Ship Saves’ Fall Festival Guide for Families

Our area in South Central PA is brimming with celebrations of autumn.  Use the list below as a starting point to plan your next fall adventure.

Saturday, September 24

Saturday and Sunday, September 24 & 25

On September 24 & 25 is the Fairfield Pippinfest! Fun for the entire family at this old-time country street festival featuring arts and crafts, apple products, live music, car show, community yard sales, children’s inflatable rides, great food and more.  Saturday, September 24: Community Yard Sales. Sunday, September 25: Arts and crafts show, quilt show, Pippenfest pottery display, food, music, car show, swap meet, Children’s Inflatables, and more.

Saturday and Sunday, October 1 & 2

The National Apple Harvest Festival is held during the first two full weekends in October.  The festival features 300 arts and crafts vendors, demonstrations, contests, food stands, and entertainment.  The National Apple Harvest Festival is located at the South Mountain Fairgrounds & is held outdoors rain or shine.  General admission is $10 (ages 12 +), $9 for military with ID and seniors older than 60, and free for children under 12. Admission includes parking and shuttle services to and from festival grounds.

Saturday, October 1

Market Day in downtown Waynesboro will be on Oct. 1.  The event features all-day entertainment, including live music, dancing demonstrations, sidewalk sales, Mad Anthony’s Chili-Cookoff, children’s activities and dozens of craft, specialty and food vendors.

Saturday, Oct. 1, from noon to dusk, Little Buffalo State Park will host a musicians on three stages, arts, crafts, the Buffalo Kids Artsfest, poetry readings, workshops, demonstrations and great food.

Sunday, October 2

Celebrate Fall at the Garden Harvest Day at Kings Gap on Sunday, October 2nd.  From Noon to 5 PM, the Friends of Kings Gap, Cumberland County Master Gardeners and Kings Gap staff will have a variety of activities for all ages.  A nominal fee will be charged for “make and take” items but parking and admission are free!  All activities will be held in the mansion area.

Friday, October 7

Greene Township Park will host a Fall Festival and Little Miss Pageant on October 7.  The fun begins at 4 PM and will wrap up around 8 PM. Kids of all ages can bounce all night long for just $5.  In addition, there will be hay rides, Knockerball, a barrel train, parent-child races, a pumpkin carving contest, pony rides, fall-favorite refreshments, a corn cannon, and more!

Saturday and Sunday, October 8 & 9

The National Apple Harvest Festival is held during the first two full weekends in October.  The festival features 300 arts and crafts vendors, demonstrations, contests, food stands, and entertainment.  The National Apple Harvest Festival is located at the South Mountain Fairgrounds & is held outdoors rain or shine.  General admission is $10 (ages 12 +), $9 for military with ID and seniors older than 60, and free for children under 12. Admission includes parking and shuttle services to and from festival grounds.

Thursday, October 6 – Sunday, October 9

Carlisle Ocktoberfest includes carnival rides all four days, a Volksmarch on Saturday morning, and arts and crafts. There are also a number of contest including the Kids Apple Pie Eating Contest, Hot Dog Eating Contest, Wife Carrying Contest, Stein Holding Contest, Sauerkraut Eating Contest and Keg Toss Contest.  There will be a wide selection of adult and kiddie rides, a wide variety of great carnival foods, free standing games & game trailers.

Saturday, October 15

AppleFest is a free family event in downtown Chambersburg on October 15 from 9 AM – 3 PM.  AppleFest features craft and art vendors, live music, as well as food throughout the square.  This free event, run by the Downtown Business Council of Chambersburg, is fun for the whole family and also has kids’ activities and rides!

On Saturday, October 15th from 10 AM – 5 PM is the Harvest Day event at Cowans Gap State Park.  The Harvest Day Festival at Cowans Gap State Park, Fulton County features fall foliage, pumpkin carving/painting, environmental programming, apple cider pressing, seed-roasting, hayrides, demonstrations, live music, craft vendors and more.  Cowans Gap State Park is located at 6235 Aughwick Rd, Fort Loudon, PA.

Southampton Township Cumberland County’s Park and Recreation is hosting a Fall Fling on October 15th.  6 Bounce Houses ($5 for an all-day pass), Pumpkin Patch, Chicken Corn Soup, Carmel Apples, Cotton Candy, Whoopie Pies, Face Painting, Pony Rides, Vendors, Live Music, Pizza, Hot Chocolate, Kettle Corn.  There will be a candy hunt for children ages 5 and under at 4:30PM.

Life Community Church at 2249 Roxbury Rd in Shippensburg will be hosting their annual Family Fall Fest on Saturday October 15th from 11 AM – 3 PM. There will be games, inflatables, hot dogs, candy, face painting, crafts, hay ride, and petting zoo…all for FREE!

The 23rd Annual Pumpkinfest at Renfrew Museum and Park, Waynesboro is October 15.  There will be pumpkins for picking, face painting, scarecrow stuffing, pumpkin chucking trebuchet, and more!

Saturday and Sunday, October 15 & 16

Pine Grove Furnace State Park’s 8th annual Fall Furnace Fest will be held on Saturday, October 15th 11 AM – 7 PM and Sunday, October 16th Noon – 5 PM.  There is no charge to enter the Park or the Festival.  Most activities are free.  The 2016 Fall Furnace Festival features pumpkin carving/painting, hay rides, craft vendors, food vendors, live music, and nature displays. Demonstrations include charcoal making, apple cider making, blacksmithing, and broom making.

The Legend of the Hairy Hand is a Fall Furnace Fest tradition. Saturday evening, October 16th 7 PM at Fuller Lake, the legend will be told and the raft of glowing pumpkins will be set afloat on the lake to keep the hairy hand away. Participants can come early to carve a pumpkin and dip a candle to add to the raft. Pine Grove Furnace State Park is located at 1100 Pine Grove Road, Gardners, PA. The rain or shine event is held in the Furnace Stack and Fuller Lake Day Use Areas

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 14 – 16

43rd Annual Fulton Fall Folk Festival is a 3 day countywide event with a variety of vendors and activities in multiple locations with a parade on Saturday, Oct 15 beginning at 10:30 AM.

Friday, October 21

Fabio’s Events is having a Fall Festival on October 21, 2016 5 PM – 9 PM at  Montessori Academy, 875 Ragged Edge Road, Chambersburg.    You may purchase your tickets HERE (Children $10; Adults $15).  Fresh Homemade Soups & Sandwiches, Apple Dumplings, & Pies available A La Carte.  Tickets will include ALL Attractions:  Face Painting, Pumpkin Decorating, Candy Scramble, Wheel barrel Races, Pie Eating Contest, Family Photo Booth

Saturday, October 22

Pumpkin Patch Playtime will be held October 22 at The Local Gathering, 611 Shippensburg Rd.  $5: Pumpkin Painting; Bobbing for Apples; Pumpkin Bowling; Pin the Stem on the Pumpkin and Fishing for Candy. Ticket prices $5/child or $20/immediate family.

Stony Ridge Park, 50 Bernheisel Bridge Road, Carlisle will host their Fall Festival on October 22.  Bring the whole family out for food, fall arts & crafts, live music, hay rides & petting zoo, chainsaw carving, games & inflatables, trick-or-treating for kids (bags provided at entrance), BMX pro rider stunt shows and much more!

Saturday and Sunday, October 22 & 23

The 16th Annual Great Outdoors Festival takes place at the Whitetail Ski Resort, 13805 Blairs Valley Rd, Mercersburg.  The festival will be held on October 22th & 23th, from 10 AM until 5 PM each day and will feature crafts, a dockdogs competition, food, demonstrations, and more!  Adult tickets are $9 and Seniors/Children (ages 6 – 12) are $5.  Admission is free for children age 5 and under.

Saturday, October 29

Southampton Township, Franklin County and Shippensburg Community Parks & Recreation Authority are teaming up to host a Fall Fest on Saturday, October 29th from  6 PM – 8 PM at Memorial Park.  This is a free community event & social gathering which includes candy for trick or trunk and family fun activities.

Ongoing Fall Events

Beam’s Blue Mountain Farm will have their annual Fall Fest every Saturday in October from 10 AM – 4 PM.  There will be free hayrides through Scarecrow Hollow to the Pumpkin Fields to the pick your own pumpkin patch, free refreshments, a petting zoo, and a play area for children.

Country Creek Produce Farm is located at 3746 Etter Road and is home to Franklin County’s largest corn maze.  The farm’s attractions include the 14 acre “Hometown Heroes” corn maze, pick-ur-own pumpkin patch, hayrides, animals, pumpkin cannon, and more!

Stoner’s Dairy Farm and Corn Maze in Mercersburg offers plenty of weekend Fall activities for any age.  This year their corn maze is jungle themed.  Fall Corn Maze Weekends continue through Sunday, October 30th. Weekend offerings include maze, hayride, petting zoo, pedal carts, corn cannon, scarecrow factory, food and more.

The Annual Fall Festival at Reynolds Farm includes hayrides and pick your own pumpkins.  Over 27 activities are included with your admission, including viewing zoo, playgrounds, mega slides, wagon rides, mazes, games, and more.  Gem Mining, Corn Cannon, Barrel Train, and Face painting are extra free activities on weekends.

Ashcombe Farm & Greenhouses have Fall Harvest days on Sept. 24-25, Oct 1-2, 7-10, 14-30, 9 AM – 6 PM each day. There are fun activities, for all ages, every day. Farm Animals, Hay Slide, Corn Maze, Hay Jump, Corn Box, Tunnels, Field Games, Pick-Your-Own Pumpkins, Horse Drawn Hayrides, and Knockerballs.

 





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