Pumpkin Patches and Halloween Fun Around San Diego County

Whether you’re looking to pick pumpkins, enjoy a hay ride or have some Halloween fun, there are plenty of festivities around town for people of all ages. Here’s a list (by region) of some of them:

SAN DIEGO

Balboa Park’s Halloween Family Day - Balboa Park is the place to be this Halloween for safe, family-friendly adventures as 15 museums open their doors free to children as part of a park-wide Family Day on Saturday, October 31. Kids 17 and under will be admitted free of charge with a paid adult admission, and together families can enjoy a rich variety of hands-on activities, music, performances, and special programs, all free with museum admission.

The Boulevard Boo! Parade and Carnival - Sat, Oct. 24, 2009 - A Halloween spooktacular, free event sponsored by the College Area Business Improvement District. Enjoy a parade and carnival at Clay Park. The parade begins at 11 a.m. at 59th Street and El Cajon Boulevard.

Pumpkin Station Mission Valley - Children can enjoy a giant slide, train ride, swing ride, play center, mini slide, jumpies, game zone and pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field. Located in Mission Valley at 1640 Camino Del Rio North, San Diego, CA 92108. Phone: 858-566-7466.

San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park - The Pumpkins at the Park/Harvest Festival invites guests to visit the Extinct Animal Graveyard, enjoy a trick-or-treat scavenger hunt and enter a costume contest. Animal encounters will focus on the creepy and crawly.

SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular - Come trick-or-treat where Halloween meets the sea. Meet amazing sea creatures, catch silly and spooky Halloween shows and create creepy cookie masterpieces — all in an underwater Halloween Fantasea. Kids, come in costume and leave swimming in ghoulish goodies. Halloween Spooktacular at SeaWorld takes place on the following dates: October 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, 31 & November 1.

Star or India’s Haunted Tales of the Ship - Take a lantern led ship tour and hear scary stories about the crew of the Star of India. For more information call (619) 234-9153 ext. 101 or visit sdmaritime.org.

Halloween at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps – Families can enjoy a spooktacular night of science at the haunted aquarium. The event also includes crafts, spooky music and refreshments. 6-9 pm Oct. 23-25, 2009.

NORTH COUNTY

Bates Nut Farm- Pumpkin patches, tractor hay rides, hay-bale maze, pony rides, petting zoo and and live music transform this old-fashioned farm into a country harvest festival each October. Parking and admission to the farm and pumpkin patch are free. The farm is located at 15954 Woods Valley Road, Valley Center, CA 92082. Phone: 760-749-3333. Fax: 760-749-9499.

Carlsbad Village Farmer’s Market Halloween Festival - The annual festival includes a pumpkin patch, a pumpkin decorating contest, apple bobbing and an autumn scavenger hunt. In addition to fresh produce, customers can buy a wide variety of pumpkin-inspired food. The market is located at 2930 Roosevelt St., Carlsbad. For more information, call 760-687-6453.

Heritage Farms Pumpkin Patch – Guests can pick pumpkins, enjoy the corn maze, farm market, petting corral, tortoise races, picnic area. 21345 San Pasqual Road, Escondido, CA. Phone: (760) 746-8822. Open: through October 31, 2009 from 12 noon to 6 pm. Admission is $5 per person and includes a pumpkin.

Lavender Hill Pumpkins – This pumpkin patch field is located at 1509 East Mission Road, Fallbrook, CA 92028. Phone: (760) 728-9192. Fax: (760) 728-2022.

LEGOLAND’s Brick Or Treat - It's frightfully fun, with contests & prizes. Boo-gie to live music, collect candy, snacks & surprises along the famous Brick-or-Treat Trail and treat your family to a night fun. Whether you're a party animal or a party scarecrow, this is the party for Halloween.

Mountain Valley Ranch Pumpkin Patch - 842 Hwy 78, Ramona, CA. Phone: 760-788-8703.

Pinery Pumpkin Patch - Rancho Bernardo - pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, corn maze, tractor-pulled hay rides, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, birthday parties. Located at 13421 Highland Valley Road, Escondido, CA 92128. Phone: 858-566-7466.

Pumpkin Station at Del Mar - Pumpkin patch, kiddie rides, petting zoo, jumps, haunted house. Pumpkin Station also offers a wide variety of gourds, squashes, Indian corn, and pumpkins. Located at 15555 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar, CA 92014. Phone: (888) 302-8733.

The Scream Zone – The Del Mar Fairgrounds has turned dark and dreary as the grounds have transformed into the Del Mar SCAREgrounds. Guests will enter their worst nightmare at The Scream Zone, where three different "haunts," including the Haunted Hayride, The Chamber and the House of Horror features dozens of rooms filled with mazes of terror and blood curdling scares lurking at every turn and corridor.

Grand Haunts Haunted House Escondido - The public is invited to get the scare of their lives at North County’s very own haunted house beginning October 1 in Escondido. Located at the very scary, old Antique Emporium building at 333 E Grand Ave in Escondido, the 15-room “Grand Haunt” will be open the entire month of October, excluding Mondays & Tuesdays.

EAST COUNTY

Julian Mining Company - Families can find the perfect pumpkin in the patch, enjoy child-sized hay bale maze, tractor-pulled hay rides and the Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises). The farm is located at 4444 Orchard Land & Hwy 78, Julian , CA 92036. Phone: 951-313-0166.

Apple Lane Orchard - Enjoy a fun old-fashioned day of apple picking. Located at 2641 Apple Lane, Julian, CA Phone: 760-765-2645

Oma’s Pumpkin Patch at Van Ommering Dairy - Pumpkin patch, hayride, hay maze, petting zoo, cottonseed mountain. Located at 14950 El Monte Road, Lakeside. Phone: 619-390-2929.

Pumpkin Station El Cajon - Giant slide, train ride, swing ride, play center, mini slide, jumpies, game zone; pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field. Located at Parkway Plaza, El Cajon, CA 92020. Phone: 858-566-7466.

Summer's Past Farm – A pumpkin patch, corn maze, and children’s activities are just some of the offerings here. The farm is located at 15602 Old Hwy 80, Flinn Springs, CA, 92021. Phone: (619) 390-1523.

Victoria's Garden – Pumpkin patch, Hay Rides, Corn Maze, Pony Rides, fun jump, barnyard animals, straw play ground picnic area and more. Victoria’s Garden is located at 13120 Willow Road, Lakeside, CA 92040. Phone: 619-390-9571. Hours: 10am to 7PM, 7 Days a Week.

SOUTH BAY

Pumpkin Station Chula Vista - Giant slide, train ride, swing ride, play center, mini slide, jumpies, game zone; pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field. Located at 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista, CA 91910. Phone: 858-566-7466.

Pumpkin Station at Plaza Bonita - Giant slide, train ride, swing ride, play center, mini slide, jumpies, game zone; pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field. Located at 3030 Plaza Bonita Road, National City, CA. Phone: 858-566-7466.