Tricks, Treats, and Good Eats in October

By Sarah Church, President Mission Hills BID, co-owner Pizza e Birra

October already?!

Pardon my surprise at how quickly time is going by. That tends to happen when it’s full of fun events. As we fall right into the next month on our calendars, let’s take a moment to be grateful for a few things: cooler weather, all things pumpkin spice, five full weekends and plenty more Mission Hills fun lined up for our community.

October may fly by as quickly as a witch on a broom, especially with all the Halloween fun this season brings. Look to storefront windows and your neighbor’s porch for décor that’s sure to bring joy and some silly scares to your day because Mission Hills is one of San Diego’s best destinations for Halloween fun.

Halloween in the Hills is an annual event held on the 1600 block of W. Lewis Street. The businesses in that area come together to create a festive block party featuring food, music, games, shopping, and more. This is an all-ages event and takes place from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.,  Saturday, October 24, 2026.

While October is notoriously associated with all things ghoulish, I have to take a moment to point out another special event that has traditionally occurred every October. For 14 years, actually. On Wednesday, October 14 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. the Mission Hills BID’s 14th Annual Taste of Mission Hills event will take place.

What is Taste? It’s a one-night-only ticketed event that allows ticket holders to board reserved Old Town Trolleys and hop on and off at numerous stops throughout the district, while enjoying delectable samples from participating venues.

Mission Hills boasts some of San Diego’s select dining destinations, from casual fare to fine dining experiences, and each year our participating establishments serve up some of their signature offerings in sample-sized portions. You’re likely to have an entire meal—and then some—while experiencing all the flavors that Taste offers. In addition to the included trolley ride, there is live music near the corner of Goldfinch and Washington, and a friendly will call ticket booth located at Lazy Acres—which is also conveniently located near your first Trolley stop.

And since Taste is an event produced by the Mission Hills BID, this seems like a good opportunity to offer more insight into the who, what, when, how, and why of the event, and explain what the BID is, aside from an acronym that some may not know. The Mission Hills BID stands for Business Improvement District (BID). There are 18 active BIDs within the City of San Diego, each dedicated to their specific neighborhood and area. The Mission Hills BID was established through a city ordinance in 1989, which included defining the streets and blocks in the district, and the present-day iteration of our nonprofit organization was incorporated in 2004.

The overall purpose of the BID is to enhance and support the business climate of our district. The BID is led by an executive director and a board of directors that meets monthly to discuss updates and happenings in the area and vote on matters that affect our district and the approximately 470 businesses we count as members.

Our goal is to keep Mission Hills a thriving destination for locals and visitors alike, and draw them to the ambiance of the retail, services, and dining establishments that the Mission Hills area offers.

Taste is one of our largest draws, inviting guests to experience our dining locations for either the first or hundredth time. Each year, many of the Taste attendees admit to knowing little-to-nothing of our district, so we see this annual event as a vital way to encourage patronage and exposure of all of our local small businesses. Taste of Mission Hills also serves as our signature fundraiser to help fuel our efforts all year.

This year’s event features 25 delicious participating venues. We are sincerely grateful to our Title Sponsor, US Bank – Mission Hills, whose generous support allows us to grow our event and keep ticket prices low. Our Trolley Sponsors, Hailey and Merritte Powell, owners of La Puerta, and Marea Riedler, founder and principal designer of A Designed Space, also help make it possible to include Old Town Trolley service for ticket holders at no additional cost.

More information, including online ticket sales, can be found at MissionHillsBID.com/Taste. In-person ticket sales are also available at US Bank – Mission Hills, All American Tailors, Salon Sloane, and Lewis & Fay. This event is expected to sell out, so secure your tickets early.

We invite you to feel, taste and hear what Mission Hills is all about. No matter what October brings to your calendar, we hope you have a “fang-tastic” time!

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