Meteorologically speaking, trying to find fall in Los Angeles is like trying to find good tacos in New York. But seeing as we’re well into October, the Super Bowl of the autumn months, it’s time to start thinking about fall and its cornucopia of season-specific activities seriously. Bust out your calendars (but not your scarves, hats, or boots) for the best of the best October things L.A. has to offer.
Willowbrook Apple Farm
Show your friends in the Midwest that you can pick apples (and post pictures of it on Instagram, too!) by heading out to Willowbrook Apple Farm, where you can collect Stayman Winesaps from century-old trees and press your own cider. Take your bounty home and bake all of the pies you can handle. More information.
Phantosmia: A Historic Guide to Aromatic Hauntings in L.A.
Get your freak on in a new way with this self-guided car tour of L.A.’s paranormal activities—which revolves around scent. The Institute for Art and Olfaction has created a kit ($60) of 13 haunted perfume samples along with a map to various locations around the city so that you can smell things like actress Peg Entwistle’s gardenia perfume at the Hollywood sign (where she tragically jumped to her death in 1932). More information.
Artisanal LA Fall Show
With more than 150 edible and home good makers, artisans, food crafters, and chefs (not to mention a pop-up urban farm with baby goats and calves—baby goats and calves!), this event at DTLA’s The Reef (October 10 and 11) puts all of the autumn vibes in one place. More information.
18th Annual Underwood Family Farms Fall Harvest Festival
This month-long event at the Moorpark farm features everything from pumpkin picking to corn mazes to tractor rides. Each weekend is themed, and not all events occur on all weekends, so check the schedule of activities before planning a trip. More information.
Creep LA
New to L.A.’s haunted house scene, Creep LA’s brand of heebie jeebies involve both “traditional scare tactics” and “emotional interactions,” which makes us feel like tears might be involved (on our part, at least). The company hopes the frights will linger with guests long after they’ve navigated a warehouse full of mazes, corridors, and dark rooms. Yikes. More information.
The Hollow
The Ichabodies are about to hit the floor. The Speakeasy Society is taking over Chloe’s Pub at Golden Road Brewery October 26-29 to present The Hollow, a dinner theatre experience based on Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and several of his other short stories. Tickets include a three-course meal and a pairing with a Golden Road beer. More information.
Panic Mountain
This overnight-optional adventure sounds like it might skew more horrifying than delightful, but if you’re into that, Panic Mountain’s immersive zombie apocalypse experience could be the perfect option. Groups of 12 to 16 stay in cabins in the middle of the woods and must complete mental and physical activities to make it through the night. More information.
Horror Made Here
For those who enjoy watching terror unfold on the big screen rather than participating in it themselves, consider a visit to Warner Bros. Studios’ Horror Made Here. The Halloweeny exhibition—a first for the studio—will put props and costumes from iconic films (Nightmare on Elm Street, The Exorcist, Annabelle) on display through November 1. More information.
The Last Spookstore
Visit DTLA’s The Last Bookstore all month long to check out 31 pieces of art inspired by gruesome literature, from H.P. Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu to Clive Barker’s Books of Blood. More information.
The Art of Mounting
Take a page out of The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and spend a night at The Natural History Museum (yes, literally sleep there) on October 31. The taxidermy-themed evening includes a discussion about the art of stuffing, a gallery scavenger hunt, live music, craft beer and wine served from 8:30 p.m. to midnight, and snacks when the clock strikes 12 a.m. More information.
Cinespia at Hollywood Forever
Savor the spooky season (and L.A.’s year-round good weather) with Cinespia’s outdoor cinema at Hollywood Forever. Catch Dawn of the Dead (1978) on October 23, Donnie Darko on October 24, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Halloween. More information.
