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Updated Fall 2014
It is officially my favorite month, in the kitchen and in the outdoors. Let’s see… the past few days I’ve made pear chutney from the fruit of my parents’ Kitsap Peninsula orchard, pureed sugar pumpkin for upcoming fall recipes, and roasted the last of the garden cherry tomatoes.
Now, I’m ready to get out and see some blazing fall color and run through a corn maze or two. Care to join me? Here are a whole bunch of ways to celebrate autumn in the Pacific Northwest in October.
Oregon
Hood River Harvest Fest (October 17-19, 2014) is a classic fall festival that takes place right on the waterfront overlooking the Columbia River. Sample local apples, microbrews, wine, cider and artisan cheeses. Browse booths filled with local art and crafts. Enjoy live music and plenty of games and activities for the whole family. See our trip guide to Hood River for place to stay and harvest stops.
Portland’s Haunted Maze is an October tradition for PDX families. There’s really nothing like a haunted maze, um I mean maize, to get you spooked out of the cornfield. The Haunted Maize on Portland’s Sauvie Island is open every October weekend through Halloween (plus Oct 29-Nov 1), and for just $12 (all ages) you can get the living daylights scared out of you. Call 503.621.7110.
Want to know where to spot golden aspen and fiery vine maple? Keep up with the Oregon Fall Foliage Blog, or call the Oregon Fall Foliage Hotline at 800.547.5445 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.
Washington
Grab your beer stein and don a dirndl! This is the last weekend of Leavenworth’s Oktoberfest, the next best thing to being in Munich. Live it up with live music, authentic German food, arts and crafts, Bavarian clothing, and activities for the whole family.
Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum hosts the Suncadia Harvest Festival over two weekends in October (4-5 and 11-12, 2014, noon-5pm each day) at historic Nelson Farm. Come for pony rides, haunted wagon rides, 1,000 bale straw maze, pumpkin patch, merchant market featuring local artisans, food & beer garden, plus much more!
When you get lost in a maze of maize at the Rutledge Corn Maze, you might find yourself running into a vampire or a zombie. Weekends through October 31 in Tumwater.
Dr. Maze’s Farm in Redmond features pumpkins, an intricate corn maze, a spiral of hay bales, farm animals and more.
Carlton Farms in Lake Stevens is open weekends through October 31st for their annual harvest farm festival. Come to pick pumpkins, get lost in a corn maze, get scared in a haunted night maze and sip apple cider beside a bonfire. Carleton Farm is home to the first pumpkin cannon in Snohomish Valley – come see it in action!
Got a favorite haunted maze or pumpkin patch to share with your readers? Leave it in the comments below.
Photos: Shaded pumpkin by sarahbest. Apple picking by Bryan Danger Wheeler.
One Response
That ghost train sounds like fun! Maybe we should head up to BC next weekend.