San Diego’s late fall is built for grazing: sunny afternoons, breezy bayfront evenings, and a calendar packed with tastings, markets, and cultural celebrations. From Día de los Muertos in Old Town to fall festival favorites, Beer Week releases and waterfront Food + Wine festivities, the city leans into comfort flavors and community. Use this guide to map your weekends and book with us to taste Gaslamp, Old Town, or Little Italy food tours like a local. It’s the perfect time to explore family-friendly activities and discover why fall activities in San Diego are some of the best in California.

Why Fall in San Diego Is All About Flavor and Fun

Perfect Weather Meets Endless Seasonal Events

Late October into November is peak snack-and-stroll season. Daytime sun, cool coastal evenings, and a steady stream of tastings, markets, and live music mean you can graze your way through the city, no heavy coats required. If you’re planning a quick vacation or an annual getaway to explore the San Diego food scene, there’s something for everyone, from beachside bites to cozy autumn flavors.

From Coastal Tastings to Harvest Markets, There’s Always Something Happening

Expect waterfront grand tastings, brewery collabs, chef demos, and maker markets with seasonal bites. Along the Embarcadero and Seaport Village, weekend music and vendor pop-ups make pre- and post-festival grazing effortless.

Celebrate the Season Through Food and Local Fun

This is the moment to pair dishes with stories: handmade pasta and truffle-leaning specials in Little Italy, heritage plates and agave spirits in Old Town, and cocktail culture in the Gaslamp. A So Diego tour in September and October connects the flavors, people, and neighborhoods that make each stop sing.

Explore Fall Events Across San Diego

Harvest Festivals & Seasonal Markets

• Little Italy Mercato (Saturdays & Wednesdays, ongoing). Peak fall produce, cheeses, breads, and sweets, an ideal warm-up or wind-down around a Little Italy tour. Sat 8 a.m.–2 p.m.; Wed 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. (year-round).
• Carlsbad Village Street Faire (Sun, Nov 2, 2025, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.). Massive coastal street fair with artisan vendors, live music, and street eats, which makes it one of the best fall festival experiences to enjoy during your vacation.
• Encinitas Holiday Street Fair (Sun, Nov 23, 2025, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.). Early-holiday energy with food booths, local makers, and live music on Highway 101 (the Sunday before Thanksgiving). It’s a family favorite and one of the free activities San Diego locals look forward to each year.

Beer Tastings & Late-Season Releases

• San Diego Beer Week (Fri, Nov 7 – Sun, Nov 16, 2025). A 9–10 day run of tap takeovers, collabs, beer dinners, and Brewers Guild programming. You’ll find haunted brewery parties, costume nights, and Halloween-themed releases that add to the fun. Use the Guild’s live event feed when you plan.

Wine, Food, & Cultural Celebrations

• Old Town Día de los Muertos (Sat–Sun, Nov 1–2, 2025). Community altars, marigolds, music, and traditional foods centered in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park; State Parks lists daytime programming both days. It’s a must-visit place for those who love cultural attractions.
• San Diego Food + Wine Festival: Grand Weekend (Nov 7–9, 2025). This annual event brings together top chefs, vintners, and mixologists to celebrate seasonal harvests. The festival’s site confirms the Grand Weekend window; city listings show daytime tastings Nov 8–9 (11 a.m.–3 p.m.) at Embarcadero Marina Park North.
• Fleet Week San Diego (key public activations Nov 7–9, 2025). Free public ship tours on the Embarcadero, no tickets or reservations required; bring government ID. Families can enjoy rides, live music, and free waterfront entertainment.
• Rady Children’s Ice Rink at Liberty Station (Nov 20, 2025 – Jan 4, 2026). Seasonal outdoor rink with modified hours on opening day (Nov 20).

Fall Concerts, Art Walks, & Outdoor Extras

• Seaport Village Weekends. Live music every weekend 1–4 p.m. (lineups vary).

Discover Fall Food Experiences by Neighborhood

Gaslamp Quarter: History, Bites, and Nightlife

By day, tour Victorian blocks and share plates; after dark, chase cinnamon- or smoke-kissed old fashioneds with wood-fired flatbreads and SoCal small plates. During Beer Week and the Food + Wine Festival, many bars and restaurants post pairing menus or guest-chef nights; scan schedules the week of. For an extra fun twist, some spots even host costume nights or haunted pub crawls during October.

Little Italy: Authentic Flavors with Autumn Flair

Settle into patios for comforting Italian with seasonal twists; brown-butter squash agnolotti, wild-mushroom tagliatelle, and gnocchi al tartufo when truffles hit menus. Before dinner, browse the Saturday Mercato; after, linger over amari and espresso. Fall events here include craft workshops, local art exhibits, and live entertainment that showcase the area’s creative spirit.

Old Town: A Taste of Heritage and Holiday Spirit

Time your visit for Nov 1–2: stroll altars, hear mariachi, and seek out pozole rojo, tamales, and pan de muerto. Add a guided tequila/mezcal flight to explore regional terroir. It’s one of the most family-friendly things to do in San Diego, especially for those who love autumn traditions.

North Park: Breweries, Bites, and Local Vibes

During Beer Week, look for barrel-aged stouts, fresh-hop IPAs, and one-off collabs. Build a mini-hop anchored by North Park and nearby Miramar; pair with birria tacos, smash burgers, or veg-forward bowls from neighboring kitchens. (Release calendars change, check each brewery’s page or the Guild feed.)

Seaport Village: Seasonal Eats with a View

This is your bayfront graze: chowders, lobster rolls, grilled local fish, and cocktails riffing on apple, pumpkin, pear, and baking spices. With Fleet Week or Food + Wine activations nearby, it’s a natural pre/post-festival corridor, and live music most weekends adds to the vibe. Families enjoy walking the beach paths, picking up local sweets, or simply relaxing by the water.

Where to Eat, Drink, and Celebrate the Season

Must-Try Late-Fall Dishes & Drinks

• Butternut-squash & truffle pastas (Little Italy)
  • Bencotto Italian Kitchen: Tortelli di Zucca and Ravioli al Tartufo (on the current 2025 digital menu).
  • Juniper & Ivy: Three-Cheese Ravioli with brown butter / butternut squash / kale / pine nut (listed on the live menu).
• Día de los Muertos bites (Nov 1–2)
  • Old Town Mexican Café: Pozole (red or white; core menu).
  • Pan de Muerto at Spill the Beans (all five SD locations Oct 31–Nov 1; note pricing and sell-out risk).
• Bayfront seafood with charred citrus & herbs
  • Brigantine – Portside Pier: Daily Grilled Marinated Swordfish with avocado-lime butter (house classic listed across menus).
  • Top of the Market: Local Swordfish (recent Restaurant Week prep: forbidden rice, baby bok choy, green harissa; nightly build varies).
• San Diego Beer Week specialty pours (early–mid Nov)
  • AleSmith: Speedway Grand Prix (two-day anchor with 16+ Speedway Stout variants; watch for the 2025 ticketed dates). Use the Guild feed to build your week.
• Cider flights (pre- or post-Beer Week)
  • Bivouac Ciderworks (North Park) flights often pull from Savoy Dry Apple, Albright Pear, San Diego Jam (mixed berry), Marlin Spike (pineapple-pear).
• Warm, seasonal nightcaps
  • Golden Girls Christmas Experience (Little Italy) pop-up opening Nov 19 with nostalgic cocktails like Blanche’s Hot Buttered Rum and Sophia’s Spiked Eggnog at Bayside Kitchen & Bar (ticketed).

Make Fall Unforgettable with So Diego

Taste the Best with Local Guides

A guided San Diego food tour turns neighborhoods into a progressive dinner party, meeting makers, skipping the guesswork, and getting the backstory behind every bite. It’s the fastest way to enjoy the season through cuisine, culture, and community.

Explore Multiple Neighborhoods in One Experience

Connect Gaslamp’s cocktail culture, Little Italy’s pasta artisans, and Old Town’s heritage flavors in one arc, perfect for visitors and locals leveling up their weekend plans. Add a stop at Balboa Park or La Jolla for free scenic walks, museum visits, or beach sunsets. They’re ideal for rounding out your fall vacation.

Make the most of late fall in San Diego

From bayfront tastings and Beer Week releases to Día de los Muertos plates and neighborhood markets, late fall is when San Diego’s food, music, and community line up perfectly. Use the guide above to pick your weekend, zero in on a couple of can’t-miss dishes (think butternut-squash pastas, pozole with pan de muerto, and seasonal swordfish), and stitch it all together with a So Diego tour. You’ll cover more ground, meet the makers behind the menus, and leave with a short list of places you’ll want to revisit next year.

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Written by: Melissa

Melissa hails from San Jose, CA, and has been a San Diego local for five years now after a 10-year long pit stop in Los Angeles. In L.A., she began her writing career crafting digital content for a wide range of clients, including The Real Talk Show, Sharon Osbourne, Hank Azaria, Time Life, and Cardinal Financial. She’s excited to be able to use her passion for writing to introduce people to some of the best spots in San Diego, many of which she has already frequented or has on her ever-expanding list of things to do …  In her spare time, she enjoys taking her puppy Milo to all of the best dog beaches in SD, grabbing a glass of wine or a cup of joe at new places, and hosting watch parties for The Bachelor/ette TV show.