Almost nothing on Encino's October 2026 calendar costs money. You can watch an outdoor movie on Ventura Boulevard, see a blacksmith work a forge at a 19th-century rancho, enter your dog in a costume contest, and spend Sunday mornings at a farmers market. All of it is free to attend. What limits these events is room. One has a capped sign-up list, one site has no parking lot, and the tours at the historic park need a week's notice.
That follows from who runs them. Encino's October isn't programmed by a ticketed venue or a shopping center. The Encino Neighborhood Council, California State Parks and a nonprofit-backed market run it, and none of them is set up to absorb a crowd that arrives all at once. Once you know that, the month is easy to plan.
The Month at a Glance
| Date | Event | Where | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Encino Neighborhood Council Movie Night | Encino Park, 16953 Ventura Blvd. | 6 to 9 p.m. | Free |
| Every Sunday | Encino Farmers Market | 17400 Victory Blvd. | 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Free to browse |
| Sun., Oct. 18 | Heritage Days | Los Encinos State Historic Park | 1 to 3 p.m. | Free |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | 3rd Annual Doggy Costume Contest | Encino Community Center, 4935 Balboa Blvd. | 1:30 p.m. | Free, registration required |
| Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 | Día de los Muertos | Los Encinos State Historic Park | Confirm with the park | Confirm with the park |
The table makes the scale clear. These are neighborhood-sized events, mostly within a short drive of the Ventura and Balboa intersection, and each one has its own way of running out of room.
Movie Night Starts the Month on Ventura Boulevard
The Encino Neighborhood Council holds its third annual Movie Night on Saturday, October 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Encino Park, 16953 Ventura Blvd. The council's listing doesn't name the film or require sign-ups. Of the month's events, this is the one where you can simply show up.
"Third annual" tells you something too. This is the third year for Movie Night, and the doggy costume contest at month's end is also in its third year. Both are recent additions run by the neighborhood council. Encino's fall calendar has been growing on a volunteer-led civic schedule over the past few years, and it isn't an inherited tradition with decades of logistics behind it.
October 18 Lines Up Two Sunday Routines
October 18, 2026 is a Sunday. It's also the third Sunday of the month, and that matters at Los Encinos State Historic Park.
State Parks lists Heritage Days for that afternoon, from 1 to 3 p.m. The program is free, open to all ages, and includes live demonstrations of 19th-century rancho life, blacksmith-forge demonstrations and old-fashioned games. The park already holds live blacksmith demonstrations on the third Sunday of every month from 1 to 3 p.m. Heritage Days builds on that monthly slot and adds more demonstrations around it. The listing also invites skilled demonstrators to volunteer, so how full the afternoon feels depends partly on who comes forward.
The other Sunday fixture runs on Victory Boulevard. The Encino Farmers Market is open year-round on Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 17400 Victory Blvd., with produce, prepared foods and other local vendors. Proceeds support ONEgeneration. The market closes right as Heritage Days begins, so on October 18 you can shop the morning and spend the afternoon at the rancho.
Los Encinos Has No Parking Lot
Los Encinos needs the most planning of anything on the calendar, and most of that comes down to access.
The park is at 16756 Moorpark St. State Parks says there is no public parking lot. Street parking in the surrounding residential blocks is limited to two hours, and only authorized vehicles can drive inside the grounds. Entry is free, and you can walk in from either Moorpark Street or Ventura Boulevard. State Parks' own driving directions say to take Balboa south to Moorpark, one block before Ventura, turn left, and park on the street.
If you live close enough to walk, the Ventura Boulevard entrance means you can skip the parking question. If you're driving, the two-hour limit fits Heritage Days' two-hour program, but it leaves little time to stay for the grounds afterward.
The grounds are worth staying for. The site includes the original de la Ossa Adobe, the two-story stone Garnier building, a blacksmith shop, a natural spring and a spring-fed pond built in 1874. State Parks calls the Garnier building the visitor center. Its exhibits cover the rancho's agricultural businesses and the different families who owned it.
Regular hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free guided tours of the Adobe run on those days by appointment, and requests should go in at least a week ahead. Self-guided access depends on whether staff are available, and the park suggests getting in touch before you come. The park's page also warns that phone service on site is unreliable and recommends email at [email protected].
Two Events Share October 31
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and two Encino events take place that day.
The Encino 3rd Annual Doggy Costume Contest starts at 1:30 p.m. at the Encino Community Center, 4935 Balboa Blvd. Entry is free, but you have to register, and the listing says spots are limited and to sign up early. The community center's number on the listing is 818-995-1690. Of the month's events, this is the only one with a firm cap, and October 31 is the only date on the list where a late start can actually keep you out.
Los Encinos lists Día de los Muertos on October 31 and November 1. As of early October, the park's public event listing doesn't show times, activities or cost for this year. Past schedules are a poor guide to this year's program, so the reliable step is to email the park before planning the weekend around a set time. The parking rules above apply to both days.
A Short Planning List
- This week: If you want a guided Adobe tour at Los Encinos any time in October, email the park now. Tours need a week's notice.
- Before October 10: Nothing to book. Bring a blanket or chairs to Encino Park for 6 p.m.
- Before October 18: Choose whether to arrive on foot from Ventura Boulevard or drive and park on Moorpark under the two-hour limit. The farmers market closes at 1 p.m., the same hour the Heritage Days program begins.
- As soon as possible: Register your dog for the October 31 costume contest. Spots are limited.
- Last week of October: Email [email protected] to confirm Día de los Muertos times for October 31 and November 1.
The Sunday Market Also Feeds a City Compost Hub
The farmers market connects to a city program that most market-goers won't see. In mid-2026 the Los Angeles City Council approved an agreement for LA Compost to keep running the compost hub at the Sepulveda Garden Center, 16633 Magnolia Blvd. The term is five years, with a possible five-year extension. Council action was recorded on June 30 and July 1, 2026.
The hub covers about 6,500 square feet, and you can't drop food scraps off there directly. The board report directs residents to drop-off points at local farmers markets instead, and the scraps are trucked to the hub once a week. If you plan to bring scraps on a Sunday, check which nearby markets currently host a drop-off before you leave home. The arrangement fits the rest of the month: a public agency and a community organization run the program, it's free, and it depends on the timing of a weekly market.
The Only Commercial Change Has No Date Yet
The one new business on the horizon fits a slower timeline than the events above. On September 23, 2026, the local blog 818 News Diary reported Whole Foods signs at 16325 Ventura Blvd., the former Amazon Fresh space in Encino Marketplace, and said no grand-opening date had been announced. The center's own directory still lists Whole Foods as "Coming Soon." Back in June, What Now Los Angeles traced the project through state alcohol-permit filings and described it as early-stage. The Amazon Fresh at that address had closed earlier in 2026.
So for this October, the grocery is a sign on a building and not something to plan around. Everything else on the list has a date, a time and an address. For more on the area around these events, the Encino neighborhood guide and our earlier look at everyday Encino living near Ventura Boulevard cover the blocks around Encino Park and Los Encinos.
Encino's October works best if you plan around the limits: register early, check parking, and email before you go. Tina Damadyan brings the same attention to permits, timelines and site access to every property question in Encino, from a renovation's scope to a home's history. If you'd like to talk through yours, schedule a free consultation.
