Fall in San Francisco is just beautiful. It is hands-down our family’s absolute favorite season! San Francisco just comes alive with things to do in the fall after our chilly summer.

Every year, Tony and I go crazy finding the most “fall” things to do. We also love to repeat our yearly tradition of going to Half Moon Bay and spending the day at the pumpkin capital of the world. Here is our round-up of the top 10 family-friendly things to do this fall in the SF Bay Area. Don’t miss out this fall!

Want to know more about things to do in the San Francisco Bay Area? Read more here:

• 30+ Weekend Getaways and Day Trips from San Francisco
• 100+ RAINY & FOGGY DAY INDOOR ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA FOR KIDS
• 60+ kid-friendly wineries in and near San Francisco
• 10 Must-See Pumpkin Patches and Celebrations Across the World

Updated September 2, 2019

Spend a day in Half Moon Bay

 

Going to Half Moon Bay is a must-do if you are in San Francisco in the fall! We love to visit the pumpkin patches and either grab lunch at Camerons, or picnic at a winery.

We go to Half Moon Bay at least twice during the pumpkin season. They are supposedly the “pumpkin capital of the world” and they don’t disappoint even the biggest of pumpkin patch fans.

We’ve even submitted an application to the Guinness World Records to be considered for the “most pumpkin patches visited in a year” once. (That application was rejected because apparently, “visiting pumpkin patches” wasn’t a category they recognized.)

These are some of our favorite places to go!

Bob’s Pumpkin Patch

While most pumpkin patches open mid-September, Bob’s never disappoints us when we go the first weekend in September. They are open early! This patch is to the point, and right on highway 1 so you can’t miss it!

Lemos Farms

This place is Halloween on steroids. A barn with food and drinks, pony rides, a petting zoo, a haunted house, hayrides, train rides, you name it! It does get a bit crowded, but they have a good-sized parking lot. The train ride here has some “scary” or “creepy” stuff – just a warning.  The same goes for the haunted house – even with the lights on. (I’m too chicken to go in it.)

Pastorino Farms

Pastorino Farms pumpkin patch is across the street from Lemos. We have to admit, if someone made us choose, we like Pastorinos better…. They have the same stuff, and it’s usually less crowded. We love their train ride. Henry is a little sensitive to scary things, so he prefers this fun train ride. There is a parking fee in October, so make sure to bring cash. They also have a giant slide that kids love to go on over and over.

Arata’s Pumpkin Farm

This pumpkin patch is a little down the way on Highway 1, but it has the biggest hay-maze! It just feels like quintessential fall to see the corn growing all around.

Farmer John’s Pumpkin Farm

Farmer John’s Pumpkin Farm is another regular stop for our family. There is a tractor you can ride, a teepee you can go into, and a friendly staff. This is one of the first ones you hit if you take Highway 1 from San Francisco (our preferred way to go)!

Camerons

Not only is this funky place full of decorations that kids can look at all day, but they also have a nice outdoor patio that allows them to get wild. The menu is full of fall comfort food and drinks. This is a staple when we come down to HMB! Don’t forget to try the Guinness float (Guinness with chocolate ice cream!) Bonus: They are dog-friendly. We can bring Chippy (our dog) to the patio seating too.

La Nebbia Winery

We’ve been coming to Le Nebbia winery for years! They have a good deal on tastings- you will get plenty of it too! You have to get the last port tasting in a chocolate cup. So so good! There is a bocce ball court in the backyard, as well as picnic tables. They are dog-friendly too!

Take in all the fall colors in Wine Country in the San Francisco Bay Area

The colors are just absolutely breathtaking in Wine Country in the fall! We have a round-up of 60+ kid-friendly wineries (confirmed by the owners that they love kids!) in and near San Francisco!

Also: Check out our tips for going to wineries with kids before you go, so you can be prepared!

Here are the highlights of some of our favorite kid-friendly wineries in Sonoma, Livermore, and beyond!

Retzlaff Winery, Livermore

We stumbled upon this winery after a birthday party we went to on a Sunday afternoon. We missed their live music, which they usually provide because we went right around closing time. They were so kind to us, even though I’m sure they wanted to go home after working all day. We were able to sit and enjoy our bottle as they started to pack up. Henry had a ball helping them pack away their cornhole sack. The workers were having fun with him too!

Hannah Nichole Vineyards, Brentwood

They have a massive backyard with picnic tables! Great wines too.

Scribe Winery, Sonoma

This charming winery on top of a hill has always been so accommodating to us and our friends with kids! Scribe Winery has picnic tables to enjoy a nice snack, or you can get a fancy cheese plate that kids love!

Fults Family Winery, Clear Lake

Fults Family Winery is just that- a family winery. The owners have their own young kids. Can’t get any more family-friendly than that! They also have a fun golf course!

Capturing special moments in the fall is something that I absolutely love doing! If you’re interested in engagement pictures at a vineyard, family fall photos, or having a wedding during this beautiful season, then check out my website. Send me an email, and we can chat!

Golden Gate Mothers Group Fall Festival

Every year, Golden Gate Mothers Group hosts an awesome fall festival. There is usually music, tons of kids activities, and a pumpkin patch – pumpkins are free for members! The event is free for members, but it is now open to the public for a fee! It’s a must if you live in San Francisco! (GGMG was one of the groups highlighted for “New Mom’s Guide” by Vogue!) This year (Saturday, October 5, 2019), it will be held at Spark Social. There will be amazing food and drinks (yes – adult ones!) for purchase. The anticipated event of the year just got even better!

Apple Picking

You can go apple picking in any direction from San Francisco, but our absolute favorite is Apple Hill! Yes, this is little ways away from San Francisco, but it’s so worth it- there are so many things to do there! Apple orchards everywhere, and it’s sprinkled with pumpkin patches. So much fun! Pro Tip: If you can go during the week (or in November) – do it. October gets pretty crowded on the weekends!

Some of Henry’s favorites from Apple Hill:

• Apple Ridge Farms – Hay maze, pumpkin patch, picnic area! Pack a blanket and have lunch surrounded by the beautiful fall foliage! 
• Bill’s Apples – They hand out freshly spiraled apples and have so many animal figures you can look at!
• High Hill Ranch – This apple farm is huge, but also comes with huge traffic. If you can, you should avoid it on weekends leading up to Halloween.

Other Apple Picking Options that are a bit closer to the Bay Area:

• Clearview Orchards is open on Saturdays and Sundays starting September 7th until the end of October 2019 from 10 am-4 pm. 
• Gizdich Ranch has u-pick apples 7 days a week from 9 am-5 pm for about 3-4 weeks starting September 14th, 2019.
• Chileno Valley Ranch is open in August, September, and (sometimes) October for u-pick apples only on Sundays. Check out their website to make a reservation! 
• Smith Family Farms in Brentwood is also a great place for pomegranates, persimmons, and pumpkins!

Grand National Rodeo at the Cow Palace

Horses, cows, & tractors = toddler heaven. The kids have a blast despite the rodeo starting way past their bedtime (usually around 7:30 pm). This year (2019)  it will be held on two weekends: October 11th-12th & October 18th-19th. Get tickets ahead of time, so you can get the best seat in the house! Besides watching the actual show, they have a fun kids play area with big tractors they can ride. This is one of the most fun things to do during the fall in San Francisco with kids!

Halloween Days at the San Francisco Zoo

Such a cute event, a staple in San Francisco in the fall with kids – with all the kiddos dressed up! The zoo gets decorated with fun Halloween themes too!

Go trick or treating in the top neighborhoods in San Francisco

There are so many cute neighborhoods to go trick-or-treating. However, it can be tricky (you see what I did there? haha) to find the right streets if you live in any of the neighborhoods/streets that have a lot of apartment buildings, or that aren’t generally nice to walk. Check out this post on the best places to trick-or-treat in San Francisco by TimeOut.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Have your children wear glow stick bracelets when they are trick-or-treating to easily spot them and to help keep them safe!

Watch airplanes soar during Fleet Week

This year, Fleet Week is October 6-14, 2019. There are so many places to watch airplanes soaring (you can hear them basically everywhere), but we watched them take off from a pumpkin patch (of course, right?) in Alameda! Don’t forget your headphones for the little ones! We love this guide on where to go watch airplanes on Fleet Week.

Local Pumpkin and Fall Celebrations

Here are some local pumpkin/fall-related celebrations happening this year in 2019. Fall is the best time to visit San Francisco! We will continue to update this list, so come back for more!

• Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Run  (Sunday, October 20th) 
• Great Pumpkin Fest at California’s Great America on select Saturdays & Sundays from September 28th-November 3rd, 2019
• Winchester Mystery House
• Mystery Spot
• Pumpkin Ice Cream because ice cream is always in season!
• Oktoberfest at Speisekammer Restaurant in Alameda!

Check Out A Pop Up Museum – Halloween at Museum of Ice Cream

Last year, The Color Factory and Candytopia were the new pop-ups in town. This year – you need to check out the Ice Cream Museum during Halloween! It will be decked out for Halloween from Sept. 26th-Nov. 9th in San Francisco. This museum is so much fun! We will update with new pictures when we go again this year, and we will post more tips on going with kids! Until then, make sure to buy tickets before it sells out!

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There you have it!

Whether you like to pick apples, drink wine, go to pumpkin patches and fall festivals, or you just like to be surrounded by the beautiful foliage, San Francisco is the perfect place to enjoy fall! There are so many things to do in the Bay Area that will make your autumn-loving heart happy!

Want to know more about things to do in the San Francisco Bay Area? Read more here:

• 30+ Weekend Getaways and Day Trips from San Francisco
• 100+ RAINY & FOGGY DAY INDOOR ACTIVITIES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA FOR KIDS
• 60+ kid-friendly wineries in and near San Francisco
• 10 Must-See Pumpkin Patches and Celebrations Across the World

What are your favorite things to do in the fall? Did we miss any of your favorites?

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