South Coast Botanic Garden

This Denver-originated Halloween attraction returns to L.A. with thousands of hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns lining a pathway at a new location this year: the beautiful South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes. Pumpkin light shows, bounce pads, inflatables and festive food complete the family-friendly experience.

South Coast Botanic Garden’s adorable dog walking hours jumps from a once-a-month treat to an every-weekend affair just during the month of October at Dogtoberfest. In addition to dog-friendly walking paths, the garden throws a bunch of Oktoberfest-style activities into the mix. For the humans, you’ll find beer stations throughout the garden (including a roving Brew Choo Choo cart) as well as on the main lawn. That’s where you’ll find the bulk of the programming too, including polka performances plus stein holding and pretzel tossing contests. For the pups, expect training obstacles along the garden pathway as well as races in on the lawn. As for the beer aspect, a VIP ticket gets you a flight of beer (or root beer) samples, a pretzel necklace and a few other small perks, but I think most folks will be satisfied with saving money on a general admission ticket and opting for purchasing full pours instead.