Crisp air, cooler temperatures, warm sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes–Fall is coming. With gorgeous gardens, amazing bakeries, and tons of festive events, there are countless ways to welcome the new season everywhere from Venice to Silver Lake. Here are 17 awesome things to do in LA this Fall!
1. See Fall Foliage
Although LA might not be known for changing leaves, there are some gorgeous areas near the city to see some fall foliage. For a quick day trip, head to Huntington Gardens or the 127-acre Los Angeles Arboretum to see the season’s colors. For a full day of fall festivities, check out Descanso Gardens and stay for Enchanted: Forest of Lights, launching November 19. Drive even further east to Mount Baldy for cool air and go for a hike among the crunchy leaves!
Photo: @laarboretum
2. Check out Jazz at LACMA
Still rewatching La La Land? Us too. Celebrate the fall by taking part in this 20-year live music tradition: Jazz at the LACMA. Shows are every Friday at 6pm through October 26.
Photo: the LACMA
3. Eat Your Heart Out at Smorgasburg LA
Spend the day checking out this Downtown LA food market, where you can find everything from tacos to lobster rolls. Pick up an Amazebowl if you’re feeling healthy, or indulge in a grilled cheese from Cheezus. Be sure to grab a churro from Churro Boss–the flavorful cinnamon treats taste like fall!
Photo: @cheezus_la
4. Go to a Pumpkin Patch
Fall calls for pumpkins! Visit Mr. Bone’s Pumpkin Patch in Culver City, for pumpkin decorating, a “professional carver” and food trucks. Other spots around LA include Tina’s Pumpkin Patch in Sherman Oaks and Shawn’s Pumpkin Patch in Hollywood.
Photo: @mr_bones_pumpkins
5. Celebrate Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest is a two-week Bavarian beer festival including music, costumes and food held in Munich, Germany every fall. The festival typically attracts 7 million visitors. Can’t fly to Munich? You can celebrate here in LA! Alpine Village hosts a traditional celebration in Torrance including a 12-piece Oom Pah band flown from Germany. Events take place every weekend through October 28. Wurstkurche Venice also hosts an Oktoberfest celebration for three weekends in a row, starting September 30.
Photo: @wurstkuche
6. Experience New Museum Exhibits
Its an exciting time for art in Los Angeles! Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, an examination of the role of Latin-American Art, launched in September with exhibitions throughout the museums of LA. These exhibitions include photography, film, dance and painting. Other exciting happenings include Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room (10/21) at the Broad and the just-opened Institute of Contemporary Art Downtown.
Photo: The Broad
7. Celebrate Halloween
Start the festivities early and attend KCRW’s Masquerade Ball at the MacArthur on October 28. Then, join 500,000 other Angelenos for the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval, a street party that begins at 6 p.m. on the October 31.
Photo: KCRW
8. Get spooked at these scary spots
Looking for something a little frightening? Check out Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights for an assortment of scary attractions, including rides, mazes, and the “terror tram.” Other haunted hangouts include Knott’s Scary Farm and the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride in Griffith Park. For a unique scare, visit Dark Harbor, a haunted boat in Long Beach.
Photo: @knottscaryfarm
9. Dia de los Muertos
Put on your best Calaca apparel and head to Hollywood Forever for Día de los Muertos on October 28. The event features Mexican food, Day of the Dead arts and crafts, Aztec Ritual dancers and four stages of music and theater.
Photo: @hwdforever
10. Taste the Season
We probably don’t have to tell you about the pumpkin spice latte, but we do want to make you aware of some other tasty fall treats in LA. Fonuts offers a decadent pumpkin donut while The Pie Hole serves traditional pumpkin pie (available by the slice). Gluten free or vegan? Erin McKenna Bakery in Larchmont Village is your spot—the chocolate chip pumpkin loaf is pretty much a dream.
Photo: @thepieholela
11. Visit the LA County Fair
The LA County Fair in Pomona includes rides, a farm, concerts, a miniature railroad and and ice-skating. Be sure to indulge in funnel cake and corn on the cob! The fair ends September 24.
Photo: @lacountyfair
12. Go to a music festival
Missed Coachella last spring? Explore one of LA’s lesser known festivals. Music Tastes Good is a food and music festival in Long Beach—headliners include Sleater-Kinney and Ride. In search of some oldies? Go to Desert Trip in Indio for The Who, The Rolling Stones, Paul MacCartney and Bob Dylan. For hip-hop, try Camp Flog Festival in Exhibition Park. Headliners include Kid Cudi, Migos and Two Chains.
Photo: @deserttripindio
13. Attend a food festival
Celebrate the arrival of fall by enjoying a food festival (its not bikini season anymore, right?) The Eastside Food Festival (October 22) features some of the Eastside’s best restaurants—last years vendors included Go Get Em Tiger, Kettle Black and Trois Familia. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Paella Wine & Beer Festival (October 7) in Pershing Square presents 50 acclaimed paella chefs. Looking for something for simple? The Pizza and Beer Festival will take place Downtown on November 4.
Photo: @eastsidefoodfest
14. Friday Night Wine Tasting at Barnsdall Art Park (through October 6)
Grab a group of girlfriends or that special someone and enjoy the sunset in Silver Lake. Your ticket gets you four tastes of delicious wines and spritzers. There are also several food trucks on site if you get hungry. Bring a blanket and arrive early to find a spot on the lawn!
Photo: @barnsdallpark
15. Give back
With the holiday season approaching, volunteering is an amazing way to get involved in the city of LA and help others. Distribute food and clothing for the homeless in Hollywood with Food on Foot or help out at the Westside Community Dinner on Thanksgiving. You can also join 2,000 volunteers through One Voice to sort and distribute food to those living in poverty in LA.
Photo: One Voice LA
16. Go Ice-Skating
While it may not get particularly cold during the winter in LA, there are still many ice skating spots. Twirl around under twinkly lights at the Ice at Santa Monica or try the Pershing Square Holiday Ice Rink Downtown. You can also find ice-skating at LA Live, where a giant Christmas tree shines in the middle of the rink.
Photo: @holidayicerinkdtla
17. See a concert
Get to the Hollywood Bowl for an outdoor concert before the season ends! Highlights include Chance the Rapper (10/3), The National (10/11) and Zac Brown Band (10/29).
Photo: @hollywoodbowl
Looking for more fun things to do in LA? Check out these 9 Instagram-Worthy Walls in Los Angeles: DTLA Edition and 10 of our Favorite Happy Hour Spots in LA!
