Things to Do in Simi Valley This Fall

We have a soft spot for people who put a lot of care into making something a little unusual. A competition called Gears & Gizmos is going to get our attention. Put it at Strathearn Historical Park, as part of a steampunk festival, and we’re curious about what people have dreamed up before we’ve even made plans to go.

Corriganville has an invitation that’s just as tempting: watch a Johnny Weissmuller film outdoors, in a park whose scenery appears on screen. We love that. The setting becomes part of the movie night. Between that and Strathearn, we’d want company who enjoys something a little unusual. And we’d still leave a Saturday morning for handmade gifts and pancakes at the Senior Center.

Start with Steampunk at Strathearn

Steampunk at Strathearn takes its inspiration from Victorian industrialism. The Gears & Gizmos maker competition makes it especially interesting for people who enjoy imaginative builds. You can be curious about the inventive side of steampunk without already having it as a hobby.

The daytime event runs October 3 and 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Strathearn Historical Park, 137 Strathearn Place. Tickets are required; children 4 and under are free.

Saturday evening has a different invitation. Gilded Gears After Dark brings live music, artisan vendors, and a full bar to the park. We’d suggest it for a date or a friends’ night out, particularly if browsing the vendors sounds as appealing as the music. Proceeds support Rotary Club of Simi Valley community programs.

This is a separate ticketed event for ages 21 and up, with valid ID required. Gates open at 5 p.m. October 3, and the event runs from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Gate admission depends on capacity.

Give Oktoberfest the afternoon

Polka belongs at Oktoberfest. Tango and the occasional classic-rock tune make us want to hear what happens next. Hammerstein Musik Bavaria’s range is part of the appeal of Simi Valley Oktoberfest, especially for a group that wants live music with its food and drinks.

October 3’s festival runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Lemon Park, 3700 Avenida Simi. It’s for adults 21 and over, and valid ID is required. General admission is $30 and includes access to the main beer tent, music, and games. Food trucks and vendor booths are also part of the day. Beer refills come with VIP admission, so the general admission price shouldn’t be read as an unlimited-drinks ticket.

Browse handmade gifts with pancakes on Saturday morning

Handmade pottery and jewelry are enough to tempt us into the Council On Aging Arts & Crafts Fair. This is a browse for people who like choosing gifts in person, when the material and small details are part of what makes something worth buying. Local artisans will have decorative work, too.

Admission is free at the Senior Center, 3900 Avenida Simi. The fair is open October 9 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and October 10 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Saturday would be our pick. The pancake breakfast runs from 8 to 11 a.m. in the same building, with $8 all-you-can-eat meals and tickets at the door. Each meal also enters a drawing for a handmade gift. Breakfast proceeds support local senior services, including transportation and nutrition programs.

Watch Jungle Jim at Corriganville

An outdoor Johnny Weissmuller movie at Corriganville has much more pull for us than another night deciding what to stream. Classics at Corriganville will show a Jungle Jim film that includes the park’s pool, wooded areas, and rock formations. You get to watch Corriganville on screen while sitting in Silvertown. We’d bring a film-loving friend, even one who’s never seen a Jungle Jim movie. The specific title hasn’t been announced.

Gates open at 5 p.m. October 10 at Corriganville Ranch Park, 7001 Smith Road. A chair or blanket, a small flashlight, and a picnic are the things to bring. Admission cost and current registration availability aren’t confirmed. Event contact Nikki Davy can answer those questions at 805-584-4415.

Catch a band at the Street Fair

At the Simi Valley Street Fair, the afternoon bands are a reason to stay a while. Silver Lining plays at 12:45 p.m., with classic rock, country, pop, folk, and rockabilly in its repertoire. Fam Damly follows at 2:30 p.m. with danceable rock from the 1960s to today. That’s the stretch we’d suggest for friends who like to hear a band together.

Martin Gonzalez opens the entertainment schedule at 10:45 a.m. The fair runs October 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Simi Town Center Way.

Make Halloween an afternoon out with the kids

The hayride would get our vote at the Rancho Simi Youth Halloween Carnival. Children ages 2 to 12 also have inflatables, face painting, balloon animals, dancing, and games to choose from. It’s a way to give the costume another outing, with activities aimed at younger children.

The carnival runs October 31 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Rancho Santa Susana Community Center, 5005-C Los Angeles Ave. Advance tickets are $5 for ages 3 and up, on sale October 1 through 30. Children under 2 are free but must still be registered. The ticket information doesn’t specify a price for a 2-year-old. A limited number of $10 door tickets are planned; advance tickets are nonrefundable.

Look for the smaller details in the Diana exhibit

Letters and childhood keepsakes are what we’d look for first in Diana: Love Life Legacy. Those are the objects that make us want to slow down in an exhibition. If you’re interested in the person behind the public photographs, they give you a reason to spend time here.

The exhibition brings together more than 700 artifacts from Diana’s life, alongside items from Ronald and Nancy Reagan’s archives. It opens November 7 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, 40 Presidential Drive, and continues through May 31, 2027. Entry is included with museum admission.

An hour on fire preparation for your home

Fall yard work can be a reason to think about fire preparation, too. The online Firewise Living workshop covers fire-resistant landscaping, home hardening, and emergency plans. A UC Master Gardener of Ventura County leads the session October 13 from 6 to 7 p.m. We’d set this hour aside before making changes to a garden or the area around a house.

A quick way to narrow it down

For an adults-only outing, we’d choose Oktoberfest when the music and food are the main attraction. Gilded Gears would get our vote for an evening with artisan browsing between the music. With children ages 2 to 12, the Halloween Carnival is the event built around them.

October 3 needs a choice if you want both Oktoberfest and Gilded Gears. They’re at different venues, and Gilded Gears starts at 5:30 p.m., half an hour before Oktoberfest ends. Staying through the end of one means missing the beginning of the other.