Photo by Flickr/Californian Em
1. Get your wits scared out of you
What’s fall without a little Halloween horror fun. Continuing last year’s success, Universal Studios Hollywood hosts Halloween Horror Nights in October. This is just about LA’s scariest Halloween celebration. Terrifying mazes are all the rage this year. "The Life and Crime of Michael Myers" is causing some well-deserved screamage, as is the new "Saw" maze, which takes you into the secret lair of the serial killer, Jigsaw. For Psycho fans, take the “Terror Tram” tour, which features a stop at the famous Bates Motel.
2. Get lit at LA’s bookstores
Get literary, that is. Don’t ask us why, but we like bookstores in the fall. It must be the combo of coffee and the smell of new pages, or maybe it’s just a back to school thing. At any rate, there are plenty of bookstores in LA to browse old and new titles and simply chill out. Don’t know where to go? Get the low-down on LA’s best bookstores.
3. Eat funnel cake and laugh all night long
Ahhh, the grand old tradition of the Los Angeles County Fair. Each September, Fairplex Park hosts this annual event featuring all the activities you’d expect: live music, carnival games, rides, bumper cars, magicians and lots of funnel cake. This year, the fair opens Labor Day Weekend on September 5 and runs until October 4. Special events run throughout the duration of the fair with parades, a karaoke contest and headliners like The Beach Boys, Good Charlotte and Al Green.
4. Relive Greek Week
Taking place September 11, 12 and 13 at Saint Sophia Cathedral in Grand Plaza, the LA Greek Fest has become one of the most popular family events in the city. Perennial hosts Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson set the stage for authentic Greek food, dancing, prizes and music — all in grand Greek style (which is to say, these guys know how to party).
5. Stretch your imagination in West Hollywood
Each fall, the section of Santa Monica Blvd. between La Cienega and Doheny Drive goes crazy with revelries that make other Halloween celebrations look tame. Last year, more than 400,000 people attended the West Hollywood Carnaval, donning costumes that stretched the imagination to the limits. The carnaval is one of the best nights to people-watch (where else can you see drag queen vampires?). Trust us, the citizens of West Hollywood never disappoint.
6. Forget sunscreen and watch the silver screen
Running October 30 to November 7 at ArcLight Cinemas and other locations, AFI Fest features this highly-praised selection of international films for one of the movie industry’s biggest events. Red carpet, special screenings and celebrity sightings all come together at the festival, which drew more than 65,000 attendees last year.
7. Bring the dead back to life
The Olvera Street Merchants present this annual Dia de los Muertos celebration, a tradition that honors family ancestors. In Los Angeles, celebrations include piñatas, face paintings, mariachi, folklore and plenty of authentic Mexican cuisine. This year, Olvera Street/El Pueblo Historical Monument hosts a celebration (see Olvera Street’s website for updated event information), while Hollywood Forever Cemetery presents its 10th annual Dia de los Muertos festival.
8. Take the kids to the zoo
Each year, families attend Los Angeles Zoo’s “Boo at the Zoo” event for classic Halloween activities: pumpkin picking, arts and crafts, fun houses and, of course, plenty of sweets. This year, animals “stomp and chomp” pumpkins for fun of their own, while kids can learn about extinct animals in Australia at the “Halloween Down Under” exhibit. Free with zoo admission ($12 adults, $7 children). October 24-25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
9. Buy other people’s stuff
If spring is the season to clean, then fall is the season to collect! LA is the jackpot for second-hand clothing stores, which include hits such as Aardvark’s Odd Ark where racks overflow with well-preserved vintage items from decades past. Vintage Clothing in Hermosa Beach also carries a large selection of vintage, and Re-Mix’s quirky presentation is just the right fit for its West Hollywood location.
10. Dig into LA’s farmers markets
It’s hard to pass up the bounty of fall harvest that you can find at LA’s farmers market. Of course, there’s the LA Original Farmers Market, but there's also the Hollywood Farmers Market (Ivar and Selma Avenue), Studio City Farmers Market (Ventura Place and Laurel Canyon Boulevard) and the Santa Monica Farmers Market (Main Street). All of them feature the freshest goods of the season.
