Where Fallbrook's Scarecrows Lead You This October

If you live in Fallbrook, you already know the scarecrows are coming. What's the best order to see them in, though, and what else is happening on the streets where they stand?

This year the answer comes down to two streets. Most of October's events are on Main Avenue or Stage Coach Lane. Fallbrook Scarecrow Days runs October 1 through 31, with displays at local businesses, at homes and all over town. For the whole month, the scarecrows link those two streets. On October 18 the best of them end up on Main Avenue for the Harvest Faire.

The Map Is Set on October 1

The Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce posts a location list on its Scarecrow Days and Harvest Faire page. The registration form tells entrants that display addresses will be published to encourage tourism. So a scarecrow in a front yard is meant to be found. The 2026 flyer asks visitors to explore both the village and Fallbrook's neighborhoods.

Contest entries are due the day the event opens. Entry is free, and the deadline is October 1. Entrants send a photo of their scarecrow to the Chamber by email or bring it in person. Each scarecrow can enter one of nine categories:

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
• Funniest/Humor
• WOW Factor
• Promoting Business
• Artistic Merit
• Pop Culture
• Traditional Scarecrow
• Kids, for scarecrows made by a youth group or family
• Iconic

Past winners can go back on display, including scarecrows the ScareCREW has sold or rented, but they can't enter the contest again. That rule is why you'll see familiar faces on some porches and brand-new entries on others.

If your scarecrow is still a pile of straw and old flannel, the ScareCREW has been running building workshops at 300 Brandon Road this September, by appointment through the Chamber. The group can also help residents rent a scarecrow or commission one. A scavenger hunt runs through the month too. Families look for items around town, and winners get prizes.

Two Streets, One Month

Here's October laid out by date and location. Most events are on Main Avenue or Stage Coach Lane.

The two Stage Coach Lane events have different addresses. Palomares House and Park is at 1815 South Stage Coach Lane. The Christ the King Fall Faire is at 1620 S. Stage Coach Lane. They're close enough to mix up and far enough apart that the wrong one would cost you part of your morning.

The First Weekend Belongs to Stage Coach Lane

The first full weekend starts Friday, October 2. First Friday's runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on October 2. That evening, before the home football game, the Fallbrook High School FFA serves its Tri-Tip BBQ at the Ag department on the east end of the football field. Dinner is $15 and comes with tri-tip, beans, salad, a dinner roll and a drink.

Sunday, October 4, is a big day for anyone who has been hiking this summer. The Fallbrook Land Conservancy holds Stagecoach Sunday at Palomares House and Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There's a barbecue lunch, live music, a silent auction and raffle, wild animal encounters, nature exhibits, an authentic covered-wagon ride and an upgraded Kids Corral with new games and hands-on activities. The event page asks guests to leave pets at home. The Trail Challenge page, though, invites hikers who brought leashed dogs to include them in their photos for a special pup prize at Stagecoach Sunday. Check with the Conservancy before bringing a dog.

October 4 is also the last day of the Conservancy's Summer Trail Challenge. The challenge started July 1. Participants complete six of eight designated hikes, go at their own pace and earn prizes for finishing. The eight destinations are Dinwiddie, Palomares House, Los Jilgueros, Gird Valley, Horse Creek, Monserate, Karen Tucker at Heller's Bend and Engel Family. Palomares House is on that list, so if you're one hike short, the last one can be at the same place as Stagecoach Sunday, on the same day.

Saturdays on Main Avenue

The farmers market is the Main Avenue anchor for the first half of the month. The Fallbrook Main Avenue Farmers Market sets up on Main between Hawthorne and Fig. The Chamber's 2026 materials list Saturday hours as 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Scarecrow Kids Corner started there in September. In October it's there on the 3rd and the 10th. Children do fall-themed crafts and activities while parents shop.

On October 10, both streets have events in the same morning. The final Kids Corner runs on Main Avenue from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Christ the King Women's Ministry holds its 40th Annual Fall Faire at 1620 S. Stage Coach Lane from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The faire has handcrafted items, homemade jams and jellies, jarred specialties, frozen meals, baked goods, a cookie bar, local craft and food vendors, games and puzzles, a silent auction and raffles. The CTK Youth Café serves hot breakfast, lunch and specialty coffees. Plan on the Fall Faire first, since it opens an hour before the market, then head to Main Avenue with time left before both close at 1.

The Storefronts Between the Scarecrows

Downtown looks different this October than it did last fall, and the scarecrow displays bring people past storefronts they may not have visited yet. In a July 11 roundup, Everything Fallbrook reported that recent additions have kept downtown storefronts from sitting empty.

Heading south from the market on Main Avenue, here's what's new:

1. The Main Exchange, 132 South Main Avenue, next to Happy Jug. Rawia Elfara opened this women's and family clothing shop in March.
2. Tiny Toes, 405 South Main. This new-and-used baby and kids clothing store took over the former Utique space and held its grand opening July 6. It's open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., so a stop after the farmers market works.
3. Fallbrook Jewelers, 411 South Main, next door, in a space that used to be a skate shop.

North Main has its own additions. Aeko's is at 211 North Main, in the space E-Bike A Go Go left when it moved to East Mission. Rexy's, a western-wear and hat shop, is at 116 North Main. Sunflower Vintage has scheduled its grand opening for Friday, October 9, at 124 N. Main Avenue, the day before the last Kids Corner. The Mission Theater, home to most of the Fallbrook Music Society's concerts this season, is a block over at 231 N. Main Avenue.

The contest's Promoting Business category is one reason many of these shops put scarecrows out front. If you want a sit-down meal between stops, Katy's Diner opened June 18 at 1415 S. Mission Road, across from Northgate, in the former Jesse's La Cucina location.

October 18 Brings It Together on Main Avenue

The Harvest Faire is on Sunday, October 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. along Main Avenue in historic downtown Fallbrook. It has artisan craft vendors, live music, local food, a beer and wine garden, pony rides, a pie baking contest, pumpkin and costume contests, and children's crafts and activities run by local nonprofits. The Village News announcement notes that handcrafted scarecrows will be on display around town and that several Main Avenue shops will be open during the faire.

The contest ends up at the faire, too. Each category's winner is recognized on social media and in Village News, and the winning scarecrows go on display at the Harvest Faire. The Chamber hasn't announced a judging date, so watch Village News in the days before the 18th if you'd like to know which porch scarecrows made it downtown.

The Last Two Weeks

The displays stay up after the faire. Scarecrow Days runs through October 31, which leaves almost two weeks to find the neighborhood entries you missed. The FFA Tri-Tip BBQ returns Friday, October 30, before the final home game on the calendar. After that, Main Avenue's next big day is Veterans Day. The Chamber and VFW Post 1924 hold a parade down Main Avenue at 10 a.m. on November 11, followed by an 11:00 ceremony at Village Square and a free lunch at the VFW hall at noon.

From Our Neighborhood to Yours

We love this time of year in Fallbrook, when neighbors are out in their yards building scarecrows and Main Avenue is full on a Saturday morning. If you or someone in your family is thinking about a move in the next year, whether that's into a home in town or out of the one that has hosted decades of Octobers, we're happy to talk it through at whatever pace feels right. Reach out to Lori Ratliff and Cathy O'Malley any time. Contact Us, and we'll start with a conversation.