Fall Activities & Events

Discover the best fall vacation itinerary in Rancho Cordova, California.

Sweater weather is upon us! Family-friendly autumn activities, arts and culture, haunted houses, and major events make fall a great time of year to visit Rancho Cordova. Scroll down to find helpful fall trip planning info, or to join Visit Rancho Cordova's free Cozy Crawl Photo Challenge, where you can turn your activity visits into raffle entries and chances to win epic prizes!

Cozy Crawl Photo Challenge

Soil Born Farms

Arts & Culture

Barrel District

Heartstoppers Haunted House

Apple Hill

Vintage Shopping

Join Visit Rancho Cordova's Cozy Crawl Photo Challenge 📷

Your Guide to Fall Fun in Rancho Cordova

From September 15 to December 15, travelers and residents are invited to participate in Visit Rancho Cordova’s “Cozy Crawl” bucket list photo challenge.

The “Cozy Crawl” bucket list includes dozens of Rancho Cordova activities, events, attractions, craft breweries, and delicious restaurants for participants to try out at their own pace, plus exciting day trip recommendations to beloved favorites like Apple Hill for the perfect autumn adventure.

Submit photos along the way to earn points towards amazing raffles and epic prizes. Winners will be contacted in September.

Learn How to Play & Sign Up

Fall Farm Visits in Rancho Cordova 🥕

Rancho Cordova is deliciously spoiled by Soil Born Farms, a 50+ acre urban farm and agricultural project nestled along the American River. Founded in 2000, the farm offers a variety of year-round programs and events. Autumn on the farm is particularly special.

Soil Born is open to the public on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. You can find produce stands offering seasonal fruits and vegetables like squash, potatoes, and persimmons. Shop at Milly's Mercantile for more canned goods, pies, and artisanal kitchen ingredients or take home a fresh cut bouquet from their flower garden.

We recommend enjoying outdoor brunch at Phoebe's Cafe & Farmhouse Kitchen, located toward the back of the farm's grounds. You're likely to hear live music wafting through the air as you sip organic coffee and nosh on buckwheat pancakes, goat cheese-laden frittatas, and tasty pastries.

Learn More About the Farm

Fall Arts & Culture in Rancho Cordova 🖼️

Autumn is the perfect season for exploring local arts and culture, and Mills Station Arts & Culture Center (fondly known to locals as The MACC) is the place to be. Once a bustling grocery store, post office, gas station, and tavern as the building's purpose evolved in the early 1900s, today the MACC offers traveling art exhibits to the public at no cost.

The first floor typically displays large artworks, an extensive show, or an exhibit featuring multiple artists. The top floor is often reserved for a solo show displaying the work of one artist at a time. You can access both floors for free on the same days.

The MACC also hosts artist talks, show receptions, and craft fairs, as well as affordable live concerts, performances, and art workshops. You can find more information on their website.

Find Upcoming Exhibits

Find Cozy Sips in the Barrel District 🍺

The Barrel District is one of Rancho Cordova's most beloved attractions, especially during the cooler months. Award-winning beers, mouthwatering mead, and rare Vietnamese rice spirits will warm you right up.

Breweries and distilleries in the Barrel District are spread out around town. You can create your own version of the perfect "pub crawl" and visit a few on the list that offer your favorite sips. Whether you prefer stouts, IPAs, sours, seltzers, moonshine, or Renaissance fair-worthy mead, there's something for everyone.

Most locations offer daily food trucks and live entertainment like trivia, comedy shows, and concerts are constantly on our event calendar. Some locations offer to schedule group tastings in advance.

Explore the Barrel District

Get Spooked at Heartstoppers Haunted House 👻

If adrenaline is calling your name, make your way to the Rancho Cordova Mine Shaft to experience one of Sacramento's best haunted houses: Heartstoppers Haunted House.

Every fall, you can explore four haunted "scenes" in one terrifying location. You can brave the Deadlands, a western town plagued by zombies, try to escape the cursed forest of Blightwoods, face your fear of claustrophobia in Misery Mine, or visit haunted Victorian schoolhouse, House McCutchens.

Tickets include access to all four haunts and plenty of outdoor entertainment as you wait. Discover tasty food trucks, themed merch from vendor booths, live performances and music, and costumed actors creeping around the property.

Get Heartstoppers Tickets

Nearby Pumpkin Patches & Apple Orchards in Apple Hill 🎃

Every year, thousands of locals flock to Apple Hill, a beloved day trip filled with quintessential fall vibes. Leaf peeping, sweater weather, and autumn flavors await just 40 miles east of Rancho Cordova.

Take your pick of dozens of farms, ranches, and fruit orchards and spend the day exploring. You'll find piping hot apple cider donuts, freshly baked pies, u-pick apples, hard cider trails, delicious caramels and candies, pumpkin patches, hay rides, and fun for the whole family. Apple Hill provides their own amazing event calendar for live performances, haunts, cooking classes, and so much more.

Most farms close for the year by mid December after selling out of fresh Christmas trees, but some farms close a little earlier. Please check their hours before making your trip. If staying in the region overnight, some guests prefer choosing a hotel in Rancho Cordova, as we have a wider variety of lodging available.

Plan Your Trip to the Orchards

Hunt for Vintage Goods in Rancho Cordova 💼

Grab your coziest flannel and a hot toddy from your favorite cafe, then shop until you drop for vintage books, decor, clothing, and more!

Bliss Vintage Marketplace is a Rancho Cordova fan favorite, known for its wide variety of vintage vendors and large warehouse. Each booth has a unique vibe, making it easy for you to find something for yourself or a gift for someone you love. They rotate items seasonally, especially during the holiday months. Every few weeks you'll see more vintage items added for each holiday. We love shopping for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hannukah, and Christmas items from yesteryear.

A few miles down the road, Stardust Vintage offers a midcentury modern aesthetic that savvy shoppers, furniture collectors, and fashionistas will love. Old records, VHS videos, nostalgic gifts, and stunning art pieces draw the eye as you wander through burgeoning, well-decorated booths. Prices are a bit higher for luxury items, beautiful jewelry, and high-quality clothing pieces you'll want to wear again and again, but Stardust is a stop you simply must experience for yourself.

Our Favorite Vintage Shops