Harvesting happiness

Just when that first whiff of a pumpkin spice latte drifts through the air, Northeast Ohio’s other beloved fall tradition is nearly here.

Fall harvest weekends at Lake Metroparks Farmpark bring together the perfect slice of apples, pumpkins, honey, horses and hands-on fun for all ages.

Mimi recently caught up with Events Manager Andy McGovern, who says this year’s celebration is all about helping families reconnect with where their food comes from.

“Kids today don’t always know where their milk, wool, cotton or even corn comes from,” he says. “It’s amazing to watch them discover those things firsthand.”

Fall festivities begin with Apple & Honey Harvest Weekend on September 19- 20. Guests can learn how bees help produce much of the food we eat, watch fascinating demonstrations, make crafts, and discover how apples become cider and butter. 

The excitement continues during Horsepower Weekend on September 26-27, when horses of every size—miniature breeds to towering draft horses—take center stage. You can watch working horse demonstrations, and explore indoor and outdoor tractor displays, too. It caps off Sunday with the car and truck show, featuring hundreds of unique, antique and modern muscle cars.

Corn & Pumpkin Weekend on October 3-4 wraps up the season, with pumpkin-themed activities, crafts and more family-friendly fun. Children can decorate pumpkins, play in a giant corn box and enjoy all the harvest happenings.

Adding to the adventure this year, and to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride to alert the colonists the British were coming, the corn maze challenges visitors to outmaneuver the Redcoats. 

Fall harvest weekends are more than a fall festival—they invite us to slow down, look back, and appreciate the people, animals and time-honored traditions that signal abundance all year long.

Lake Metroparks Farmpark is located at 8800 Euclid Chardon Road in Kirtland. For more information, visit LakeMetroparks.com/events-activities-events. The maze and harvest activities are included with Farmpark admission; members enter free.