Written by Madison Zepp
The cool weather and colorful leaves have now officially marked the start of the fall season. This means it is a fantastic time to get outside and take part in numerous autumnal activities. It is even better to be able to take part in these with your family. Fantastic memories can be created through any one of these events such as taking a trip to the pumpkin patch, having farm-fun, or even walking through a corn maze. If you are looking for ideas or fun places to go, here is a compiled list of Top 10 Things to Do in Lancaster County this Fall.
Refreshing Mountain
Refreshing Mountain Retreat offers a wide range of family-oriented activities during their Fall Fest Days. Early September through the third weekend in November, a trip to Refreshing Mountain is a fantastic experience to add to your harvest season. They offer extremely unique experiences, such as aerial cornhole, a rubber duckie drop, and even pumpkin smashing off of ziplines. They also offer more relaxed activities, such as pumpkin ring toss and cornhole.
Pumpkin Picking/Carving
From local roadside stands to dedicated farms, there are many places in Lancaster County to find or pick pumpkins this time of year. A simple family activity could simply just be to buy a pumpkin, take it home, and carve it together. Online, you can find many creative ideas to take inspiration from. If the children are younger, you could even paint the pumpkins together so they can still be involved without getting hurt. Not only is this a fun way to spend time together, but it also doubles as fall décor for your home.
Cherry Crest Adventure Farm
Cherry Crest Adventure Farm is a great way to spend time with the entire family. They offer many activities that suit everyone. This includes a five-acre corn maze, a paintball range, a wagon tour ride, giant slide, pedal carts, and a petting zoo of farm animals. The most exciting part is Cherry Crest Farms’ Pumpkin Madness Festival. This takes place the first Saturday of November, 1pm-6pm. This event includes activities such as pumpkin bowling, pumpkin smashing, pumpkin putt-putt, pumpkin chucking, as well as a large pumpkin drop at 5pm. The fun continues after dark with a glow-in-the-dark pumpkin drop at 7pm and fireworks at 8:30 pm.
Baking
Some of the most memorable parts of fall are the amazing foods we can enjoy. From deserts with pumpkin and apples to dinner recipes such as soups and roasts, cooking or baking can be an amazing way to enjoy your time. Kids love to be involved in cooking as well. You can either dive back into your family recipe book to stir up some tried-and-true classics or explore new creations online. It is even fun to try and put a fall twist on some of your already favorite recipes.
Apple Picking
Enjoying seasonal produce is one of the best parts of fall. Going to an orchard adds a personal and local touch to an already favorite idea. Bring the kids and let them pick out their own fruit as well. It will be a long-lasting (and tasty) memory. There are lots of spots that offer this, including Kauffman Orchards or Cherry Hill Orchards. This is a perfect activity while it is still somewhat warm outside.
Corn Cob Acres
Corn Cob Acres is the perfect way to enjoy fall family fun. Corn Cob Acres is intentionally geared towards families and kids. With fun activities such as Cornfield Trail, “Little Screamers” Hayride, Pumpkin Painting, Goat Walk, and Pig Races, the entire family can have fall-related fun. During the first weekend of November, Corn Cob Acres hosts its “Halloweekend Celebration.” Guests are invited to show up in family-friendly Halloween costumes to celebrate. There are a variety of activities taking place, such as fun music and a costume contest.
Kitchen Kettle Village
Fun for the whole family is available at Kitchen Kettle Village. Taking place the last weekend in October , the village hosts “Yummie’s Halloween Boo Bash.” The event lasts all day, with check-in from 9:30-10am. Throughout the day, they have a variety of scheduled activities such as, a costume contest, whoopie pie making experience, hot chocolate bar, and a scavenger hunt. Each ticket also includes one lunch voucher, which can be used from 9am until 5pm. Also included are the fun characters that walk around all day, such as Yummie the Gingerbread and the scarecrow stilt walker.
Corn Maze
With the abundance of farmland in Lancaster County, it’s obvious that we would have some of the best corn mazes in the country. All over the county, you can find mazes of varying intensity. Cherry Crest Adventure Farm opens an extremely notable corn maze each year. Other notable mazes in the area include Oregon Dairy, Corn Cob Acres, Mast Farms, and Barnyard Kingdom, among many others.
Strasburg Railroad
Strasburg Railroad is the best of both worlds to spend time with your family. While the adults sit back and watch the beautiful fall scenery on the 45-minute train ride, children can be amazed at the fact they are riding on an authentic Victorian-style coach. Kids love trains! For those with slightly older kids, such as those above 8, there is a special “Haunted Rails and Tales” dining car available. For one hour, you can listen to “weird, eerie, and spooky tales of Lancaster County and its environs”. This train ride includes storytelling, pre and post-boarding performances, and dinner.
Go on a Scenic Walk/Hike
As the weather cools down slightly, this is the perfect time to get out and get active without overheating. Depending on the weather, it may be best to layer up before making your way outside. Whether it is a lap around your development or an engaging hike through the woods, being outside is the perfect way to enjoy the scenery available at this time of year. Take a camera along for memorable pictures or let kids collect leaves and sticks for a craft.