If you’re looking for things to do in Cerritos, California from September 18 through September 24, 2026, there are several events happening around the city — from live music and a free community shredding event to the weekly Cerritos Farmers Market and a movie-with-live-orchestra experience.
And if you’re considering moving to Cerritos, buying a home in Cerritos, or selling a Cerritos home, these local events tell you something that housing statistics alone can’t. They give you a glimpse of what it’s actually like to live here.
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Sep 18 — 8 p.m. | A.J. Croce: Croce Plays Croce | Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts |
| Sat, Sep 19 — 8 a.m. to noon | Free paper shredding & compost | Cerritos Senior Center, Pat Nixon Park |
| Sat, Sep 19 — 8 a.m. to noon | Cerritos Certified Farmers Market | CCPA northwest parking lot |
| Sat, Sep 19 — 8 p.m. | The Temptations and The Four Tops | Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts |
| Tue, Sep 22 — 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | City permit services unavailable | Cerritos City Hall |
| Thu, Sep 24 — 8 p.m. | Ghostbusters in Concert | Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts |
I’m Christine Almarines with CA Real Estate Group | Caliber Real Estate, a real estate agent helping homeowners sell and buyers purchase homes in Cerritos and surrounding communities. I’ve worked with buyers and sellers in this area for years, so I like sharing more than home prices and market updates. I also want to help people understand the community they’re considering calling home.
On Friday, September 18 at 8 p.m., A.J. Croce brings Croce Plays Croce to the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, located at 18000 Park Plaza Drive.
For people thinking about moving here, a major performing arts venue anchors a lot of the things to do in Cerritos and is part of the bigger lifestyle picture. You don’t have to drive into downtown Los Angeles every time you want live entertainment — Cerritos has cultural and entertainment options right in the community.
Homeowners may find this one especially useful.
The City of Cerritos is holding a free paper shredding and compost event on Saturday, September 19 from 8 a.m. to noon in the parking lot of the Cerritos Senior Center at Pat Nixon Park, 12340 South Street.
Community members may bring up to two banker-sized boxes of paper documents for free on-site shredding. The City says staples and paper clips can remain, but binder clips and three-ring binders should be removed.
Participating residents can also take home free fresh compost — bring your own rigid container of no more than 35 gallons.
If you’ve been cleaning out your home, preparing for a move, or getting rid of old paperwork containing personal information, this is a useful Saturday-morning stop. For questions, the City lists the Community Services Division at 562-865-8101.
Saturday morning is also a good time to visit the Cerritos Certified Farmers Market, which runs every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon in the northwest parking lot of the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts.
According to the City, shoppers can find fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, fish, breads, nuts, honey and flowers. Free parking is available, and the market is generally held rain or shine except for major holidays.
It’s one of those simple community amenities that becomes part of your normal weekend routine when you live here — and one of the more reliable things to do in Cerritos week after week.
Saturday evening brings another major performance. The Temptations and The Four Tops perform Saturday, September 19 at 8 p.m. at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. For longtime Motown fans, that’s a pretty recognizable pairing to have playing right here in town.
This isn’t entertainment, but it’s worth putting on the calendar if you’re a homeowner planning improvements or dealing with permits.
The City has announced that Planning, Business License, and Building & Safety services will be unavailable from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22.
That matters if you’re working on a renovation or permit. If you’re preparing a Cerritos home for sale and considering improvements, don’t assume every project can simply be completed without checking local requirements first.
A fun way to finish the week, and one of the more family-friendly things to do in Cerritos this month. On Thursday, September 24 at 8 p.m., the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts presents Ghostbusters in Concert — the film with a live orchestra. Another example of the variety that comes through town without residents having to travel far from home.
If you’re researching whether you should move here, don’t look only at houses. Look at the community around them.
The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, the Farmers Market, parks, community programs and civic services all contribute to everyday life. Once you start paying attention to the things to do in Cerritos on an ordinary weekend, you get a much clearer sense of whether it fits how you actually want to live.
That’s also why I encourage buyers to think beyond “How many bedrooms can I get?” A better question is “What kind of life do I want around my home?”
Your commute matters. Your preferred location matters. Your budget matters. The type of home matters. And the community matters. If you’re weighing neighborhoods, the guide to top neighborhoods in Cerritos is a good next read.
If you’re considering buying here, start getting prepared before you find the property you love: Start the Buyers’ Boot Camp, then contact me for a Cerritos home-buying strategy session.
Being a local homeowner means paying attention to what’s happening around your property as well as what’s happening in the market. But community information doesn’t determine your individual home’s value.
If you’re asking “How much is my Cerritos home worth?”, your property needs its own analysis. Location, size, condition, upgrades, lot, floor plan, recent comparable sales and current competition all affect potential market value. A citywide number or automated estimate isn’t enough.
Get your free Home EPIC Value Report, or start with the Sure Seller Course if you want to understand the process first. For the current numbers, see the July 2026 Cerritos market update.
A.J. Croce: Croce Plays Croce on September 18, the City’s free paper shredding and compost event plus the Cerritos Certified Farmers Market on September 19, The Temptations and The Four Tops on September 19, and Ghostbusters in Concert on September 24. Event details can change, so check directly with the City of Cerritos or the venue before attending.
Yes. The City of Cerritos has announced a free paper shredding and compost event for Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Cerritos Senior Center at Pat Nixon Park, 12340 South Street. Residents may bring up to two banker-sized boxes.
The Cerritos Certified Farmers Market is held Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon in the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts parking area, except for major holidays.
Scheduled performances include A.J. Croce: Croce Plays Croce on September 18, The Temptations and The Four Tops on September 19, and Ghostbusters in Concert on September 24.
Whether Cerritos is right for you depends on your budget, housing needs, commute, lifestyle and personal priorities. When evaluating a move, look beyond an individual house — consider the community, amenities, location and how the property fits your long-term goals.
Your Cerritos home needs to be evaluated individually. Location, property characteristics, condition, improvements, comparable sales and current competition all affect its potential market value. Get your free Home EPIC Value Report.
Real estate is about more than what’s for sale this week. It’s about understanding the community you’re buying into, the community you’re selling in, and the things happening around you.
That’s why I’ll keep sharing Cerritos market updates, home-selling information, buyer education, community resources and things to do in Cerritos.
Or call me at 714-476-4637 to schedule a listing or buying strategy consultation.
Event information was verified using official City of Cerritos and Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts sources as of September 13, 2026. Dates, times, availability and event details can change. Confirm details with the organizer before attending.
Christine Almarines
Real Estate Agent | CA Real Estate Group | Caliber Real Estate
714-476-4637
christine@carealestategroup.com
DRE #01412944
Christine Almarines is a top real estate agent in Buena Park and Cerritos helping homeowners sell in Orange County and Los Angeles County.
When you’re selling a home in Buena Park and buying your next home at the same time, the highest offer isn’t always the best offer.
I recently closed a listing at 8359 San Clemente Way in Buena Park, California, that is a perfect example of why. We listed the home at $949,000 and ultimately closed at $985,000 — $36,000 above the original asking price.
But here’s where this transaction gets interesting. We received multiple offers, including offers above $1 million.
So why would my sellers accept $985,000 when we had higher-priced offers?
Because when you’re selling a home in Buena Park and evaluating multiple offers, price is only one part of the equation. We had to look at the sellers’ potential net proceeds, buyer qualifications, terms, broker compensation, financing, the likelihood of closing successfully, and the sellers’ overall goals.
In this transaction we also had to coordinate a solar assumption and the sellers’ purchase of their replacement property. This wasn’t simply about selling one Buena Park home — we needed to coordinate a sale and a purchase at the same time. And we got it done on time.
I’m Christine Almarines with CA Real Estate Group | Caliber Real Estate, a real estate agent helping Buena Park homeowners sell their homes, buy their next homes, and coordinate both transactions at once.
| The transaction | |
|---|---|
| Original list price | $949,000 |
| Closed sales price | $985,000 |
| Above asking | $36,000 |
| Offers received | Multiple, including above $1 million |
| Added complexity | Solar assumption + seller’s replacement purchase |
On the surface, someone might reasonably ask: “Why wouldn’t the sellers simply accept the offer over $1 million?”
The $985,000 offer wasn’t the highest purchase price we received, but other financial and transactional considerations mattered to my sellers.
One of those was broker compensation. The buyer’s broker associated with the accepted offer requested less compensation. That affected the sellers’ potential net proceeds and helped make up some of the financial difference between the accepted offer and the higher-priced alternatives.
Simply comparing purchase prices would have given my sellers an incomplete picture. We needed to compare what each offer actually meant to them.
No. And this transaction is a real-world example.
When I help sellers review multiple offers, I don’t want them looking at only one number on the contract. Purchase price matters — but we also need to evaluate the complete offer:
Then there’s the question that changes everything: what does the seller need from this transaction? At 8359 San Clemente Way, my sellers weren’t simply trying to sell. They were also trying to successfully purchase their next property.
This is something homeowners selling a home in Buena Park easily overlook.
Imagine receiving one offer above $1 million and another at $985,000. If you only compare the prices, the answer seems obvious. But that isn’t the complete financial picture.
Different offers can carry different costs, requested credits, compensation arrangements, and financing terms. In our Buena Park transaction, the buyer’s broker on the accepted offer requested less compensation, which narrowed the financial gap considerably.
Price matters. Net matters. Terms matter. And the ability to actually close matters.
When you’re selling a home in Buena Park, an offer doesn’t become a successful sale because a buyer writes down a big number. The buyer still has to perform.
Imagine choosing between two offers. One has the higher headline price. The other has a slightly lower price, but the buyer is highly qualified, the terms work better for your circumstances, the transaction costs affect your net differently, and the overall offer provides a stronger path to actually completing your sale.
Which is better? There isn’t a universal answer — and that’s exactly the point. The strongest offer depends on the complete terms and the seller’s individual priorities.
My job wasn’t to point at the largest number and tell my sellers to sign. It was to help them evaluate their choices against what they were actually trying to accomplish. There’s more on this in how to choose the best offer when selling a home.
Selling your current home is one transaction. Buying your replacement home is another. When you do both at once, they become closely connected.
My sellers needed to purchase an upleg, or replacement property. That meant I couldn’t think only about getting their Buena Park home into escrow. We had to think several steps ahead:
This is where selling a home in Buena Park stops being a single decision and becomes a coordinated plan.
The property had a solar assumption, which added another layer to an already coordinated transaction.
Solar arrangements can add steps to a sale. The specific process and requirements depend on the individual solar agreement and the circumstances of the transaction, so the relevant documentation has to be evaluated for that particular property. It’s the kind of detail that doesn’t show up in a list price but absolutely affects whether a deal closes on time.
If you’re weighing a move, the lesson from 8359 San Clemente Way is simple: evaluate offers on what they mean to you, not on which number is biggest.
For the broader local picture, see the July 2026 Buena Park housing market update and whether now is a good time to sell. If you’re likely to face competing offers, how to get multiple offers is worth reading before you list.
No. Purchase price is important, but sellers should evaluate the complete offer — buyer qualifications, potential net proceeds, costs, broker compensation, contingencies, financing, timing, terms, and the likelihood of the transaction successfully closing.
The home was listed at $949,000 and closed at $985,000, which was $36,000 above the original asking price.
Yes. We received multiple offers, including offers above $1 million. The sellers ultimately accepted the $985,000 offer after evaluating more than the headline purchase price.
Several considerations. One important financial factor was that the buyer’s broker associated with the accepted offer requested less compensation, which affected the sellers’ potential net proceeds and narrowed the financial difference between the offers. Buyer qualifications, terms, transaction complexity, and the sellers’ need to coordinate their replacement purchase also mattered.
Yes, but coordinating two transactions requires careful planning. Financing, timelines, contingencies, proceeds from your sale, the terms of the offer on your existing home, and the requirements of your replacement purchase all affect the strategy.
Solar arrangements can add another step to a transaction, as they did with this sale. The specific process depends on the individual solar agreement and circumstances, so the relevant documentation needs to be evaluated for that particular property.
Your home’s potential market value should be evaluated based on location, size, condition, improvements, property characteristics, recent comparable sales, and current competition. Get your free Home EPIC Value Report.
If you’re doing both at once, consider interviewing an agent who can explain how they plan to coordinate the two transactions, evaluate offers beyond price alone, communicate with the other professionals involved, and build a strategy around your complete move.
If you’re selling and buying at the same time, the offer with the biggest number at the top of the page isn’t automatically the one that gets you where you’re going.
Transaction details referenced in this article are specific to 8359 San Clemente Way, Buena Park, California, and are shared with the sellers’ permission. Individual results vary. Offer evaluation, net proceeds, solar assumptions, and the coordination of simultaneous sale and purchase transactions depend on the particular circumstances, documentation, and parties involved. Nothing here is a guarantee of a particular price, timeline, or transaction outcome.
Christine Almarines
Real Estate Agent | CA Real Estate Group | Caliber Real Estate
714-476-4637
christine@carealestategroup.com
DRE #01412944
Christine Almarines is a top real estate agent in Buena Park and Cerritos helping homeowners sell in Orange County and Los Angeles County.
By Christine Almarines | Published September 18, 2026
Fall in California may not look quite like it does on the East Coast, but that doesn’t mean we have to miss out on beautiful autumn color. 🍂
California fall colors don’t peak everywhere at the same time. Higher-elevation destinations generally change earlier, while lower elevations can hold their color later into fall. An interactive California fall foliage map can help you track locations and plan your trip closer to peak color.
🍂 Open the interactive California Fall Foliage Map
From mountain towns and alpine lakes to scenic drives through forests filled with golden aspens, California has plenty of places to experience the season — if you know where and when to go. The tricky part is that fall color can peak at very different times depending on elevation, location, weather, and temperatures.
California’s fall foliage season can stretch over several weeks because the state has such a wide range of elevations and climates.
Higher-elevation destinations often begin changing earlier, while lower elevations may hold onto their color later into the season. That means one destination may already be glowing with yellow and orange leaves while another is still mostly green.
Instead of picking a date months in advance and hoping for the best, check the map as your trip gets closer and use the latest color reports to help decide where to go.
Before heading out:
This is one of those resources worth bookmarking and checking several times throughout the season.
Planning from Orange County or Los Angeles County? You don’t necessarily need a week-long vacation to enjoy California fall colors.
Southern California mountain communities can make great day-trip or weekend options, while destinations such as the Eastern Sierra, Yosemite, and Lake Tahoe can turn foliage season into a longer family road trip. Check current conditions before leaving, since peak color varies by elevation, weather, and location each year.
If you’d rather stay closer to home this weekend, there’s plenty on the calendar too — see things to do in Orange County this September and what’s happening in Cerritos this week.
There are beautiful fall drives and destinations throughout the state. A few areas families may want to keep an eye on:
Mountain scenery combined with golden aspens makes this one of California’s classic fall destinations. If you’re considering a longer road trip from Southern California, the Eastern Sierra can be especially beautiful during peak color.
Yosemite is famous for its granite cliffs and waterfalls, but autumn adds another layer to the scenery. Fall can bring gold, orange, and red foliage throughout portions of the park and surrounding mountain communities.
Giant trees, mountain roads, crisp fall weather, and seasonal color make this area another wonderful option for a family getaway.
Northern California typically offers some of the state’s most dramatic fall scenery, with forests, lakes, mountains, and scenic highways all providing opportunities to enjoy the changing season.
You don’t have to drive all the way to Northern California to find California fall colors. Mountain communities in Southern California can provide their own version of autumn, making them a great option for a shorter family day trip or weekend escape.
You don’t have to plan an elaborate vacation to enjoy the season. Turn the drive itself into part of the experience.
Pack snacks or a picnic, stop at a local coffee shop, find a hiking trail, visit a mountain town, take family photos, or let the kids help choose scenic stops along the route.
A few things worth bringing:
And leave a little extra time for spontaneous stops. Sometimes the best fall views are the ones you weren’t planning to find.
Making a whole season of it? A mountain drive pairs well with whatever else is on the calendar — and once the weather turns, winter family activities are next on the list.
If a fall road trip is on your family’s list this year, bookmark the California Fall Foliage Map and check it before you head out. California fall colors don’t peak everywhere at once, which means there may be several opportunities throughout the season to catch a beautiful autumn drive.
Once you’re home, bringing fall colors into your dining room is an easy way to keep the season going — and it’s a good moment to run through the fall home maintenance checklist before the rain arrives.
California’s fall color season varies by elevation, weather, and location. Higher-elevation areas typically begin changing earlier, while lower-elevation destinations may peak later. Check current foliage reports shortly before your trip.
An interactive California Fall Color Map is available through Google My Maps and can be used to explore destinations and help plan fall road trips throughout the state.
Southern California mountain areas can offer seasonal color without requiring a trip to Northern California. Conditions vary each year, so checking current foliage reports before traveling is recommended.
Popular regions for California fall colors include the Eastern Sierra, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, the Shasta Cascade region, and mountain areas throughout Southern California.
Yes. Depending on how far you want to drive, Southern California mountain destinations can work well for day trips, while the Eastern Sierra and other farther destinations are better suited to weekend trips.
Elevation, temperature, weather, tree species, and geographic location all affect when leaves change color, which is why peak conditions vary throughout the state.
If you have a favorite California fall drive or mountain town, we’d love to hear about it.
And if your family is thinking about a move — whether that’s closer to the mountains or right here in Orange County and Los Angeles County — I’m always happy to talk it through.
Christine Almarines
Real Estate Agent | CA Real Estate Group | Caliber Real Estate
714-476-4637
christine@carealestategroup.com
DRE #01412944
Christine Almarines is a top real estate agent in Buena Park and Cerritos helping homeowners sell in Orange County and Los Angeles County.
Please fill out the form below and we will be contacting you shortly
with information about your home.