Penn State Master Gardeners of Erie Pumpkin Walk 2021
We’re doing our best to find unique Fall events in Erie, PA that will be fun for everyone, and we think we found a great event in the Pumpkin Walk put on by the Penn State Master Gardeners of Erie at Waldameer and Water World!
Location:
This super fun pumpkin walk in Erie, PA is located at 220 Peninsula Drive, Erie, PA 16505.
This Fall event in Erie, PA takes place October 8 and 9 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. in 2021.
Property Description:
The Pumpkin Walk in Erie, PA takes place at Waldameer and Water World, and begins and ends at the Water World entrance. You’ll be walking in various areas throughout the park, but it’s not the park rides and entertainment that you’ll be paying attention to. You’re eyes will drift towards the ground and the tops of tables as you gaze at hundreds of pumpkins!
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What to Do:
First and foremost, you’ll park in the Water World parking lot, right off of Peninsula Drive. You’ll then make your way towards the entrance and pay your entry fee. It’s $3 to enjoy the festivities, and the littles under 2 are free. You’ll get a piece of paper detailing where all of the different groups of pumpkins are located. This will help tremendously for those of you looking for the pumpkin that you entered, or a pumpkin that a family member or friend entered! There’s also a QR code that you can scan on your phone once inside, if you did not receive the paper guide.
Once inside, you’ll begin walking. Decorated milk jugs will light your way through the pumpkin walk, and you’ll see various pumpkins and displays as your walk starts out.
Soon enough, you’ll see the carousel which is up and running. If you’d like to ride, the carousel rides are $2.50 per person. This is the only ride in the park that will be operational during the Pumpkin Walk.
We were told to look for a pumpkin on our walk; his name is Pete the Pumpkin. Once you find him, take his picture and email it to eriemg@psu.edu by October 12, 2021. One randomly selected winner will win a professionally carved pumpkin! We found him, will you?
After you pass the Pete the Pumpkin information, you’ll see a table selling glow necklaces for $1 per necklace to your left.
Continue on, and you will be walking down paths through hundreds of pumpkins. These pumpkins we carved by groups all around Erie, from day cares to senior centers, high schools to WQLN and even the Erie Roller Girls. It was really cool to see the variations in pumpkin carving talent; some were even painted!
As you near about a little more than three quarters of the way through your walk, you’ll pass through a snack concession stand. You will need cash for tickets, and we believe we saw a sign that mentioned they were fifty cents a ticket.
After the concession area, you’ll see pumpkins carved for the sponsors of the event. These pumpkins were beautifully carved, with business logos and Halloween flair.
Around the outskirts of the concession pavilion, there are a few photo opp displays set up. One with pumpkins and holes in them, another with hay, mums, pumpkins, and tinsel cats, and a couple more with hay and mums. This presents a great opportunity to grab a photo or two to capture some memories of your pumpkin walk.
You will then continue on through more pumpkin displays, until your walk brings you back to where you entered.
Who Can Go:
Everyone is welcome to take a walk through the pumpkins! We will note that you’ll be walking on a few different types of terrain, including grass and gravel; however, most of the time you’ll be on cement. We found it quite easy to push our stroller for a majority of the time.
You can also feel free to dress up the kids for this event! We saw so many adorable costumes!
Final Thoughts:
This is the first time we’ve ever attended the Penn State Master Gardeners of Erie Pumpkin Walk and we loved it! The littles loved looking at the hundreds of pumpkins as we walked around Waldameer! We highly recommend attending, if you can! This is such a great opportunity for Fall fun in Erie, PA! We attended early in the evening, but we imagine that it was an even cooler experience as the sun went down! And again, don’t forget to bring cash in order to get in!
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with the Penn State Master Gardeners of Erie or Waldameer Park and Water World in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard.]
We want to start by saying we feel an urgency to bring this event at Asbury Woods in Erie, PA to everyone’s attention, as this is only a 3 day event. If you’re just finding out about it as we post it, you’ve already missed out on one day! So let us highlight one of Asbury Woods Fall events, the Scary Creature Feature!
Location:
The Asbury Woods Scary Creature Feature is located at 4105 Asbury Road, Erie, PA 16506, where the nature center is.
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Property Description:
The majority of this event is held in the woods, so the beauty of Asbury Woods will be surrounding you. You’ll want to keep that in mind, as you’ll be outdoors! Dress accordingly! You will also see the inside of the nature center, which includes a really great display of live animals for you to see.
As we walked from creature to creature, pumpkins lit our path! Each of the pumpkins were carved differently, and our littles loved pointing out the different designs and animals on the pumpkins! You are walking through the woods for most of this, meaning that you will be walking on a dirt path for roughly three quarters of the time that you are there. There are roots sticking up and bumps in the path, but we did have our stroller and found it tolerable to stroll through the event. It took some teamwork at times to get over bumps and down some curbs along the way. And we do have to say, walking through the woods at night with the pumpkins lit up made fore such an awesome atmosphere!
What to Do:
First, you can park your car in one of the numerous spots available to you in the parking lot. After parking, walk towards the nature center. Check in with one of the people waiting at the admission kiosk. You’ll give them your name, and they will verify your time slot. Then, you’ll head back to the area with benches, right in front of the entrance to the nature center. If you’d like, take some pictures of your kids in the Fall decor while you wait!
Once it is your allotted time slot, you’ll follow your guide through the tour. It starts with story time, then continues on to a tour through the woods meeting different creatures that come out at night. Although these creatures are not actual animals, they did a great job keeping the kids engaged and teaching them about the individual animals they were representing. We learned many different facts about several animals including owls, salamanders, spiders, bats, moths, and even skunks! Some asked questions about animals we’ve already seen, or hinted about animals up ahead, making this a very cohesive and interactive experience.
After your tour of creatures through the woods, you will enter a pavilion with a roaring fire place. Inside, you can make a bag full of goodies for woodland creatures at your house, filled with things such as seeds and corn. Our littles were super excited to have the ability to put out food for the chipmunks and birds at home! On the other side of the pavilion is a mad scientist, performing experiments every 15 minutes for the kids to watch. There’s also a huge wall of string lights, which makes for a fun background if you want to grab a picture or two of the kids!
Following our fun in the pavilion, we enjoyed some time in the nature center, looking at all of the real animals inside. We saw a bunny, turtles, frogs, and more!
We also went in the gift shop, which is open during the event. You’ll find a ton of natural products and animal trinkets and plushies, including birds that make real bird sounds when you press their bellies. They also have beautiful hand crafted jewelry, finger puppets, bath cakes, bags, and children’s books, to name a few more of the many items available. We recommend stopping in and looking around! Maybe you’ll find something great and be able to support Asbury Woods in the process!
The whole event was very interactive and entertaining for the kids! They had so much fun! They loved learning about each creature, and were eager to answer questions when asked by the creatures!
Who Can Go:
Bring the whole family to this event! And feel free to bring your kiddos in their Halloween costumes! We saw so many adorable littles walking around in their Halloween costumes, and even some adults!
Final Thoughts:
We had such a great time at this event that brings fun for the whole family! We recommend going, as this is not only super fun for the kids but educational as well!
In 2021, Asbury Woods in Erie, PA is offering the Scary Creature Feature on October 7, 8, and 9 from 6 p.m.-8 p.m., with the last time slot at at 7:50. There are several times slots available to attend, which occur every 10 minutes. Fair warning, a lot of them are filled and others are filling rapidly! The price to attend is $9 per person, and kids 2 and under are free. If you’re looking for your chance to go, click here to be directed to their scheduling site! Don’t hesitate! And grab your spot now! Please remember to register before you go; this is not an event where you can just show up! And if you’re reading this too late, we highly recommend putting this in your calendar for next year!
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with Asbury Woods in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard.]
One of our favorite things to do in the Fall is to visit Pumpkintown at Mason Farms. We have so many childhood memories from Mason Farms, and there’s just something about a country oasis in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Peninsula Drive.
Before you dive deep into the fun of Pumpkintown, we want to let you know that this post is specifically about Pumpkintown. To learn more about Mason Farms in general, click here to be directed to our last wandering to this location as Summer 2021 was rounding out.
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Location:
Pumpkintown at Mason Farms is located at Mason Farms Country Market, 839 Peninsula Drive, Erie, PA 16505. You won’t miss it, it’s a much different atmosphere from the rest of Peninsula Drive. From the road, you’ll see cornstalks, mums, pumpkins, and everything Fall.
Pumpkintown is open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Property Description:
The outdoors of Mason Farms Country Market is transformed into a giant Fall Fest for Pumpkintown! If you go into the entrance of the large store as normal, you can continue your way through the store and into the greenhouse. Once you get inside the greenhouse, go into the center aisle and turn left. Continue until you have exited the back door. There you will see a farm themed petting zoo straight ahead, and if you turn to your left again you will head towards the snack and ticket stand, which is right after a Paw Patrol pumpkin display. Once you pass the stand, you will see a photo opp set up, and beyond the photo opp, you’ll see several inflatables set up, as well as a corn maze and picnic table eating area.
What to Do:
There are so many fun things to do at Pumpkintown! First and foremost, you can pick out some pumpkins! There is a large selection of pumpkins available, whether you want them untouched or painted. Several colors and sizes are available.
We know that picking out pumpkins isn’t going to be the most fun thing for the kids to do, as clearly our littles couldn’t wait to get to the fun that awaited them in the inflatables! There are several different types of inflatables for the kids to play on, including a massive slide, a smaller mountain with smaller slides, an obstacle course, a smaller course, and a bounce house! Oh, and make sure you bring socks with you (or your kids are wearing them when they leave the house) in order to go on these inflatables, because they will have to take theirs shoes off!
Let’s talk Mason Farms Pumpkintown ticket prices. Each inflatable will cost you a certain amount of tickets to enjoy, or you can purchase an all day pass or season pass. $11 will get you a strip of 10 tickets. A Ride A Rama is $12 after 1:00 p.m., and $30 will get you a season pass! For us personally on this trip in particular, we chose the the 10 ticket strip, because we had limited time and multiple littles wanting to go on rides.
You can purchase a variety of refreshments at the concession stand, including little souvenir bottles of apple cider. This was a hit with out littles, as one of them would not let go of the bottle the entire time we were there. They also have slush puppies, water, popcorn, pepperoni balls, candy apples, hot dogs, brownies, pretzels, and much more!
Another fun thing that the littles love about Pumpkintown at Mason Farms is the petting zoo! We love the animals that are there this year, each one was super sweet and good with the kids! We saw llamas, goats, sheep, and even two little black pigs! You can feel free to pet them and to feed them. There are feed machines near the pen and it will cost you a quarter to give them a pretty decent amount of food. With one quarter, our littles got about 7 turns to feed the animals. We put the food in their hands from the big pile we got from the machine, and gave them a smaller amount than what would be a handful for them.
A tradition we’ve always remembered from Mason Farms is looking at all of the pumpkin displays! From the three little pigs to Paw Patrol, they have such a great variety of scenes to check out this year! And don’t forget to find Granny, she’s somewhere in Pumpkintown!
Who Can Go:
What we love about Pumpkintown is that it is definitely for everyone, people of all ages. Even if you’re simply young at heart, you can enjoy all of the displays and Fall feels. On our trip, we saw a few wheelchairs being pushed, and the smiles on faces as they looked at displays were priceless.
There is more than enough room to push a stroller or wheelchair anywhere in Pumpkintown and in the store. We actually highly recommend strollers for the little littles, as there’s a lot to get into! We actually opened the back of the car to grab ours, and realized we had forgot it at home! Always double check before you leave the house!
Final Thoughts:
Mason Farms Pumpkintown is always a favorite thing of ours to check out in the Fall. Whether you want the kids to play on the inflatables or not, we think it’s worth a visit! You don’t have to check out the inflatables to have a good time. Being there just puts you in the Fall spirit, whether you’re looking for all the Fall things or just browsing the market.
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with Mason Farms in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard.]
We’re loving all the Fall things right now! There’s something about a farmers market and cider mill combination that gives us the Fall feels, so we decided to check out Godfrey Run Farm Market and Cider Mill.
Location:
Godfrey Run Farm Market and Cider Mill is located at 8958 Westlake Road, Lake City, PA 16423. If you know where Mason Farms Farm Stand in Lake City is, Godfrey Run is just a tad bit further west from them.
Godfrey Run is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. These hours are observed in October of 2021.
Property Description:
Godfrey Run is a really great local food shop. The front porch adds such charm to the whole store, and makes you feel like you’re entering someone’s home instead of a market. On the porch, there are a few two top tables set up if you’d like to enjoy some of your food outside while you’re there.
There are also some picnic tables to the right of the building. There is also a great little hay and corn stalk display, and we’re sure if you wanted to take some photos by it, you absolutely could!
The inside has a general store feel, but with a lot going on! Your eyes will be pulled in several directions because of the many good items sold at this farmers market in Erie, PA.
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Because one of their claim to fame’s is their apple cider, it smells like apple inside and trust us, that is not a bad thing! Your senses will be on overdrive as you walk in because there are so many yummy things to look at and smell!
What to Do:
While here, you’re definitely going to want to shop! Inside of the market you will find local produce, but mostly many different kinds of apples.
You’ll find several items to stock up your pantry while you’re looking around! They have a ton of different jarred foods; you can get relish, pickles, apple butter, peppers, salsa, and much more! With delicious items such as hummus dip, black licorice, and popcorn, you can stock up on snacks!
They also have Penn State Berkey Creamery Ice Cream for sale, and not just by the cup! They have several different flavors to choose from. You can get a pint or quart of ice cream during your visit, and you can also join a pint club! For $99, you can get 6 pints of ice cream per month for the months of October, November, and December. If you do decide to get some ice cream, you can enjoy it outside by sitting at one of their smaller tables on the patio or one of the picnic tables (to the right side of the building if you’re facing it).
One thing we were very surprised to find was a small wine tasting room with several bottles available for purchase! They also have hard cider!
Who Can Go:
Bring everyone to this farmers market in Lake City! We didn’t bring ours in, but we think it would be rather easy to maneuver a stroller or a wheelchair. The floors are cement, so it’s a very easy surface to push anything with wheels on.
Final Thoughts:
We really enjoyed our trip to Godfery Run in Lake City, PA! Shopping local is so important, and here you will find a variety of things to add to your kitchen stash! Whether you’re looking for apples and other produce, jarred jams and butters, ciders, wine, or something sweet, Godfrey Run Farm Market and Cider Mill can offer you a plethora of options!
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with Godfrey Run in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard.]
As we try to go back to the way it was, festivals are coming back in the Erie area. With the ability to be outside, even though we assumed large crowds would form eventually, we thought it would be great to stop by Oktoberfest at the beginning of the day, when they were just getting started. Keep reading to learn more about Oktoberfest and what we did while we were there!
Location:
Oktoberfest hosted by St. Joe’s is located at 147 West 24th Street, Erie, PA 16502.
Oktoberfest at St. Joe’s is held 5 p.m.-11 p.m. on Friday October 1st, 1 p.m.-11 p.m. on Saturday October 2nd, and 12 p.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday October 3rd. This festival has free parking and free admission.
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Property Description:
This Oktoberfest in Erie, PA is located on the property of St. Joseph Church. You will find a few large tents set up, most with tables in them, and a few tables set up outside of the tents. You do have the ability to go inside of the community center to get your food and purchase raffle tickets. We will say, when we did go inside it was very crowded, so just be aware of that.
What to Do:
First and foremost, in order to purchase your food at Oktoberfest, you’ll need to purchase tickets, so find a ticket sales table and purchase your tickets! We found the ticket sales pretty easily; we can tell you for sure that one is located inside of the community center and another is located in the beer tent. Each ticket is equivalent to $1.
There is a TON of German food available at Oktoberfest! Although we weren’t there to eat a meal, we saw a lot of people enjoying some delicious looking eats and treats. You can get a bratwurst sandwich, sauerkraut balls, a Limberger cheese sandwich, Oktoberfest pizza (mustard sauce, Swiss cheese, bratwurst, and onion) or cheese/pepperoni pizza, German waffles, German potatoes, and so much more! There are also full dinners available inside of the community center! Those dinners include pork and sauerkraut, Sauerbrauten, and Bavarian goulash.
There is a Bavarian Coffee House hosted by The Tipsy Bean located in a tent outside, where you can get a ton of sweet treats and different types of coffee. We kept it simple and got some cut out cookies that were adorned as beer mugs, and a very large lemon cookie with an Oktoberfest design on it.
There is also a mini store set up across from the Bavarian Coffee House, where you can get German souvenirs of all sorts! They had a great dachshund hat that appeared as if the dog was laying on your head. They also had several flower headbands and crowns, and even headbands with little Bavarian hats on them! And you can get the Bavarian hats as regular size, too! There were also many German t-shirts available for sale, as well as other German trinkets and decorations.
Being at Oktoberfest, we just had to try something from the beer tent. Although there were several beers available inside the beer tent, we didn’t opt for a traditional Oktoberfest beer. We did, however, try a hard cider with a black cherry spin on it, and it was really good. There are also 5 different wines you can try while you’re there!
One thing that we did at Oktoberfest that we definitely want to highlight is watching the dachshund races! Unfortunately, this event is only available on Saturday, so if this is something that interests you put it on your calendar for next year! The famous dog Max from Bianchi Honda was there to cheer on his fellow dachshunds. All of the little wiener dogs were so cute, and the announcer was hilarious as he set up the competition! It was so funny to watch the dogs run, as some of them had no idea what they were doing. The races featured pups of all ages, including a 10 week old puppy! So cute! All in all, it was a great experience and the littles loved to be around all of the dogs! Because of these races, Oktoberfest is a dog friendly event! We saw a ton of different dogs, leashed of course, walking around with their humans! So if you’re looking for a great time and the ability to bring your dog, head over to St. Joe’s!
They also have over 170 baskets inside that they are raffling off, so be sure to get your raffle tickets! Basket tickets are 50 cents, but there are also 8 premium baskets, for which tickets are $3 each.
Who Can Go:
Everyone is able to come to Oktoberfest. Be aware that crowds can develop, so if you’re pushing a stroller or wheelchair you may have a hard time getting through at times. and remember, this event is dog friendly outside!
Final Thoughts:
For never attending Oktoberfest at St. Joe’s before, we thought it was really cool to finally see it in person this year. We think it’s one of those festivals in Erie County that we will continue to attend year after year. With no fee to get in, it’s a great opportunity to get out of the house in the beginning of Fall and enjoy all things German.
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with St. Joe’s Oktoberfest in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard.]
If you’re an avid reader of our blog, you will know that’s we’ve been to Mason Farms in Lake City quite a few times. There’s just an element of country charm to it that we absolutely love. We recently found out that this farm stand in Erie County has a new offering, and we just had to check it out!
Location:
The Farm Stand at Mason Farms is located at 8603 West Lake Road, Lake City, PA 16423. You can’t miss it, there are several floral arrangements in front of it, and you can noticeably see a fun Fall time as you drive by. With their hours being Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., there is more than enough time throughout the day for you to head on over to Lake City to enjoy the farm stand!
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Property Description:
This is farm stand, meaning that everything here is outdoors. Now, some areas are covered by some sort of roof, but nothing about this will be indoors. Remember to dress warm if you’re planning on going on a colder day. You’ll park in a gravel parking lot, and head to the left of the parking lot (if you’re looking at it from the road) to go to the stand. If you continue past the stand, you will see their seasonal display, along with a sunflower field behind it, for you to enjoy and take pictures of or with! We loved this!
What to Do:
Mason Farms farm stand has a ton of fruits and vegetables for you to enjoy. If you’re looking for a pumpkin, this is a great spot to grab one! They also have a ton of mums to choose from, so be sure to check out all of the beautiful flowers while you’re there. If you check out the photo slideshow below, you’ll see all of the wonderful locally grown produce you can purchase, along with some beautiful flowers! Below we’ve posted a slideshow of just some of the produce and plants available at the stand.
Although we love all of the great, healthy, local food that the farm stand provides, we are writing this blog post in particular to inform you of a “special event” they have going on right now. The sunflowers are standing tall and in full bloom, and you’re invited to take pictures with them, in front of them, and anywhere in the general area of them!
There is no cost to take photos with the sunflowers; you can literally just bring whoever you’d like and take photos! You can even pick your own sunflowers, with the price being $1.50 per stem.
They have two Fall displays set up with hay, cornstalks, and pumpkins, several bails of hay with pumpkins near them, and a pumpkin walkway going down to the display. We honestly loved everything about this. We took the littles pictures, we walked around and looked at all of the pumpkins (which, by the way, are for sale), and we enjoyed the beautiful sunflowers.
Who Can Go:
Everyone is welcome at the farm stand! Quick note, you will be parking on gravel and walking on gravel and grass, so dress accordingly and make sure you’re able to push a stroller or a wheelchair if you need to.
Also, we are super excited to tell you that we’ve recently seen photos on Mason Farms Facebook page with DOGS in them! So bring your furry friends and get them in your pictures, too!
Final Thoughts:
Mason Farms farm stand is a really great place to swing by for some quick Fall fun! If you’re looking for a free Fall Instagramable photo spot in Erie PA, you’ll find it at Mason Farms Farm Stand in Lake City! And be sure to grab some yummy fresh produce at this farm in Erie County.
Be on the lookout for our post on Mason Farms Pumpkintown information! Mason Farms always provides a good time for the kids in the Autumn season, at any of their locations. If you’re looking for Fall family fun in Erie, PA, you’ll find it at Mason Farms.
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with Mason Farms in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard. And in the case of this post, we went during a time when crowds were extremely low.]
Fall has most definitely arrived in Erie, PA. We’ve decided to accept it, and some of us are even excited for the colder weather! One thing that we can all agree on is that we’re all excited for Fall activities and festivals in the Erie area. We recently visited the Fall Harvest Festival at Port Farms, and we have to say that it was a ton of fun and offered a lot of things to do!
Location:
Port Farms is located at 2055 Stone Quarry Road, Waterford, PA 16441. The Fall Harvest Festival runs Wednesdays-Sundays 10 a.m.-7 p.m. from September 18, 2021 until October 31, 2021. It is closed Mondays and Tuesdays with the exception of Columbus Day, Monday, October 11, when the festival will be open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m..
This fall festival in Erie County does have an admission cost. The following are prices for the 2021 season. Wednesdays-Fridays, children and adults are $12.95 per person, and Saturdays-Sundays are $14.95 per person. Kids 2 and under are always free. Ages 60 and over are $6.95 per person, and on Wednesdays, grandparents get in for free with the purchase of a kids admission!
Property Description:
Port Farms is a working farm with the Fall Harvest Festival only taking up a portion of the farm. When you come up to the address, you will see a set of flags welcoming you into the parking lot. Park your car and head to the ticketing entrance. Do not go through the Harvest Barn (gift shop) entrance. Once you get inside there are maps available, you can look at the maps they have posted on the farm, or you can look at a map on your phone from their website in order to get to the attraction that you’d like to visit.
One thing we were pleasantly surprised to see was the amount of hand sanitizing stations around the farm, especially in the areas intended for children.
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What to Do:
There is no shortage of things to do while you’re at Port Farms in Waterford, PA! To be completely honest, this is the first time we’ve visited with our littles, and we couldn’t believe the amount of activities they have!
We’ll start with the kids. When asked about their favorite part, one responded “THE GOATS!” while jumping up and down. Those goats clearly left an impression. They are super friendly; we fed them and they were very gentle with the children. After feeding them, one of the littles even said “I just can’t believe this, this is the best Thanksgiving ever,” which was adorable in so many ways. The other attraction that almost matched up to the goats was Tiny Town. Tiny Town is a new attraction for 2021; it’s basically sheds that are transformed into places you would find in a small town, such as a theater, market, farm, house, and pizza shop. Inside, the kids will find all sorts of fun things to play with, including Melissa and Doug toys of all kinds. Our favorites were the market, the house, and the “pond” to fish in.
Goat
Goat
Part of Tiny Town
Inside Tiny Town Market
Inside Tiny Town Farmhouse
There are several other activities that the kids will love (and some adults will love, too)! The Low Ropes Course was a lot of fun for all of us, as we played on a giant playground and balanced on different obstacles. We even got to climb a small rock wall! The ball zone will be a favorite of anyone who enjoys playing sports; you can try your hand at soccer, basketball, and football. The Game Garden features large wooden games, such as a giant game of connect four called Ducks in a Row. The Tire Fort will test your climbing and balancing skills as you climb from tire to tire and walk across wooden beams.
Low Ropes Course
Rock Wall and Low Ropes Course
Ball Zone
One of the games in the Game Garden
Tire Fort
The Kid’s Fort had a few slides for the kids to go down, and several areas to hide and even a place to climb up a slanted board that led to a fun tube slide. The Cattle Chute Maze was a lot of fun for the kids to figure out, and great because they never felt trapped as they could see all around them. The Bubble Hut was really neat, and the bubbles floated very far while staying in tact! In fact, we saw bubbles floating by as we were eating on the other side of the festival!
There are several other activities at Port Farms in Erie County that we were unable to do on our trip, but may head back for the opportunity to try them. Port Farms Fall Festival has a few stages set up on the property, which they have live music events at. We are very interested in checking out this live music in Erie County, as we love a good live artist or band! The Beer Garden also peaked our interest, but wasn’t available while we were there.
The littles didn’t get a chance to play in the corn box, but it’s on our list for next time! One of the kids really wanted to try the Jumpkin Patch, but we just weren’t able to on the day we went. It looks like a lot of fun; and like something kids would really enjoy! And let us mention, adults can enjoy it, too! We also want to try the corn maze; an 8 acre corn maze sounds like a bit of a challenge! Another was the Giant Rocking Chair, which makes for a great photo opp!
Speaking of photo opp, there are plenty of places around Port Farms to take photos! Whether you’re looking for a quick family picture, a pic of the kids, an Instagram selfie, or a place to showcase your food and drink, you’ll find it in one of the many displays at Port Farms.
Right behind the shop, by the plethora of pumpkins and other gourds
Near the Country Kitchen
Near the Wagon Rides
Near the picnic table provided for the Country Kitchen
While here, we ate at the Country Kitchen. We chose to get a side order of French Fries, a Burger (comes with fries), a Peanut Butter Cup Cookie, a Smore’s cookie, cappuccino, hot apple cider, and hot chocolate. Everything we had was great. The fries were soft, with a bit of crisp on the outside. The burger was really good, and tasted like “a real burger” to us. The cookies were super good. We can’t say enough about how yummy the cookies are, the Smore’s cookie has a lot of marshmallow fluffiness inside and the crushed peanut butter cups are on top of the Peanut Butter Cup Cookie flavor it with so much peanut buttery goodness.
The drinks were really great and all of them were served very hot. The cappuccino and hot chocolate were both very tasty, but our favorite was the hot apple cider. There’s something about hot apple cider on a cool day that just makes Fall feel very welcoming.
We couldn’t leave the Harvest Festival without stopping by their gift shop. We had to get a bag of kettle corn to take home, and the littles each picked out a souvenir for the day. While in the store, we couldn’t help but notice the candle display from Our Own Candle Company and treated ourselves to a few Fall scented candles. In fact, one is on the warmer right now (Pumpkin Creme Pie) and our house smells phenomenal. We also found out, right as we were checking out, that the gift shop also has slush puppies! Awesome.
Who Can Go:
Upon hearing about this event, one may assume that it’s geared towards children. Let us verify something, Fall Harvest Festival at Port Farms is literally for everyone at any age. It is easily accessible for strollers and wheelchairs, but keep in mind there is a lot of grass to roll over. Be mindful of the weather, and prepare in case you will be dealing with mud or wet grass!
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We feel like this next thought we have is looped in with who can go because we know people can take caution when bringing kids and babies out into public, especially in the Fall as flu season begins, not to mention what the world has been facing recently with the pandemic. One thing we were very impressed with was the Hand Washing Station and Changing Station, located near the goats. There are several sinks available to wash your hands whenever you need to, and when you walk around to the other side you will see a feeding and changing station for babies and toddlers. We were so glad to see this at a place such as Port Farms, because of the traffic of kids coming in and out. It’s so hard for moms to find private space when they need it, and Port Farms provides that space. We didn’t go in as we didn’t need to use it, but we really like knowing it’s there!
Look for this sign next to the Hand Washing Station
Final Thoughts:
If you’re looking for Fall activities in Erie, PA, you should definitely check out Port Farms. For a lot of Erie residents, Fall just isn’t the same without a trip to this fun-filled place. For more information, maps, pricing, and details about Fall Harvest Festival at Port Farms, visit their website by clicking here.
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with Port Farms in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard. And in the case of this post, we went during a time when crowds were extremely low.]
This post contains affiliate links for a product. If you buy something, we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
**WE’RE SORRY TO SAY THAT SERENDIPITY SWEETS HAS CLOSED THEIR LOCATION ON EAST 38TH STREET. THEY ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A NEW LOCATION, AND WE WILL UPDATE YOU AS SOON AS WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION**
Summer is leading into Fall, and we haven’t brought you all of the amazing ice cream stands in Erie just yet. However, we did recently visit Serendipity Sweets, and we think it’s worthy of being added to your lists of places to visit in the summer, and in the colder months as well!
Location:
Serendipity Sweets is located at 861 East 38th Street, Erie, PA 16504.
If you are looking for things to do by Mercyhurst College, Serendipity Streets is a quick walk away from the college.
Property Description:
Serendipity Sweets is a very colorful, uplifting space that definitely makes you feel like a kid in a candy store, or in this case, a kid in an ice cream and bake shop! We loved all of the colorful tiles on the floor and the bright blue bubbly walls that made us almost feel like we were underwater.
There are plenty of tables set up inside, and there are also benches available outside if you want to enjoy the nice weather.
Tables set up inside
A little lounge area and bar top
Outside benches
What to Do:
Serendipity Sweets was different than any other ice cream bar we’ve ever been to. You will start at the left of the counter and make your way down towards the right. You choose your flavor, and then choose toppings from the sundae bar that will be put on for you. Or, you can choose a specific sundae and they will just make it as it is on the menu. Once you pass through the bar, you can make your way to the topping wall. There are dispensers with several different toppings, such as sprinkles, Reese Puffs, Skittles, and snickerdoodle cookies that you can “dump” onto your ice cream or non dairy ice cream. Each topping will cost you an additional fifty cents.
Not only does Serendipity Sweets offer ice cream, frozen yogurt, and non dairy ice cream, but they also offer baked goods as well. Grab a brownie, cake slice, or even an entire pie when you stop in! They even offer froyo pies! Yum!
We are always on the lookout for menu items for those who have food allergies or need vegetarian or vegan foods, and Serendipity Sweets was so accommodating for those of us who have food restrictions. They have several gluten free options, not only in ice cream but baked goods as well. They also have non dairy ice cream choices, which is actually what one of us got, and it was really, really good!
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Who Can Go:
This is a really cool ice cream shop and bakery that anyone can come to. It is very easily accessible for a wheelchair or a stroller. If you’re limited on time, you can go to their website and place an order to be picked up at their drive through window! You can find the link to order by clicking here.
They do offer private parties in their dining area, which I believe are held on the weekends before their normal hours of operation.
And for those of you who go to Mercyhurst College, Serendipity Sweets would make for a great quick date or even a place to study at, given the tables and the small barstool area as well as the booth area in the corner.
Final Thoughts:
We thought this was a really cool place to grab a DIY sundae. The atmosphere was really fun and bright, and you just feel happy as you walk in. As far as finding ice cream in Erie, PA, this is a very fun and different location!
Serendipity Sweets is open from 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
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[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with Serendipity Sweets in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around the Erie area as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA can be hard.]
Today is a great day for an Autumn Fest! The sun was shining this morning (partially), there’s a slight breeze, and Fall is in the air at Autumn Fest in Cambridge Springs! We’re bringing you this wandering as quickly as we can, simply because you only have this weekend to enjoy it!
Location:
Autumn Fest is located at 24225 Blystone Road, Cambridge Springs, PA 16403. Although Cambridge Springs is considered Crawford County, it is within extremely close distance to Erie County and the Edinboro area. In 2021, the dates and times for Autumn Fest are September 25 and 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.
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Property Description:
This Autumn Fest in Crawford County is situated around a small store called Tobin’s Country Style Gifts. There is a sign for a grass parking lot when you approach the festival, you will drive between the ropes and it will lead you to the parking lot. This parking lot is across the street from the actual festival, but also located near the tractor rides and pumpkins/mums for sale by local farmers. Once you cross the road, you will see many tents set up as vendors from the area showcase their crafts, food, and brands.
What to Do:
There are so many tents to visit at this Autumn Fest near Erie, PA! You can find jewelry, decor and other things for your home, Scentsy products, Thirty-One, chocolate candy cups, other delicacies, and so much more! It’s a pretty decently sized outdoor craft fair, and we had a really good time walking around and talking to all of the vendors. One thing we would recommend is bringing cash with you. While many vendors do take credit cards, a lot of them do not. Also, the service is not the best and we actually had a vendor try to swipe our card but couldn’t because of the lack of service in the area. So definitely stop by an ATM before you head out to Cambridge Springs!
You can also go into the store, Tobin’s Country Style Gifts. There are several things available for purchase inside, including decor and different types of cider and juices. Outside of the store, there is a pumpkin decorating contest going on, and you can take a look at all the pumpkins and see which one you like best! You can even enter one in, if you’d like!
Skeltontown Bible Church was there and provided a great opportunity to not only encourage the children to have fun while their parents are browsing, but also for parents to visit as many vendors as they could and truly experience what the festival offers. They are in the second tent to your right as you walk in, right after the Scentsy tent. You will be handed a sheet for your child to collect stickers on. Each vendor has stickers, and may give each child one sticker. Once they collect 10 stickers, they can come back to the tent and collect a prize, get a treat, and do a craft. We’ve never seen anything like this before at a festival, and we really liked this idea! Our littles got books, a sucker, and made a magnet after collecting all of their stickers! Herdsmen puppets was there putting on puppet shows, and a clown was making balloon animals for the kids!
There are also several inflatable decorations set up and Halloween scenes, with many spots to take pictures at! The kids loved Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc. and the Winnie the Pooh set up.
There is a good amount of food available, with Frank’s Fries being our favorite stop! They serve some very yummy fries that are made in peanut oil, and we highly recommend that you try them! At the Frank’s Fries stand, you can also purchase tickets for a tractor ride that is located across the street near the parking lot. The tractor ride tickets are $1 per person. We also tried a massive chocolate cake pop from Tasty Bakes. Our littles loved it; they described it as “so yummy” and ate it right up! And while at the Chocolate Candy Cups tent, we tried some excellent peanut butter cups and coconut cups! We also noticed many homemade pies for sale, chicken sandwiches, baked goods, and a cart out front selling soft pretzels.
There was also live music, as a stage was set up with chairs in front of it for people to relax and sit down. That area is also a great place to eat, along with the tables that they had set up in random places, such as the picnic table near the skeleton display.
Who Can Go:
This Autumn Fest in Cambridge Springs is welcoming of everyone and accessible to anyone. Please note that it is all located on grass, so if you’re pushing a stroller or a wheelchair, you may run into some rough patches or some mud here and there. We did not bring our stroller, and I think that was the right choice for us. However, we’re feeling the repercussions of that decision (holding our children at times) as I type this!
Final Thoughts:
This was a great fall festival in the Erie area to attend! We spent about 2 hours there; we enjoyed walking around and talking to vendors, and the kids actually had a lot of fun! We would recommend stopping by as something to do this weekend, especially if you like to support local vendors in the community!
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with Autumn Fest in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard.]
Although we may not be ready to admit it yet, we are officially in the season of Fall. The weather may be getting a bit cooler, but that doesn’t stop the fun in Erie County! In fact, the fun is just beginning, especially when it comes to Fall Festivals in Erie! We recently found out about the Oktoberfest at the Vanco Family Farm, and had to check it out for ourselves!
Location:
Vanco Family Farm is located at 12210 Silverthorn Road, Edinboro, PA 16412. If you take I-79 from Erie, you’ll get off of the highway at Exit 166 and head towards Washington Township. Then make a right onto Silverthorn Road. You will find the farm in less than a mile.
Vanco Family Farm Oktober Fest runs September 24, 25, and 26 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and October 1, 2, and 3 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in 2021.
Property Description:
Vanco Family Farm is a working farm, but when you go for Oktoberfest, you’ll be focused on the shop and the area around the shop. The shop is a small building that is panted red with pumpkins, decor, and country charm surrounding the exterior. Directly behind the shop is Face Painting. To the right of Face Painting (if you’re looking from the side of the shop), you will find Funnel Cakes from Ross Concessions and Fresh Cut Fries from Larry’s Tater Shack. There are tables to the back left of the shop to enjoy your food at. If you continue walking back towards the giant barn and silos, you will find a small petting zoo area with a pony and a goat.
What to Do:
Although this is a small Fall Fest in Erie County, it is well worth coming to. There are a few things to do, and we were able to spend about an hour enjoying the property and checking out all they offered.
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First and foremost, we went into the shop. We absolutely loved the atmosphere inside of the Vanco Family Farm shop; with country flair and modern farmhouse inspired decor, it gives off such charm. You will find anything from their locally grown fruits and vegetables, to pumpkins for decorating and eating, to local honey. You can get candles, floral displays, buckets, and pots. You’ll find a plethora of small table decor and signs to hang up throughout the shop; everything is lovely and gives off farmhouse vibes. Outside of the shop you’ll find plenty of pumpkins and outdoor decor.
The face painting station was great, with a lot of different options for the kids; we saw a lot of children running around with painted faces! We decided to check out the food, and got a funnel cake with powdered sugar and a lemonade. The funnel cake was good, and served hot. And the lemonade was a hot commodity, with the littles fighting over who got to hold it!
The small petting zoo is really cute, with a pony and a goat for you to get to know while you’re visiting. Of course, this was the favorite part of our littles, and we had to go back a few times so they could get their “cute animal fix” in. And we do have to say, both of these animals are super adorable.
Who Can Go:
Anyone can enjoy this Fall Fest in Erie County. Be aware that you will be walking on grass, gravel, and wood chips, so the terrain isn’t exactly smooth. However, you can definitely push a stroller or wheelchair through the outside.
Final Thoughts:
We really enjoyed our trip to Oktoberfest at Vanco Family Farm. They have been serving the Edinboro community with fresh produce for over 100 years and if you haven’t been out to the farm, make some time to check it out! We think that this Oktoberfest makes for a great excuse to check out the Vanco Family Farm, and you may just decide to grab more produce from this farm in Edinboro, PA throughout the year!
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with Vanco Family Farm in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard.]
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