Holiday travel is getting expensive. Hopper predicts the 2026 holiday travel season could be the priciest in a decade, but there are plenty of reasons to explore Southern California without buying a plane ticket. From free concerts and cultural festivals to telescope viewing and hands-on art workshops, here are seven fall outings worth considering.
Highlights
- Buellton Fall Fest has three days of free concerts, including reggae, country and ’80s and ’90s music.
- Griffith Observatory offers a free Sunset Walk & Talk followed by the Star Party that lets visitors look through telescopes with help from local astronomers.
- The Getty Villa offers a free mosaic workshop inspired by ancient art, although parking costs extra.
These events cover quite a bit of Southern California, from Los Angeles and Orange County to San Diego and the Santa Ynez Valley. Some work for a quick afternoon. Others are worth building a day trip or weekend around.
Buellton Fall Fest: Free Concerts and a Weekend in Wine Country
Nov. 6–8, 2026 | Avenue of the Flags, Buellton | Free
Buellton is about three hours from Los Angeles, in the Santa Ynez Valley wine region. The Fall Fest is three days of live music without an admission charge.
The festival features more than 40 bands on two stages, carnival rides, games, food vendors, shopping, beer and wine.
The music changes throughout the weekend:
- Friday: An ’80s and ’90s dance party with 90s Babiez and Molly Ringwald Project.
- Saturday: Ales on the Avenue, a separately ticketed beer and wine tasting event, followed by Reggae Night featuring Arise Roots.
- Sunday: Fiesta Sunday and Country Night.
Festival admission is free, but carnival rides, games, food and the Ales on the Avenue tasting cost extra.
Día de los Muertos in Old Town San Diego: Altars, Traditions and a Procession
Oct. 31–Nov. 1, 2026 | Old Town San Diego | Free
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican tradition that honors loved ones who have passed. Old Town San Diego Historic District Park celebrates with decorated altars, music, cultural activities and a procession on Nov. 2.
Families build ofrendas, or altars, with photographs, marigolds, candles, favorite foods and objects to remember their loved ones.
Old Town’s Fiesta De Reyes, a plaza lined with shops and restaurants in the northern section of the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, is transformed with colorfully decorated skulls, skeletons, catrinas, and thousands of marigolds through November 2.
The many Mexican restaurants and shops make it easy to spend several hours exploring the neighborhood.
If you’re bringing children, talk about the tradition before you go. It’s an opportunity to introduce them to a celebration that treats remembrance as something shared across generations.
Free parking is available throughout Old Town with extra parking across Taylor Street in the CalTrans parking lot on weekend days and after 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Sugar Plum Arts & Crafts Festival: Holiday Shopping in Costa Mesa
Nov. 6–8, 2026 | Costa Mesa | Free admission during select hours; $15 parking
Sugar Plum has been a Southern California holiday shopping tradition for 48 years, and it’s a good place to knock out a big chunk of your gift list in one stop. The family-owned festival brings together more than 100 artisans and makers selling holiday decorations, jewelry, handmade gifts, baked goods and crafts, so you can shop for something more personal than the usual mall finds.
Families can also get complimentary photos with Santa or Frosty the Snowman.
Admission costs $5 on Friday morning, then becomes free after 11:30 a.m. Friday and throughout Saturday and Sunday.
Parking is $15.
Griffith Observatory Star Party & Sunset Walk
Nov. 14, 2026 | 2:00-9:45pm | Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles | Free
The Griffith Observatory always has interesting activities and admission is free. On November 14, astronomy volunteers set up telescopes and help visitors see and understand objects in the sky. Participating organizations include the.
The event runs from 2 to 9:45 p.m., so you can visit in daylight for solar viewing through specially equipped telescopes or arrive after dark to see the Moon, visible planets and other celestial objects, depending on conditions.
There are volunteers from the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, Los Angeles Sidewalk Astronomers and The Planetary Society to answer questions and point out what you’re looking at.
What to know: Admission to the observatory grounds and Star Party is free. Telescope viewing depends on the weather.
Parking: Summit parking is limited and costs $10 per hour. You can alternatively park for free at the Greek Theatre lot (when no events are happening) and take the DASH Observatory shuttle for 50 cents.
Sunset Walk & Talk | November 14 | 3:30- 6pm| Griffith Observatory | Free
Led by Griffith Observatory staff, urban ecologists and park rangers, the route covers about 2.25 miles with 375 feet of elevation gain, with stops to talk about Griffith Park history and objects visible in the evening sky.
Getty Villa Modern Mosaics: Make Your Own Ancient-Inspired Art
Nov. 14 and 21, 2026 | Getty Villa, Pacific Palisades | Free admission; parking extra; reservation needed
The Getty Villa is modeled after an ancient Roman country house and houses Greek, Roman and Etruscan art. Even the building and gardens are worth exploring.
I like activities that connect me to what I am seeing in a museum. The Modern Mosaics workshop gives visitors a chance to learn how ancient artisans made mosaics and try the technique themselves.
Artist Andrés Cortes demonstrates traditional materials and construction methods, then participants create their own contemporary mosaics in a bilingual English-Spanish workshop.
This is fun for a multigenerational experience, especially with older children or teens who enjoy making things.
What to know: Getty Villa admission is free, but timed entry reservations are required. Parking costs extra. Confirm whether the workshop requires a separate reservation and whether there are age restrictions.
Make Art for Free at LACMA Family Sundays
November 1, 8 and 15, 2026 | LACMA, Los Angeles | Free
LACMA’s Free Family Sundays offer all-ages art-making workshops throughout November. For the Andell Family Sunday workshops, you do not need a paid museum ticket to participate in the workshops.
There is also a bigger money-saving opportunity for LA County families: kids 17 and under can join NexGenLA , LACMA’s free youth membership program.
Once enrolled, the child receives free museum admission and can bring one guest for free .
Not Free, but Worth It: Shoot an Apple Cannon in Julian
Thru November 15 | Julian Farm & Orchard, Julian | $$30; apple cannon is $12 for five apples
Julian is already one of Southern California’s classic fall day trips, but there is more to do than buy pie.
At Julian Farm & Orchard, families can shoot apples from an apple cannon for $12 for five apples, then add activities such as U-pick, a petting zoo, rock climbing wall and axe throwing.
Apple picking continues through mid-November, depending on availability.
Big Bear Oktoberfest: America’s Heroes Weekends
November 7, 8, 14 | Big Bear | Free for heroes
Big Bear Oktoberfest is an annual Bavarian-themed festival held in the mountain town of Big Bear Lake. To honor active military, veterans, firefighters and law enforcement, admission is free Nov. 7–8 and Nov. 14. Immediate family members and significant others can also attend at deeply discounted rates, making these weekends an especially affordable way for service families to experience the festival.
My son and his wife were the big winners of the Baumstamm sägen (log sawing) contest. We celebrated with delicious sausages and kraut and steins of German beer.
Not Free, but Worth It: Boots in the Vines: Country Music in Santa Ynez Valley
Nov. 7, 2026, 3–7 p.m. | Zaca Mesa Winery, 6905 Foxen Canyon Rd., Los Olivos | $85
Boots in the Vines is an annual autumn harvest celebration and country music event hosted at Zaca Mesa Winery. This one isn’t free, but the ticket includes enough that I’m giving it an honorable mention.
- Live music by the Just Dave Band, fronted by Dave Bernal of American Idol and Arcane fame
- Modern and classic outlaw country, Spanish and Tejano music
- Professional line dancers teaching newbies
- Ranch-style harvest plate by Chef Juan Manuel
- Lawn games including cornhole and giant Jenga
Boots in the Vines at Rustique Wines – Santa Ynez Valley
Nov. 22 | Doors 6 p.m.; music 7–9 p.m.
Where: 1010 River Rd, Salinas, CA 93908
Another wine-country option for country music fans: Rustique Wines closes out its concert season with Wild at Heart performing under the vineyard stars.
- Live country music from Wild at Heart
- Outdoor evening setting among the vines
- Rustique wines available by the glass or bottle
- Food and desserts available for purchase
- A relaxed way to experience Santa Ynez wine country after dark
- Final concert of Rustique’s season
Frequently Asked Questions
Griffith Observatory’s Nov. 14 Public Star Party and the Getty Villa’s Nov. 14 and 21 mosaic workshops are two options. Both offer free activities, although parking and reservation requirements differ.
Yes. Buellton Fall Fest, Nov. 6–8, has free admission and live music. Sugar Plum Arts & Crafts Festival in Costa Mesa also offers free admission during select hours.
Yes. Admission to the observatory building and grounds is free. Some programs, including planetarium shows, require paid tickets. Parking may also cost extra.
Yes. Visitors need timed admission reservations, even though general admission is free. Special workshops may have additional registration requirements. Parking is $10-$25 and FREE on Saturdays after 6pm.
Buellton and the Santa Ynez Valley offer wine country, live music and small-town stops. Old Town San Diego is another option for historic sites, restaurants and cultural celebrations.
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