Best Orange County + Coachella Valley Events: October 2026

October brings Southern California fall into full swing. Warm coastal afternoons continue, desert evenings become more comfortable, pumpkin patches open their gates, and the calendar fills with art, film, food, festivals, architecture, Halloween traditions, outdoor entertainment, and family events.

This guide highlights some of the best October 2026 events in Orange County and the Coachella Valley, with things to do in Tustin, Laguna Beach, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, San Clemente, Anaheim, Palm Springs, and Palm Desert.

Whether your ideal October means watching artists paint the Laguna Beach coastline, taking the kids to an Irvine pumpkin patch, catching a film premiere in Newport Beach, enjoying Halloween festivities close to home, touring Palm Springs’ celebrated midcentury architecture, or spending the morning among wildlife in Palm Desert, the month offers plenty of reasons to get out and explore.

The Best Things to Do in Orange County + Coachella Valley in October 2026

October in Southern California blends familiar fall traditions with experiences that feel distinctly local. Pumpkins grow beneath blue skies. Art festivals unfold beside the Pacific. Outdoor concerts continue well into autumn. Theme parks transform for Halloween. And the desert’s cultural season begins just as temperatures start to ease.

From plein air painters in Laguna Beach and film premieres in Newport Beach to Halloween celebrations throughout Orange County and midcentury architecture in Palm Springs, October 2026 offers an exceptional mix of culture, family fun, coastal lifestyle, and seasonal experiences.

Event schedules, admission requirements, ticket availability, parking procedures, and programming can change. Confirm current information directly with event organizers before attending.

October 2026 Events at a Glance

October Opens With Coastal Spectacle + Community Tradition

The first weekend of October starts on a large scale in Orange County.

Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach

The Pacific Airshow returns to the coastline October 2–4, filling the skies above Huntington Beach with aerial demonstrations and aviation experiences.

The beachfront setting makes the event unlike a traditional airshow. Spectators can watch from the sand while aviation activity unfolds above the Pacific, creating one of Southern California’s most recognizable large-scale outdoor events.

Tustin Tiller Days

At Columbus Tustin Park, Tustin Tiller Days also runs October 2–4, celebrating the community’s agricultural heritage with carnival rides, food, entertainment, and family activities.

The festival remains one of Tustin‘s signature community traditions and offers a classic hometown counterpoint to the large-scale spectacle happening along the coast.

See Laguna Beach Through an Artist’s Eyes

From October 3–11, the Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational turns Laguna Beach into an open-air studio.

Thirty nationally recognized plein air artists gather to capture the city’s beaches, coves, cliffs, canyons, streets, and famous coastal light. The nine-day program includes public paint-outs, competitions, artist programs, conversations, and the culminating Laguna Plein Air Art Festival.

The event reflects a creative tradition that has helped shape Laguna Beach for generations, connecting contemporary artists with the California Impressionist history of the coastal community.

Make October Pumpkin Season in Irvine

The Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch offers a distinctly Southern Californian version of fall in Irvine.

Families can spend the day among pumpkins while enjoying wagon rides, farm experiences, games, seasonal activities, and opportunities to explore a working farm without leaving Orange County.

It is one of the region’s most established autumn traditions and an easy way to add a farm outing to an October weekend.

Celebrate Halloween at Disneyland + Knott’s Berry Farm

Orange County’s theme parks embrace Halloween throughout October, with experiences ranging from whimsical family fun to full-scale nighttime scares.

Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort

Disneyland Resort in Anaheim celebrates Halloween Time throughout October with seasonal décor, themed food, costumed characters, entertainment, and Halloween touches throughout Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.

The Main Street Pumpkin Festival and limited-time seasonal experiences give visitors another reason to see the parks through October 31.

Knott’s Spooky Farm + Knott’s Scary Farm

In Buena Park, Knott’s Spooky Farm offers daytime Halloween activities geared toward families and younger visitors.

After dark, Knott’s Scary Farm shifts the atmosphere completely with haunted mazes, scare zones, monsters, and live entertainment on select nights. The separately ticketed event is designed for visitors looking for a much more intense Halloween experience.

Experience Irvine’s Global Village Festival

On Saturday, October 10, the Irvine Global Village Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary at Great Park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The City of Irvine’s signature multicultural event combines international cuisine, live music and dance, visual art, cultural exhibits, children’s activities, and a marketplace of vendors.

For residents and visitors alike, it offers a particularly vivid look at the cultures and communities that help define Irvine.

October 10 Goes to the Dogs—and Other Adoptable Animals

Two Orange County events on October 10 give animal lovers a reason to get out.

Bark or Treat in Tustin

Bark or Treat begins at 10 a.m. at Bark Barracks at Tustin Legacy Park. The Halloween-themed event gives dog owners a chance to enjoy the season with their four-legged family members.

Fur-Ever Friends Fall Festival in Mission Viejo

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Fur-Ever Friends Fall Festival brings more than a dozen rescue groups to the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center.

Visitors can meet adoptable dogs, cats, rabbits, and reptiles while enjoying children’s activities, animal encounters, wildlife education, and food.

Enjoy a Waterfront Concert in Newport Beach

Fall does not mean the end of outdoor music along the Orange County coast.

On Sunday, October 11, Diego’s Garage performs at Marina Park in Newport Beach from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

The free concert features ’90s alternative and rock favorites in a waterfront setting, creating an easygoing Sunday afternoon option for families and music fans.

Celebrate Architecture During Modernism Week – October

Palm Springs’ architectural legacy takes center stage October 15–18 during Modernism Week – October.

More than 50 activities celebrate midcentury modern architecture, art, interiors, landscape design, and vintage style through home tours, bus tours, walking tours, films, presentations, entertainment, and special experiences.

For architecture and real estate enthusiasts, few Southern California events connect homes, design, history, and lifestyle quite as directly.

Spend a Week at the Newport Beach Film Festival

From October 15–22, the Newport Beach Film Festival returns with an international slate of feature films, documentaries, shorts, premieres, filmmaker conversations, cultural showcases, and social events.

The festival makes it particularly easy to turn a screening into a full coastal outing. Pair a film with dinner, shopping, harbor views, or an evening near the water in Newport Beach.

Spend October 17 Along the Coast

Two very different October 17 events capture Southern California’s coastal personality.

Doheny Woodie Car Show

The 28th Annual Doheny Woodie Car Show runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point.

Classic wood-bodied automobiles and beach cruisers fill the beachfront setting, creating a celebration of vintage cars and California surf culture.

Pumpkin Splash in San Clemente

In San Clemente, the city’s Pumpkin Splash offers a much wetter interpretation of pumpkin-patch season.

From noon to 4 p.m. at the San Clemente Aquatics Center, participants can swim among floating pumpkins, play on aquatic inflatables, enjoy Halloween activities, and choose a pumpkin to decorate.

Fall Family Fun at The District at Tustin Legacy

Bump to Baby Expo | October 18

New and expecting parents can spend Sunday morning discovering pregnancy, postpartum, baby, and family resources during the Bump to Baby Expo at The District at Tustin Legacy.

The event brings together dozens of local service providers along with baby products, resources, giveaways, and opportunities to connect with professionals serving Orange County families.

Halloween Boo Bash | October 24

The following weekend, costumes take over The District for Halloween Boo Bash.

The free family event combines trick-or-treating, music, character appearances, crafts, face painting, balloon art, and seasonal activities from noon to 2 p.m.

Take on Haunted Trails in Laguna Niguel

From October 22–25, Crown Valley Park in Laguna Niguel transforms for Haunted Trails.

The nighttime attraction takes visitors through a Halloween trail filled with scares and spooky encounters. It is better suited to older children, teens, and adults than to very young visitors.

October 24 Is Orange County’s Big Halloween Weekend

Saturday, October 24 is one of the busiest days of the month, with Halloween and cultural events taking place throughout the county.

Newport Beach Halloween Spooktacular

The 9th Annual Halloween Spooktacular takes over Mariners Park from 3 to 6 p.m.

The free celebration includes trunk-or-treating, music, carnival games, bounce houses, costume contests, food trucks, pumpkin decorating, and a haunted walkthrough.

Anaheim Fall Festival + Halloween Parade

Downtown Anaheim begins its celebration during the day with the Anaheim Fall Festival, featuring vendors, entertainment, costumes, activities, food, and community programming.

At 7 p.m., the city’s historic Halloween Parade takes over downtown streets for one of Orange County’s longest-running seasonal traditions.

Mission Viejo Día de los Muertos Festival

From 2 to 7 p.m., the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center hosts Mission Viejo’s Día de los Muertos Festival.

The free event combines live entertainment, food, community altars, a Catrina contest, ofrenda displays, cultural traditions, and an illuminated classic-car ofrenda procession after dusk.

Dana Point Halloween Spooktacular + Trunk or Treat

The Dana Point Community Center hosts its Halloween Spooktacular & Trunk or Treat, giving South Orange County families another opportunity for costumes, treats, and community fun near the coast.

San Clemente Monster Dash + Creepy Crawl

Halloween weekend starts early in San Clemente with the Monster Dash & Creepy Crawl Fun Run.

The morning event runs from 7:30 to 11 a.m. and combines a Halloween-themed run with costumes and community activities.

Close Out October With Halloween Howl

Tustin gives families one final opportunity to celebrate before Halloween night.

Halloween Howl takes place Friday, October 30 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Tustin Library Courtyard.

The city event includes games, inflatables, trunk-or-treating with the Tustin Police Department, candy, costumes, children’s activities, and a Calm Corner for little ones who may prefer a quieter space.

Celebrate Halloween + Movie Night in Rancho Santa Margarita

Also on October 30, the SAMLARC Halloween Family Festival takes over Central Park in Rancho Santa Margarita from 3:30 to 8 p.m.

The afternoon includes interactive games, music, inflatables, a petting zoo, pumpkin decorating, face painting, trick-or-treating, food trucks, costume contests, and seasonal photo opportunities.

At 6:30 p.m., the celebration transitions into an outdoor screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas, giving families a full afternoon and evening of Halloween entertainment.

Experience October in the Coachella Valley

October is when the Coachella Valley begins moving into one of its most appealing seasons. Cooler evenings bring architecture, outdoor events, street fairs, hiking, dining, and cultural programming back into focus.

Ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Following its annual maintenance closure, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is operating on its fall and winter schedule.

The rotating tram climbs from the desert floor to the San Jacinto Mountains, where visitors can hike, dine, take in sweeping valley views, or simply enjoy dramatically cooler temperatures.

Spend Thursday Evening at VillageFest

Every Thursday evening, Palm Canyon Drive becomes a pedestrian promenade during Palm Springs VillageFest.

Artisans, local businesses, restaurants, galleries, entertainment, and food vendors line the downtown corridor, making it an easy way to experience Palm Springs after sunset.

Modernism Week – October

From October 15–18, design enthusiasts descend on Palm Springs for four days of architecture tours, films, presentations, home tours, and special experiences celebrating the region’s extraordinary midcentury heritage.

Howl-O-Ween at The Living Desert | October 31

Families can spend Halloween morning among wildlife during Howl-O-Ween at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert.

From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the zoo offers trick-or-treat stations, keeper experiences, face painting, fall photo opportunities, seasonal activities, and encounters with more than 600 animals.

Build the Perfect October Weekend in Southern California

October makes it particularly easy to combine seasonal events with the experiences Orange County and the Coachella Valley offer year-round.

Spend the morning watching artists work beside the Pacific in Laguna Beach, then stay downtown for dinner. Pick pumpkins in Irvine before exploring Great Park. Make a Newport Beach Film Festival screening the centerpiece of a coastal evening. Spend a Saturday at Doheny surrounded by classic cars and surf culture. Or head east for a Palm Springs architecture tour followed by dinner beneath the desert sky.

These experiences illustrate why lifestyle remains such an important part of Southern California real estate. Beaches, arts, restaurants, parks, cultural institutions, community festivals, architecture, and outdoor recreation are not simply tourist attractions—they are part of everyday life throughout the region.

Tips for Attending October Events

October’s largest festivals and attractions can draw significant crowds, particularly in Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Anaheim, Laguna Beach, and Palm Springs. Purchase tickets or reserve admission in advance when required.

For coastal events, review parking, shuttle, road-closure, and rideshare information before leaving home. Outdoor festivals and Halloween celebrations may also have restrictions involving chairs, bags, costumes, food, or pets.

Finally, remember that October afternoons in Southern California can still feel like summer. Bring sunscreen and water for daytime events, but consider an extra layer for evenings near the coast or in the desert.

Experience the Southern California Lifestyle This October

October showcases the diversity of Southern California particularly well. Within one month, residents can move between airshows, art festivals, pumpkin patches, films, architecture, outdoor concerts, community traditions, Halloween celebrations, mountain trails, beaches, and desert experiences.

That variety is part of what makes living here distinctive. The right home is not only about the residence itself—it is also about the experiences waiting beyond the front door.

Event dates, hours, admission requirements, and programming are subject to change. Confirm current details directly with each organizer before attending.