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Fall Activities To Do In Santa Cruz County

Fall Activities To Do In Santa Cruz County 

There’s something about fall in Santa Cruz County that just hits differently: crisp mornings, warm afternoons, and baskets of fresh apples and pumpkins waiting at local farms. Whether you’re picking your own fruit, hunting down the perfect pie pumpkin, or just looking for a fun weekend outing, our little corner of the coast has no shortage of ways to celebrate the season.

Five Local Farm Favorites

  • Birdsong Orchards & Cabrillo Cottage Farms: Tucked in Watsonville, Birdsong Orchards has been turning an old fallow farm into a thriving organic operation since 2013. With over 200 varieties of fruit growing on the property, apples, pears, plums, peaches, figs, and more, plus a u-pick rose field with 500+ rose bushes, it’s a beautiful stop for anyone who wants a slower, more scenic farm visit this season.
  • Luz del Valle Farm: Over in Aptos, Luz del Valle Farm grows more than 20 varieties of apples, some familiar, some heirloom varieties you won’t find at the store. U-pick season kicks off Labor Day with their Galas, followed by Fujis starting in early October. Bonus for cider lovers: some of their apples go straight to Santa Cruz Cider Company.
  • Clearview Orchards: Perched in a terraced setting overlooking the Watsonville valley, just minutes from La Selva Beach, Clearview Orchards is a fall favorite for a reason. Come for the u-pick apples and pumpkins, and stay for the apple turnovers, organic squash, dried lavender, and honey.
  • Gizdich Ranch: No fall list in Santa Cruz County is complete without Gizdich Ranch. This Watsonville classic is known for u-pick apples and, most famously, apple pie that locals will tell you is worth the drive alone.
  • Sweetwater Farms: A family-run u-pick apple orchard just outside Santa Cruz, Sweetwater Farms keeps things simple and affordable: admission is free, you just pay for what you pick. Bring the family, grab some pumpkins while you’re there, and make it a yearly tradition.

Pumpkin Patches

Once the apple baskets are full, it’s pumpkin season. Santa Cruz County has patches for every kind of fall outing.

  • Rodoni Farms: An organic farm known for its artichokes and Brussels sprouts, Rodoni turns into a picture-perfect pumpkin patch each fall, with rows of pumpkins lining a hill overlooking the ocean.
  • Post Street Farm: For those staying in Santa Cruz proper, this urban farm is a local favorite, decked out with festive decor, a wide variety of pumpkins, and plenty of photo ops.
  • Crystal Bay Farm:  Located in Watsonville, this small organic farm offers pumpkins, u-pick sunflowers, weekend music, food trucks, and festive Halloween decor.
  • The Great Pumpkin Patch: Family-friendly and never scary, this Soquel Drive patch is an easy stop for anyone with little ones in tow.

Wine Tasting in the Santa Cruz Mountains

  • Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Passport: Fall is one of the best times to explore the wineries tucked into the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. Passport holders get access to 30+ participating wineries year-round during regular tasting hours, plus four Celebration Days a year through the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association, including one that lands in November, when even the smaller boutique wineries that are normally closed to the public open their doors. It’s one of the best ways to spend a fall Saturday in the hills.

Other Fall Traditions Around the County

  • Fall Festivals & Corn Mazes:  Many local farms host harvest festivals alongside their pumpkin patches; think corn mazes, hayrides, farm animals, and evening events with live music and food trucks on select weekends.
  • Fall Mornings Downtown: Walnut Avenue and Pacific Avenue are some of the most charming streets in the city this time of year. Grab a pumpkin spice drink from 11th Hour, Verve, or Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company and take in the Victorian architecture on a crisp morning.
  • King Tides: Mark your calendar for the King Tides in November, when the year’s highest and lowest tides hit the coast, exposing tide pools rarely seen the rest of the year and making for some of the most dramatic coastal views of the season.

Make It a Fall Tradition

Pick a Saturday, grab a basket, and make your way through a few of these spots. Whether it’s the drive out to Watsonville, an afternoon in Aptos, or a day of winery-hopping through the mountains, fall in Santa Cruz County is best spent outside, with fresh apples in hand and a pumpkin (or three) in the trunk.

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