Old Poway Park From Halloween to Christmas: How to Plan the Season's Saturdays
October 22, 2026
October 22, 2026
At 8 a.m. this Saturday, October 24, the Poway Certified Farmers' Market opens at 14134 Midland Road and Temple, and the Poway Arts and Crafts Guild's Artisan Market opens around the boardwalk at 14122 Midland Road. At 11 a.m., the Poway-Midland Railroad's cable car starts carrying passengers, and it runs until 1:45 p.m. The farmers market closes at 1 p.m. and the Artisan Market at 2 p.m. Then at 3:30 p.m., Once Upon a Hallowe'en starts on the same grounds, and the steam locomotive runs into the evening.
That pattern repeats all season. Each of the four big public events on Old Poway Park's fall and holiday calendar falls on a Saturday, and the markets and the railroad already run on Saturday mornings. Plan each event as a full day at the park, with the morning on one schedule and the afternoon or evening on another.
These three operations keep running whether or not a big event is on the calendar.
Poway Certified Farmers' Market. The state's certified-market directory, current as of October 1, 2026, lists it on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., year-round. Suzanne and Joshua Bendixen manage it.
The Artisan Market. This fall the Poway Arts and Crafts Guild made its market a weekly event, open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. through December 19, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported in September. It runs an hour longer than the farmers market, so 1 to 2 p.m. is a quieter hour for browsing the craft booths.
The Poway-Midland Railroad. On its posted October and November schedule, Saturday locomotive rides run from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. On Sundays the railroad runs the cable car or the speeder from 11 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., and it doesn't operate on the second Sunday of the month. In November that's November 8, so plan a Sunday ride for another weekend.
| Railroad fare | Steam locomotive and cable car | Speeder |
|---|---|---|
| Adults, 13 and up | $5 | $4 |
| Children, 2 to 12 | $2 | $2 |
| Under 2 | Free | Free |
You can buy tickets only at the depot on ride days. There are no online sales, and the depot takes cash and cards. The operating roster includes the 1907 Baldwin 0-4-0, a 1906 San Francisco cable car and a 1953 Fairmont speeder. If you remember the yellow Los Angeles trolley, it has been gone since 2020, when the railroad sold it to the Samuel Slater Experience museum in Webster, Massachusetts.
Each event is added to a Saturday that is already busy. Here is how the timing works out:
| Date | Event | Listed hours | What runs that morning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Once Upon a Hallowe'en | 3:30 to 8:30 p.m., per the City | Farmers market, Artisan Market, cable car |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Train Song Festival | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Overlaps both markets |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Winter Movie in the Park: The Polar Express | 5 to 9 p.m. | Farmers market, Artisan Market |
| Fri. and Sat., Dec. 11 and 12 | Christmas in the Park | 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. both nights | Saturday markets on Dec. 12 |
This is the first event of the season, and it starts in the afternoon. The City of Poway's event listing says admission is free and the Haunted House costs $1 per guest. The City doesn't recommend the Haunted House for children under five. Train rides, carnival games and treats cost a small fee, but the City doesn't list individual prices. The City's October announcement adds a costume parade, with a Headless Horseman provided by the Poway Rodeo, plus a pumpkin-decorating contest and a Trunk or Treat co-hosted by the Poway Chamber of Commerce.
On this day the morning and afternoon schedules overlap. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free admission. It includes music in the gazebo, model railroad layouts, train robberies, tours of the Nelson House, paid rides on the 1907 steam engine and a craft market. San Diego Folk Heritage lists six performances from 10 a.m. through 3 p.m. on its event page, and the music is free with no ticket needed. Because the festival opens while the farmers market and the Artisan Market are already running, one visit covers all three.
This is the only event on the calendar that starts after dark. The City's listing runs from 5 to 9 p.m., with the movie starting at sunset. The City suggests bringing pajamas and a blanket. The listing doesn't give an admission price or ticketing instructions, so check with the City before you go.
This is the only event that also runs on a weekday night. Both nights run from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m., with live music, Santa, holiday treats, a craft boutique, nighttime railroad rides, Santa arriving by train, and a tree lighting at 6 p.m. Santa visits use timed-return tickets that cost $5, sold at a booth outside Templars Hall in the Carriage Turn starting at 3:30 p.m. The City also lists free shuttles from City Hall and Poway Adult School. Since Santa tickets are timed, buy them when the booth opens and spend the wait at the boutique or on a train ride. Details are on the City's Christmas in the Park listing.
Old Poway Park doesn't have one organizer. The Poway-Midland Railroad calls itself a nonprofit, and volunteers run its rides. The Poway Arts and Crafts Guild is also a nonprofit. Guild president Ray Eaton told the Union-Tribune that part of the booth fees goes to the Jenna Parke and Voletta Hervy Donation Fund, which supports art programs in Poway Unified middle and high schools. Last year the Guild distributed 13 checks totaling about $4,000 to teachers for supplies. The Old Poway Park Action Committee suggested the Guild's holiday project, a surprise art installation by four Guild artists. According to Eaton, it will go up around the fountain in early December.
Each group posts its own schedule, and some of the listings disagree:
For the Halloween times, the 4:30 p.m. start is the latest any listing gives, so arriving by then works with all three. For the steam train during the Train Song Festival, go before 1:45 p.m. to be safe.
The calendar winds down in a set order. The railroad's posted schedule currently ends on November 22, and no December operating schedule is posted yet, apart from the nighttime rides advertised for Christmas in the Park. The Artisan Market's weekly run ends December 19, the last Saturday before Christmas. After that, the farmers market continues on its year-round Saturday schedule, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If you're looking for more to do around town, our Poway neighborhood guide covers Lake Poway, Iron Mountain and the rest of the city's open space. Our August roundup covered the summer schedule at the other end of the year.
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