Cooler weather is no reason to stay home. November offers a long list of free things to do across Southern California, from Day of the Dead celebrations and stargazing parties to a kite day in Ontario and the first holiday light switch-ons of the season.
Day of the Dead events fill the early part of the month. Norco kicks things off on Nov. 5 at The Barn at Ingalls Event Center, where a 6 to 8 p.m. celebration invites guests to wear colorful attire, get skull face painting and add photos of departed loved ones to a communal altar, with a contest for the most festive fashion. Riverside's 23rd annual Day of the Dead festival runs Nov. 7 and 8 downtown on Market Street and in White Park, with live entertainment on multiple stages, community and classic car altars, Lucha Libre, Aztec dancers and a Catrina pageant. Santa Ana's Noche de los Altares takes place Nov. 7 at El Centro Cultural de México, the historic adobe in Rancho Dominguez hosts mariachi and folklorico performances that same day, and Pomona's Downtown Hasta La Muerte celebration follows on Nov. 14 alongside the 2nd Saturday Artwalk.
In Ontario, Kite Day comes to Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park on Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., sponsored by county Supervisor Jesse Armendarez. Visitors can learn to fly a kite and take one home free while supplies last, and leashed pets are welcome. Fishing is also available, though anglers 16 and older need a license. Later in the month, on Nov. 21, the quarterly Downtown Ontario Art Walk runs from 6 to 9 p.m. around the Ontario Museum of History and Art on South Euclid Avenue, with hands-on art making and artisan booths. The museum's Dia de Los Muertos exhibit remains up through Nov. 22.
Night sky fans have several options. A beginner-friendly astrophotography class on Nov. 6 at Pioneertown Mountains Preserve starts indoors with camera settings and editing, then moves outside for a shooting session in Pipes Canyon; participants need a mirrorless or DSLR camera and tripod, and cellphones will not work. On Nov. 7, Caspers Wilderness Park in San Juan Capistrano, a designated Star Park, holds a Starr Party with telescopes, expert guidance and family activities. On the water, the Queen Mary in Long Beach offers free ship admission for live jazz and blues in the Observation Bar on Nov. 5 and 12 for guests 21 and older, though free entry requires an online reservation.
Nature programs round out the calendar. A nature journaling session takes over Clark Regional Park in Buena Park on Nov. 6 from 8 to 10 a.m., free with $3 parking. Guided walks at Madrona Marsh Preserve in Torrance run every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, no reservations needed, and Laguna Coast Wilderness Park hosts a guided nature meditation walk on Nov. 8 that ends with a tea ceremony.
Heritage events include Santa Ana's third annual Community Powwow on Nov. 14 for Native American Heritage Month, with dancing, singing, fry bread and a Grand Entry at noon, and the 24th annual Mexican Folk Art Weekend at the Maloof in Rancho Cucamonga on Nov. 14 and 15. On Nov. 15, Los Encinos State Historic Park in Encino presents living history demonstrations of life on a 19th century Mexican rancho, including the blacksmith forge.
Riverside honors veterans on Nov. 14 with a parade and expo themed The Music of Active Duty, featuring marching bands, airplane flyovers, color guards and military vehicles from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Holiday traditions begin Nov. 18 with the ceremonial lighting of the Manhattan Beach Pier at 7 p.m., part of a downtown open house with carolers and a visit from Santa, and continue Nov. 21 when Riverside's Festival of Lights ceremony switches on the displays around the Mission Inn at 5 p.m., with fireworks. Organizers advise arriving early, and note this is the first year since the Mission Inn changed ownership.
Film lovers can catch the 1973 caper The Sting with Paul Newman and Robert Redford on the Fullerton Library's 184-inch screen at 4 p.m. on Nov. 18, and aviation buffs can close the month at San Gabriel Valley Airport in El Monte on Nov. 22, where a free display of classic, antique and vintage aircraft runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with free parking.
