Family Friendly Fall Fun in Central Ohio

This time of year is perfect for outdoor family activities. I have rounded up a few of my Favorite Family Friendly Fall Activities for Central Ohio.

Family Friendly Fall Fun in Central Ohio

Fall Fest and Boo at the Zoo

Columbus boasts the #1 zoo in the country!  And autumn is a perfect time to visit, cool weather makes some of the animals more active. Also, The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has 2 fun fall events: Fall Fest weekends in September and Boo at the Zoo weekends in October. These events include special animal enrichment activities, character meet n greets, local music and more.  You may even bump into Jack Hanna himself.  Be sure to check out all the family fun planned for these weekends.

Apple Picking

This is a particular fave for our family.  It’s so much fun to fill up your bags with those sweet apples. And eat one along the way too.  We are partial to Lynd Fruit Farm in Pataskala but you can also try CherryHawk Farm in Marysville. Be sure to visit their sites to see which varieties are being picked when. You just gotta love the smell of Apple Crisp or Homemade Applesauce– even more when u-picked them!

Pumpkin Patches (of course)

There is nothing that says fall more than picking out your pumpkin and craving a cute face.  And here in the Columbus area we have Farms that go above and beyond *just* being a pumpkin patch.  Here are a few of the Farms in the Central Ohio area:

Leeds Farm, Ostrander (outside of Marysville)
8738 St Rt 36, Ostrander, 43061
$1 off coupon on website
Sep 21 –Oct 27 (weekends) Sat 10a-5pm & Sun 11a-5pm and ONE Friday 10/18 10a-5p

Kuhlwein’s Farm Market & Deli, Hilliard
1859 Walker Rd, Hilliard 43026 614-876-2833
Fall Events begin Sep 28/and every Sat and Sun
admission price is $10 dollars per person

Pigeon Roost Farm, Hebron
4413 National Rd SW, Hebron OH 43025, 740-928-4925
Sep 14-Oct 31 10a-7pm

Fall Festivals

All year round Central Ohio has great festivals to check out with the family.  Whether they are focused on food, music or culture- there is something for everyone.  You can see a full list of the 2018 Columbus Festival schedule here.  Of note are the Delaware County Fair in late September (nice to have a fair not in the heat of summer), Columbus Oktoberfest Sept 7-9 (gotta do it for the cream puffs!) The Harvest Fair at the Columbus Commons on Sept 29 and the Columbus International Festival in late September.

Amusement Park Road Trip

So technically this one is not in Central Ohio. But since we live 2 hours in either direction to the country’s best amusement parks, it’s worth noting.  Both Cedar Point and Kings Island have Halloween inspired weekends in the fall. So take a little road trip and enjoy a ride or two.  I have not been to KI’s Halloween activities, but Cedar Point’s HalloWeekends are great fun for the family.  I will say, we do not buy into all the ghosts and goblins… So we just stay out of those areas and are sure to be out by nightfall. Both parks offer family friendly Snoopy activities (and some years even trick or treating!). If you are staying for the weekend, I suggest looking into Hotel Breakers at Cedar Point. They have done a beautiful renovation and the perks of being on property are nice.

Would You Add Anything to My List?

Be watching for the Columbus Area Trick or Treat Schedule for 2018