First sent to readers on Friday, October 2, 2026.
Fall is fully underway, with a particularly strong mix of festivals, family events, live music and pumpkin-season options this weekend. Please let us know if you head to any of these; we always love hearing what everyone ends up doing! As always, please chime in if you have any special events coming up that the group should know about. Starting next week, we’re moving the roundup to Thursday so everyone has a little more time to plan the weekend. I’ve also kept the genuinely time-sensitive holiday reservations at the bottom under BOOK NOW so nobody discovers them after the good dates are gone.
As always, schedules, capacity and ticket availability can change. Please call ahead or book online before attending anything to confirm availability.
Friday
🎃 TONIGHT: Solvang Spooktacular Cinema in the Park: Fri. Oct. 2, pre-show from 5:30 PM and movie at dusk, Solvang Park. FREE. The Nightmare Before Christmas under the stars, with free face painting before the movie; bring blankets or low chairs. Popcorn, hot chocolate and sweets are available for purchase.
https://solvangusa.com/
🥑 California Avocado Festival: Fri. Oct. 2, 1–11 PM; Sat. Oct. 3, 11 AM–10 PM; Sun. Oct. 4, 11 AM–6 PM. Downtown Carpinteria on Linden Avenue between Carpinteria Avenue and 6th Street. FREE. This is the 40th anniversary, with 60+ bands across four stages, food, vendors, nonprofits and a kids area on Saturday and Sunday. Friday is the Locals Block Party, but it is open to everyone.
https://www.avofest.org/
🎭 Masq(p)arade!: Fri. Oct. 2, 5:30–8 PM, moving through downtown Santa Barbara from the Arlington Theatre to the Michael Towbes Library Plaza. FREE and family-friendly. A roving series of 15-minute performances at the artist-painted Pianos on State.
https://www.downtownsb.org/do/masqparade-2
🎬 TONIGHT: Lilo & Stitch Movie Night: Fri. Oct. 2, 6–7:30 PM, The Courtyard at Montecito Country Mart, 1016 Coast Village Road. The Mart does not list a separate ticket or RSVP requirement. Popcorn for kids, bubbly for grownups, and Rori’s is doing the movie-night scoop upgrade.
https://www.montecitocountrymart.com/events-listed/2026/10/2/ck1rtapoeiqdfi8ayxr2hivmb5wx6r
Saturday
🎻 54th Santa Barbara Old-Time Fiddlers’ Festival: Sat. Oct. 3, 10 AM–5 PM, Rancho La Patera & Stow House, 304 N. Los Carneros Road, Goleta. $20 early-bird online / $25 at the door; students $5; children under 12 FREE. Traditional performances, competition, jams, workshops and an instrument petting zoo. Bring low-rise folding chairs or a picnic blanket; no dogs or outside alcohol.
🪶 Chumash Intertribal Powwow: Sat. Oct. 3, 10 AM–10 PM and Sun. Oct. 4, 10 AM–6 PM, corner of Meadowvale Road and Highway 246, Santa Ynez. $5 general admission; children 12 and under FREE; parking FREE. More than 300 Native dancers and singers gather for dancing, drumming, Native foods, arts and crafts. Opening ceremony is 11 AM, Gourd Singing at noon and Grand Entry at 1 PM each day. Bring lawn chairs or blankets.
🐻 Storytime with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant: You Belong in the Wild: Sat. Oct. 3, 11:30 AM–12:30 PM, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Backyard. Included with Museum admission; members FREE. Dr. Rae is the host of NBC’s Wild Kingdom, and the first 50 participating families receive a free copy of You Belong in the Wild, followed by a signing. Especially good for younger kids.
https://www.sbnature.org/visit/calendar/9284/storytime-with-dr-rae-you-belong-in-the-wild
🚗 Vikings Classic Car Show: Wicked Wheels: Sat. Oct. 3, 10 AM–5 PM, downtown Solvang around Copenhagen Drive and Solvang Park. FREE for spectators. Vintage cars, hot rods and classics, with awards late afternoon.
https://solvangusa.com/solvang-events-calendar/
🎸 Jack Johnson: Surfilmusic Tour: Sat. Oct. 3 and Sun. Oct. 4, 6:30 PM, Santa Barbara Bowl; gates 5 PM. Special guest G. Love. Check AXS through the Bowl for current availability.
https://sbbowl.com/series-2026-jackjohnson
Fall / pumpkin season
🎃 Lane Farms Pumpkin Patch: open daily through Oct. 31 at 308 S. Walnut Lane. This weekend: Sat.–Sun. 10 AM–7 PM; corn maze closes 6:45 PM. Hayrides, farm animals, tractors, educational displays, corn maze and pumpkins. The official page does not list an admission price or advance-ticket requirement, so check onsite for individual activity pricing.
https://www.lanefarmssb.com/pumpkin-patch/
🎃 Montecito Country Mart Pumpkin Patch: Oct. 1–31, 1016 Coast Village Road. Annual honor-system patch with heirloom pumpkins. Easy to combine with Friday’s Lilo & Stitch movie.
https://www.montecitocountrymart.com/events-listed/2026/10/1/montecito-country-mart-pumpkin-patch
🎃 Solvang fall extras: the Solvang Scarecrow Fest and “Glimmer of Ghoulish Lights” run through October, and the Solvang Farmer Pumpkin Patch is open for the season with a large corn maze and kids maze.
https://solvangusa.com/whats-happening-in-solvang/
Sunday
🦈 Shark Sundays: Sun. Oct. 4, 11:30–11:45 AM, Sea Center on Stearns Wharf. A brief family-friendly shark program that is easy to pair with a waterfront morning.
https://www.sbnature.org/visit/calendar/
🏃 Fox Fall Classic: Sun. Oct. 4, Lake Los Carneros, Goleta. 5K at 8:30 AM, $27.50; 2-mile kids run at 9:15 AM, $16.90; 1-mile kids run at 9:15 AM, $11.60. Registration remains open through race morning.
https://runsignup.com/Race/Events/CA/Goleta/FoxFallClassicLakeLosCarneros
⛸️ FREE ice skating with a library card: Sun. Oct. 4, 1:30–3:30 PM and 7–9 PM, Ice in Paradise, 6985 Santa Felicia Drive, Goleta. Show a Goleta Valley Library or Santa Ynez Valley Libraries card for free skating admission. One card per skater; ages 3+; skate rental is not included.
https://www.cityofgoleta.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/30245/18
🥑 California Avocado Festival final day: Sun. Oct. 4, 11 AM–6 PM. The guacamole contest is at 11:30 AM in the Grotto Tent.
https://www.avofest.org/
🚫 MISSED / SOLD OUT: Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Centennial Free Community Day: Sun. Oct. 4, 10 AM–5 PM. The free Sunday sold out before publication, despite being reservation-required. The Garden has three more free Centennial Sundays on Oct. 11, 18 and 25, also reservation-required, so this is one to book ahead rather than wait for that weekend.
https://sbbotanicgarden.org/classes-events/free-community-day-october-4/
Worth the drive
🚒 Touch-A-Truck Ventura: Sat. Oct. 3, 9 AM–1 PM, Trinity Lutheran Church, 196 N. Ashwood Ave., Ventura. $7/person or $25/family of 4+. Kids can climb into dump trucks, fire engines, ambulances, buses and more. 9–10 AM is horn-free for kids sensitive to noise. Advance tickets are available; day-of sales are also planned.
https://totallyradfoundation.org/touchatruck-2026
🚜 Underwood Family Farms Farm Country Weekend: Sat.–Sun. Oct. 3–4, 9 AM–6 PM, 3370 Sunset Valley Road, Moorpark. Weekend tickets are ONLINE ONLY: $30 in advance, $34 day-of if space remains; children under 2 FREE. Admission includes tractor wagon rides, corn maze, animal center, pig races, pumpkin patch, play areas and live country music.
https://underwoodfamilyfarms.com/farm-country-weekend/
Looking ahead / group plans
🎬 Montecito Country Mart Coco Movie Night: Fri. Oct. 30, 6–7:30 PM. A good Halloween-weekend lead-in.
https://www.montecitocountrymart.com/events-listed/2026/10/30/coco-movie-night
👻 Montecito Halloween: Sat. Oct. 31. Montecito Country Mart Halloween Spectacular runs 11 AM–2 PM with costume contest and trick-or-treating, followed by Ghost Village Road on Coast Village Road from 3–6 PM for family trick-or-treating and the Great Pumpkin Challenge. We usually do Coast Village Road as a family, so you’ll likely find us there. If you’re doing Ghost Village Road, book an early dinner reservation nearby now rather than trying to wing it that night. Last year we went to Local. If enough families are interested this year, we could potentially put together a group dinner.
https://www.montecitocountrymart.com/
https://www.coastvillageroad.com/events/ghost-village-road-the-great-pumpkin-challenge
👻 BOOKED: Boo at the Zoo. Our group tickets are already purchased for Saturday, Oct. 24, 5–8 PM. Don’t forget to book yours if you haven’t already. The family Nighttime Boo runs Oct. 23–25. It is a separate ticket from regular Zoo admission, members save $5, and the Zoo says space is limited. Daytime Boo runs Oct. 16–31, 10 AM–3 PM and is included with regular admission/membership.
https://www.sbzoo.org/boo-at-the-zoo
🏃 BOOK NOW: Santa Barbara Half Marathon / 5K / Kids Fun Run: Sun. Nov. 8. Kids Fun Run is FREE at 10 AM and designed especially for ages 0–7, with older kids welcome. Advance registration may cap at 300, but organizers have told us they will not turn away children who show up to participate on race day. Parents can run alongside without registering.
https://santabarbarahalf.com/
🎃 BOOK NOW: Boo-Cara at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara: Fri. Oct. 30, 5–7 PM. Open to local families, with property-wide trick-or-treating, Spooky Forest, crafts, family-friendly haunted house and movie screening. Paid ticket includes self-parking. We are still on the fence because it works out to roughly $300 for our family for a two-hour event and there is very little independent review history.
🎄 SAVE THE DATE: Bacara Festive Holiday Market: Sun. Dec. 6. Complimentary community holiday market with free parking, local/regional artisans, seasonal treats and activities for all ages. No booking action needed yet.
BOOK NOW / RESERVATIONS OPEN
🌲 PLAN EARLY: Living Christmas tree. Seven Day Nursery has a variety of living Christmas trees in stock now, including several cedar varieties, with 10- and 25-gallon sizes among the current options. Current pricing runs roughly $299–$599, and they expect another shipment in late November. If you want to buy a living tree rather than rent one, this is the strongest local option we’ve confirmed so far. Plant Manning remains a rental alternative, but its online request form is currently broken.
https://7daynursery.com/
https://www.plantman.com/livingtree.html
These are here now because waiting until December is exactly how the best holiday experiences get missed.
❄️ BOOK NOW: Buellton Winter Fest Breakfast with Santa: Sun. Dec. 6. Two reservation-required seatings: 9–10 AM and 10:30–11:30 AM at the Buellton Rec Center. The official 2026 page says tickets are available but does not publish the price. Winter Fest itself is FREE later that day at River View Park, with 20 tons of snow, Holiday Village, vendors, music, 5:30 PM tree lighting and a new holiday drone show.
https://discoverbuellton.com/buellton-winter-fest/
https://buelltonwinterfest.ludus.com/200504497
✨ NOT ON SALE YET: Santa Ynez Valley Holiday Lights Festival: Dec. 4–6, 11–13 and 18–20, 5–8:30 PM at River View Park, Buellton. Falling snow, Mini Polar Express rides, Santa, marshmallow roasting, entertainment and lights. The official site still says “Tickets Coming Soon” and explicitly says the three-weekend event WILL sell out. We should book as soon as sales open.
https://syvholidaylights.com/
🎅 WATCH / NOT ON SALE YET: Solvang Julefest holiday tours and Christmas Light Trolley. Julefest runs Nov. 27–Jan. 3; Tree Lighting is Fri. Dec. 4 at 5:30 PM and the Parade is Sat. Dec. 5 at 11 AM. Santa’s Village is open weekends beginning Nov. 28. The ticketed holiday tours and Solvang Trolley Christmas Light Tour are marked Tickets Coming Soon, so I’ll surface them as soon as sales open.
https://solvangusa.com/things-to-do/solvang-julefest/
🍽️ BOOK NOW: Caruso’s Feast of the Seven Fishes at Rosewood Miramar: Christmas Eve, Thurs. Dec. 24. Reservations are live. $295/adult, $125/child; children 4 and under dine complimentary. Guests can choose the Feast of the Seven Fishes or Caruso’s seasonal tasting menu.
https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/miramar-beach-montecito/discover/holiday-at-rosewood
🍸 BOOK NOW: Paloma Tinsel Tavern: Nov. 19–Jan. 4. The full Christmas takeover is confirmed, and dinner reservations are now live through New Year’s Eve via Paloma’s official OpenTable channel. Over-the-top décor, holiday cocktails and seasonal dishes. No separate cover or age restriction is currently published.
https://lapalomasb.com/
https://www.opentable.com/r/paloma-reservations-santa-barbara?restref=1147723
🚋 BOOK NOW: Santa Barbara Trolley of Lights: Dec. 8–21. Public tickets are $42/person; lap children under 2 do not require a ticket. Private trolleys hold up to 30 and are $975 before fees/gratuity.
https://sbtrolley.com/santa-barbara-trolley-of-lights/
🎅 BOOK NOW: Ojai Valley Inn Breakfast with Santa: Dec. 18–20, 9–11:30 AM. $95/adult, $50/child 12 and under, plus tax/gratuity. Includes breakfast buffet, Santa, live reindeer and keepsake photo.
https://www.farmhouseojai.com/culinary-events
🎄 BOOK NOW: Ojai Valley Inn Christmas Grand Buffet: Dec. 25, seatings at noon and 4 PM. $195/adult, $65/child 12 and under; Santa is present.
https://www.farmhouseojai.com/culinary-events
🍽️ BOOK NOW: Mattei’s Tavern Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Thanksgiving buffet Nov. 26: $45–$125/person. Christmas Day buffet Dec. 25: $45–$135/person. Live reservations are available now for smaller parties.
https://www.opentable.com/r/matteis-tavern-los-olivos
🦃 BOOK NOW: Finch & Fork Thanksgiving Harvest Buffet: Nov. 26. Reservations are live through Finch & Fork’s current booking channel. $125++/adult and $60/child under 12.
https://www.opentable.com/r/finch-and-fork-reservations-santa-barbara
🦃 BOOK NOW: Thanksgiving at The Set, Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort: Nov. 26, 3–10 PM. Live reservations, complimentary self-parking, $160 family-style feast plus individual holiday entrées. Christmas at The Set is also reservable Dec. 24–25, 3–10 PM.
This weekend
We’re likely to be at Lilo tonight, so let us know if you want to meet up for ice cream! We had such a great time at Despicable Me at the Mission two weeks ago, so we’re excited for another outdoor movie night. You’ll probably also find us at the Avo Fest this weekend. Happy Friday!