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Top Reasons To Visit Orange County In Fall

With sunny days all year and lots of beaches, Orange County is a great place to visit any time. This includes during the fall season! From great Halloween events to a barbecue festival and more, these are just some great reasons to visit O.C. in fall.
Knott's Scary Farm
Knott's Scary Farm
A zombie arrives at the premiere of Screen Gems' 'Quarantine' at Knott's Scary Farm on October 9, 2008 in Buena Park, California. (credit: Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

Knott's Scary Farm
Knott's Scary Farm
8039 Beach Blvd.
Buena Park, CA 90620
(714) 220-5200
www.knotts.com
Dates: Select Nights From September 21, 2017 - October 31, 2017

Knott's Berry Farm is a great place to visit any time of the year, however, for those folks who love all of the scary things about Halloween, fall is a particularly good time to visit this park. Every fall, you can find Knott's Scary Farm at the popular theme park. This year, there will be tons of haunted attractions, including a journey through an abandoned carnival ride, a show featuring scary clowns, rollercoasters and rides, Elvira's Last Show, Fiesta de los Muertos, and much more. Want to be scared? Check out Ghost Town Streets - a great scare zone. Arm yourself with just a flash light and explore the creepy house at the end of the street at the Trick Or Treat: Lights Out exhibit. If you're a fan of the horror side of Halloween, there is no better place to visit than Knott's Scary Farm.

See A Hockey Game
Los Angeles Kings v Anaheim Ducks - Game Five
Sami Vatanen #45 of the Anaheim Ducks skates against the Los Angeles Kings in Game Five of the Second Round of the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center on May 12, 2014 in Anaheim, California. (credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Anaheim Ducks
2695 E. Katella Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92806
(714) 704-2400
www.nhl.com/ducks

This team is a great reason to visit Orange County this fall. In past seasons, the team made it to the conference semifinals, and the team should be pretty good again this year with top players. Yes, it's the early part of the season, but in the fall months, the schedule includes home games against the Sharks, Coyotes, the Kings and the Canadiens. Any one of those opponents is a great reason to head out to the Honda Center.

Halloween At Disneyland
disneyland-halloween
(credit: Disney Parks)

Halloween Time
Disneyland
1313 Disneyland Dr
Anaheim, CA 92802
www.disneyland.com
Dates: September 15, 2017 - October 31, 2017

Disneyland comes alive during fall for Halloween! Literally. Discover scary decor and entertainment throughout the park through Halloween night, including a haunted mansion, a ride on Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, and much more. There will also be a Main Street Pumpkin Festival where you'll get to see hundreds of hand-carved jack-o-lanterns in this terrific annual display. See costumed characters and more here! And, of course, get a good scare!
 
Universal Studios helps put in a scare for people in Southern California too! Visit our Guide To Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.

Visit Tustin's Tiller Days
tiller days YELP
(credit: Kristin Leigh M./Yelp)

Tiller Days
17522 Beneta Way
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 573-3326
www.tustintillerdays.org
Date: October 6, 7 & 8, 2017

Tustin is town that knows how to put on a celebration. Tiller Days has been around for over 60 years now, and it is a great celebration for the whole family. You'll find rides, food and music among the attractions here. In other words, you'll find everything that makes a great carnival. This is also a good event because it serves as a fund-raising opportunity for some non-profit organizations.

Go Ice Skating
holiday on ice Ice Skating (irvine spectrum)
(credit: Irvine Spectrum)

Holiday on Ice at Irvine Spectrum
71 Fortune Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 748-8280
www.shopirvinespectrumcenter.com
Date: Fall 2017

Irvine doesn't seem a likely place for an outdoor skating venue. However, every year in the court by the Ferris Wheel, The Spectrum has an ice rink that is a great way for kids to experience a winter activity without having to brave bitterly cold weather. This is a good thing to add to your family traditions because your kids will always remember it. Sure, it's not exactly Rockefeller Center, but it is a good activity for the whole family.

Related Best Places To Go Apple Picking This Fall In Orange County

Pick Your Own Pumpkin!
pumpkin patch
(credit: cdrin/shutterstock)

Visit A Pumpkin Patch
Multiple Locations

There are always a ton of terrific pumpkin patches going on during the fall season. As it gets closer to Halloween, there are even more reasons to visit a pumpkin patch to get the perfect pumpkin, enjoy rides, experience mazes, and much more! These spots around Orange County are more than just a place to get a pumpkin! Learn about the Best Pumpkin Patches In Orange County.

Jordan Schlecter is CBSLA's "Best of LA" and "Best of Orange County" editor. You can find him on Twitter.
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