Boulder Creek Ranch, Hesperia

Each year, Boulder Creek Ranch transforms itself into a venue for the autumnal revelry known as the Boulder Creek Harvest Festival. During the week, guests trundle about the farm on hayrides, cavort with baby goats in the petting zoo, or pick out their next jack-o'-lantern or replacement head in the pumpkin patch. At the playground and bounce house, kids can build up their cardiovascular endurance with fast-paced trick-or-treating on October 26 and 27.

Over the weekends, the festival kicks the fun up a notch with live music, a beer garden, and carnival games. Food vendors peddle provender to give visitors extra energy. Throughout its two-week run, the Harvest Festival hosts several special events, including a chili cook-off, a battle of the bands, a costume contest, and a Huckleberry Finn-inspired fish-off, where piscatorial hunters haul in their quarry with bamboo poles.