This week in Huntington Beach
Stoke at the Pier, High Water on the Sand
A Great Day in the Stoke brings the world’s largest gathering of Black surfers to the south side of the pier on Saturday, free, 7am to 6pm. Plan around the water: a Coastal Flood Advisory runs through Tuesday with open-coast high tides of 6.5–7 ft, surf is 3–5 ft with high rip risk through Friday, and Sunday turns windy with a chance of showers.
Picks
A Great Day in the Stoke — Sat Oct 10, 7am–6pm, south side of HB Pier between lifeguard towers 3 and 5 (325 PCH). 5th year. Surf contest, free surf lessons, 5K walk/run, beach yoga, Double Dutch, vendor village, live music. Free; lessons, yoga and the 5K need advance sign-up at agreatdayinthestoke.com. Leave dogs home.
Wiener Dog “Oktoberfest Stakes” Race — Sun Oct 11, 10am–2pm, Old World Village, 7561 Center Ave. The original OC wiener dog races. Free–$18, all ages (under 21 with a parent). Dogs: yes, that’s the point.
Sunset Music + Movie: Back to the Future — tonight, music 5pm, movie at sunset, Pacific City Ocean Deck (lower level). Free with RSVP.
Events
- Thu 8 · 5pm + sunset · Pacific City — Sunset Music + Back to the Future on the Ocean Deck. Free, RSVP. Dogs: unknown.
- Thu 8 · 6–10pm · Old World — Oktoberfest Thursday, Marko on stage. Through Nov 8. Dogs: unknown.
- Fri 9 · Downtown — Surf City Artisan Fair, local makers. Free. Dogs: unknown.
- Fri 9 · 6pm–midnight · Old World — Oktoberfest Friday. Dogs: unknown.
- Sat 10 · 7am–6pm · Pier, south side — A Great Day in the Stoke. Free. Dogs: no (crowds).
- Sat 10–Sun 11 · 10am–5pm · Central Library — 2nd Japan Culture Fair, 7111 Talbert Ave. Ikebana, bonsai, tea ceremony (small fee), taiko, kids’ crafts. Free entry. Dogs: unknown.
- Sat 10 · 11am–midnight · Old World — Oktoberfest Saturday. Dogs: unknown.
- Sat 10 · 2–6pm · SeaLegs — “Your Mom” on the sand, 17851 PCH. Free, all ages. Dogs: unknown (State Beach rules).
- Sun 11 · 10am–2pm · Old World — Wiener Dog “Oktoberfest Stakes” Race. Free–$18. Dogs: yes.
- Sun 11 · noon–7pm · Old World — Oktoberfest Sunday. Dogs: unknown.
- Sun 11 · 2–6pm · SeaLegs — Nick Sefakis x Seed Heads. Free, all ages. Dogs: unknown.
- Mon 12 · 6–8pm · Old World — Gilbert Bonilla classic rock dinner show. Free admission. Dogs: no (indoors).
- Tue 13 · 4:30–8:30pm · Main St — Surf City Nights, farmers market and street fair. Cars off downtown streets by 2pm. Dogs: yes (leashed).
- Tue 13 · 6–9pm · Old World — Elvis tribute dinner show. Free admission, reservations recommended. Dogs: no (indoors).
- Wed 14 · 6–10pm · Old World — Oktoberfest midweek. Dogs: unknown.
Big shows nearby
- Chayanne — Thu Oct 8, 8pm — Honda Center, Anaheim (nearby)
- oskar med k — Thu Oct 8, 7pm — The Observatory, Santa Ana (nearby)
- Benmont Tench — Thu Oct 8 — The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano (nearby)
- Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, final week — Thu Oct 8–Sun Oct 11 — Segerstrom Hall, Costa Mesa (nearby)
- sombr — Fri Oct 9, 7:30pm — Honda Center, Anaheim (nearby)
- Ty Herndon — Fri Oct 9 — The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano (nearby)
- Irvine Global Village Festival, free — Sat Oct 10, 10am–6pm — Great Park, Irvine (nearby)
- Phillip Phillips — Sat Oct 10, 7pm — House of Blues Anaheim (nearby)
- Ronstadt Revival — Sat Oct 10 — The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano (nearby)
- The Mamas & The Papas Experience — Sun Oct 11 — The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano (nearby)
- Ducks vs. Calgary Flames — Tue Oct 13, 6:45pm — Honda Center, Anaheim (nearby)
- Thibaudet, Batiashvili, Capuçon Trio (sold out, waitlist) — Tue Oct 13, 8pm — Segerstrom Concert Hall, Costa Mesa (nearby)
Big shows early next week
- Phil Wickham — Thu Oct 15, 7pm — Honda Center, Anaheim (nearby)
- Dinosaur Jr. — Thu Oct 15, 7pm — House of Blues Anaheim (nearby)
- Houston Ballet, Sons de l’âme — Thu Oct 15–Sun Oct 18 — Segerstrom Center, Costa Mesa (nearby)
- Ducks vs. Boston Bruins — Fri Oct 16, 7pm — Honda Center, Anaheim (nearby)
- California Wine Festival — Fri Oct 16–Sat Oct 17 — Paséa Hotel & Spa, HB (in town, 21+)
- Moto Beach Classic — Sat Oct 17, 10am–6pm — Bolsa Chica State Beach, HB (in town, free)
- Los Tigres del Norte — Sat Oct 17, 8:30pm — Honda Center, Anaheim (nearby)
- Mega Night Market — Sat Oct 17–Sun Oct 18 — Great Park Live, Irvine (nearby)
- Turnstile — Sun Oct 18, 5:30pm — Observatory Festival Grounds, Santa Ana (nearby)
Dog-friendly
Huntington Dog Beach is the off-leash stretch (PCH between Goldenwest and Seapoint), but the Coastal Flood Advisory means morning and evening high tides eat the sand through Tuesday. Go mid-afternoon on the falling tide. Sunday’s wiener dog race at Old World is the dog event of the week; Surf City Nights takes leashed dogs Tuesday. Skip the Stoke crowd Saturday with a dog. More: Dogs.
Surf
NWS San Diego surf zone forecast, Orange County coast (Thu 7:26am): 3–5 ft, local sets to 7 ft today on a south swell; 3–5 ft, sets to 6 Friday. Beach Hazards Statement through 11pm Friday; rip current risk High. Buoy 46253 ~4.9 ft @ 11s from the south, water ~74°F. Marine PZZ655: Sunday NW 20–30 kt turning W 25–35 kt, seas building to 7–9 ft, chance of showers. Mornings Thu–Sat are the window. Surf & kite.
Afternoon kite · 1–6pm · north of the pier
NWS San Diego HB grid (knots): Thu 8–12 W, gusts to 15, best 4–5pm. Fri–Sat 7–10 WSW, gusts 8–12: big-kite days. Sun 15–16 WSW gusting 18–20, showers possible: squally, experienced only. Mon ~10 S–SSW. Tue–Wed light, filling after 5pm. High tides shrink the launch through Tuesday. Check Windfinder or iKitesurf live. Not a launch clearance.
Fishing · pier + Bolsa
Fish the falling tide from the morning high into early afternoon, or the last of the outgoing into the evening lows (Sat 5:42pm, Sun 6:20pm, Mon 6:59pm). Surfperch, spotfin and yellowfin croaker, corbina, halibut, mackerel. High rips through Friday make the pier the safer play. No CA license on the public pier. License on beach/surf, including Bolsa Chica.
Tides: NOAA 9410599 Santa Ana River entrance — closest harmonic station, proxy for the pier, ft MLLW, Pacific time. Use it for timing; open-coast highs run higher (NWS: 6.5–7 ft peaks under the advisory).
| Day | Tides |
|---|---|
| Thu 8 | L 4:01a 0.0 · H 8:57a 3.0 · L 4:24p 0.1 · H 9:00p 3.0 |
| Fri 9 | L 4:31a 0.1 · H 9:22a 3.2 · L 5:04p 0.1 · H 9:43p 2.8 |
| Sat 10 | L 4:58a 0.2 · H 9:47a 3.3 · L 5:42p 0.0 · H 10:25p 2.6 |
| Sun 11 | L 5:23a 0.3 · H 10:12a 3.3 · L 6:20p 0.0 · H 11:07p 2.4 |
| Mon 12 | L 5:46a 0.3 · H 10:36a 3.3 · L 6:59p 0.0 · H 11:52p 2.2 |
| Tue 13 | L 6:07a 0.4 · H 11:01a 3.2 · L 7:41p 0.0 |
| Wed 14 | H 12:43a 1.9 · L 6:24a 0.5 · H 11:28a 3.0 · L 8:29p 0.1 |
Solunar majors: confirm on FishingReminder or TideTap. We do not invent moon times. Full desk: Fishing.
Food & drink
Oktoberfest at Old World all weekend, Saturday from 11am. Plate on the Ocean Deck at Pacific City tonight. Weekend afternoons at SeaLegs on the sand (State Beach rules for dogs). Tuesday’s Surf City Nights is the downtown food street, leashed dogs welcome.
Hotels / stays
Quiet week for rooms. The Stoke is a big free day on the sand, not a sell-out weekend. Next weekend is busier: California Wine Festival at Paséa (Oct 16–17) and Moto Beach Classic at Bolsa (Oct 17). Rooms: Stay.
Parking tip
Through Tuesday, high tides can flood beach lots and low spots on the boardwalk mornings and evenings. Park on higher ground or in the Main Promenade structure, especially Saturday for the Stoke. Full calendar: Events · rooms: Music.
Sponsor slot open. Intro $75 until 500 names. Advertise.