North County and San Diego County Events – October 2016 are tons of fun, especially if you’re a kid! There are haunted houses, candy and more candy, and a month of free museum, zoo and Safari Park admissions. There’s no shortage of adult entertainment either with festivals, concerts, shows and lots of food. Of course, we have bike rides and runs to help burn off all that great food and drink.
Carlsbad Oktoberfest
October 1
12:00 – 10:00 PM
Location: Carlsbad, Holiday Park, Chestnut St. and Pio Pico
Be a part of this Carlsbad premier tradition with several hundred of your closest friends, family and neighbors for a day of great food, awesome music, and festive fun. DJ Efraim Nunez will kick off the day’s entertainment by spinning your favorite tunes followed by live bands starting with local favorites Faith Page, Bluebirds, and ending with The Last Call.
Fill your day with the famed Chicken dance performances, a delicious German meal, pretzels, and ice cold beers! There will also be entertainment and fun activities for kids of all ages, including a pumpkin patch where children can decorate pumpkins, jumpy houses, and a few fun surprises.
Children will enjoy the Oktoberfest pumpkin patch and pumpkin decorating contest, inflatable jumpers, face painting, antique fire truck and much much more!
Get free admission when you purchase in advance. $15 includes your meal and event entry (for ages 10 and up) when purchased on our Eventbrite site by midnight 9/30/16. This ticket goes up on the day of event. Regular admission (event entry only – no meal) is just $5 for ages 10 and up. Save time on the day of the event by ordering your admission tickets in advance!
FREE Shuttle Bus Service from Westfield’s Plaza El Camino Real (SW Corner) parking lot. Local parking is very limited – shuttle buses pick-up and drop-off at 20 minute intervals. First shuttle departs Westfield at 11:30 AM and last shuttle leaves Holiday Park at 10:30 PM.
Tour de Camp Pendleton
October 1
Location: Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
It’s an opportunity to ride on Camp Pendleton from the northernmost point down Basilone to the air station, around through Stuart Mesa Road and Las Pulgas. While on your ride enjoy all the scenery Camp Pendleton has to offer; from rolling hills to wildlife, aircraft to barracks.
Who:
Marines and Civilians Ages 6 and Up
What:
100, 75, 50, and 25 mile road bike ride, 6 mile family fun ride, plus the Mateo Mountain Challenge
San Marcos Double Peak Challenge
October 1
Location: San Marcos, San Elijo Neighborhood Park, 1105 Elfin Forest Rd. East
Double Peak Challenge is a celebration of outdoor recreation like no other. Trail runners will experience unparalleled beauty from atop North County’s highest point.
Off-road racers will set out from San Elijo Hills Neighborhood Park and begin their 1,176 foot gain up to Double Peak’s summit at 1,558 feet above sea level, winding along beautiful hillside trails with amazing views.
Not up for the full 10K? No worries! Double Peak Challenge also offers a shorter 2-mile course as well as a Trail Trot for kids.
Race proceeds will benefit the San Marcos community through two important non-profit organizations: Friends of San Marcos Parks & Recreation and The San Marcos Promise.
Packet Pickup location on Sept. 30 from 4pm-7pm at San Marcos Community Center, 3 Civic Center Drive.
Vista Community Yard Sale
October 1
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Vista, Gloria McClellan Center, 1400 Vale Terrace Dr.
Spaces available in the upper and lower Gloria McClellan Center parking lots. Spaces are $15 each and benefit your senior center. You keep your profits.
The center will provide advertising and event promotion. Call 760-643-5281 to reserve your spot.
Grape Day Festival and 5K
October 1
Location: Escondido, 235 E. Grand Ave
Escondido’s most historic event starts with a 5K fun run, walk and stroll at 7:30 AM sponsored by the Escondido Sunrise Rotary. The Grape Day Discovery Festival will follow from 2:00 to 8:00 PM in Grape Day Park. It is presented by the Escondido History Center. Join the fun at this festive day of food, games, entertainment and fun! The free festival includes grape stomping, a pie eating contest, arts and crafts,an entertainment stage, vendor booths, fun zone and much more! There’s even a beer and wine garden.
Kids Free in October San Diego Zoo and Safari Park
Kids Free in October San Diego Museum Council
October 1 – October 31
Location: San Diego County, multiple locations
October is a great month for kids! Both the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park and the San Diego Museum Council are offering free admission to kids throughout October!
From its founding 100 years ago, the San Diego Zoo has always been dedicated to connecting children with nature. Kids Free presented by Mission Fed continues this long-standing commitment by providing free admission for kids 11 and younger throughout October. And Saturdays and Sundays are extra-fun days! Every weekend this month, we have special interactive activities and experiences, so come let your wild ones meet ours!
Kids Free in October, presented by ScholarShare, California’s 529 College Savings Plan, will offer San Diegans and tourists the opportunity to visit more museum destinations than ever before. This annual program created by the San Diego Museum Council, provides free admission for kids 12 and under at 40 arts, cultural, and science museums in San Diego County.
Explore the hidden treasures of the ocean or the far reaches of outer space. Delve into local history, visual arts, botanic gardens, scientific wonders – and more!
Remember, you need one coupon per museum visit, so download additional copies. One coupon is good for up to two free child admissions with one full-price paid adult admission. Children must be accompanied by the adult during the visit. This coupon cannot be used for specially ticketed events, Maker Faire San Diego, special exhibitions/exhibits, field trips or group visits. Coupon cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value. Coupon is valid October 1-31, 2016.
LEGOLAND Brick-or-Treat Party Nights
October 1 – 29
Location: Carlsbad, LEGOLAND,
Awesome Awaits at the Park…after dark during Brick-Or-Treat Party Nights! Brick or Treat Party Nights start at 5pm on October 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29. The home of Halloween fun is filled with music, candy, surprises and snacks! Highlights include:
- Live entertainment + new shows!
- Character Meet and Greets
- Costume Contests: Group, LEGO Theme, Most Creative
- Treat stations with more than 1 million pieces of candy
- Heartlake City Fall Festival with Pumpkin Patch Build and craft time with the LEGO Friends
- Hubble Bubble’s Dance Party
- SEA LIFE Pirate Booty Boogie
Separate event tickets are required for Brick-or-Treat Party Nights. Event admission is not included in membership benefits for Standard LEGOLAND Pass Members (LEGOLAND California Standard Pass and Merlin Annual Pass Standard).
The Scream Zone
October 1 – 31
Location: Del Mar, Del Mar Fairgrounds
Welcome to Your Nightmare!
The 2016 Scream Zone is assembled from a collection of body parts, and roughly stitched together into four terrifying haunts and other monstrous attractions. This year the Scream Zone runs 24 selected days beginning September 30 – October 2, and October 6 – 9, 13 – 16, and 19-31.
Our year-to-year favorite is back — the horrifying House of Horror, along with our newest attraction known as KarnEvil, and the Haunted Hayride, each casting its evil spell on the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
Other features this year include: The Dusk Till Dawn Bar, The Walking Dead Prison, and The Exorcist. We must warn you as well to keep a sharp eye out for Pennywise the Clown.
San Diego County’s largest haunted experience, the Scream Zone is considered among the goriest, scariest, and screaming-est fright fests to be found in the dark corners of Southern California. We invite you to be our guests, that is, if you have the nerve! Buy tickets now.
Attention parents: You are welcome to enter The Scream Zone compound to wait for children. Our parent lounge is free and there are lots of things for you to do and see, including great food vendors and adult beverages. So come on down and enjoy The Scream Zone alone or as a family!
Encinitas Oktoberfest
October 2
Location: Encinitas, Mountain Vista Drive and El Camino Real
The 21st Annual Encinitas Chamber of Commerce Oktoberfest will be held on Sunday, October 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Mountain Vista Drive and El Camino Real. This event is completely FREE and fun for the entire family!
The event entertainment features authentic German music from Hammerstein Musik Bavaria, the Gemütlichkeit Alpine Dancers, carnival rides, a street craft faire featuring over 200 vendors and more! The family food and refreshment tent along with the Keepin’ It Local Craft Beer Garden will be serving authentic German food and beers from German and local San Diego breweries.
FREE PARKING is available at the Flora Vista Elementary School (1690 Wandering Road) with FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE from the parking lot to the Oktoberfest site.
Super Hero Obstacle Run
October 2
8:00 – 11:00 AM
Location: Carlsbad, Alga Norte Community Park, 6565 Alicante Rd.
Dress up like your favorite super hero at the City of Carlsbad’s Super Hero Obstacle Race at Alga Norte Community Park. Parents and children run together through a super hero themed 2K obstacle course. Participants must be 4 years and older. Groups will be launched every 10 mins. The race will take approximately one hour to complete. You can pick a start time that works for you.
Defeat villains while leaping over tall buildings, crawl through toxic tunnels and navigate 20 obstacles throughout the park. Conquer inflatable mazes and slides, wrecking balls, tights ropes, web crawlers and other obstacles along the way.
Siblings, caregivers, grandparents and friends can also participate in lieu of parents and each participant must register. Cost is $25 per participant. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Encinitas’ 30th Anniversary Celebration
October 7 – 9
Location: Eninitas, multiple locations
Throwback to 1986 in Encinitas! The City of Encinitas commemorates 30 years since the five unique communities of Cardiff by the Sea, Downtown Encinitas (coastal), Leucadia, Olivenhain and New Encinitas incorporated to become the City of Encinitas in 1986.
In celebration, Encinitas prepares to throw it back to 1986, when Top Gun was #1 and the mullet, big hair and shoulder pads were indeed the rage. What were you doing when the City incorporated? Join the City in a weekend celebration remembering the year 1986. Here’s what the weekend celebration will include:
- Friday, October 7, 7-9pm –
Everybody Cut Footloose, an all-ages 80’s retro dance at the Encinitas Community Center located at 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive, Encinitas. Join us as we transform the gymnasium for a rockin’ good time for all ages with DJ Chris Cote and C-Star Productions playing and dancing to your favorite 80’s music. A wine and beer garden sponsored by the Encinitas Rotary Club and a burger food truck will also be available for purchase. A great time for the entire family to enjoy. But if parents want to have their own dancing fun, free supervised kids activities are also available at the center! - Saturday, October 8, 6-9pm –
Movie in the Park at Leo Mullen Sports Park’s new artificial turf soccer field located at 951 Via Cantebria, Encinitas, for a big screen showing of , an 80’s family fun movie classic. Bring your blankets and low-backed chairs. Plenty of great dining is available at the adjacent Encinitas Ranch Shopping Center. - Sunday, October 9, 3-5pm –
80’s Concert with Betamaxx at Moonlight Beach, located at 400 B St, Encinitas. Our beach concerts are always a blast, and what better reason to hit the beach than to celebrate the City’s Anniversary? Wear your 80’s best, get ready to dance, and don’t be surprised if there are more surprises!
Taste of Oceanside
October 15
2:00 – 5:00 PM
Location: Oceanside, Downtown, various locations
Stroll around the downtown, or take the Taste Trolley, and nibble tantalizing food samples along the way.
Taste of Oceanside will feature 17 downtown restaurants, breweries and wineries that will offer samples of their food and beverages. This event is to feature Oceanside’s growing restaurant, brewery, and winery businesses.
Pumpkin Plunge
October 15
5:00 – 9:00 PM
Location: Carlsbad, 6565 Alicante Rd
Bring a swim suit and join the Halloween fun at Alga Norte Aquatic Center that transforms into spooky fun with pool activities including Bone Collector, Brain Shootout, Creepy Animal races, and more. All three floating obstacles will be out as well as the water balls where you can walk on water.
Every child will have the chance to lasso a pumpkin to take home from the floating pumpkin patch. Dry activities include a slide, bounce house, cookie decorating, mutant fishing, and spider ring toss.
The night ends with a special movie presentation of Hotel Transylvania 2 on the giant outdoor movie screen.
Enjoy dinner at the Dive In Grill open during the event. Menu includes made-to-order grilled burgers, chicken sandwiches, pizza, shaved ice, ice cream and other tasty treats.
Cost is $10 per person. Children ages 3 and under are free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Register now. Event maxes at 500 participants.
Annual Fall Plant Sale
October 15 – 16
Location: Encinitas, San Diego Botanic Garden
Plant donations from over 100 local growers, wholesalers, retail nurseries, and individuals make this one of the most interesting and diverse plant sales in San Diego County. Plant selections include California natives, cacti, succulents, bromeliads, fruit trees, and sub-tropicals.
Visit our Botanic Attic for garden-related items. Be sure to check out our huge selection of used books and homemade goodies such as specialty jellies. Enjoy an opportunity drawing and the popular sit-down Bakery Shoppe, which serves cakes, cookies, pies, and coffee.
Free with paid admission or membership.
Antique Engine & Tractor Show
October 15,16,22 and 23
Location: Vista, 2040 N Santa Fe Ave
The Fall Antique Engine & Tractor Show being held at the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum has something for everyone in the family. This includes a daily Antique Equipment & Tractor Parade with tractors from all over the country, blacksmithing demos and classes, wheelwright demos, N’ scale model railroad, wagon rides, weaving and spinning demos, train rides, arts and crafts, Museum Gift Shop, music, merchant booths, food booths, and the only operating steam roller in the country.
Located on 55 acres, 2016 marks the 40th year the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum has been in Vista. Over that period our museum has grown to become one of the premier educational and recreational facilities in North San Diego County. Our museum’s collection focuses on 1849 through the early 1960’s era with exhibits that actively demonstrate early American life and technology.
Escondido Grand Avenue Festival
October 16
Location: Escondido, Grand Ave between Center City Pkwy and Ivy
Over 500 vendors, live entertainment, and food from around the world have combined to make the Escondido Grand Avenue Festival a family tradition since 1989. The Escondido Grand Avenue Festival, held the 3rd Sunday of May and October, is the second largest single-day festival in California.
The festival kicks off at 9 a.m. and will jump and jive all day until 5 p.m. Come and join us on historic Grand Avenue in downtown Escondido. Enjoy special attractions and great family fun!
Del Mar International Horse Show
October 20 – 23
Location: Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd
The Del Mar International Horse Show takes place at one of Southern California’s finest horse show venues, the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Known for its incredible atmosphere and exciting competition, the Del Mar International Horse Show encompasses multiple weeks of world-class show jumping, which attracts an elite field of internationally recognized horses and riders.
Minutes from San Diego, the ideal Del Mar area features golden beaches, luxurious resorts, upscale shopping and dining, and a mild year-round climate. The Del Mar International Horse Show is part of the prestigious Longines FEI World Cup Jumping North American League, hosting one of only seven World Cup Qualifiers on the West Coast of North America! The Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Del Mar attracts Olympic veterans and world class athletes, competing head to head for a spot in the World Cup Finals!
Haunted Aquarium: Shipwrecked Science!
October 21 – 22
6:00 – 9:00 PM
Location: La Jolla, Birch Aquarium, 2300 Expedition Way
Enjoy close encounters with Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientists and search the galleries for unusual underwater creatures rarely seen at Birch Aquarium. Discover a sea of glowing beasts (big and small), get sticky with slime, and enjoy shipwrecked stories. All the while you’ll be BOO-gieing down to live music and having a monstrous good time. Recommended for ages 2+.
Día de los Muertos Event
October 30
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Oceanside, Mission San Luis Rey, 4050 Mission Ave
The Day of the Dead is a festive and multicultural event hosted by Mission San Luis Rey for the entire family, featuring traditional altars and ofrendas, vendors, artisans, dancers, musicians and a special classic car show with trunk altar displays put on by the Por Siempre Car Club. It runs from 10am – 4pm.
Free admission. Parking is $5 per car at the Old Mission or at the Parish and is free at El Camino High School on Rancho del Oro. There are free shuttle buses available from El Camino High School.
Safe Trick or Treat
October 31
5:00 – 8:00 PM
Location: Encinitas, S. Coast Hwy. and Encinitas Blvd.
On Halloween each year from 5-8pm, a stretch of South Coast Hwy 101, from Encinitas Blvd. to K Street, becomes “Pumpkin Lane,” decorated with elaborately carved pumpkins at different viewing locations. Downtown merchants hand out treats to thousands of costumed kids and Her Royal Highness grants wishes at the Queen’s Court next to the Self-Realization Fellowship Bookstore.
The 101 Artists’ Colony hosts a kids’ zone in The Lumberyard Courtyard, where children can enjoy Halloween-themed games and activities, as well as live music by Bucket Ruckus.
The Self-Realization Fellowship grows and harvests the pumpkins on the hill above Vulcan, south of Santa Fe Drive. The monks of SRF carve them for the enjoyment of the community each year.