As October progresses, Southern California is leaning into the season with a mix of traditional fall festivities, spooky spectacles, and cultural events across Los Angeles, Orange County, and beyond.
Oktoberfest celebrations are in full swing, offering various ways to enjoy Bavarian traditions. Santa Anita Park is combining its horse races with a fall festival over two weekends, October 10–11 and 17–18. Attendees can expect stein-holding and costume contests, corn hole, keg rolling, pretzels, and plenty of beer. General admission tickets include a mini tasting stein with eight three-ounce beer tastings, a $5 betting voucher, and access to grandstand seating. For those bringing their canine companions, the South Coast Botanic Garden is hosting Dogtoberfest every weekend this month, expanding its usual dog-walking hours. The event features a "Pup Crawl" with beer stations for humans, live music from Die Sauerkrauts, and contests like stein-holding and yodeling. Pups can enjoy training obstacles and races on the lawn, with a new dog VIP ticket offering a "dog beer" tasting and access to a VIP Top Dog Zone with splash pads. For more traditional settings, Silver Lake’s Red Lion Tavern continues its Bavarian celebration through mid-November, serving an Oktoberfest platter alongside four-liter boots of beer, with live music and stein-holding contests on select nights. In Venice, Wurstküche is holding its own Bavarian celebration every weekend through October 24, complete with lederhosen, German and Belgian beers, yodeling, and live German music. Tickets include a Wurstküche beer stein with the first fill-up.
For those seeking a thrill, several horror-themed events are taking over the region. Universal Studios Hollywood has transformed for Halloween Horror Nights, running on select evenings until November 1. This year’s attractions include haunted houses dedicated to "Stranger Things 5," "Hellraiser," "Evil Dead Burn," and Ozzy Osbourne. The new Sinners attraction transports guests to a 1930s Mississippi club, while the Terror Tram features Art the Clown in a surprising Santa Claus costume. Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group in North Hollywood is also back with "Urban Death," its chilling series of vignettes that has been scaring audiences for over two decades. Guests navigate a flashlight-lit labyrinth before and after witnessing shocking scenes. Meanwhile, Screamfest Horror Film Festival, hailed as a top film fest by The New York Times, is showcasing new horror indie flicks, premieres, and short films at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres this October. For a more spirited fright, the horror-themed Black Lagoon cocktail pop-up, created by industry veterans Erin Hayes and Kelsey Ramage, is taking over Melrose Umbrella Co. in Beverly Grove. The bar features expertly mixed cocktails amid metal music and spooky decor, including a 12-foot-tall skeleton. Drink highlights include the Bone Temple and Abyssa’s Obsession, with a second Southern California outpost at Midnight Oil in Long Beach.
Beyond the scares and suds, Southern California offers a variety of cultural and artistic experiences. Descanso Gardens is hosting its annual "Carved," a family-friendly event featuring a mile-long trail illuminated by thousands of professionally carved pumpkins. The 2026 edition introduces the Rhizome light sculpture in the Oak Grove and new immersive sculptures in the labyrinth. For performing arts enthusiasts, American Contemporary Ballet is opening its 15th season at the Bank of America Plaza in Downtown Los Angeles. The program includes George Balanchine’s Sonatine, Rubies, and Episodes, alongside a new ballet by ACB founder Lincoln Jones, all performed to live music. Audiences can also catch "The Outsiders" musical, a Tony-winning production that started in San Diego before its Broadway success, now stopping at the Hollywood Pantages as part of its national tour.
