Festival fall fun

“Autumn whispered to the wind, ‘I fall, but always rise again,’” —Angie Weiland-Crosby

Just as certain as the changing leaves and harvest on the farm, Lake Metroparks Farmpark is hosting its fall harvest weekends.

“We’ve planned this year’s weekend activities in the spirit of family fun and memory-building for all ages,” says Events Manager Andy McGovern.

The first two-day event is Horsepower Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, September 20 and 21.

“This is an exploration of the history of agricultural technology, starting with draft horses (you can try your hand at plowing behind a team) and ending with antique tractors,” Andy says. “On Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., the weekend swings full circle with a truck and car show.”

The excitement moves to fall harvest fare with Apple & Honey Harvest Weekend on September 27 and 28.

“We will have crafts and demonstrations about how important bees are to what we eat,” Andy adds. “Visitors can learn how to harvest apples and make cider and apple butter.”

The fall harvest season comes to a close on October 4 and 5 with Corn and Pumpkin Weekend. Enjoy fall crafts and savor corn and pumpkin-themed baked goods.

And nothing screams autumn more than winding your way through a good old-fashioned corn maze. Don’t miss the Paul Revere’s Run Corn Maze, which is open now through Sunday, October 5.

“We came up with the concept to honor our nation’s 250th anniversary,” says Andy. “People moving through the maze are tasked with finding five lanterns, just as Paul Revere hung them when announcing to the colonists that the British were coming. Visitors must also be on the lookout for British Colonial Army soldiers lurking in the maze.”

Catch this cozy season in the great outdoors while you can, before the warm harvest hues give way to stark white. 

Lake Metroparks Farmpark is located at 8800 Euclid Chardon Road in Kirtland. For more information, visit Lakemetroparks.com/events-activities/events/. The Farmpark is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The maze and harvest activities are included with Farmpark admission ($9, with discounts for seniors and children ages 2 to 11); members enter free.