North County and San Diego Events October 2019
North County and San Diego events in October bring lots of fall fun! We’ve got terrific Halloween activities for both kids and adults. Plus there are fun festivals, shows, outdoor events and great food. That’s not all. Keep reading to find the best North County and San Diego events in October!
The Scream Zone
September 27 – November 2
Location: Del Mar, Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd
Welcome to Your Nightmare!
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!
Your Triple Haunt favorites are back: the horrifying House of Horror, the dizzying Chamber, and the Haunted Hayride, each casting its evil spell on the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
Scaredy Cats are welcome to enter The Scream Zone compound at no charge if you want to wait for your children or hang with your friends but are too scared to enter the haunts. There are lots of things for you to do and see, including great food vendors, photo opportunities and our Spirit Lounge bar. Parking at The Scream Zone is free.
LEGOLAND Brick-or-Treat Party Nights
September 28, October 5, 12, 19, 26
Location: Carlsbad, LEGOLAND,
Awesome Awaits at the Park…after dark during Brick-Or-Treat Party Nights! The entire Park is open for Party Nights Saturday September 28, and every Saturday in October. The home of Halloween fun is filled with music, candy, decorations and your fishy friends at SEA LIFE® Aquarium!
Highlights
- Live entertainment + new shows!
- Character Meet and Greets
- Costume Contests: Group, LEGO® Heros and Villians
- Treat stations with more than 1 million pieces of candy
- The AstroBash Dance Party
- Brick-or-Treat Party Nights Pop Badge Challenge
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 children throughout October!
Zoo and Safari Park
Calling all kids! October is Kids Free month at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park presented by Mission Fed at the San Diego Zoo! All month long, children 11 years and younger receive free admission when accompanied by an adult with a paid admission or membership. Special activities on the weekends help kids connect with wildlife and nature in exciting and fun ways.
October activities include Animal Encounters, Beast Treats and Zoo Character Meet & Greet. There’s also fun entertainment from Dr. Zoolittle Explores Australia and Halgloween.
Museums
This October, kids 12 and under receive free admission at more than 40 art, cultural, and science museums and historical sites in San Diego County when they present the Kids Free in October coupon. Check out a new destination or an old favorite. Kids Free in October gives families the opportunity to enjoy new museum experiences each year. Some limitations apply.
Carlsbad Oktoberfest
October 5
12 – 9 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. Rob the DJ will kick off the day’s entertainment by spinning your favorite tunes followed by live bands.
Fill your day with a delicious German meal, pretzels, and ice cold beers! There will also be entertainment and fun activities for kids of all ages, including costume contests, yodeling contests, dancing and a Biergarten.
Children will enjoy the Oktoberfest pumpkin patch, inflatable jumpers, face painting, a fire engine and much much more!
Tickets and Transportation
Admission is $15 in advance or $20 at the door. This ticket price includes one full meal and admission for ages 10 and over. Admission only is $5. Children under 10 years old are free.
Taste of Oceanside
October 5
2 – 5 PM
Location: Oceanside, Downtown, various locations
Stroll around the downtown, or take the Taste Trolley, and nibble tantalizing food samples along the way. Add beer and wine to your ticket and sample local beer and wine inside our downtown stores and offices.
Taste of Oceanside will feature a wide variety of 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.
Super Hero Obstacle Run
October 6
8 – 11 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.
Register in Advance
Participants will receive race logoed superhero cape, bib number and finishing medal. Cost is $25 per person. Advance registration is required. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Del Mar International Horse Show
October 9 – 27
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.
Competing for World Cup Finals
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 Jumping World Cup™ 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!
Grape Day 5K Fun Run, Walk or Stroll
October 12
Escondido, 321 N Broadway
The Annual Grape Day 5K is a 5K fun run for everyone from elite runners to casual walkers, so bring the whole family out for a good time! Dogs and strollers are welcome. Each runner will receive a finishers medal, a cool tech shirt and an even cooler swag bag plus many more goodies!
The race course winds through historic Escondido. Proceeds also provide support for Rotarian projects including safe drinking water, polio eradication, and assistance to those in need.
Carmel Valley Trail 5K, 10K and 15K
October 12
Location: Carmel Valley, Torrey Highlands Park, Lansdale Dr at Del Mar Heights Rd
Welcome to San Diego’s ONLY trail race through beautiful Gonzales Canyon Open Space and Torrey Highlands Community Park.
San Diego’s Hardest 5K
The annual Carmel Valley trail race is Carmel Valley’s Premiere Trail Race. With an elevation gain between 300 and 700 feet, participants will experience a combination of single track and dirt service road trails. Great for all running levels with a mix of flat and fast with lots of hills thrown in for extra flavor. Includes a kids’ half mile dash for those 8 years and younger.
Fall Fun Festival Alta Vista Gardens
October 12
10 AM – 3 PM
Location: Vista, Alta Vista Botanical Gardens, 1270 Vale Terrace Dr
Bring your family to Alta Vista Botanical Gardens (at the top of the hill inside Brengle Terrace Park). Celebrate fall at this community-centered event by creating a scarecrow on-site for our contest. Clothes and supplies will be provided, but your additions are welcome.
The day’s activities include crafts, games, a Scarecrow contest and music. The festival includes vendors and a great plant sale. We’ll also have food to purchase.
This event is free to the public.
Pumpkin Plunge
October 19
5 – 9 PM
Location: Carlsbad, 6565 Alicante Rd
Bring a swim suit and join the Halloween fun at Alga Norte Aquatic Center. There will be spooky, Halloween fun with pool activities and games. Win prizes, race across the floating obstacles, and test your balance and agility on the Key Logs. The Splash Pad will be open for the little ones.
Dry activities include a pumpkin themed bounce house, the Floating Pumpkin Patch, ring toss, and a photo op. Lasso and keep a pumpkin from the floating pumpkin patch.
The night ends with a special movie presentation on the giant outdoor movie screen while you float in the water.
Food and beverages are available for purchase at the event.
Register Now
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 600 participants.
Annual Fall Plant Sale
October 19 – 21
Location: Encinitas, San Diego Botanic Garden, 230 Quail Gardens Dr
Come see the incredible deals only we can offer on California natives, cacti, succulents, bromeliads, fruit trees and sub-tropical plants.
Plant donations from local growers, wholesalers, retail nurseries and individuals make this one of the most interesting and diverse plant sales in all of San Diego County!
Visit Botanic Attic for garden-related vintage items, and be sure to check out homemade goodies such as specialty jellies.
Free with paid admission or membership.
Antique Engine & Tractor Show
October 19, 20, 26 and 27
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. There’s a daily Antique Equipment & Tractor Parade with tractors from all over the country. We’ve also got blacksmithing demos and classes, wheelwright demos, N’ scale model railroad, wagon rides, weaving and spinning demos and train rides. On the 27th, kids in costume get in free! There will also games and activities with candy and prizes.
Discover History
Located on 55 acres, the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum has been in Vista since 1976. 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 20
Location: Escondido, Grand Ave between Center City Pkwy and Ivy
Hundreds of 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!
Haunted Aquarium: Sea Monster Mash
October 25 – 27
6 – 9 PM
Location: La Jolla, Birch Aquarium
Have a Sea Monstrously Good Time!
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 spooky stories. All the while you’ll be BOO-gieing down to live music and having a monstrously good time. Recommended for ages 2+.
Activities
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography Scientists showcasing exciting, and sometimes spooky, research!
- Slime: Make your own seaweed slime to take home
- Frankensquid: Get up close and personal with squid and learn what makes it unique inside and out.
- Family-friendly costumes encouraged.
- Spooky species including skeleton shrimp and sea spiders
- Witch-Crafts: Enjoy creepy crafts that are fun for all ages, including making your own trick ‘r’ treat bag.
- Glow Critters: Witness creatures that create their own light and glow in the deep, dark ocean.
- Story Time: Youngsters can gather around and listen to a spooky (but not too spooky) tale.
- BOO-gie down all evening to the live music of Billy Lee and the Swamp Critters!
- Witch-Crafts: Enjoy creepy crafts that are fun for all ages, including making your own trick ‘r’ treat bag.
Admission
Birch Aquarium Members: Pre-Sale $20, Public: Pre-Sale $25, Door (all): $30. Free for children 2 and under. Please note that general admission tickets cannot be used for Haunted Aquarium. You will need to purchase a separate ticket for the special event. Kids Free in October coupons cannot be used for this event.
Día de los Muertos Event
October 27
10 AM – 4 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.
No other Day of the Dead celebration offers you the feeling of peace you get when your celebrating amidst the ancestrial cemetery of the Mission. As you take in the traditional Day of the Dead tributes such as chalk cemeteries, floral alters, vehicular altars and other such remembrances, you can’t help but feel a sense of calmess and serenity come over you making this the most emotionally altering Dia you’ll ever experience!
Admission
Admission is only $2 if you purchase tickets in advance. It will be $3 on the day of the event.
Safe Trick or Treat
October 31
5 – 8 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 and downtown merchants hand out treats to thousands of costumed kids.
There will be several fun stops along the route this year. In the Lumberyard courtyard enjoy music and games, and in the Self-Realization Fellowship parking lot (next to their K Street Store) check out the Queens Court! Be sure to stop by the E101 office (818 S. Coast Hwy 101) and pick up your complimentary Halloween themed bag provided by presenting sponsor Lazy Acres.
See the many amazing pumpkins carved by the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) monks.
Enjoy North County and San Diego events in October! Do you have North County or San Diego events in October or any other month that you’d like included here? Just let me know, and I’ll add them for you.