Plus, more trees for SD and a long-awaited restaurant debut.
 
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🎃 Oh hey, pumpkin

Pumpkin patches to visit this fall in San Diego County
The Goff Family Pumpkin Patch at Liberty Station
The Goff Family Pumpkin Patch at Liberty Station features gourds galore. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday
In our best ghoul voices, this is Halloween, this is Halloween.

This time of year has us dreaming of picking our perfect pumpkin. To fulfill our fall fantasy, we’ve harvested a bunch of pumpkin patches across San Diego County offering family-friendly fall fun. Gourd big or go home, right?

Goff Family Pumpkin Patch | 2830 Perry Rd., Liberty Station | Free admission
This pop-up patch across the street from The Presley restaurant is open daily Friday, Sept. 22-Tuesday, Oct. 31. It features thousands of pumpkins, cute photo opportunities, and picnic tables.

Pumpkin Patch at Bates Nut Farm | 15954 Woods Valley Rd., Valley Center | Free admission
The beloved attraction at the longtime family-owned farm busts out its finest gourds and autumn events, open daily through Tuesday, Oct. 31. Stick around for other fall activities, too, like hayrides, a petting corral, and a straw maze. Parking costs $10 on weekends.

Pumpkin Patch at Carlsbad Strawberry Company

The Carlsbad Strawberry Company’s fields have gone from red to orange.

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Photo via @carlsbadstrawberrycompany

Oma’s Pumpkin Patch | 14950 El Monte Rd., Lakeside | $14-$22
Open Tuesday, Sept. 26-Saturday, Oct. 28 — Tuesdays-Saturdays — you’ll want to reserve your spot ahead of time for the East County attraction featuring pumpkins, play zones, and wagon ride tours of the farm.

The Pumpkin Patch at Carlsbad Strawberry Company | 1050 Cannon Rd., Carlsbad | $10, free for kids under 5
The strawberries may be gone, but the pumpkins are out in full force at this North County patch open Friday, Sept. 22-Sunday, Nov. 5. Enjoy cute photo opportunities, a marigold field, shaded seating areas, and autumn activities like tractor rides and the Haunted Corn Maze.

SD Mountain Valley Ranch pumpkin patch

Mountain Valley Ranch in Ramona.

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Photo via @mountain_valley_ranch

Mountain Valley Ranch Pumpkin Patch | 842 Highway 78, Ramona | Free admission
Take in the ranch life while enjoying an assortment of pumpkins and corn, plus pony rides, a corn maze, and a petting zoo. It’s open Saturday, Sept. 23-Tuesday, Oct. 31.
Gourds Guide: more local patches
Asked

When I visit a pumpkin patch, my top priority is...
A. Finding the perfect pumpkin
B. Partaking in fall activities like corn mazes + hayrides
C. Eating fall-themed treats
D. All of the above
Give us the gourd stuff
 
Events
Friday, Sept. 22
  • Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro | Friday, Sept. 22-Sunday, Sept. 24 | Starts daily at 8 a.m. | Oceanside Pier, Pier View Way | Free | Get stoked — the world’s largest women’s surf, lifestyle, and music festival takes over the heart of Oceanside.
  • MCAS Miramar AirShow | Friday, Sept. 22 | 9 a.m. | MCAS Miramar, Miramar Way, San Diego | Free | It’s a bird, it’s a plane — it’s the world’s largest military air show celebrating the area’s history with the US Marine Corps.
  • FoodieLand - San Diego | Friday, Sept. 22-Sunday, Sept. 24 | 3-11 p.m. | Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. | $6 | Calling all foodies: This fest features 170+ vendors selling all kinds of multicultural dishes.
  • San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals | Friday, Sept. 22-Sunday, Sept. 24 | Times vary | Petco Park, 100 Park Blvd., San Diego | $30+ | It’s Hispanic Heritage Weekend at the ballpark — buy a theme package and score a limited-edition, Padres-themed freebie.
  • “The Book of Mormon” | Through Sunday, Sept. 24 | Times vary | Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., San Diego | $40-$180 | 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.
Saturday, Sept. 23
  • Adams Avenue Street Fair | Saturday, Sept. 23 + Sunday, Sept. 24 | Times vary | Adams Avenue, Normal Heights | Free | Explore 75 musical acts across 10 blocks of Adams Avenue in Normal Heights and enjoy food, beer, carnival rides, and 300+ local vendors.
  • San Diego Distillers Guild Festival | Saturday, Sept. 23 | 1-5 p.m. | BRICK, 2863 Historic Decatur Rd., Liberty Station | $60-$85 | Enjoy sips from 20+ local craft distilleries, plus food vendors and live music.
  • West Coast Taco & Beer Festival | Saturday, Sept. 23 | 2-8 p.m. | Broadway Pier, 1000 N. Harbor Dr., San Diego | $50-$99 | Say shell-o to tacos of all kinds, local and regional beers, a margarita bar, and DJs.
Sunday, Sept. 24
  • San Diego Restaurant Week | Sunday, Sept. 24-Sunday, Oct. 1 | 12 p.m. | Locations vary | $20+ | The fall edition of San Diego’s longtime foodie event returns with 100+ participating local restaurants offering prix fixe lunch and dinner menus.
  • San Diego Loyal vs. Las Vegas Lights FC | Sunday, Sept. 24 | 3 p.m. | Torero Stadium, 5998 Alcala Park Way, San Diego | $15-$70 | You’ve got this, Loyal.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
News Notes
Weather
  • September has been pretty cloudy, and National Weather Service San Diego attributes the pattern to there being less surface solar radiation than in past years. The agency says a West Coast pressure trough is also contributing to those low clouds. (National Weather Service)
Civic
  • San Diego can now plant more trees and improve its urban forests in underserved communities thanks to a $10 million federal grant. Mayor Todd Gloria says 8,400+ trees will be planted and preserved through the “Ready, Set, Grow San Diego” program, working toward the goal of planting 100,000 trees by 2035.
Development
  • The Midway Rising redevelopment team has contracted Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. for engineering, survey, and mapping services. The company will help with the project’s 16,000-seat entertainment center that will replace Pechanga Arena — a cornerstone of the master plan.
Open
  • The 65,000-sqft Southeastern Live Well Center is now open at Market Street and Euclid Avenue. The facility offers health and social services for locals including food assistance, employment help, and family strengthening services. Check it out during a community open house on Saturday, Oct. 14, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Coming Soon
  • Malibu Farm — the highly anticipated restaurant from celebrity Chef Helene Henderson and her actor husband, John Stockwell — will debut Monday, Sept. 25, at Seaport Village. Located at the former Harbor House site, the 14,000-sqft indoor and outdoor space also features an ice cream shop and home goods store.
Edu
  • US News & World Report released its 2024 best colleges rankings and University of San Diego and UC San Diego tied at No. 6 in the top public schools category. San Diego State University landed at No. 51 — its highest position ever on this list. (SDSU NewsCenter)
Ranked
Announced
  • The Rady Shell announced its 2023 holiday programming. The San Diego Symphony’s “Noel Noel” concerts take place Friday, Dec. 15-Sunday, Dec. 17, at the waterfront venue, followed by “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” live in concert on Saturday, Dec. 23. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 26.
Seasonal
  • Brilliant. Birch Aquarium will host Halloween Aglow on Friday, Oct. 27 + Saturday, Oct. 28, 6-8:30 p.m. — a seasonal, all-ages nighttime event where kids can learn about the mysteries of the ocean. Birch says the event is modeled after its popular Oceans at Night series, but for kids.
Drink
  • NOVA Easy Kombucha has released its first craft beer — NOVA Beach Lager — brewed with coconut water and Sabro hops, known for their tropical and stone fruit aromas. The small-batch brew is available at NOVA’s new Ocean Beach taproom and NOVO Brazil Brewing in Chula Vista and Imperial Beach.
Wellness
  • Meet Beam Dream: a nighttime hot cocoa crafted with ingredients like reishi and melatonin. In a clinical study, 93% of users woke up feeling more refreshed. Get sippin’.*
Answered

We asked for your taco recommendations and here’s what you said:

Top San Diego taco recommendations from SDtoday readers
SD Salud Tacos Barrio Logan
Salud Tacos! in Barrio Logan — it hits just right. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday
We’re still not convinced by a survey compiled by Real Estate Witch and reported by USA Today that listed San Diego as the No. 5 best city for tacos in the US — and neither are our fellow San Diegans.

But, deep breaths. We shall prevail.

We recently asked you to share your favorite local neighborhoods for tacos and your favorite taco spots in those neighborhoods. SDtoday readers showed up and showed out:
  • Lynn H. likes her tacos from Barrio Logan; she recommends Salud Tacos! and Las Cuatro Milpas — both on Logan Avenue (we second these choices — chef’s kiss).
  • Laura C. enjoys Taco Centro on Island Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter.
  • Wendy K.'s taco shop of choice is Roberto’s in Solana Beach.
We’ll never not taco ‘bout San Diego’s amazing tacos; they’re always No. 1 in our hearts.
Share your top tacos
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The Wrap
 
Monica Garske headshot

Today’s edition by:
Monica
From the editor
Happy Friday, friends. The cooler weather has been great for outdoor activities lately, especially local hiking.

One of my favorite hikes is the beautiful Bayside Trail at Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma. The stunning views of San Diego Bay, downtown, Ballast Point, Coronado, and the mountains always help me clear my head — and I love the side of local history at this landmark. That Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was really onto something.
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