East LA Mexican Independence Day Parade & Festival: Eighty years along, this beloved celebration includes all of the buoyant hallmarks of a milestone-honoring moment: Live music, Lucha Libre, dance performances, and a spirited procession are some of the sights, sounds, and memorable touchstones revelers enjoy. The Sept. 13 festival is free, and the entry point is at 1st Street and Mednik Avenue; organizers suggest arriving by Metro and disembarking at the East LA Civic Center Station.
Maritime Festival: On lucky occasion, a Southern California might spy a tall ship while visiting a coastal town, a striking sight in the watery distance. But if you’d like to behold a few ships, and witness cannon battles, pirate-y high jinks, and cameos by mermaids, you’ll want to make your way to Dana Point Harbor for this Ocean Institute affair. Some happenings are free, others are ticketed, and kids may gravitate to the on-board School for Scallywags. The fest sails from Sept. 11-13.
Secret staircases and Victorian mansions: Heritage Square Museum, that bygone bastion of saved-and-moved buildings near the Arroyo Parkway, is visitable throughout the year on select dates. But at a special Sept. 12 fundraiser, a party spotlighting the Perry House’s 150th anniversary, a few nifty perks are in store: A secret staircase will be revealed, as well as rooms typically closed to the public. Other Victorian-vivacious offerings are afoot, so don your bustle and/or bowtie and get your ticket.
Oktoberfests arrive: You may not be able to jet off to Munich this autumn, but you can find your way to some of Southern California’s oompah-iest events, those stein-holding, Chicken-Dancing, raise-the-tubas to-dos that bring forth all of the festive fall feels. Old World in Huntington Beach kicks off its multi-week celebrations Sept. 12, with a Wednesday-through Sunday schedule stretching into mid-November. Big Bear, too, is in full Oktoberfest-themed revelry beginning Sept. 12, with the mountain’s changing leaves adding alpine flavor to the fun.
“Hallowe’en Spooktacular”: Vampires and ghosts have been spied on York Boulevard in Highland Park, inside the pert and plucky theater helmed by the Bob Baker Marionettes. The puppet troupe’s annual fall frolic has just commenced, and a host of fanciful and not-overly-frightful figures are now “stringing” entranced audience members along for an upbeat seasonal show. Weekend tickets get booked up fast, so secure yours soon; the charming spectacular is asparkle, on select dates, through Nov. 8.