Growing up in the Midwest, participating in festive fall activities is one of the best parts of having changing seasons. Here are four of my fall staple activities. If this is your first time experiencing fall in the Midwest, I would highly recommend grabbing some friends and trying the activities that most interest you!
- Pumpkin patch
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Visiting a pumpkin patch is definitely a staple for the month of October. Picking out that perfect pumpkin is so much fun. Then, you take it home and admire its beauty. A few days before Halloween, it’s time to pull out the carving tools and turn your pumpkin into a jack-o’-lantern! Make sure to save all of the seeds from inside and roast them. Pumpkin seeds are a great snack or garnish.
Fun fact: The largest pumpkin pie ever was over 5 feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds.
- Corn maze
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Corn is a Midwestern staple (oftentimes even to the point where it’s a joke). Going through a corn maze during the fall is a great way to fully appreciate this staple crop. There are many different elements to corn mazes, including a varying level of difficulty or scare factor. I’ve been stuck in a corn maze for over three hours (before I knew the trick of keeping one of your hands on one wall and following that path until you find your way out). Corn mazes are super fun at night with your friends. There’s nothing like the added element of darkness to spice up a simple maze.
Fun fact: The largest corn maze ever created spanned over 60 acres.
- Haunted houses
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Growing up, I would look forward to going to haunted houses with my friends every year. It’s like living a horror movie. You never know what is waiting around the corner or creeping up behind you. Added effects such as strobe lights, complete darkness and banging noises really help immerse you fully in the experience. What truly makes a haunted house amazing, however, is the actors. They usually target the most scared member of a group and follow them around for a while. This is definitely an activity that is sure to get your heart pumping. Again, just as with corn mazes, there are varying fright levels in haunted houses, so it’s up to you about how scared you want to be.
Fun fact: The popularity of haunted houses can be traced all the way back to ancient Egypt.
- Apple picking
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Fall is also the perfect time to head to your local orchard and go apple picking. Whether you prefer Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Red Delicious, you are sure to find a variety of apples you enjoy. Most of the fun is being able to take a bucket and fill it up with apples fresh off the trees. The aromatic experience is also amazing. However, bees also love apples, so bee sure to bee extra careful! I’d also highly recommend trying some hot apple cider. It’s a game changer as far as fall drinks go.
Fun fact: It takes approximately 36 apples to create 1 gallon of apple cider.
Enjoy this time of year. While it may be especially stressful at this point during the semester, make sure to grab some friends and decompress with one of these festive fall activities. Stay spooky!