Welcome to the 2021 edition of Kathy’s Fall Activities

1) Corn Mazes, Zip Lines & Goats... Oh My!
Hellerick’s Farm offers the traditional fall features: a hayride, 2 corn mazes, an obstacle course and lots of family-friendly activities. Plus, there’s goat yoga with an up close and personal goat experience! Watch your hair because they will try to eat it and give you a very interesting haircut. But what makes this Doylestown farm stand out from the others is the 3 story Aerial Adventure Park. The ropes course includes 9 ziplines, 21 bridges and other elements to travel across and a 30-foot free-fall jump. Measure your child’s height before you make the trip. There is no wiggle room on the height requirement due to the nature of the activity. There are 3 levels to the course with each level increasing in difficulty and I made it through 2 levels. Both my son and I agreed that level 3 wasn’t for us – this course is no joke! It’s definitely a challenge. Make reservations. They are required. Stop in the market on your way out to grab your pumpkins, corn bundles and fresh-cut flowers. [photos from Kathy’s obstacle course adventure]
2) I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for Mountain Screams
Spring Mountain in Schwenksville, PA transforms into Scream Mountain every weekend in October. Guests travel to the top of the mountain via the chair lift in the dark. Then they’ll make their way through the haunted woods walk. At the end of the walk, you’ll have the option to take a haunted hayride. If you have kids who love Halloween but aren’t quite ready for the screaming zombies, Spring Mountain offers the Starter Haunted Hayride. Each night at 6pm, while there is still some daylight, kids can ride through the woods to see all of the amazing scenes with no actors present. Live music, food and drinks are available by the fire pit after the scary tour of the mountain. [see more of the scare]
3) Who You Gonna Call? Ghost Dusters!
Bucks County’s scenic Peddler’s Village is the home of many different activities throughout the year. They’ve made my fall list again this year with their Murder Mystery shows. The outdoor murder mystery tour, GhostDusters, is a family-friendly walking tour event that includes a number of stops around Peddler’s Village and lasts about 50 minutes. With comedic twists, actors share a series of Bucks County-based ghost stories, and it’s up to the participants to determine which ones are false and which are true. The events will take place on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons. In addition, the Cock N’ Bull Restaurant is hosting the Murder Mystery Cocktail Theater. The Golden Girls Murder Mystery: A Halloween Caper begins on October 1st and continues every Friday and Saturday evening through November 13th. While you’re in Peddler’s Village, take a tour of the more than 100 larger-than-life scarecrows. OctoberFeast is Oct 16^th & 17^th and Apple Weekend Nov 6^th & 7^th. [can you solve the mystery?]
4) E.S.P. is Bigger and Better with a Dash of Family Fun
Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary is a new festival-style celebration with 15 attractions, including 2 haunted houses (which you can skip if you want a less scary experience), a 3D fun house, live performances, Halloween-themed bars and special-effects shows. The penitentiary complex, located in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia, will be open to the public for the very first time. The festival model allows for guests to choose their own path and spend more time exploring freely. The live performances bring suspense and entertainment, but not too much of a scare and the bars include scary and non-scary options. [feast your eyes on this year’s new attractions]
5) Create Your Own Halloween Crafts
AR workshop allows guests to create high-end custom home décor and personalized gifts. The boutique DIY shop offers a unique, fun experience for all ages and skill levels through instructor-led workshops. Guests can create custom wood projects utilizing raw materials, a variety of non-toxic stain and paint colors, and stencils. There are hundreds of fall and Halloween designs to choose from including all new options. Starting this month, guests can also create Chunky Knit pumpkins, a wreath or a blanket. Project designs can be personalized with names, memorable dates, quotes and graphics, as well as the color scheme, to create beautiful one-of-a-kind artworks. They also have DIY to-go kits that are packaged with everything you need to complete your craft at home.

The Gilbertsville location is holding a dress-up Halloween class for kids and a Halloween dessert Charcuterie and wood tray event. At the charcuterie workshop, guests will learn how to perfect the charcuterie display with different foods and desserts as well as create their wood project that will pair perfectly to present as a charcuterie board. All locations offer the fall and Halloween-themed workshops. The locations in our area include Chestnut Hill, Fishtown, Malvern and Moorestown. [photos from Kathy’s backyard crafting party]
6) Yoga... But Add Alpacas
Silkies Farm is a sustainable Alpaca breeding farm. The Chester Springs farm is offering Alpaca Yoga until the end of October. Every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, you can flow through a yoga class among some of the most gentle livestock. They don’t jump, bite or kick. They will happily hum and graze nearby. You can take photos and even pet the Alpaca after each class! Reservations are required. [Alpaca your mat]
7) Halloween Themed Bar in the City
Nightmare Before Tinsel kicks off spooky season with ghoulishly themed cocktails and horrifying Instagram-friendly photo backdrops. This is the 3^rd year for the Halloween pop-up bar, located at 116 S. 12^th Street in Philadelphia. This year’s theme is The Devil’s Lair, including a trip down below with a flaming hot and bloody cave dripping with human remains. Witching hour and doors open 4pm to 2am Monday through Friday and 2pm to 2am Saturday and Sunday. You can enjoy the eerie ambiance through Oct 31^st. [take a peek inside]
COVID Safe Section of Kathy’s Fall Activities 2021
Not comfortable in large crowds yet? Glamping in your own backyard, personalized teepee sleepovers and luxury picnics are the hottest new trends. If you want to stay close to home but still want to participate in some fall activities here are excellent options.
8) Camping: Kathy Romano Style
Bucks Glamping is a specialized backyard glamping service. They will set up a large tent and inside décor that fits 6-10 people along with a Fall or Halloween themed picnic table outside of the tent. Clients can also choose to add a decorative balloon display by balloon art extraordinaire and Bucks County’s own Balloons by Victoria. Options include overnight or day use of the glamping setup. [what’s in Kathy’s yurt?]
9) Become the Ultimate Sleepover Host
Dream Hutz is a slumber party tent rental company that is offering Fall and Halloween themed tents. You choose your theme, they set everything up and come back the next day to clean everything up. It’s very light lifting for the parents and doesn’t require them to do much except pay for it. All you have to do is let the kids enjoy their time watching Halloween movies, eating popcorn and sleeping in their over top adorable tents. Dream Hutz can accommodate sleepovers for up to 12 people. [more sleepover set ups]
10) Plan a Pumpkin Picnic in the Park
Picture Book Picnics & Parties offers luxury pop-up picnics at a local park or in your own backyard. Their seasonal Fall ‘21 themes are “Pumpkin Patch” and “Grand Harvest”. The “Grand Harvest” theme is a lavish autumn arrangement, best for extravagant dates and luxury parties. The “Pumpkin Patch” theme is a quaint, farmhouse style setup featuring Halloween-themed decor. They also offer snack boxes corresponding with each theme. The Harvest Moon Snack Box features great flavors from the harvest season and other classic fall favorites. The Sweets and Spooky Treats Box is a Halloween candy style snack box curated to get you in the spooky spirit! During your 2-hour picnic you’ll have complementary use of a polaroid camera. They’ll hand-craft a keepsake picture book for you to bring home with the photos you’ve taken during your picnic. They cater picnics for all ages and can accommodate both small and large parties. [get planning]
11) Crafts for the Kid in All of Us
Forman Design Co. is the maker of the Paint N’ Peel kit. This is a great at-home activity to keep the kids busy while you have a glass of wine with the other moms. Or, if you’re like me, you’ll take part and make your own hand-crafted canvas. The Paint & Peel Canvas kit comes with the stencil already on the canvas, paints, brushes, and directions. The locally-based company is offering spook-tacularly creative fun for the whole family with a number of Halloween-themed canvas painting kits that will be delivered directly to your door. Or you can take part in the paint party at Ambler Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 2^nd. 90 vendors and 10 food trucks will line Butler Ave. Pre-registration for the paint party is encouraged. The Boo-ti-ful Art Paint Party at Love City Brewing will be on Sunday, October 17^th from 1 to 3pm. While parents enjoy craft beer, the kids will paint and decorate their own cookies with Deana’s Cookie Couture. This event is for children (and parents) of all ages. [choose your spook-tacular design]
12) What’s New at Kathy's Favorite Farms?
Shadybrook Farm has been on my Fall Activity list a few times. Why? It’s a great farm and it has a bar! We love taking part in all of their activities: apple, pumpkin and sunflower picking, wagon rides, a corn maze, apple shooting, bon fires with s’mores, and live music. But there’s a big change this year. They are eliminating Horrorfest from their lineup of FallFest events as their Halloween attractions have pivoted to a more family-friendly vibe. They’ve taken out the horrifying scare in the haunted houses and hayrides. Instead of Hayride of Horror this year they’re introducing the Erie Illuminations hayride, which is included in your FallFest admission. You’ll take a pleasant wagon ride around the farm viewing their all-new Halloween light displays that are synchronized to music – no more zombies with chainsaws jumping on the wagon! There will also be no actors in the 2 haunted houses. The 3-D Alien Encounter and Barn of Horror are the same as last year but will have all animatronics and no creepy creatures jumping out to scare you. In my opinion, this is one of the best farms to visit during the Fall and Halloween season! [Kathy’s fall fashion photo shoot on the farm]

Merrymead Farm is celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the opening of their store. To honor the anniversary, there are some special nods throughout the farm including an ice cream cone shaped corn maze and a new kids book, “Merry the Great Pumpkin”. Every year at their kickoff event to the fall season, the tale of “The Lighting of the Great Pumpkin” is told. That story, which was told year after year by the owner’s grandmother, has been made into a book that is now available in their store. New at the farm: an 18-passenger train that enhances the trip on the farm with lights and music. As always, their fun wagon ride, hayride, apple sling shot and other activities will be a part of Fall Harvest days, which take place Saturdays and Sundays in October. Don’t forget to grab ice cream sold by the cone or gallon! It’s some of my favorite ice cream. All of their ice cream is made onsite and, in fact, when I spoke to the owner, he had to turn off the machine that was making peanut butter chocolate ice cream so I could hear him! [dare to take on this corn maze?]

Snipes Farm in Morrisville is offering a Haunted Halloween Drive-In Movie Experience. Starting October 7th, the movie showings will take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, with gates opening at 6pm and the movie beginning at sundown. The movies include Halloween (1978), Beetlejuice, Hocus Pocus, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13^th (1980), Halloweentown, and The Blair Witch Project. Horrifying characters may pay a visit to your car to bring the movie to life. The haunted drive-in is selling quick, so if you’re interested don’t wait to purchase a spot! Movie-goers are encouraged to bring chairs, pillows, blankets and snacks. Also at the farm, families can volunteer to help create the Land of Scarecrows. You can help stuff and sew the scarecrows on Saturdays 9am-1pm and Sundays 2pm-4pm. [drive in movie schedule]