PISMO BEACH, CALIF.– When Sunset magazine Recipe Editor Margo True demonstrates how to make a delicious cocktail using fresh herbs from your garden on September 27, 2013, it’s the beginning of a perfect Sunset on the Sand (SOS) in Pismo Beach. Not only do guests taste the signature SOS cocktail, they get to keep the glass, dine beachside, and end the night with a bonfire and s’mores. Sunset’s Savor the Central Coast (savorcentralcoast.com) is an annual culinary favorite. Nearby in Arroyo Grande the Harvest Festival Sept. 27-28 includes ice cream making, pie baking and Wiener Dog racing.

Pismo Beach’s busy Autumn:

• City to Sea Half Marathon Oct. 13
• Pismo Clam Festival Oct. 18-20, 2013
• Jubilee by the Sea jazz fest Oct. 24-27
• Pumpkins on the Pier Oct. 26
• Monarch Butterfly Grove opening day Nov. 2
• SLO Wine Country Rockin’ Harvest Nov.1-2
• Marching Band Review Nov. 2
• Light Up Pismo Beach Dec. 6
• Holiday Stroll Dec. 12