Fall in the valley doesn't announce itself. It shows up as an early porch light, a cool Saturday morning, and a calendar that suddenly fills. This is the list of what's worth leaving the house for between now and Thanksgiving, gathered from the 21 cities I work in.
Every date below was checked against the host's own website on October 6 and 7. Plans change, so tap through to the host before you go. And if I missed something on your street, tell me. It may make the next list.
The Calendar
In date order. Tap the host's name on any card for times, tickets and the fine print.
Santa Anita Autumn Meet
Live racing runs through Sunday, Nov 1. Halloween brings three stakes races, including the Goldikova, and Nov 1 features the Twilight Derby.
Fall Native Plant Sale
Thousands of California native plants go on sale at the garden's Grow Native Nursery. Sunday is the last day of the sale.
Claremont Heritage Home Tour
Eight historic Claremont homes open for "Homes with History," with ties to local artists and architects, the citrus industry and Route 66. Check-in is at the Garner House in Memorial Park.
Family Day at the Gamble House
Self-guided tours of the Gamble House, crafts and musical storytime, plus mini tours of the 1906 Fenyes Mansion at the Pasadena Museum of History. No reservations needed.
Rose Bowl Flea Market
More than 2,500 vendors of vintage, antiques and collectibles on the second Sunday of every month. Buy tickets online before you go.
Craftsman Week
Pasadena Heritage's week of Arts and Crafts tours, talks and studio visits. Several events have sold out, but the Mountain View Cemetery night tour (Oct 15), the Blacker House outside tour (Oct 17) and a free open house at the Lanterman House (Oct 18, RSVP) still had space in early October.
Fall Arts Crawl: Oktober-Fiesta
South Pasadena's fall arts crawl fills the business district with an Oktoberfest theme. The city and the Chamber of Commerce put it on.
Village Venture
The Claremont Chamber's arts and crafts festival fills the Claremont Village for the 44th year.
Pasadena Symphony Opens Its Season
Brahms' First Symphony, Barber's Violin Concerto with Benjamin Beilman, and Joan Tower's "Made in America" open the season. Beethoven's Seventh follows on Saturday, Nov 14.
Walktober Pasadena
The city-sponsored walking festival closes the month with "Arroyo's Edge," an architecture walk with the Gamble House (Oct 25, 9 am), and Caltech's "Mostly Modern" campus tour (Oct 31, 1 pm). Walks are capped, and some have already filled.
Silent Sunday: "Safety Last!"
Harold Lloyd's silent classic, with the Playhouse's Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ played live by Mark Herman. It closes this year's Silent Sundays season.
Día de los Muertos at the Mission Playhouse
The Grammy-winning Mariachi Los Camperos play a Day of the Dead concert of mariachi from the 1920s to today (Sunday, 4 pm). On Friday, Nov 6, from 5:30 to 8 pm, the lobby holds a community altar made by the City of San Gabriel, with performances on the stage.
Historic Downtown Monrovia Walk
The Monrovia Historic Preservation Group leads a two-hour walk through historic downtown. Meet at the southeast corner of Palm and Myrtle.
Veterans Day Ceremonies
Claremont gathers at Memorial Park with American Legion Keith Powell Post 78. La Verne raises the flag and recognizes veterans of every branch at its Veteran's Hall on Bonita Avenue.
Manet Comes to the Norton Simon
Édouard Manet's "Execution of Maximilian" arrives on loan from the National Gallery, London, shown with archival material from the French occupation of Mexico. On view through March 1.
Second Saturday Art Walk
Galleries, artists, food and late shopping fill the Arts Colony on the second Saturday of every month.
Caltech Campus Architecture Tour
Volunteer guides walk Caltech's original campus, from Gordon Kaufmann's 1930 Athenaeum to Bertram Goodhue's Roman arches. It runs about a mile and a third with steps, and the September and October tours filled.
The Doo Dah Parade Is Back
Pasadena's satirical community parade, a tradition since 1978, returns after skipping 2025. The route will be posted once the permits come through.
Enchanted: Forest of Light
Descanso's holiday light walk turns ten, with a new laser show on the Main Lawn that ends in a "snowfall." Most tickets are for a set date and entry time, and it's closed on Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Morning Runs
The Rose Bowl Turkey Trot 5K starts at 8:30 am at the Rose Bowl, and the Thanksgiving Day Run and Food Drive starts at 8:15 am in La Cañada Flintridge's Olberz Park. Register by Oct 30 to beat the price increase.
Dates, times and prices as each host posted them on October 6 and 7, 2026.
"Go for the parade, the pumpkins or the porch tour. Stay for the neighbors you didn't know you had."
Halloween Around the Valley
Halloween at Kidspace
Costume parades every day at 11, 1 and 3, included with museum admission.
Kidspace →Carved at Descanso Gardens
Glowing jack-o'-lanterns, giant hand-carved pumpkins and illuminated train displays, 6 to 10 pm nightly. This year it's open on Halloween night for the first time, and popular nights sell out.
Descanso Gardens →Monster Mash
A free Halloween carnival at Barnes Park, 4 to 7 pm.
City of Monterey Park →Halloween Spooktacular
Free at Lewis Park, 3 to 6 pm, with a kids' costume contest and a dog costume contest.
City of Claremont →Trunk-or-Treat
Free trick-or-treating from parked cars in the City Hall lot, 5 to 8 pm.
City of La Verne →Boo Bash
The city's free Halloween party at Orange Grove Park, 5:30 to 8 pm.
City of South Pasadena →Pumpkin Run and Halloween Festival
A 10K, a 5K and kids' runs through downtown in the morning, then a free festival on 2nd Street.
Alhambra Pumpkin Run →Bark in the Park: Howl-O-Ween
A dog costume contest and parade at Playhouse Village Park, 11 am to 2 pm.
Playhouse Village →Trick-or-Treat in Old Pasadena
Kids in costume go store to store from 4 to 8 pm. Look for the orange Treat Stop signs. Treats are handed out while supplies last.
Old Pasadena →Halloween Carnival
Games and bounce houses at Finkbiner Park, 5 to 8 pm. Wristbands $15 ahead, $20 that night.
City of Glendora →On View and On Stage
Where History Meets the Road
Route 66 turns 100 and Colorado Boulevard turns 150, told through photographs, memorabilia and a 70-foot illustrated scroll. Thursday to Sunday, noon to 5.
Pasadena Museum of History →Doyle Lane: Master of Clay
More than 100 works, from small vessels to tile murals, by the Los Angeles artist, set within midcentury California modernism. In the same galleries, Laura Aguilar's photographs of Día de los Muertos in Los Angeles, 1984 to 1992.
The Huntington →Gateway to Himalayan Art
Sixty-six objects from the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art in New York. Wednesday to Sunday, 11 to 5.
USC Pacific Asia Museum →Sunset at the Pacific's Edge
A California Art Club exhibition inside the gristmill completed in 1816 for Mission San Gabriel. The gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11 to 2.
California Art Club →Mavis Pusey, Restless
Layered geometric abstraction by the Jamaican-born painter, at Pomona College's free museum. Thursday 11 to 8, Friday to Sunday 11 to 6.
Benton Museum of Art →Come From Away
The musical about the town in Newfoundland that took in 7,000 stranded airline passengers on 9/11. Many performances are already limited.
A Noise Within →Passing Strange
The Tony-winning musical by Stew and Heidi Rodewald, in what the Playhouse calls its Los Angeles premiere. Tickets from $40.
Pasadena Playhouse →Free Days Worth Knowing
Free Day at The Huntington
Free on the first Thursday of every month, by reservation. Tickets for Nov 5 are released online at 9 am on Thursday, Oct 29, until they run out.
The Huntington →First Friday at the Norton Simon
Free for everyone from 4 to 7 pm on the first Friday of every month.
Norton Simon Museum →Second Sundays at USC Pacific Asia Museum
Admission is free on the second Sunday of every month.
USC Pacific Asia Museum →Every Week
Pasadena Farmers' Market
Victory Park on Saturdays and Villa Parke on Tuesdays, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Pasadena Farmers' Market →South Pasadena Farmers Market
Beside the Metro station at 913 Meridian Avenue, 4 to 8 pm, moving to 4 to 7 pm in winter. Closed Thanksgiving.
South Pasadena Chamber →Alhambra Farmers Market
On 2nd Street downtown, 8:30 am to 1 pm.
City of Alhambra →Garvey Ranch Observatory
Free telescope viewing with the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, 7:30 to 10 pm.
Los Angeles Astronomical Society →The Gamble House
Guided tours of Greene and Greene's 1908 masterpiece. Booking ahead is recommended.
The Gamble House →UCLA at the Rose Bowl
Home games against Wisconsin (Oct 17), Michigan State (Oct 24), Nevada (Oct 31), Illinois (Fri, Nov 13, 6 pm) and USC (Nov 28). Plan around the traffic near the Arroyo.
UCLA schedule →Know Something I Missed?
A block party, a school fair, a church bazaar, a tree lighting on your street. If it's open to the neighborhood and worth leaving the house for, send it my way.
The best ones make the next list.
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