Happy First Day of Autumn!
It may still feel like summer outside, but don’t let that stop you from heading out to enjoy some of the spectacular fall festivals happening all over the Tri-State.
Kentucky
Benton Family Farm’s Pumpkin Days on the Farm 2015
- Enjoy the traditional working-family farm for one weekend only this year. Take a hayride to the pumpkin patch, visit the pigs, turkeys, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits, donkeys, horses, cows, llama and alpacas. You and the kids can learn how to milk a cow, shear a sheep and can even help brush a calf.
- Where: Walton, KY
- Open: October 16, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.; October 17, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; October 18, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Admission: $7.00 for adults, children 3 and under are free
- From the Lantern Fest website: “At The Lantern Fest, thousands of revelers join together armed with lanterns for one unforgettable spectacle. There will be music, dancing, s’mores and, when the time is just right, we will light the sky with our highest hopes, deepest regrets, and fondest dreams.” Some proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society.
- Where: Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, KY
- Open: Gates will open at 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 10. To ensure your group gets a fire pit for s’mores, be sure to arrive on time. The lanterns will fly when the sun goes down (sometime between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.).
- Admission: $35 (which includes a wristband granting you entrance to the event, a Lantern, a marker, a lighter and a s’mores kit (with enough supplies to make 4 s’mores). Kids are $5 each.
McGlasson Farms’ Fall Festival
- Every weekend in October, come out and enjoy live music at McGlasson Farms. The shows are free and you can choose a pumpkin, enjoy cider or fresh caramel apples while you listen.
- Where: Hebron, KY
- Open: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Shows are from 1-4 p.m. and the line-up is available on the group’s Facebook event page.
- Admission: Free
- Bring the whole family out to Neltner’s for horse-drawn wagon rides, an expansive corn maze, petting zoo, pony rides, homemade food and ice cream, face-painting, folk art, live music and a barrel train! You can also pick your own pumpkin and visit the farm shop for pottery, folk art and other crafts. Live music line-up available on website (music starts at 1:30 p.m.).
- Where: Melbourne, KY
- Open: Weekends: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; weekdays: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Admission: $5 for ages 3 and up on weekends (includes horse-drawn wagon ride to the pumpkin patch, corn maze, petting zoo, and acres to roam) and free on weekdays (the farm shop, pumpkin patch, maze and petting zoo are all open during weekdays).
Ohio
Bonnybrook Farms Fall Farm Days
- You can pick a pumpkin, take an Adventure Wagon Ride, find your way through the corn maze, pet and brush the farm animals or ride a pony all in one place. The Adventure Wagon Ride features professional actors who will help your family travel back in time.
- Where: Clarksville, OH (east of Lebanon)
- Open: Festival starts on October 3 and goes through October 31, Saturdays and Sundays, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
- Admission: Free admission and parking; Activity and ride tickets: 1 ““ $3.50, 5 ““ $17.50, 10 ““ $35
Fall-O-Ween Festival at Coney Island
- Coney Island is hosting its Fall-O-Ween Festival throughout October. Rides will be open and there will also be trick or treating, a petting zoo, pony rides, a magic show, live music, hayrides and pumpkin activities including a launch and pumpkin painting. Kids can also make their own apple pie.
- Where: Cincinnati, OH (east side, near Anderson)
- Open: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. October 10-11, October 17-18 and October 24-25
- Admission: $11 for children and adults, ages 2+ (Children under age 2 are free unless the child will participate in trick or treating.) Parking is $5 per vehicle.
Gorman Heritage Farm Fall Farm Weekends
- At Gorman Heritage Farm, you can stroll through fields of golden sunflowers and collect some to take home, pick and launch a pumpkin, take a hay ride and visit with the animals.
- Where: Cincinnati, OH (near Evendale)
- Open: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. ever Saturday in October (with Fall Farm Fun activities – hay rides and pumpkin launching – taking place from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
- Admission: Adults $5, children (ages 3-17) $3, seniors (60+) $3; children under 3 are free
Halloween Haunt at Kings Island
- The annual Halloween Haunt has several different attractions, including mazes, rides, “scare zones” and live music. It’s important to note, we don’t advise taking young children with you (the park recommends ages 13 and up).
- Where: Mason, OH
- Open: September 25 – October 1, 6 p.m. – 1 a.m. (except September 26, hours are 7 p.m. – 1 a.m.)
- Admission: Parking is $15 there or $12 if you order tickets online ahead of your visit. Prices vary per package. The lowest rate for one night is currently $29.99. Check the Kings Island website for more information.
Halloween Nights at Parky’s Farm
- For a more family-friendly Halloween experience, visit Winton Woods/Parky’s Farm in Hamilton County for hay rides, mini golf, a “hardly haunted house,” a ghost town, campfires with s’mores, an inflatable bounce house and a 65-foot obstacle course. Costumes are also encouraged and additional treats and souvenirs are available for an additional fee.
- Where: Cincinnati, OH (near Mt. Healthy)
- Open: October 8-25, Thursdays – Sundays from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
- Admission: $7 for children and adults ages 2 and up, age 2 and under is free
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s HallZOOween
- Another great activity for the whole family, HallZOOween, offers trick or treating, an illusion show and, of course, animal encounters. Your little critters are encouraged to wear costumes to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden’s “always hairy, never scary” HallZOOween.
- Where: Cincinnati, OH (near Clifton and Avondale)
- Open: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. on October 3-4, 10-11, 17-18 and 24-25
- Admission: Free with zoo admission (which is currently $18 for adults and $12 for children/seniors at the gate)
Irons Fruit Farm and Lebanon’s Country Applefest
- The Irons Fruit Farm will kick off the fall at the Lebanon Country Applefest. The Applefest is on September 26 at the Warren County Fairgrounds. Throughout October, though, you can also pick apples and pumpkins, take a hay ride or get lost in a corn maze.
- Where: Lebanon, OH
- Open: The last weekend in September through the whole month of October, Irons Fruit Farm is open on weekends from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Admission: Rides are free, you just have to pay for your pumpkins!
Niederman Family Farm Fall Festival
- There is a giant corn maze you and your little pumpkins are sure to enjoy. The farm also has a giant pumpkin patch and fall treats available at the concession stand. If you’re looking for a venue for a large group, there are fire pits and pavilions available.
- Where: Hamilton, OH (in Liberty Township)
- Open: Friday: 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. September 18 – October 30 and beginning October 1, the farm will also be open Wednesday and Thursday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Admission: All September weekends and all Wednesdays and Thursdays in October – admission is only $10 per person; October admission is $11 per person (children 2 and under are always free)
- If you’ve never tried sauerkraut pizza, and/or if you need to cross some holiday shopping off your list, the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival is your destination. Head out to see crafts and folk art from vendors and try some unique fall foods. There’s also a Cabbage Roll Run on October 3 to get you in the spirit.
- Where: Waynesville, OH (little north of Lebanon)
- Open: October 10 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. and October 11 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Admission: Admission to the festival is free, but food and other hand-crafted items are priced by vendors and sponsors.
- You don’t want to miss out on the the Little Miss Punkin’ Contest on Sunday, September 27 in historic downtown Hamilton, Ohio. The winner will be announced during the pumpkin and arts festival on October 3. It would also be a shame to miss the Giant Pumpkin “weigh-off.” Check out all the other live music and great food that will be at the annual festival.
- Where: Hamilton, OH
- Open: October 2-4
- Admission: Free for the festival, food and other items priced by vendors.
- None of your little ones will be bored at Shaw Farms. There are farm animals, a playground, pedal karts, a corn maze, hayrides (either drawn by tractor or by horse), train rides and face painting. Of course, there are also farm-fresh pumpkins!
- Where: Milford, OH
- Open: September (weekends) 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and October (weekends) 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Admission: General admission is free and playground and animal viewing areas are free. However, pedal karts (ages 7 and up) are $3 per person, the corn maze is $6 per person, tractor hayrides are $3 per person, horse-drawn hayrides are $4 per person, train rides are $2 per person and face painting is $2 per person.
