Another major fall event in Big Bear is Oktoberfest. This is a specifically family-friendly one: There’s a bounce house, face painting, a mechanical bull, and themed children’s Halloween costumes for sale, in case your little one lacks their own lederhosen.
On the way to or from Big Bear, be sure to take SR-18 to Lake Arrowhead so you don’t miss some of the best parts of the Rim of the World Highway. Extend the trip with a stop at Skypark at Santa’s Village in October for some pumpkin spice lattes and Halloween festivities, or explore Lake Arrowhead.
Don’t miss: Pies from Pickle’s Pie Shop, operating out of a whimsical building that looks rather like a witch’s house. They sell their sweet pies by the slice, but the pot pies are only available frozen. If you’re renting a cabin with an oven, it’s worth getting one.