Dozens upon dozens of plump pumpkins as far as the eye can see? It’s a vision of fall in San Diego and of trick or treating too, for the gentler spirits among us. If your tastes run more to Halloween screams though, we’ve got those too.
Pumpkin patches have popped up all over the county. Many have entertainment options, from live music to carving and crafts, petting zoos, mazes and more, should you want to make a day of it. All are open through Oct. 31 unless otherwise noted. Also, prices are for admission only, not your gourd of choice. Where’s your best bet? Take a look:
San Diego:
- Mission Valley Station, 1640 1/2 Camino Del Rio North, free, but hayride and corn maze – $2, and petting zoo – $4.
- PB Pumpkin Patch, 870 Garnet Ave., 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., free.
- Mr. Jack O’ Lantern’s Pumpkin Patch, 6710 La Jolla Blvd., 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., free, but activity prices vary.
North:
- Bates Nut Farm, 15954 Woods Valley Road, Valley Center, open weekends, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., $5 parking (also open weekdays, when parking is free)
- Farm Stand West, 2115 Miller Ave., Escondido, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., free.
- Mountain Valley Ranch Pumpkin Patch, 842 Hwy. 78, Ramona, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., free.
- Rancho Bernardo Farm, 13421 Highland Valley Road, Escondido, free, but hayride and corn maze – $2, and petting zoo – $4.
East:
- Oma’s Pumpkin Patch, 14950 El Monte Rd, Lakeside, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; weekdays, ages 2-13 – $14.50 per child, ages 14 and up – $8.50. Saturdays, ages 2-13 – $16.50 per child, ages 14 and up – $10.50.
- Pumpkin Express, Pacific Southwest Railway Museum – 750 Depot Street, Campo, Saturdays and Sundays, five departure times from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., from $5-$14.
South:
- Bonita Pumpkin Farm – 5354 Sweetwater Road, Bonita, free, but hayride and corn maze – $2, and petting zoo – $4.
If you lean more towards goblins, gore and ghouls, head to the Drive-Thru Scream Zone: Road Kill (get it?) at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. See this “triple threat of zombies, serial killers, and killer clowns” from 7 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from 7 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays. Weekend prices start at $55 a car, weekdays at $45.
Want to help shape history while viewing it? Curators of the exhibit, Voz Alta: Time & Space – running through Oct. 16 – will collect and archive stories from the poets, artists, musicians and activists who contributed to the space’s original run, which ended in 2014. Watch video streams or share fond stories of your own at the Best Practice arts venue, 2284 Kearney Ave., on Tuesdays from 5-7 p.m. and Fridays from noon to 2 p.m.
Locals Slightly Stoopid headlines a show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, at 8 p.m. Saturday, as part of the ongoing Concerts in Your Car Series. And hey, for your next trivia bash, who signed the Ocean Beach-based folk, funk, punk and reggae fusion band? Drum roll, please … Sublime’s late frontman, Bradley Nowell. Admission – $99 a car.
– Staff reports