2025 Fall Activities Around Encinitas

Neighborhoods and News
September 26, 2025

Autumn has officially arrived in Encinitas, and with it comes cooler breezes, cozy sweaters, and a packed calendar of family-friendly fun, spooky thrills, cultural celebrations, and foodie adventures! Whether you’re looking to get lost in a haunted corn maze, sip craft beer by the beach, or shop local handmade goods, this fall season has something for everyone.

Here’s your curated guide to some of the best fall events happening in and around Encinitas and North County San Diego this season!

For the Family: Fall Festivals, Hayrides & Halloween Fun

Julian Autumn Jubilee
📅 Sept. 20–Oct. 26 (Weekends, 11am–5pm)
📍 Fort Cross, Santa Ysabel
A classic fall favorite with all the fixings: hayrides, homegrown pumpkin patch, candle dipping, cider pressing, archery, ghost town slingshot range, a spooky maze, and more! Great for families and just a short scenic drive from Encinitas.
👉 www.fortcross.com

Haunted Corn Maze – Carlsbad Strawberry Company
📅 Oct. 3–31 (7–10pm)
📍 Carlsbad
1.5 miles of spooky fun—perfect for family bonding or a fall date night. Try your luck at navigating this haunted maze under the stars.
👉 www.carlsbadstrawberrycompany.com

San Marcos Halloween Spooktacular
📅 Oct. 4 (4–8pm)
📍 Walnut Grove Park, San Marcos
Free dance party, costume contest, and $1 activities like crafts and games. Affordable fun for little ones!

Once Upon a Hallowe’en – Poway
📅 Oct. 25 (4–9pm)
📍 Old Poway Park
Ride the haunted train, play creepy carnival games, and face your fears in the haunted house!

Santee Lakes Spooktacular + Trunk-or-Treat
📅 Oct. 25 (10am–12pm)
📍 Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve
Games, costumes, creepy crafts and face painting—bring the whole family (in costume, of course).

Fall Flavors & Adult Fun

El Cajon Oktoberfest
📅 Sept. 26–28 & Oct. 3–5
📍 1017 S Mollison Ave, El Cajon
A true Bavarian-style Oktoberfest with authentic German beer, bratwurst, folk dancing, contests, and a live German band!
👉 Facebook: OktoberfestElCajon

OB Oktoberfest
📅 Oct. 10–11
📍 Ocean Beach (Newport Ave & Abbott St)
Enjoy cold brews with ocean views! Beer gardens, live bands, contests, and more beachside fun.

Taste of Carlsbad Village
📅 Oct. 9 (5–8pm)
📍 Carlsbad Village
A self-guided foodie adventure featuring the best local eats, brews, and wines from Carlsbad’s culinary scene.
👉 www.carlsbad-village.com

Carlsbad Creepy Crawl (Bar Crawl)
📅 Oct. 18 (3–7pm)
📍 Carlsbad Village
Costumes + cocktails = the perfect spooky night out.

Santee Brews & Bites Festival
📅 Oct. 18 (5:30–9:30pm)
📍 Town Center Community Park East
Live music, craft beer, bites, and raffles—all while supporting local parks and programs.

Belmont Beerfest
📅 Oct. 26
📍 Belmont Park, Mission Beach
All-you-can-drink wristbands + live music + beach views = a brew lover’s dream.

Spooky Season: Zombie Crawls, Haunted Rides & Halloween Vibes

Fort Cross Haunted Harvest
📅 Oct. 5, 12, 19 & 26 (7:30 & 8pm)
📍 Santa Ysabel
Think jug band music, ghost stories, and a haunted hayride deep in the hills.

San Diego Zombie Crawl – Gaslamp Quarter
📅 Oct. 24–25 & Oct. 30–Nov. 1
Downtown turns undead with a multi-night bar crawl, themed parties, and epic costumes.
👉 www.SanDiegoZombieCrawl.com

MainStreet Goes Ghostly – Coronado
📅 Oct. 31 (3–5:30pm)
📍 Downtown Coronado
Trick-or-treating through town with shops giving out goodies.

Markets, Makers, Art & Culture

Harvest Festival Original Art & Craft Show
📅 Oct. 3–5 (10am–5pm)
📍 Del Mar Fairgrounds
Hundreds of handmade, one-of-a-kind items. Shop for jewelry, food, glasswork, vintage finds and more.
👉 www.harvestfestival.com

Redo Vintage & Makers Market
📅 Oct. 10–11
📍 Del Mar Fairgrounds
Home décor, vintage, antiques, artisan goods—a must for fall shoppers.
👉 www.redomarket.com/delmar

Fallbrook Harvest Faire
📅 Oct. 19 (9am–4pm)
📍 Downtown Fallbrook
Live music, crafts, food, pumpkin contests, and more small-town charm.

Solana Beach Día de los Muertos Celebration
📅 Oct. 19 (10am–5pm)
📍 La Colonia Park
Folklórico dancers, mariachi, piñatas, costume contests, and more—celebrate and honor loved ones in this rich cultural event.
👉 www.cityofsolanabeach.org

Literature, Learning & Community Causes

San Diego French Literature & Arts Festival
📅 Oct. 2–4 (10am–4pm)
📍 La Jolla’s Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
Celebrate Francophone culture through literature, art, and connection.
👉 www.ljathenaeum.org

Walk of Hope – Michelle’s Place
📅 Oct. 26 (7am–5pm)
📍 Promenade Mall, Temecula
A community walk supporting those impacted by cancer, plus a car show, food trucks, music, and more.
👉 www.michellesplace.org

Tee Time for a Cause

North County Cup – Golf Tournament
📅 Oct. 3 (10am)
📍 Journey at Pechanga, Temecula
Support the Boys & Girls Clubs of North County and play a scenic round of golf for a good cause.
👉 www.bgcnorthcounty.org

Fore the Fleet – Golf Fundraiser
📅 Oct. 20 (7am–5pm)
📍 Sea ‘N Air Golf Course, Coronado
Helping Naval aviation families affected by cancer.
👉 www.coronadochamber.com

Fire Station Open Houses – Meet Your Local Heroes

Several fire departments are hosting free family-friendly open houses with live demos, fire safety education, and station tours:

Lakeside Fire – Oct. 4
San Marcos Fire Dept. – Oct. 4
Santee Fire Dept. – Oct. 4
Chula Vista Fire Dept. – Oct. 12
North County Fire Protection District (Fallbrook) – Oct. 4

Whether you’re carving pumpkins with the kids or clinking glasses with friends, Encinitas and nearby communities are bursting with autumn spirit. So grab your calendar, make a fall bucket list, and get out there—because sweater weather doesn’t last forever!