LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As the air becomes cooler and the trees change color, people in the Louisville area are searching for fun things to do.
There are plenty of activities, events and places to visit in Kentuckiana that are perfect for families, couples and friends this fall season.
Every family-friendly, fall event in Oldham County
If you're looking for a day packed with family-fun, a relaxing jaunt against some picturesque fall foliage, or dark, spooky nights through a cemetery, Oldham County has it all.
Not far outside of Louisville, you can find a variety of ghost tours, live music performances, fall festivals, fun runs, Halloween trick-or-treating events and more.
Click here for a full list of all the fun Oldham County has to offer this fall.
Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom
Just in time for spooky season, pumpkins are returning to Kentucky Kingdom! Starting Sept. 30, park officials said a "magical world" filled with pumpkins will overtake the popular Louisville amusement park.
Every weekend through October there will be family-friendly entertainment, large fall displays and seasonal treats to enjoy alongside the park's year-round thrills.
This year's Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom will feature 12-foot-tall pumpkin sculptures and more than 1,000 glowing pumpkins. Officials said there will also be a pumpkin walk, large dancing scarecrows and photo opportunities throughout the park for the whole family.
Kentucky Kingdom season passholders can experience the fall festivities early with a sneak peek on Friday, Sept. 29 at the Passholder Preview Night. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.
Joe Huber's Family Farm & Restaurant
Families across Kentuckiana go to a family farm out in Starlight, Indiana every year to kick off the fall season, and that time is finally here.
Huber's Family Farm is opening their pumpkin patch on Saturday, Sept. 16. Kids and adults can catch a ride on the trailer to the patch to pick their pumpkins then return to the shop to purchase their selections
Huber's also has a corn maze, play areas for kids and a restaurant serving country-style meals.
The pumpkin patch is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until the end of October.
Joe Huber's Restaurant is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information on everything you can do at Huber's, click here.
Halloween in Brown Park
For over 20 years, Halloween in Brown Park has provided children in the St. Matthews area a safe, fun option for trick-or-treating.
Over 50 local businesses will be at the park, handing out candy and non-food items for children who may have food allergies.
The family-friendly event kicks off on Oct. 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Brown Park located behind Baptist Health.
Click here for more information about Halloween in Brown Park.
Gallrein Farms in Shelbyville
Families can visit Gallrein Farms in Shelbyville, Kentucky for the picturesque autumn experience.
Guests can enjoy hayrides to the pumpkin patch, sunflower field, a corn maze, petting zoo and more.
While Gallrein Farms is open in the spring and summer, fall is the time of year that brings the most visitors. The farm is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Admission is $20 for anyone over the age of two years old and free for anyone age two and younger.
You can check out a full list of attractions here.
Happy Halloween Weekends at Holiday World
A beloved theme park in Santa Claus, Indiana has the family-friendly Halloween fun you've been searching for this season.
Happy Halloween Weekends returns to Holidays World on Saturday, Sept. 23 and runs through Oct. 29.
The "Halloween in the Sky Drone Show," which happens every Saturday night at 7:45 p.m., is an impressive light show that uses 400 drones to create festive characters and fun, not scary images above the park.
Happy Halloween Weekends include all of the rides guests can expect at Holiday World, except for Splashin' Safari rides, which are closed until next year.
There will be new Halloween-themed shows and special Halloween attractions, including Holidog’s 3-D Adventure, Carnival Chaos, a 12-acre corn maze and a hay ride.
The park's special fall menu this year includes S’mores Funnel Cake, Candy Corn Ice Cream, and a BBQ Pork bowl with pepper jack macaroni and cheese.
You can find more information on how you can celebrate fall and Halloween at Holiday World here.
Mulberry Orchard in Shelbyville
For over a decade, Mulberry Orchard has been an apple-picking staple in Kentucky, and its easy to see why.
More than 90 acres of land make up the family-owned farm. You can find just about every vegetable and fruit you can think of but the orchard has a special place in its heart for fall favorites like pumpkins and apples.
The orchard’s fall season also hosts a number of family friendly games that everyone can enjoy. Next to the petting zoo you’ll find corn mazes, a basketball and football toss, a super slide, and trikes on a small race track. All of that is designed to be fun for kids of all ages.
Mulberry Orchard even supplies many apples to Louisville's largest school system: Jefferson County Public Schools. So students can literally see where their food comes from during their visit.
Officials say that the fall activities will run through the first weekend of November, but that doesn’t mean the farm will completely shut down. The farm market will stay open to provide fruit and veggies as the weather gets colder.
Click here for more information about Mulberry Orchard.
Harvest Homecoming Festival - Pearl Street in New Albany
Just over the river, families can enjoy beauty pageants, parades, pumpkins and more at the 55th annual Harvest Homecoming in New Albany, Ind.
This free festival will run from Oct. 12 to 15. Hundreds of thousands of people reportedly attend the autumnal event every year.
Some of the events you can expect at Harvest Homecoming: the Kids' Dog Show, the Baby Crawl, the "Name That Song Scholarship Competition", a costume contest and many more.
For more information on the Harvest Homecoming Festival, click here.
Boo at the Zoo - The Louisville Zoo
Louisville families looking for a fun, not-scary experience this spooky season can head on over to the Louisville Zoo.
"Boo at the Zoo" beings on Sept. 30 and runs through Oct. 29 every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., according to a Louisville Zoo news release.
This after-hours event turns the zoo into a living storybook. Characters from your kids' favorite stories will be walking around and available for photos.
Tickets are $13.50 for non-members (both adults and children 3 and older) and $7 for members (both adults and children 3 and older). Children aged 2 and younger can enjoy the festivities for free and do not need a ticket.
Click here for more information on the Boo at the Zoo event.
Jack O'Lantern Spectacular - Iroquois Park
Families can enjoy seeing intricately-carved pumpkins at the Jack O'Lantern Spectacular at Iroquois Park from Oct. 3 to 31.
This spooky season, guests will once again be able to walk through the park and take in thousands of hand-carved pumpkins. This year’s theme is "Wanderlust: The World is Your Pumpkin".
Visitors can catch glimpses of national parks, ancient wonders of the world and other "bucket list" destinations made out of illuminated pumpkins while they weave their way through the park.
The event will be open from dusk to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and through 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
Click here for more about the Jack O'Lantern Spectacular.
This annual festival will happen on Oct. 28 from 2 p.m. from 5 p.m. at Oval Park according to a news release.
Visitors can ride a train, go through a corn maze, get their face painted and can trick-or-treat from about two hours that day.
Over 30 vendors will over games, activities or other giveaways. Some of the food options will include Tikiz of Louisville, Al-Reef Kitchen, Alchemy and Yummiest while Atrium Brewing and West 6th will keep the beer flowing.
A Reading of Poe in the Parlor
This spooky season, the folks in southern Indiana have invited the community to a reading of some of Edgar Allen Poe's short stories, “Cask of Amontillado” and “Masque of the Red Death.”
It's from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 21 at the Lanier Mansion State Historic Site. Tickets are $10 a person and is recommended for people ages 16 and older.
Real Haunted Happenings: Dark Corners of Corydon
Take a trip down a haunted memory lane with an hours-long guided tour around Corydon on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28.
The tours start at 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at the Corydon Capitol State Historic Site and participants will learn why spirits may roam the streets.
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