Free family day
No-ticket or likely-free events that work well as the anchor for a low-cost weekend plan.
Open this plan →San Diego family weekend planner
Things to do with kids this weekend in San Diego
Updated October 10, 2026
October 9–11
Sat · 10:00 AM · San Diego
Free
Pumpkin Chunkin’
Free Pumpkin Chunkin' at the Air & Space Museum — fall's most fun physics demo
Sat · All day · San Diego
Hallowtoons
Hallowtoons at the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater — seasonal puppet show for $7-10 a seat
Sun · 11:00 AM · San Diego
Free
The Big Gay Picnic – Howl-O-Ween
Free Howl-O-Ween edition of The Big Gay Picnic at Cypress Grove — costumes and community on Sunday
Sun · 11:00 AM · San Diego
Free
Mehregan Festival
Free Persian Mehregan Festival in Balboa Park — music, food and culture all afternoon
Sat · 9:00 AM · San Diego
Día de los Muertos Celebration
Día de los Muertos Celebration at the Automotive Museum — altars and tradition ahead of November
The weekend of October 9–11 brings Mehregan Festival in San Diego (Sunday) and Día de los Muertos Celebration in San Diego (Saturday). Every listing below comes from the organizer's own calendar, with times, venues, and official links — and the free ones are marked.
40 family events across 1 San Diego cities this weekend — 20 likely free. Biggest clusters: culture (21), zoo (9), museum (6).
40 family events
20 likely free
1 cities
Don't miss this weekend
Ranked by how hard each one is to catch otherwise — marquee one-offs first, always-on drop-ins last.
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The Big Gay Picnic – Howl-O-Ween
Why it ranks annual · city-wide festival · editor's pick
Free Howl-O-Ween edition of The Big Gay Picnic at Cypress Grove — costumes and community on Sunday
FreeAges 2–11Official ↗
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House of Norway Lawn Program: Leif Erikson Day
Why it ranks rare one-off · city-wide festival · editor's pick
Free Leif Erikson Day lawn program at the House of Norway — Balboa Park's Sunday culture series
FreeAges 2–11Official ↗
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Mehregan Festival
Why it ranks rare one-off · city-wide festival · editor's pick
Free Persian Mehregan Festival in Balboa Park — music, food and culture all afternoon
FreeAges 2–11Official ↗
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Día de los Muertos Celebration
Why it ranks holiday · city-wide festival · editor's pick
Día de los Muertos Celebration at the Automotive Museum — altars and tradition ahead of November
All agesOfficial ↗
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Hallowtoons
Why it ranks rare one-off · city-wide festival · editor's pick
Hallowtoons at the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater — seasonal puppet show for $7-10 a seat
$Ages 2–11Official ↗
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Pumpkin Chunkin’
Why it ranks pumpkin · city-wide festival · editor's pick
Free Pumpkin Chunkin' at the Air & Space Museum — fall's most fun physics demo
FreeAges 6–11Official ↗
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Painted Prayers: The Japanese Folk Art Tradition of Ema
Why it ranks rare one-off · city-wide festival
FreeAges 2–11Official ↗
Arts & crafts 16Animals & nature 11STEM & hands-on 7Festivals & community 7Music & performance 4Food & markets 4Free only 20
Start with a ready-made plan
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Toddler and preschool picks
Shorter, earlier programs with age signals that are easier for little kids.
Open this plan →Indoor backup plan
Libraries, museums, makerspaces, and indoor culture picks for weather or low-energy days.
Open this plan →Low-drive plan in San Diego
A tighter cluster in one city so the day does not turn into a long drive.
Open this plan →Family events in San Diego this weekend: October 9–11
Generated October 10, 2026 from official event sources
Interactive Event Finder
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Showing 40 of 40 events
Friday, October 9
8 events · 2 free · already happened
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Art Break
Catch a Fish in 21st century contemporary culture is pretty easy, as mermaids are everywhere these days.
Free Official ↗ -
Knot Together
Inspired by the traditional fishing nets and nautical knots featured in To Catch a Fish , our newest Together workshop series, Knot…
Official ↗ -
Halloween Festival & Movie in the Park at South Clairemont Recreation Center
Free Official ↗ -
Africa Rocks Encounter
Official ↗ -
Rady Ambassador Presentation Area
Official ↗ -
Wildlife Wonders
Official ↗ -
Materials Lab: Paper
Official ↗ -
Toddler Time
Official ↗
Saturday, October 10
19 events · 10 free
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Día de los Muertos Celebration
Join the San Diego Automotive Museum for our first-ever Día de los Muertos Celebration, honoring the rich traditions of this meaningful…
Official ↗ -
Pumpkin Chunkin’
Get ready for a day of engineering, coding, creativity, and flying pumpkins!
Free Official ↗ -
Painted Prayers: The Japanese Folk Art Tradition of Ema
exhibition highlights one of Japan’s most fascinating folk painting traditions, ema – house-shaped wooden votive plaques offered as prayers…
Free Official ↗ -
House of Spain Lawn Program
Free Official ↗ -
History Explorers: Día de los Muertos
Help the History Center prepare for Día de los Muertos by contributing to our community ofrenda.
Free Official ↗ -
Gyotaku
What is GyoTaku? Gyotaku dates back centuries. before photography, this method assisted fishermen with recording and documenting their…
Official ↗ -
Golden Guide Market
Merkado Kultura (7) is a curated makers market celebrating the Philippines, held at the La Atalaya Foundation Theater at Mingei…
Free Official ↗ -
Art Glass Guild Show and Sale
The Art Glass Guild will be hosting their 2026 Fall Patio Show and Sale on October 10th and 11th.
Free Official ↗ -
Sensory Friendly Morning
Official ↗ -
Art Mart
SDCAMA art shows display the living art of today; you can hold it in your hands and take it into your life.
Free Official ↗ -
Artopia Studio Workshop: Squish & Print – Gelli Plate Printmaking | Youth (Ages 7–11)
Official ↗ -
Discovery Tables at 1 Father Junipero Serra Trail
Free Official ↗ -
Movie in the Park at Hilltop Recreation Center
Free Official ↗ -
Creepy Critters Campfire Program at Kumeyaay Lake Campground Amphitheater
Free Official ↗ -
Africa Rocks Encounter
Official ↗ -
Rady Ambassador Presentation Area
Official ↗ -
Wildlife Wonders
Official ↗ -
Innovators LAB: Math Happens Workshop
Official ↗ -
Hallowtoons
Its the frightful season, and of course Freddy is at the ready to scare!
Official ↗
Sunday, October 11
13 events · 8 free
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The Big Gay Picnic – Howl-O-Ween
BGP’s annual Halloween picnic returns to Balboa Park!
Free Official ↗ -
House of Norway Lawn Program: Leif Erikson Day
Leif Erikson Day (second weekend in October) Viking music, food, crafts and activities at the lawn by the House of Norway.
Free Official ↗ -
Mehregan Festival
Visit Balboa Park to celebrate Mehregan. Mehregan is an ancient Persian festival traditionally associated with gratitude, friendship,…
Free Official ↗ -
Golden Guide Market
Merkado Kultura (7) is a curated makers market celebrating the Philippines, held at the La Atalaya Foundation Theater at Mingei…
Free Official ↗ -
Community Market
Support local makers, artists, and wellness practitioners at the WorldBeat Cultural Center Community Market every second Sunday of the month.
Free Official ↗ -
Art Glass Guild Show and Sale
The Art Glass Guild will be hosting their 2026 Fall Patio Show and Sale on October 10th and 11th.
Free Official ↗ -
Sky Tonight: Weekend Edition
Monthly planetarium show at 11 a.m. on the second Sunday of each month
Official ↗ -
A Space for All of Us
Sensory-Friendly Quiet Mornings at the Museum The Museum’s sensory-friendly quiet hours are held every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Free Official ↗ -
Art Mart
SDCAMA art shows display the living art of today; you can hold it in your hands and take it into your life.
Free Official ↗ -
Africa Rocks Encounter
Official ↗ -
Rady Ambassador Presentation Area
Official ↗ -
Wildlife Wonders
Official ↗ -
Materials Lab: Paper
Official ↗
Browse by interest
Jump to the kind of weekend you're after — story time, hands-on science, music, the outdoors, and more.
Arts & crafts
Drop-in making, painting, drawing, and creative studio time.
- Art BreakMingei International Museum · San Diego · Ages 3–12
- Knot TogetherMingei International Museum · San Diego · $45.00 – $65.00 · Ages 3–12
- Art Glass Guild Show and SaleSpanish Village Art Center · San Diego · Ages 5–12
Animals & nature
Zoos, farms, gardens, and wildlife walks to get up close with the outdoors.
- Africa Rocks EncounterSan Diego Zoo - Africa Rocks Stage · San Diego · Ages 3–12
- Rady Ambassador Presentation AreaSan Diego Zoo - Rady Ambassador Presentation Area · San Diego · Ages 3–12
- Wildlife WondersSan Diego Zoo - Wegeforth Bowl · San Diego · Ages 3–12
STEM & hands-on
Science, coding, robotics, building, and other hands-on, curious-kid programs.
- Knot TogetherMingei International Museum · San Diego · $45.00 – $65.00 · Ages 3–12
- Golden Guide MarketMingei International Museum · San Diego · Ages 3–12
- Pumpkin Chunkin’San Diego Air and Space Museum · San Diego · Ages 5–12
Festivals & community
Fairs, parades, seasonal celebrations, and big community gatherings.
- Halloween Festival & Movie in the Park at South Clairemont Recreation CenterSan Diego Parks and Recreation · San Diego · Ages 5–12
- Día de los Muertos CelebrationSan Diego Automotive Museum · San Diego · Ages 3–12
- Golden Guide MarketMingei International Museum · San Diego · Ages 3–12
Music & performance
Concerts, recitals, dance, theater, sing-alongs, and live shows.
- Día de los Muertos CelebrationSan Diego Automotive Museum · San Diego · Ages 3–12
- Golden Guide MarketMingei International Museum · San Diego · Ages 3–12
- Golden Guide MarketMingei International Museum · San Diego · Ages 3–12
Food & markets
Farmers markets, food trucks, tastings, and cooking fun.
- Golden Guide MarketMingei International Museum · San Diego · Ages 3–12
- Golden Guide MarketMingei International Museum · San Diego · Ages 3–12
- Community MarketWorldBeat Center · San Diego · Ages 3–12
Active & outdoors
Sports, playgrounds, swimming, biking, and run-around energy burners.
- Sensory Friendly MorningThe New Children’s Museum · San Diego · Ages 3–12
- A Space for All of UsMuseum of Us · San Diego · Ages 3–12
