Fall in San Diego: Pumpkin Patches and Harvest Fun

Fall in San Diego looks a little different from the East Coast, but once October rolls around, the city's pumpkin patches and Halloween events pick up. If you want something close to home, the Goff Family Pumpkin Patch at Liberty Station is the easiest place to start. Entry is free, the patch holds more than 10,000 pumpkins, and there are lawn games to keep the kids busy. It's open daily through October 31, from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Sunday through Thursday and until 9:00 PM on Friday and Saturday. Dogs are welcome on a leash, and you can bring your own picnic or grab a hand-tossed pizza from Friday through Sunday. The Tap Truck pours cider, beer, wine, and cocktails, starting at 4:00 PM on Friday and at noon on Saturday and Sunday. Parking is in the Cushing Road lot by Sea Hive.

If you'd rather head to Clairemont, Mr. Jack O' Lanterns on Clairemont Drive is open through November 1. The lot has pumpkin sales, ball games, a petting zoo, and a haunted house. It's open from noon to 8:00 PM Monday through Friday and from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM on weekends, which makes it easy to fit into an afternoon.

The Halloween calendar in the city is busy too. According to San Diego Family's fall and Halloween roundup, Birch Aquarium in La Jolla hosts its Halloween Aglow event on Friday and Saturday, October 23 and 24, from 6:00 to 8:30 PM. Later in the month, Seaport Village holds its Bayside Boo on Saturday, October 31, and the San Diego Symphony presents its Trick or Treat Symphony that same evening.

If you're looking for a grown-up fall outing, the La Jolla Art & Wine Festival runs along Girard Avenue today, Sunday, October 11, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. It's free to attend and features more than 170 juried artists. Later in the season, the 26th annual Fall Back Festival takes over the Gaslamp Quarter on Sunday, November 1.