Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival returns for the first time since 2019. The free festival is a celebration of the vibrant jazz heritage that has shaped the heart of Los Angeles. READ MORE

Opera at the Beach/ Opera on the Lawn

Santa Monica & La Mirada - Saturday, September 23
Free
Where's the best place to watch an opera?  The beach of course, and also in the park. Angelenos can watch a live broadcast of LA Opera's Don Giovanni at their choice of two venues, both outdoors and under the stars. READ MORE

Drag Queen Story Hour and Scenes with Queens!

Mid-Wilshire -Saturday, September 23
The Academy Museum hosts a series of drag queen story hours this fall hosted by director of Drag Story Hour Los Angeles, Pickle Drag Queen. The readings are followed by Scenes with Queens, a family-friendly reading of selected scenes from the various films represented in the Museum's Stories of Cinema exhibition with members of the audience! READ MORE

Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

Multiple Locations - Saturday, September 23
Free
It's National Public Lands Day, and that means your admission is FREE! On select days throughout the year, all national parks are open to the public with no admission fee. READ MORE

Public Star Party

Griffith Park - Saturday, September 23
Free
The sky... it's full of stars! The lawn... it's full of telescopes!   ​The Observatory's free public star party offers a chance for the whole family to look at the sun, moon, planets, and other objects with the assistance of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Los Angeles Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society. READ MORE

Baja Splash Cultural Festival

Long Beach - Saturday & Sunday, September 23 & 24
The Aquarium  of the Pacific celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with the 21st  Annual Baja Splash Festival. Where else can you see ancient Aztec dance performed in the shadow of a shark tank? READ MORE

Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival

Torrance - Saturday & Sunday, September 23 & 24
Ukulele fans of all experience levels - from expert players to curious spectators -  are invited to the 2023 Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival.  Ticket holders can enjoy all-star performances, participate in unlimited workshops as well as classes and presentations for beginners of all ages, shop the ukulele marketplace, and indulge in Hawaiian food. New this year: the festival offers free classes for complete beginners in the George Nakano Theatre throughout the day (main festival access not included).  READ MORE

World Gorilla Day Weekend 2023

Griffith Park - Saturday & Sunday, September 23 & 24
This weekend the LA Zoo shines a spotlight on their resident gorillas - and their wild counterparts! READ MORE

Zoo Train Days at the Santa Barbara Zoo

Santa Barbara - Saturday & Sunday, September 23 & 24
The Santa Barbara Zoo celebrates the Zoo Train all weekend long. Model trains are on view in the Zoo’s Discovery Pavilion. Rides on the Zoo’s C.P. Huntington Train are available for an additional fee.   READ MORE

Dino Fest

Exposition Park - Sunday, September 24
Who ya callin' extinct? Dino Fest comes roaring back to the Natural History Museum. The Natural History Museum hosts a festival celebrating dinosaurs, their prehistoric past, and the science that brings their world back to life.  READ MORE

Abbot Kinney Festival

Venice - Sunday, September 24
Free
Vendors line both sides of Abbot Kinney at the annual Abbot Kinney Festival - many with a decidedly green edge (this is Venice, after all).  An eclectic range of musicians is scheduled to perform on multiple stages along the 3/4 mile stretch, and food trucks aplenty satisfy every gastronomical whim. READ MORE
Time for pumpkin patches! Photo courtesy of Tanaka Farms
Time for pumpkin patches! Photo courtesy of Tanaka Farms

More Top Things To Do in Los Angeles Right Now

33 Best Things to Do in Los Angeles September 2023 with Kids

Fall fests, spooky spiders, and so much more September fun. READ MORE

Apple Picking near Los Angeles: Best Orchards for Apple Picking with Kids

Because picking your own apples is as American as apple pie. READ MORE

Best Fall Festivals and Fairs in Los Angeles

When pumpkin spice hits coffee shops, it's time for our favorite annual fall festivals. READ MORE

Find Fall Foliage near Los Angeles: 13 Pretty Drives To See Fall Leaves

Enjoy crisp air, autumn scenery, and amazing fall leaves— surprisingly close to home. READ MORE

Best Pumpkin Patches Near Los Angeles

Ready to pick a peck of pumpkins? READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Griffith Park & Southern Railroad
Jefferson Branch Library
Multiple Locations, including Santa Monica Pier
National Parks - Multiple Locations
Torrance Cultural Arts Center
Riley's at Los Rio Rancho