Kick off the fall season on October 10th at the annual Fall Festival in Old Town. The museums and merchants in the state park will host family friendly games, activities, and entertainment reminiscent of an old-fashioned harvest celebration.
A master pumpkin-carving demonstration with nationally renowned food artist and chef Guido Michael will be a highlight of the day. Eight of the chef’s creations will be given away at the end of the day along with 10 instructional videos on fruit carving produced by Guido Michael. Prizes will be awarded for games in the central plaza such as pumpkin toss, pumpkin races, and more. Wells Fargo Museum will be hosting crafts and a pony-toss game as well. Free craft activities will include pumpkin painting, corn shucking, pinecone bird feeders and corn husk flowers in a specially decorated Harvest Home. Participating merchants in the state park will also have craft activities inside their stores.
Suzie’s Farm will provide educational activities about organic farming in San Diego. There will also be a Gothic literature exhibit in the Robinson-Rose Visitor Center.
Free parking is available throughout Old Town with extra parking available across Taylor Street in the CalTrans parking lot.
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park presents the opportunity to experience the history of early San Diego by providing a connection to the past. Learn about life in the Mexican and early American periods of 1821 to 1872. Even today, life moves more slowly in this part of San Diego, where the hustle and bustle is balanced with history and fiestas. Visitors are offered a glimpse into yesteryear, as converging cultures transformed San Diego from a Mexican pueblo to an American settlement. San Diego became California’s first Spanish settlement when a mission and fort were established here in 1769. Later, it passed into the hands of the newly made Mexican government before gaining statehood in the United States after the Mexican-American War.
The core of restored original historic buildings from the interpretive period are complemented by reconstructed sites, along with early twentieth century buildings designed in the same mode. Five original adobe buildings are part of the historic park, which include museums, unique retail shops, and several restaurants. The Historic Plaza remains a special place for gatherings and historic activities. Visitors can also experience a working blacksmith shop, enjoy music, see or touch the park’s burros, and engage in activities that represent early San Diego.
The park is located on San Diego Avenue and Twiggs Street in San Diego, and is conveniently adjacent to the Old Town Transit Center, with Coaster, Trolley, and MTS Bus service.
California Department of Parks and Recreation manages 279 park units, which contain the finest and most diverse collection of natural, cultural, and recreational resources to be found within California. These treasures are as diverse as California: From the last stands of primeval redwood forests to vast expanses of fragile desert; from the lofty Sierra Nevada to the broad sandy beaches of our southern coast; and from the opulence of Hearst Castle to the vestiges of colonial Russia.
