Taking a getaway to Southern California in October?  Then you might want to check out some of the festivals going on in October:

October 5 - 7; 12-14; and 19-21
Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival
Casino Ballroom
jazztrax.com

October 6, 2007
Eagle Rock Music Festival
Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock, CA
(Eagle Rock is a great, hip little area in Northeast Los Angeles, just off the 2 and 134 Freeways.  Colorado Blvd. is starting to really take off with a great wine store (Colorado Wines) and other new little shops and restaurants)
centerartseaglerock.org

October 7
Newport Beach Sandcastle Contest
Corona del Mar State Beach

Oct. 6-7; 13-14; 20-21 and 27
Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest
Big Bear Lake Convention Center
Featuring one of the top regional bands from Germany.  The Big Bear Oktoberfest has been rated the #1 Oktoberfest in Southern California and one of the top ten Oktoberfest celebrations in the entire United States.  Beer drinking contest every Saturday.
bigbearevents.com

October 12-21
Screamfest Horror Film Festival
Mann Chinese Theaters, Hollywood CA
Films include:  "30 Days of Night," "Angel," "Coming to Town," "Alone," and "Wasting Away"
screamfestla.com

and, my favorite:

Oct. 27, 2007
All-Star Pets Wiener Dog Races
Heilmann Regional Park
Atascadero, CA

So, get your wierners ready and have a great time in Southern California!


Tip:  If you live in the Columbus, OH area, try booking your trip on Skybus.com, the airline that offers a limited number of $10 seats on every flight (they sell out fast, just FYI).  But, as of this writing, you can still find some lower-priced seats to the LA area in October (you'll land in Burbank, a stone's throw from LA). 

If you live in San Francisco, Las Vegas or San Diego and want to visit the Los Angeles area, check out megabus.com.  Yes, it's a bus, but the ride's not that long, and you'll save some big bucks.  Sometimes you can get seats cheaper than a tank of gas if you were to drive to Los Angeles.  Just FYI.