Hey friend,
With the potential for rain on the way this weekend, I provided a variety of indoor and outdoor options while leaning into the Fall season.
This Weekend’s Plans
First, the weather:
The weather is unpredictable this weekend. A storm is heading toward Southern California, and rain could show up Sunday, so Saturday is your better bet for anything outdoors. It might be best to skip the beach because of big waves and strong currents.
Friday 10/9
High of 79°
Saturday 10/10
High of 77°
Sunday 10/11
High of 72°
Now, some ideas for plans:
Plan 1: Scarecrow Festival
📍 Location: Lions Park Event Lawn, 1845 Park Ave., Costa Mesa
📅 Date & Time: Sat 10/10, 2-6pm
⏱️ Time needed: 1–2 hours
💰 Cost: Free
🌦️ Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Costume parade and trick-or-treat stations for the kids, plus a scarecrow contest on the lawn. Wear costumes if your kid is already in the mood.
📍 Location: South Coast Plaza, Level 3 (Crate & Barrel wing), Costa Mesa
📅 Date & Time: Fri–Sat, 10am–9pm
⏱️ Time needed: 1 hour
💰 Cost: Free to browse
🌦️ Indoor/outdoor: Indoor
Costa Mesa went a decade without a Barnes & Noble until this one opened in late August. Books and toys under one roof, plus a cafe if you want a snack or a drink. This is great if it ends up raining a lot.
Plan 3: HB Fire Department Open House
📍 Location: Fire Station 1, 18311 Gothard St., Huntington Beach
📅 Date & Time: Sat 10/10, 10am–3pm
⏱️ Time needed: 1–2 hours
💰 Cost: Free
🌦️ Indoor/outdoor: Outdoor
Kids' activities, photos with Sparky the Fire Dog, and a close look at the fire engines. Live demos run at 11am and 1pm. Costa Mesa also has an open house on the same day if that is more local to you.
Easy At-Home Idea
Try this: Straw Blown Ghosts, made by Rainy Day Mum
Kids blow wet paint across black paper with a straw and end up with little ghosts. Easy enough for young kids and a good fit for a rainy afternoon.
Time needed: 10–15 minutes
Heads Up
Some upcoming things that are good to know about:
Bluey's Big Play is coming to Segerstrom Center for the Arts on November 4 and 5 only. If you have a Bluey fan at home, grab tickets early.
Ketchum-Libolt Park Ribbon Cutting is October 12th to reopen the newly renovated playground.
Backup Options
If none of the above work, here's the fast fallback list:
Halloween Bootique — Costa Mesa, open daily, roughly 11am–7pm
Michaels Halloween Kids Crafts — Sat 10/10 Yarn-Wrapped Frame, Sun 10/11 Ghost in a Jar
Grim Garden Coffee & Plants — Huntington Beach, open daily 7am–5pm (Coffee shop w/ spooky vibes)
Hana Field Pumpkin Patch - Sat–Sun 10/10–10/11, 9AM - 6PM
Christmas Related (!!!)
Roger's Gardens Christmas Boutique — Newport Beach, open daily 9am–6pm
General
OCC Community Science Night — Costa Mesa, Fri 10/9, 5–8pm
St. Mary Armenian Food Festival — Costa Mesa, Sat–Sun 10/10–10/11, opens around noon both days
Family Storytime — Costa Mesa, Sat 10/10, 10:30–11am (Donald Dungan Library, all ages, no registration required)
Friends of the Library Used Book Sale — Newport Beach, Sat 10/10, 9am–2pm
Neat Coffee's 11th Anniversary — Costa Mesa, Sat 10/10, shop open 7am–4pm (Lucha table 9am–12pm, 10% of drink sales donated)
Wiener Dog Races: "Oktoberfest Stakes" — Huntington Beach, Sun 10/11, 10am–2pm
Oktoberfest at Old World — Huntington Beach, Sat daytime and all-day Sun are family hours
Lego Club — Costa Mesa, Sun 10/11, 2–3pm (Donald Dungan Library, ages 6–11)
Sunday Musicale: Marina Grozdanovic — Newport Beach, Sun 10/11, 3–4pm
Diego's Garage at Marina Park — Newport Beach, Sun 10/11, 4–5:30pm
Got a plan that worked (or didn't)? Hit reply and let me know! This whole thing gets better with your feedback.
📍 Know a spot, event, or local business we should check out? Tell us here.
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