Weekend · October 23–25

Free things to do this weekend in Los Angeles and Orange County

By HolaSavings · Published October 22, 2026

This weekend Día de Muertos kicks off: on Saturday Grand Park opens with its free celebration, and on Sunday Olvera Street and LA Plaza get started, just a few blocks apart. And there's more: Fall-O-Ween in Orange County, Irvine's free Diwali festival and the fall fair for $5. Here are 9 verified plans in Los Angeles and Orange County, free or under $20 — plus the one big paid option, labeled as such, so nobody gets a surprise.

Friday, October 23

• Los Angeles Fall Fair (Fri 5–11 p.m.; Sat 2–11 p.m.; Sun 2–10 p.m.) — the county's largest fall fair turns 46: 12 acres of carnival rides, a giant Ferris wheel, local artisans and a food court, with live music on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $5 (cash only at the gate) and kids under 8 and adults 65+ get in free; rides and attractions cost extra. La Prada Event Plaza, Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, 750 S Santa Anita Ave, South El Monte.
• Fall-O-Ween (Friday 23 and Sunday 25 ONLY, 4:30–8:30 p.m.) — the historical park dressed up for fall and Halloween, with a hay maze, a scavenger hunt and photo spots. Free, no reservation needed and free parking; costumes are welcome and leashed dogs too. Heads up: there is NO session on Saturday the 24th — this week it's Friday and Sunday only. Heritage Hill Historical Park, 25151 Serrano Rd, Lake Forest.

Saturday, October 24

• Día de Muertos Opening at Grand Park (11 a.m.–4 p.m.) — the weekend's favorite plan: the exhibit of 17 ofrendas opens with the theme “The Power of One”, live music by El Río, Grupo Bella, Anaís Azul and Mariachi Arco Iris de Los Angeles, a procession, face painting and sugar-skull workshops. Free, no ticket needed; the ofrendas stay on display every day from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. through November 2. That same day, all of Grand Avenue opens its doors for the free Grand Ave Arts: All Access festival. Get there by Metro (B/D lines, Civic Center/Grand Park station); if you drive, parking at the Music Center costs $10. Gloria Molina Grand Park, 200 N Grand Ave, Los Angeles. We already have the full guide: Día de Muertos at Grand Park 2026.
• All Abilities Celebration (11 a.m.–2 p.m.) — the Segerstrom's sixth annual celebration: live performances by local artists with disabilities, dance and percussion workshops, kids' activities and a community resource fair, with ASL interpretation. Free and for all ages. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Dr, Costa Mesa.
• Ektaa Diwali Fest (1–9 p.m.) — the festival of lights from Irvine's Indian community: live classical and folk music and dance, food, shopping, henna and, as evening falls, the lamp-lighting ceremony at 7 p.m. followed by a drone show. Free. Great Park Live, 300 Corsair, Irvine.
• Japan Family Day (Sat and Sun, from 12 p.m.) — Japanese culture at the racetrack: demonstrations, food and family activities alongside the day's races (the Tokyo City Cup runs that weekend). General admission is $10 and includes a program and general parking. Santa Anita Park, 285 W Huntington Dr, Arcadia.
• And the LA Fall Fair in South El Monte is also open on Saturday, from 2 to 11 p.m.

Sunday, October 25

• Día de Muertos Festival at Olvera Street (10 a.m.–9 p.m., and it runs through November 2) — the kickoff of the city's most traditional novenario: community altars, entertainment and face painting in the afternoon, the Danza de la Muerte at 6 p.m. and the Novenario procession at night, with complimentary pan dulce and a drink during the ceremony. Free (face painting costs extra). Olvera Street, 125 Paseo de la Plaza, Los Angeles — Union Station is right across the street.
• Día de Muertos Family Day at LA Plaza (12–4 p.m.) — just a few steps from Olvera, the perfect combo for the same Sunday: kids' workshops (papier-mâché skull masks, flower crowns and aromatic herb bundles, with a stamp at each workshop toward a gift) and Oaxacan dances performed live in blocks, from the Mixteca to the Danza de los Diablos, with guests from Oaxaca. Free with RSVP at lapca.org; without a reservation you only get in if space remains, so book now. LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, 501 N Main St, Los Angeles.
• Smorgasburg: Spookysburg edition (10 a.m.–4 p.m.) — the Sunday open-air food market gets dressed up: a special edition with KCRW, a UFO theme, a costume contest and DJs, with dozens of stalls to eat from. Entry is free (food costs extra) and parking is free for the first 2 hours. ROW DTLA, 777 S Alameda St, Los Angeles.
• Also open on Sunday: Fall-O-Ween in Lake Forest (4:30–8:30 p.m., free), Japan Family Day in Arcadia (from 12 p.m., $10), the LA Fall Fair (2–10 p.m., $5) and the Grand Park ofrendas (8 a.m.–9 p.m., free).

And the big option? Hollywood Forever (this one costs)

On Saturday the 24th, from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., Hollywood Forever celebrates its 27th Día de Muertos, “All Under One Sky / Bajo un Mismo Cielo”, with DannyLux, Trish Toledo, Tropa Magica and Los Shadows, more than 100 altars and altar and costume contests. It is not free: the official ticket on TicketWeb costs $26.71 (up to $262.23 for VIP), with entry windows of 12–4, 4–7 and 7–11 p.m. — once you're in, you can stay. Kids 5 and older need a ticket; under 5 get in free. Money-saving tip: the same ticket is already being offered by resellers from $52; buy it on the official TicketWeb page, not from resellers, and don't leave it until Saturday. Hollywood Forever, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles. Zero budget? The free plan that same Saturday is Grand Park.

Frequently asked questions

• What's the best plan of the weekend? On Saturday, the free Grand Park opening (11 a.m.–4 p.m.). On Sunday, the Olvera Street + LA Plaza combo: they're a few blocks apart, both are free and together they fill your whole day.
• Is Fall-O-Ween open on Saturday the 24th? No. This week it's Friday the 23rd and Sunday the 25th only, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. The park's general flyer lists the 23–25 range, but the OC Parks notice for this weekend confirms Friday and Sunday only.
• Do I need to reserve anything? Only LA Plaza asks for a free RSVP for its Sunday Family Day. Grand Park, Olvera Street, Fall-O-Ween, Segerstrom and Irvine's Diwali are just show up and walk in. For Hollywood Forever (paid), tickets are sold on TicketWeb.
• Is almost everything really free? Yes: 7 of the 9 plans charge no admission. The LA Fall Fair costs $5 (free for kids under 8 and adults 65+) and Japan Family Day is $10. Hollywood Forever is labeled as a paid plan and doesn't count among the 9.

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SOURCES CHECKED ON OCTOBER 22, 2026discoverlosangeles.com · lapca.org · grandparkla.org · ocindependent.com (OC Parks notice) · parks.oc.gov · greatparklive.com · tixr.com · lapradaevents.com · ticketweb.com · santaanita.com · funwithkidsinla.com · kidsguidemagazine.com