Written By: Diana-Mari Rossell-Eddy
Photos By: Diana-Mari Rossell-Eddy
Falling leaves and pumpkin spice means Autumn is finally here! You and your family can kick-off this Fall season by visiting some of these local, family-friendly events:
Cottonwood Farms, located at 1535 North 75th Street in Boulder, is a rather quaint little farm tucked into the countryside. Open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through the month of October, with no admission fees and $3 hay rides on Saturday and Sunday.
They also offer little red wagons to borrow (at no charge) and modestly priced pumpkins in a ‘pick-your-own’ style patch, which makes this place a practical choice for families both big and small. Younger children up to pre-teens would have the most fun here, and even though this farm lacks in size, it makes up for that with all the free activities. There’s a petting zoo, a straw bale maze for the little ones, fully functional, antique, steam-powered engines on display throughout the property; and the crown jewel of this place, a large, hand-cut corn maze. This place is a must-see stop for those looking for that Colorado country feel.
A little bit closer to town is the Rock Creek Farm conveniently located off of Highway 287 at 2005 South 112th Street in Broomfield. Also open daily from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. giving you plenty of time to explore all that this farm has to offer. This is another farm with free admission and free activities for the family that wants to spend time not money. The two enormous pumpkin patches are an adventure all on their own.
Admire a breathtaking view of the Flatirons while searching for the perfect pumpkin. At the other end of the farm lies one of the largest corn mazes in Colorado. Enjoy getting lost with family and friends as you explore this monster of a maze on not one but 4 different paths (.3-mile short maze all the way up to the 4.2-mile vampire maze!) for a total of 9 miles to discover. If you aren’t exhausted after all that, there’s still the ‘family-fun’ zone left to explore. Here you can meet traditional farm animals, get a bite to eat at one of the vendors on site while the kids play for free on an inflatable slide, a hay bale maze, and bouncing castles. By far this place ends up being the best ‘bang for your buck’ so be sure to make it to this fantastic farm during your weekend autumn adventure.
Then, on October 28th our very own honor society, Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) will be hosting a Halloween carnival at the Front Range Westminster Campus. There will be plenty of games, a ‘Trunk-or-Treat’ in the halls, and a costume contest for your little ones to enjoy. This is a great opportunity to take the kids to a fun, family-friendly and most of all safe environment for some Halloween fun.
This is just a taste of what there is to do this season in Colorado so here is a list of some of my favorite web pages and blogs that will help guide your Fall family fun this season:
http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/COpdenver.php
http://www.denver.org/things-to-do/denver-holiday-events/denver-fall-festivals/
http://www.colorado.com/articles/fall-festivals-colorado
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