Fall in Southern California may have everyone thinking about pumpkins, but it is also the perfect time to enjoy all things apple - from picking your own fruit to fresh apple cider (and apple cider donuts!) to delicious apple butter. Apple butter making is a tradition found in several parts of the country and one that started in the U.S. hundreds of years ago. The annual Apple Butter Festival in Oak Glen, CA, which is known for its apple farms and cideries, is an opportunity for everyone to come join the fun and honor this long-standing tradition. And I think it may be the fall season’s most charming harvest celebration.
lauraag/iStock via Getty Images Plus
As far back as the 16th century, colonial farmers would come together, bringing their last apples of the year, to celebrate an abundant harvest and the changing of seasons. The last of the annual produce was boiled down to make preserves that would last them through the winter. This tradition was more than a practical way to keep from losing any apples and being able to enjoy them until the next harvest. It was also an enjoyable way to preserve a spirit of community for these early families who, in addition to making apple butter, celebrated with music, dancing, and a feast.
advertisement
Riley’s at Los Rios Rancho now hosts the annual Apple Butter Festival each year on Thanksgiving weekend. The historic ranch is an ideal place for this harvest celebration, and there is plenty of fun to be had. For starters, families will enjoy apple butter making the traditional way - outdoors in the ranch’s 100-year-old copper pot. Do you know what it means to “start the snitz” or “add the money” when making apple butter? Join a hands-on demonstration and find out!
Jackson’s Orchard/Flickr
Other fun activities will include pioneer crafts, fall foliage carriage rides, games, pumpkin painting, cider tasting, an Oak Glen Treasure hunt, and a Saturday night hoedown. Admission to the festival is free, but note that small fees and/or tickets are required for some activities, such as the hoedown.
This charming harvest festival is a unique and fun way for families to celebrate the end of the fall season. Will you be heading to Oak Glen in November to join in the tradition? Find out more about the Apple Butter Festival on the Los Rios Rancho website. What is your favorite fall festival? Share with us in the comments. And if you’d like to spend the weekend in Oak Glen for the festival, check out this lovely farm stay Airbnb!
The best pumpkin patches in Southern California are alive and well when summer gives way to fall. This fruit jumps into center stage. From morning lattes to breads and scones to many people’s favorite pie, the pumpkin is the star of the fall season. Pumpkin patches are not only places where you can pick up a fresh pumpkin but also where families can enjoy fun adventures and make epic memories. Right about now you are thinking, “So where are the best pumpkin patches near me?” Hopefully, on this list of some of the best pumpkin patches in Southern California, you will find your next favorite spot.
Tanaka Farms is one of Orange County’s only pumpkin patches where you can pick your own pumpkins right from the patch. And that’s just the beginning. Enjoy wagon rides, a corn maze, a produce and snack stand, and even a pumpkin canon at this popular pumpkin patch in Irvine. This year is the farm’s 26th anniversary. The complete itinerary takes about 1.5 to two hours.
If you are looking for the best pumpkin patches near Irvine, CA, this park belongs near the very top of the list. While the pumpkins don’t actually grow here, this is still a super-fun pumpkin patch families adore. Depending on the day, there are myriad of activities, such as face painting, a hay maze for littles, carnival games, pony rides, paddle boats, and lots and lots of picnic and photo opportunities. Discover more on the Irvine Park Railroad website.
One of my favorite farms in general is also a local favorite when it comes to pumpkins. Underwood Farms is a large, picturesque farm with lots of activities for families, including pumpkin picking, live music on weekends, tractor rides, petting zoos, and more. This is definitely one place worth bringing your camera and spending some time. Find further details on the Underwood Family Farms website.
4. Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch: Culver City, Oct. 5 - 29, 2024
When it comes to pumpkin patches near Los Angeles, Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch is anything but your typical low-key event. You will find a pumpkin village, a super slide, a tipi village, giant rocking horses, a tiny bounce house for the littlest guests and a bigger one for older kids, a straw maze, a petting zoo, face painting, and quite possibly a few L.A. faces you will recognize. Read all about it on the Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch website.
This year expect to find Blue Ghost and Cinderella pumpkins among other colorful varieties. Purchase some autumn decorations, including corn stalks, gourds, hay bales, and Indian and strawberry corn. And smell what's cooking in the farm kitchen, such as warm pumpkin bread. For more information, visit Greenspot Farms website.
6. Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Festival at AGRIscapes: Pomona, Sept. 28 - Oct. 27, 2024
The Huntley College of Agriculture at Cal Poly Pomona grows some 40,000 pumpkins and attracts up to 120,000 visitors. This year marks the 31st anniversary for visitors to cut their own pumpkins from the vines, find their way through two corn mazes, wander through a sunflower maze, spend time in the petting farm, play games, take tractor-pulled hay wagon rides, listen to live music, and purchase food and beverages from on-site vendors. You could easily spend all day at one of the best pumpkin patches in SoCal. Tickets for this event usually sell out, so it is recommended to buy them online ahead of the date you plan to visit.
Frosty’s Pumpkin Patch in Chino is another true pumpkin festival with lots of inflatables, carnival rides, pony rides, a sunflower labyrinth, a corn maze, an animal viewing zoo, a corn cob beach, and a one-of-a-kind photo op path featuring art, backdrops, and sculptures by local artists. You will also find any size, shape, and color of pumpkin, including heirloom pumpkins, for purchase. Find out more on the Frosty’s Forest website.
If you are farther south and looking for pumpkin patches near San Diego, there is a great one in Carlsbad, and I mean, the name alone suggests a uniquely good time. A thrilling 50-foot slide is just one of the exciting inflatables that include bounce houses, an obstacle course, and more slides. Visit the cuties at the petting zoo; take a wagon train hay ride, and play epic games like pumpkin bowling and a pumpkin slingshot. There is a snack shack daily and on weekends, grab a delicious meal from an on-site taco truck. The highlight may be “Movies in the Patch” every weekend; families can bring chairs and blankets and enjoy a flick under the stars every weekend night at sunset. Admission is free and wristbands and tickets can be purchased for inflatables and other attractions. Discover more on the Palomar Pumpkin Polar Palooza.
The Best pumpkin patches in Southern California prepare us for a pumpkin adventure. Are you ready? Pick one (or several) of these over-the-top spots in SoCal; pack up the family, and head out. We want to know which one is your favorite! So let us know in the comments below.
Welcome in the fall in Northern California by attending one (or more!) of the many fall festivals taking place in the next several months. The 2024 line-up of harvest and fall festivals is pretty impressive! No matter where you live in Northern California, chances are there is at least one fall festival not far from you. At these Northern California fall festivals, you can count on seeing scarecrows, pumpkin patches, and other autumn scenes. So charge into this beautiful season by attending some of the best fall festivals in Northern California!
The Amador Flower Farm hosts many events, but one of the prettiest is the Fall Fun Days Festival. Taking place on September 28 & 29, 2024, this autumn festival on a flower farm will have a hay bale maze, farm animals, a pumpkin patch, and free tram rides. And since it’s a flower farm, any gardeners in your group can watch demonstrations by plant experts and purchase some fall bulbs to plant at home.
If you're in the Central Valley and searching for "fall festivals near me," you might have heard about this one! Enjoy three days of fall fun on October 11-13, 2024, at Oakhurst Community Park. This small-town festival is a big event for locals. At the Oakhurst Fall Festival, visitors can enjoy music, shop local vendors, and enjoy food, plus wine and beer from local establishments. This 3-day event also has amusement park rides, face painting, and plenty of fun activities and games for the whole family.
Everyone in Fortuna comes out for this big fall festival and it’s just so much fun! It seems as if the entire town of Fortuna gets involved in this festival, which takes place on the first Saturday of October every year. The Fortuna Apple Harvest Festival starts at 9 a.m. with activities such as apple tasting and continues all day and evening. Eat caramel apples, listen to live music, shop at the massive street fair, and enjoy so much good food. End the day at the festival’s themed skate night, starting at 6:30 p.m. This will make for a full day of fun for your entire family.
This one-day festival is where you want to be for a day of good old-fashioned family fun. The Harvest Fair takes place on October 12, 2024, at Dublin Heritage Park & Museums. For those looking for fall events near San Francisco, this festival is not far. There will be so many activities to partake in: gold panning, wagon rides, petting zoo, pumpkin golf, pumpkin ring toss, hay bale maze, butter churning, and more!
This year will be the 39th year of this annual pumpkin festival. The Manteca Pumpkin Fair is presented by the Manteca Sunrise Kiwanis. This fall festival near Stockton takes place October 5 & 6, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free and this event supports local nonprofit groups.
6. Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival -– Elk Grove Regional Park
The city of Elk Grove has a lot of fun festivals throughout the year, but this one might take the cake. The Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival, taking place October 5 & 6, 2024, is a massive event with carnival rides, three stages of entertainment, a pumpkin patch, food truck vendors, and of course, the giant pumpkin contest. Definitely check out the massive pumpkins at this fest– one year’s winner was a whopping 1,886.5 pounds! Admission is free. This fall festival near Sacramento is one you don't want to miss!
advertisement
advertisement
7. Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival -– Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay is home to the original Giant Pumpkin Festival. Growers have been bringing their giant pumpkins to this charming beach town for years to compete in this nationwide competition, which takes place before the festival. The Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, on October 19 & 20, 2024, will have a costume contest, a pie eating contest, and plenty of other contests and games to enjoy. Of course, the giant pumpkins will be on display for festival-goers to view. Visitors can also enjoy lots of food and drink, entertainment, local art, and more. Enjoy everything autumn at this popular fall festival near San Francisco.
Experience Ukiah’s PumpkinFest on October 19 & 20, 2024. PumpkinFest will feature the winners from the giant pumpkin contest that is held on October 18. In addition to the giant pumpkins, you can really get into the fall spirit at the haunted house or in “Scarecrow City”. Enjoy rides, tournaments, and contests, plus a food court and beer and wine garden. This year’s theme is “PumpkinFest: Down the Rabbit Hole”.
Plan some time to enjoy fall at one of these best fall festivals in Northern California and really make the most of the season! Tell us in the comments what your favorite Northern California fall festivals are. This season, make sure to get outdoors and hike some trails to see the beautiful fall foliage:
