Taking the Kids: Heading (safely) to a fall festival – 13 festivals in 11 states

Eileen Ogintz, Tribune Content Agency on Sep 2, 2021

Check out the Ozarks’ fall foliage during Cedar Fest October weekends at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri where there is a Saturday festival throughout October, complete with pumpkin decorating, balloon art and face painting while teens (and grown-ups) can get spooked at the huge Ozark’s Lost Souls Maze.

Cheer on your toddlers in trike races, try pumpkin bowling and an underground slide at Middleton Six Sons Farm Fall Festival in Tri-Cities, Washington, in the heart of Washington’s agricultural and wine country.

Take a walk through a cranberry marsh during the Warrens Cranberry Festival, said to be the world’s largest in Warren, Wisconsin, the last weekend in September. Have you ever tried deep-fried cranberries on a stick?

Apples are ubiquitous for fall too and there’s no place better to find them than at the National Apple Harvest Festival in Pennsylvania, celebrated the first two weekends in October for more than 50 years featuring everything from hay rides and puppet shows to cooking demonstrations (have you ever tried to make scrapple?), apple art and every kind of apple dish. (How about apple guacamole?)

If pumpkins and apples aren’t your thing, in Panama City Beach, Florida, over Columbus Day weekend celebrate everything pirates at the social-distance friendly celebrations of the 2021 Pirates of the High Seas Fest. Back after a 2020 virtual event with a pirate battle, magic show, fireworks, and treasure drop (8,000 gold- and jewel-colored beach balls dropped from nets stretched over the street of Pier Park.)

Everyone knows The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (Oct. 2 to 10 and in its 49th year), the biggest annual event in New Mexico. But you can also celebrate hot-air ballooning at the Natchez Balloon Festival in Natchez, Mississippi, (Oct 15 to 17) and in Snowmass, Colorado. (Sept. 10 to 12) where spectators at the Snowmass Balloon Festival are encouraged to hike or bike up to watch.

Have fun and stay safe!

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(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The Kid’s Guide to Philadelphia, the 13th in the kid’s guide series, was published in 2020, with The Kid’s Guide to Camping coming in 2021.)