Fall Bucket List!

Meghan&Rich

Does anyone have any fun activities they are looking forward to this Fall?  One of the things I love about Fall are all of the festivals!

AmandaJLewis

I would like to go apple picking again this fall.  I like it more than pumpkin patch trips. 

Meghan&Rich

We went to Soergel's this past weekend, and it was fun. 

Our Fall regulars usually include hitting up: Reilly's Farm, Coolspring Maze, Ligonier Days, Triple B Farms, and Zoo Boo. 

leiann2003

We plan to go to the Pumpkin Patch, on a Hayride and possibly to the Zoo Boo.

egpitt22

we always do zoo boo (this is a good reminder to me to check out the dates for that this year!), and we'll do a pumpkin patch (we enjoyed Reillys last year, so we'll probably head there again)  My neighborhood does a little parade for the kids before trick or treating, so that's always fun. 

I'd also love to go see the duck, though that's not directly related to fall. Quack, quack!

ryanthegirl

What are your favorite pumpkin patches/farms to visit? 

We did Trax last year and would rather not do it again. It was too crowded and too pricey. I don't mind crowds but I just didn't like the overall vibe. 

We're willing to drive a bit to get there - but it would awesome if we could find something not too far from the Dormont area.

4EvR&4AlWz

We already did Cool Spring Corn Maze. Soergels is this weekend for pumpkin picking. I'd love to add in apple picking. We will also try to do Hallowboo and/or Zoo Boo but 2 weekends we are out of town and 1 of those is DDs birthday (duck dynasty theme).

I'm doing a Halloween parade on Halloween in our plan.

Meghan&Rich

ryanthegirl said:

What are your favorite pumpkin patches/farms to visit? 

Both are in the North Hills, but we like Reilly's and Soergel's.  Both places can get pretty crowded, but we usually try to get there as soon as it opens and that helps.

lilly25

4EvR&4AlWz said:

We already did Cool Spring Corn Maze. Soergels is this weekend for pumpkin picking. I'd love to add in apple picking. We will also try to do Hallowboo and/or Zoo Boo but 2 weekends we are out of town and 1 of those is DDs birthday (duck dynasty theme). I'm doing a Halloween parade on Halloween in our plan.

Where is Cool Spring? Love the duck dynasty theme!

Anyone been to that Mish maze in like Gibsonia?

Meghan&Rich

Cool Spring Maze is in Mercer: http://www.coolspringmaze.com/ We have gone the past few years and love it there. The people who run it are incredibly nice.

We did Mish last year because we bought the Groupon (there is one now I think too).  I liked it for younger kids, but I'd probably only do it with a Groupon.  They have a really good meat market.

lala5507

We went apple picking last year and loved it.  The place we went to isn't doing it this year.  I guess they didn't get a big enough crop.  So I am looking for a new place. Has anyone every gone to Simmons Farms?

northhillsbride

About 10 minutes from Cranberry, over in Freedom, PA, is Yeck's Farm (real close to your parents, Meghan!) - they are small, but offer a hayride through their fields that is cute, a corn maze, a few animals, and a couple of other smaller family-oriented things to do. The pumpkins are already picked, but they are grouped by size and you can get fun pumpkin pictures out of it. I like that they are not commercialized like the bigger farms, so they don't get the crazy large crowds. Oh, and there is a small general store.

They are definitely worth looking into for Visit with Santa. The BEST looking Santa I've seen, and it's free. Plus, they don't advertise, so it was really quiet when we went last year - like, we were the only ones there at the time we went.

Also up North, near Volant, is a new place called Rustic Farms. I went to undergrad with the owners. They are just starting out their business but have Fall weekend events planned throughout October. I love promoting family-owned businesses! Anyway, they have a FB page that has the poster of events posted - I can't access it right now or else I would post the events. But it's called Charlotte's Web Pumpkin Festival.

As for us, I'm on the search for somewhere to go down here! I just got a direct mail piece from one nursery that is going to have a pumpkin patch in mid-October, so we might check that out.

kris356

Meghan&Rich said:

We did Mish last year because we bought the Groupon (there is one now I think too).  I liked it for younger kids, but I'd probably only do it with a Groupon.  They have a really good meat market.

Mish's is delicious! We used to go to lunch there all the time ( I worked down the street). Their meat is outstanding.

lilly25

northhillsbride said:

About 10 minutes from Cranberry, over in Freedom, PA, is Yeck's Farm (real close to your parents, Meghan!) - they are small, but offer a hayride through their fields that is cute, a corn maze, a few animals, and a couple of other smaller family-oriented things to do. The pumpkins are already picked, but they are grouped by size and you can get fun pumpkin pictures out of it. I like that they are not commercialized like the bigger farms, so they don't get the crazy large crowds. Oh, and there is a small general store.

They are definitely worth looking into for Visit with Santa. The BEST looking Santa I've seen, and it's free. Plus, they don't advertise, so it was really quiet when we went last year - like, we were the only ones there at the time we went.

Also up North, near Volant, is a new place called Rustic Farms. I went to undergrad with the owners. They are just starting out their business but have Fall weekend events planned throughout October. I love promoting family-owned businesses! Anyway, they have a FB page that has the poster of events posted - I can't access it right now or else I would post the events. But it's called Charlotte's Web Pumpkin Festival.

As for us, I'm on the search for somewhere to go down here! I just got a direct mail piece from one nursery that is going to have a pumpkin patch in mid-October, so we might check that out.

You know I love Yeck's too! I had no idea they did Santa though! When do they do it or how did you know? Just calling?!

lilly25

Meghan&Rich said:

Cool Spring Maze is in Mercer: http://www.coolspringmaze.com/ We have gone the past few years and love it there. The people who run it are incredibly nice.

We did Mish last year because we bought the Groupon (there is one now I think too).  I liked it for younger kids, but I'd probably only do it with a Groupon.  They have a really good meat market.

Thanks! I wasn't sure if the maze was for younger or older!

kac

We went apple picking at Simmons yesterday.  The boys love it and my 3 year old can reach the lower hanging fruit.  They have different varieties ready for picking at different times.  We picked red delicious, Jonagold and ida red.  Then we made home made applesauce with dinner.  Yum.

Kristen

lala5507

kac said:

We went apple picking at Simmons yesterday.  The boys love it and my 3 year old can reach the lower hanging fruit.  They have different varieties ready for picking at different times.  We picked red delicious, Jonagold and ida red.  Then we made home made applesauce with dinner.  Yum.

Kristen

Thanks! 

smynings_bride

Are there any places to go apple picking in the North Hills or further north?  We live near Soergels and it's been such a madhouse.

kris356

smynings_bride said:

Are there any places to go apple picking in the North Hills or further north?  We live near Soergels and it's been such a madhouse.

And it will be until after Holloween. Wait until traffic backs up on 79 and 910 trying to get in. I have learned after growing up in Wexford to not even try to go to the area surrounding Soergels during the afternoon hours on a Saturday/Sunday in October. Luckily my parents live the exit before on 79 so I can avoid the area.