This Week in the South Bay: October 20 to 26, 2026

From the archive: This Week in the South Bay for October 20 to 26, 2026. See this week’s list.

Saturday, October 24 is the big one: the Family Halloween Carnival in Manhattan Beach, Halloween Movie in the Park in Torrance and Scary Stories at Angels Gate in San Pedro, with the Nike After Dark Tour closing streets from Redondo Beach to Hermosa Beach that evening. Sunday has the Prepared Peninsula Expo in Rolling Hills Estates and the Dia de los Muertos Festival in downtown San Pedro, and the first vote centers for the November 3 election open Saturday morning.

All week

Magic of the Jack O’ Lanterns, South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Boulevard, Palos Verdes Peninsula. Thousands of carved pumpkins along a walking trail, open every night this week and through Sunday, November 1, with timed entry. Tickets are sold online only. The official ticketing page shows tickets from $19.99 Sunday through Thursday and from $29.99 on Friday and Saturday. Updated October 19, 2026: the event’s own site says tickets start at $25.99, so check the price for your night on the ticketing page. On-site parking is $25 in advance, and $10 parking with a shuttle is at 25851 Hawthorne Boulevard in Rolling Hills Estates. Magic of the Jack O’ Lanterns tickets and Magic of the Jack O’ Lanterns
Stephen Mirich: Stand by Me, Palos Verdes Art Center, 5504 Crestridge Road, Rancho Palos Verdes. The painter’s retrospective and the Studio School Faculty Show both run through Saturday, November 14. Free, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Sunday. Docents lead tours Tuesday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon. Palos Verdes Art Center
Baker’s Dozen 2026, Torrance Art Museum, 3320 Civic Center Drive, Torrance. Thirteen Southern California artists, through Saturday, November 7. Free, Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Torrance Art Museum
Pumpkin patches in Torrance. Mr. Jack O’Lantern’s Pumpkin Patch is at 17520 Prairie Avenue through Sunday, November 1: noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday (City of Torrance). South Bay Pumpkin Patch is in the Del Amo Fashion Center lot near Macy’s Men and Home, 3525 West Carson Street, through Saturday, October 31: 1 to 10 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekends, $5 for ages 3 and up, free parking (Del Amo Fashion Center).
Dia de los Muertos Community Altar, Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 South Gaffey Street, San Pedro. Bring an item for the shared altar to the Building A front office, Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., through Saturday, October 31. Items up to 8.5 by 11 inches, and bring copies of photos, not originals. The altar stays up through November 21. Angels Gate Cultural Center

Tuesday, October 20

Waterfront Farmers Market opening day, Berth 77 Park, West Harbor, 600 South Harbor Boulevard, San Pedro. 3 to 8 p.m., then every Tuesday, with more than 35 vendors. Opening day adds live music, a petting zoo and pony rides, and guests in the first two hours get a $5 market token while supplies last. West Harbor
Manhattan Beach Certified Farmers’ Market, Civic Center lot off 15th Street, 1299 North Morningside Drive, Manhattan Beach. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Tuesday. Downtown Manhattan Beach
Torrance Certified Farmers’ Market, Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw Boulevard, Torrance. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesdays and Saturdays, rain or shine. Updated October 19, 2026: the City of Torrance market page gives 2200 Crenshaw Boulevard in its listing and map and 2400 Jefferson Street in its introduction. The city’s events index and its Halloween Movie in the Park page both use 2200 Crenshaw Boulevard. City of Torrance
Free admission day at South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Boulevard, Palos Verdes Peninsula. The garden is free on the third Tuesday of each month, and today is the third Tuesday. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., last entry 4:30 p.m., free parking. South Coast Botanic Garden
Bite of Reality, Western Museum of Flight, 3315 Airport Drive, Torrance. 5:45 to 7:45 p.m., free. A money simulation for ages 10 to 20 run by Northrop Grumman Federal Credit Union. Bring a phone or tablet. City of Torrance

Wednesday, October 21

Halloween Trick-or-Treat Fest, The Point, 850 South Pacific Coast Highway, El Segundo. 10 a.m. to noon. Trick-or-treating at the shops, live music, strolling characters, balloons and one-day store deals. Bring a bag and scan the QR code when you check in. The Point

Thursday, October 22

Farmers Market by the Pier, Veterans Park, 309 Esplanade, Redondo Beach. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., weather permitting. Redondo Beach Pier
El Segundo Certified Farmers’ Market, 350 Main Street, El Segundo. 3 to 7 p.m. on the 300 block of Main Street. Los Angeles County
Do Better Together: A Community Conversation on Civility, Clark Building, 861 Valley Drive, Hermosa Beach. 5:30 to 8 p.m. A conversation across generations for adults 18 and over and older adults, hosted with Beach Cities Health District and South Bay Families Connected. Beach Cities Health District
Five Minute TED-Style Talks, Peninsula Center Library, Purcell Room, 701 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates. 4 to 5 p.m. Students in grades 6 to 12 give short talks on topics they choose. Come to listen; presenter sign-ups have closed. Palos Verdes Library District

Friday, October 23

Hermosa Beach Friday Farmers Market, 1035 Valley Drive, Hermosa Beach. Noon to 4 p.m. City of Hermosa Beach
San Pedro Certified Farmers Market, 396 West 6th Street at Mesa Street, San Pedro. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Park in the public lot at 6th Street and Harbor Boulevard. San Pedro Chamber of Commerce
St. James School Harvest Festival, St. James School, 4625 Garnet Street, Torrance. Friday through Sunday, with carnival rides, game booths, live music, a beer garden, bingo and a silent auction. Free to enter; rides are ticketed, and the beer garden is 21 and over with ID. The school’s page does not post hours. Park on the street or at Victor Elementary, 4820 Spencer Street; cars in the Henderson Library lot or the alley off Garnet may be ticketed or towed. St. James Catholic School
ACOTAR Fan Event: Crafts, Trivia and Pop-up Shop, Malaga Cove Library, 2400 Via Campesina, Palos Verdes Estates. 6 to 8 p.m., for teens and adults, no registration. Crafts while supplies last, and Ember and Ink Romance Bookshop runs the pop-up. Palos Verdes Library District

Saturday, October 24

Vote centers open for the November 3 election. In-person voting starts today at the early vote centers, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Monday, November 2, and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Nearby sites open from today: Peninsula Center Library, 701 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates; Hermosa Kiwanis Club, 2515 Valley Drive, Hermosa Beach; Cambria Hotel LAX, 199 Continental Boulevard, El Segundo; Mary K. Giordano Regional Transit Center, 465 Crenshaw Boulevard, and Walteria Park, 3855 West 242nd Street, Torrance; and the Italian American Club, 1903 South Cabrillo Avenue, San Pedro. More sites open Saturday, October 31. Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
Family Halloween Carnival, Manhattan Heights Park, 1600 Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Manhattan Beach. 1 to 5 p.m. Carnival games, a costume contest and parade, the Teen Center haunted house, a cupcake walk and snow cones, for ages 2 to 15. Carnival bracelets are $20, and children under 5 stay with an adult. City of Manhattan Beach
Halloween Movie in the Park, Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw Boulevard, Torrance. Activities from 4 p.m., including a costume parade, a kids zone, a DJ and a pumpkin carving display, and Toy Story 5 at 6:30 p.m. Free. Bring blankets and low-back chairs. City of Torrance
Scary Stories, Battery Leary-Merriam, Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 South Gaffey Street, San Pedro. 6:30 to 8 p.m. Live radio theater around a bonfire, in its 24th year. $5 cash, free for ages 6 and under, no reservations. Bring a chair and warm layers; a few folding chairs are on hand. Angels Gate Cultural Center
Nike After Dark Tour Los Angeles, starting and finishing on North Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach. The half marathon starts at 5 p.m. and runs from King Harbor through Torrance to Hermosa Beach and back. The City of Redondo Beach posts no-parking zones starting before race day: North Harbor Drive from 9 p.m. Thursday, October 22, North Pacific Avenue from 11:59 p.m. Friday, and most race-day streets, including Catalina Avenue, the Esplanade, Herondo Street and Hermosa Avenue, from noon Saturday. Updated October 19, 2026: Nike’s race page says streets on the route close from 4 p.m. The city’s no-parking times start earlier, so plan around the city’s list. The race is sold out; watching along the course is free. City of Redondo Beach and Nike After Dark Tour
Household hazardous waste and shredding, Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center lot, 1935 Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Redondo Beach. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., free for Redondo Beach residents with proof of residency. Up to 15 gallons or 125 pounds of hazardous waste and five boxes of paper per trip. City of Redondo Beach
Michael Connelly at the Manhattan Beach Library Speaker Series, Mira Costa High School auditorium, 1401 Artesia Boulevard, Manhattan Beach. 2 to 5 p.m. Register on the library’s page. The first 1,000 guests receive a signed early copy of The Hollow. LA County Library
Dogtoberfest, South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Boulevard, Palos Verdes Peninsula. Saturdays and Sundays through November 1, with a Bavarian band playing 30-minute sets at 10 and 11 a.m. and 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Adults $18, children 3 to 12 $8, dogs $7 ($6 for members’ dogs), with VIP tickets for the beer tasting. South Coast Botanic Garden
Torrance Certified Farmers’ Market, Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw Boulevard, Torrance. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. City of Torrance
Salt Marsh Open House, Salinas de San Pedro at Cabrillo Beach, by Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro. Noon to 2 p.m., free, no registration for individuals. Children come with an adult. Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
PV Writes Together kickoff: Finding Your Voice with Nick Brooks, Malaga Cove Library, 2400 Via Campesina, Palos Verdes Estates. 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a book signing after. The talk opens a month of writing programs that runs to November 25. Palos Verdes Library District
Outdoor Volunteer Day at Alta Vicente Reserve, Rancho Palos Verdes. 9 a.m. to noon, habitat restoration with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. Sign up through the conservancy’s page, which gives the meeting details. Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
San Pedro Run Crew, San Pedro. Every Saturday at 9 a.m., all paces welcome (run, walk or jog), dogs welcome. The October 17 run started at 1400 West Paseo Del Mar with a 3 mile route and coffee afterward at Colossus Bread on Alma Street. Check the crew’s Instagram for this Saturday’s start. San Pedro Run Crew on Instagram

Sunday, October 25

Prepared Peninsula Expo, Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, 27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., free, alongside the Sunday farmers market. Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills and Rolling Hills Estates put it on together. Exhibitors with preparedness tips, vendors selling water, emergency bags and meals ready to eat, police and fire vehicles and boats on display, and a free lunch while supplies last. City of Rancho Palos Verdes and City of Rolling Hills Estates
Palos Verdes Certified Farmers’ Market, Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, 27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Sunday. Los Angeles County
Riviera Village Farmers Market, triangle lot, 1801 South Elena Avenue, Redondo Beach. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Riviera Village Association’s hours since August 2024. Updated October 19, 2026: the Los Angeles County market locator still lists 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Riviera Village Association and Los Angeles County
Downtown Torrance Antique Street Faire, 1317 Sartori Avenue, Torrance. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month. Free to browse, $3 per item at the appraisal booth, and pets are welcome. City of Torrance
San Pedro Dia de los Muertos Festival, West 6th Street at Mesa Street, 398 West 6th Street, San Pedro. 3 to 9:30 p.m., free. Altars, Aztec and folklorico dance, artists, food, a beer garden, kids’ crafts, free trolley rides and a Catrina contest. The organizer lists parking at 566 South Centre Street. Updated October 19, 2026: the organizer gives 398 West 6th Street and Discover San Pedro gives 396 West 6th Street, both at 6th and Mesa. San Pedro Day of the Dead and Discover San Pedro
Tidepool Walk, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro. 2 to 3:30 p.m. Check the aquarium’s events page for the meeting point and fee. Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
Dogtoberfest, day two, South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Boulevard, Palos Verdes Peninsula. Same band sets and tickets as Saturday. South Coast Botanic Garden

Monday, October 26

Craft ‘N Chat, El Segundo Public Library, 111 West Mariposa Avenue, El Segundo. Noon. Bring a project and work on it alongside other crafters. El Segundo Public Library

Coming up

Thursday, October 29: an El Niño preparedness meeting for the harbor area at The Cantina, 207 North Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach, 6 p.m., with city staff and public safety officers. A second meeting is Thursday, November 5 at 6 p.m. on the second floor of the Redondo Beach Main Library, 303 North Pacific Coast Highway. City of Redondo Beach and City of Redondo Beach
Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31: Halloween on the Pier at Fisherman’s Wharf, Redondo Beach, Friday 5 to 8 p.m., free, with trick-or-treating from 5 to 6 p.m. (Redondo Beach Pier), and Riviera Village Halloween Trick or Treat on Catalina Avenue from Avenue I to South Elena Avenue, Saturday 3 to 8 p.m., candy until 6 p.m. (Riviera Village Association). Every Halloween event through October 31 is in our Halloween in the South Bay guide.
Sunday, November 1: last night of Magic of the Jack O’ Lanterns and last weekend of Dogtoberfest at South Coast Botanic Garden. South Coast Botanic Garden
Tuesday, November 3: Election Day. Every vote center runs 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and ballot drop boxes close at 8 p.m. Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
Saturday, November 7: the Vincent Thomas Bridge closes fully at 12:01 a.m. for about 16 months, with reopening targeted for early March 2028. Updated October 19, 2026: the Port of Los Angeles waterfront site gives February 29, 2028 as the end date, and Caltrans, which runs the project, gives early March. Caltrans and Port of Los Angeles
Saturday, November 7: Ruben Studdard: My Tribute to Luther at the Norris Theatre, 27570 Norris Center Drive, Rolling Hills Estates, 8 p.m. Palos Verdes Performing Arts

Have a question about this? Neil answers personally.