Six Autumn Activities to Celebrate the Changing of the Seasons

Written by Chris Pasion, graduate assistant to The Graduate School.

What is an autumn season without a visit to the local pumpkin patch? Blooms & Berries Farm in Loveland, OH is hosting their Fall on the Farm event throughout the rest of October, which features a number of seasonal activities, including a massive pumpkin patch, a corn maze, a hayride, and more. Each of these activities have been modified to ensure that all guests are safe during their time on the farm, and in order to limit the number of people at any given time, Blooms & Berries is requiring that you purchase tickets online prior to your visit. 

Hop on your bike or grab your running shoes and take a trip to the Loveland Bike Trail, a 76-mile-long biking trail that parallels the Little Miami River. The scenery along the trail is beautiful, especially as the leaves change, so this is a great spot to get out into the fresh air for some exercise. If you don’t own a bike you can cheaply rent one at Loveland Bike Rental, which is next to the trailhead in downtown Loveland, to still make use of the trail on two-wheels. Another great activity in the Loveland area is kayaking in the Little Miami. You can rent paddles and a boat at Loveland Canoe and Kayak.

Krohn Conservatory is introducing guests to a different shade of fall with their current floral event, “Plum Gorgeous.” Fall is commonly associated with warm hues of orange and yellow, but Krohn is showing that purple is just as integral to the season as the other colors. They have seasonal flora and fauna on display, such as plum trees, lavender, violet asters, and many other seasonal plants to give you a sense (and scent) of the purple shades fall has to offer. The conservatory, which is a stunning Art Deco building, is located in Eden Park, one of the largest parks in the near-downtown area. 

The Cincinnati Zoo is currently decked out in fall-festive decorations that signal the changing of the seasons. Their annual HallZOOween event is a great opportunity to see the animals outside before many of them go away for the winter. Before you leave, be sure to pick up a Fiona the Hippo themed mask. To learn more about the precautions the zoo is taking to provide a safe and sanitary experience, check out Prepare for your Zoo Visit webpage. In order to limit the number of people in the zoo, you must make a reservation online ahead of time. Discounted tickets are available at the ticketing window as you enter the zoo.

Each fall season, the Starlite Drive-In movie theater shows throwback Halloween movies to get you into the spirit of the spooky season. So far this month, they have shown seasonal classics such as Hocus Pocus and The Addams Family, and they’re sure to show more great Halloween flicks before the season ends. Starlite is popularly a double-feature venue, meaning you get two movies for the price of one. Order online to secure your space––Starlite often sells out!

Drive-in movie theaters have seen somewhat of a resurgence in the time of COVID-19, as they’re one of the original socially distanced events. This year, drive-ins theaters have also been used for events that can’t be easily socially distanced, such as live music, high school graduations, and even political rallies. 

Directly across the street from Starlite Drive-In is East Fork State Park, an impressive park which boasts nearly 5,000 acres of land. East Fork Lake sits in the middle of the park and is encompassed by a number of hiking trails (the park has nearly 50 miles of trails) and campsites. East Fork is a great place to visit for outdoor recreation and for soaking up the great fall weather.

Check out Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ webpage on East Fork to learn about all the  features of the park, as well as to make a reservation for your campsite if you plan to stay overnight.