Bates Nut Farm, Valley Center

Apple picking and fall activities, Julian

• The Julian Autumn Jubilee every weekend at the Fort Cross family farm from Sept. 23 to Oct. 29, a family-friendly fall festival featuring hayrides, cider pressing demos, a petting zoo, candle dipping, and crafts. SDtoday readers can get 25% off 2023 Autumn Jubilee activity packages using the promo code SDTODAY.
• Julian Farm and Orchard’s Harvest Fest — Fridays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. — where visitors can experience a real working farm, hayrides, and a hay bale maze.

‘Haunted’ hot spots, Locations vary

• The Haunted Trail and The eXperiment Maze — both at Balboa Park — run Fri., Sept. 22-Tuesday, Oct. 31.
• The Scream Zone at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, runs on select dates Thursday, Oct. 5-Tuesday, Oct. 31.
• Of course — fall and year-round — you can visit the historic Whaley House in Old Town and see why it’s dubbed “America’s Most Haunted House.”

• Woven Stories: Local Weavers Share Their Craft | Through Friday, Oct. 6 | 11 a.m. | Escondido Municipal Gallery, 262 E. Grand Ave., Escondido | Free | See the intricate works of 15 members of the San Diego Creative Weavers’ Guild at this exhibit that spins together the stories behind the woven cloth.
• San Diego Padres vs. Colorado Rockies | Monday, Sept. 18 | 6:40 p.m. | Petco Park, 100 Park Blvd., San Diego | $32+ | X gon’ give it to ya — the first 40,000 fans score a free pink and mint Xander Bogaerts City Connect jersey shirt.
• John Denver Tribute | Monday, Sept. 18 + Tuesday, Sept. 19 | Times vary | North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Dr., Solana Beach | $42 | Take me home, country roads: Musician Jim Curry pays tribute to the iconic singer.
• Tangerine Dream | Monday, Sept. 18 | 7:30 p.m. | The Magnolia, 210 E. Main St., El Cajon | $20-$50 | The longtime German electronic band brings big energy to the downtown El Cajon venue.

• “The Book of Mormon” | Tuesday, Sept. 19-Sunday, Sept. 24 | Times vary | Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., San Diego | $40+ | The highly-acclaimed musical comedy created by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Robert Lopez follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word.
• Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto with La Diabla | Tuesday, Sept. 19 | 7-11 p.m. | Corazon del Barrio, 2196 Logan Ave #A, San Diego | $20-$25 | The longtime Latin Grammy Award-winning Colombian group brings their folkloric cumbia talents to SD for the first time ever.

• Gondwana | Wednesday, Sept. 20 | 6 p.m. | Beach House, 3125 Ocean Front Walk, San Diego | $32 | The reggae group from Santiago, Chile, take the stage at the beachfront venue.
• Book Signing: “Neverland” | Wednesday, Sept. 20 | 6 p.m. | California Surf Museum, 312 Pier View Way, Oceanside | $10 | Tricia Shantz and Rusty Miller lead this discussion about Shantz’s book, an homage to the pioneering American surfers who went to Byron Bay, Australia, in the 1960s and 1970s.

• The Port of San Diego will soon conduct an environmental review of the high-profile Seaport San Diego and Central Embarcadero redevelopment proposal. The agency will seek input from locals on what to study as part of the process at public meetings on Wednesday, Sept. 27 (in-person) + Thursday, Sept. 28 (virtual).

• The Cottage — La Jolla’s beloved restaurant that turned 30 in 2022 and expanded to Encinitas — plans to open a third location, this time at Del Mar Plaza. The Cottage Del Mar will debut with breakfast and lunch dishes in spring 2024 at 1555 Camino Del Mar, Ste. 102.

• No parking, no thanks. North Park’s new, 94-unit Casa Verde apartment complex was built with almost no parking but developer George Champion admits the “car-free” vision has driven away renters. Champion has changed course: He bought 80+ spots at the nearby North Park Parking Garage that’ll give renters free parking. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

• Did you see it? A 97-ft Alpha rocket — launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County — lit up San Diego County’s skies on Sept. 14, leaving locals scratching their heads. It was launched by startup company Firefly Aerospace as part of a US Space Force mission known as VICTUS NOX. (Times of San Diego + Fox 5)

• That’s fresh. East Village Brewing Company has collaborated again with San Diego International Airport and Water Works, Inc., to brew a beer made from purified condensate collected from SAN’s jet bridges. The seasonal Cruising Ale-titude is available on tap at the brewery’s tasting room and Terminal 2 concessions.

• The San Diego Zoo has named its 3-month-old red panda Pavrita, which means “sacred” in Nepali. She’s the first red panda born at the zoo since 2006; see her and her parents — Adira and Lucas — at the Asian Passage habitat or via the Red Panda Cam.

• UC San Diego will discontinue its brewing certificate program after 2024, citing pandemic-related challenges, low enrollment, and diminished revenue. Courses will continue for one more year, but no new students will be accepted. If you’re looking for other ways to tap into local beer education, check out these options. (SanDiegoBeer.News)

• San Diego Opera’s 2023-2024 season — running October-June — will kick off on a high note. Grammy Award-winning singers Latonia Moore and J’Nai Bridges will perform with the San Diego Symphony at Balboa Theatre on Wednesday, Oct. 25; get tickets.

• Audiologists are raving about the latest generation of Horizon hearing aids. Why the excitement? They deliver unmatched speech clarity in an ultra-discreet design. The best part? hear.com offers a local, 45-day no-risk trial, so you can try before you buy. Secure your spot.*

• How many credit cards are in your wallet? Make your answer “one.” The Ascent’s credit card experts personally signed up for this card because of its perfect mix of benefits: up to 5% cash back, a big bonus, no annual fee, the list goes on. Learn more.*