Fall Fun in Omaha...for Families, and Adults!
Labor Day is approaching fast. Pretty soon the leaves will be changing, and the heat and humidity will be a distant memory. Time to layer up in cozy sweaters and put on your kicky boots. There’s no better time to enjoy the great outdoors!
Picnic in the Park
From neighborhood favorites, like Elmwood Park and Standing Bear Lake, to green spaces tucked into urban areas (think Turner Park at Midtown Crossing), to destination spots, like Schramm Park State Recreation Area, Platte River State Park, and Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, fall is the perfect time for dining al fresco. So pack a picnic, spread out a tartan blanket, include a thermos of hot cocoa, and don’t forget your football or favorite novel for a little post-meal entertainment.
Take a Hike
Lace up your sturdy shoes, grab some water, and hit one of the many local trails. They range from easy ambles to rigorous routes. Bird lovers, check out Heron Haven Nature Center, a local wetland sanctuary. Fontenelle Forest Nature Center is perhaps the most well-known hiking destination for families, but it also sponsors specialty hikes for adults and seniors on its 19-plus miles of trails. Its sister organization, Neale Woods Nature Center, is a 600-acre nature preserve in the Ponca Hills. Just across the Muddy Mo is the Loess Hills prairie refuge, Hitchcock Nature Center, with 10 miles of trails. (Be sure to sate the appetite you’ve worked up at Christy Creme, an old-fashioned hamburger and ice cream stand between Crescent and Council Bluffs!) Or venture north to visit Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge along the banks of the Missouri River in Ft. Calhoun. Go further afield to DeSoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge, which straddles the Nebraska-Iowa border outside Blair and is home to the Steamboat Bertrand Museum. (Grab a bag of fresh-baked goodies at Jim and Connie’s Blair Bakery to fuel your foray into nature!) If you visit DeSoto early autumn, make sure you return later in the season for the yearly migration of waterfowl and shorebirds.
An Apple a Day…
Apple pickin’ is a’plenty in autumn. And the fruit is just bursting with flavor, so pick enough to put up pies to freeze and bake later! Super Bee Orchard in Fort Calhoun has a wide variety of you-pick apples as well as pre-picked varieties (and frozen pies you can bake and take credit for). Nebraska City boasts numerous orchards, including Kimmel Orchard and Vineyard and Union Orchard. Both have extensive grounds and homey country stores full of old-fashioned finds. After you pick a bushel or two and conquered the corn maze at Ditmars Orchard and Vineyard in Council Bluffs, treat yourself to a snack (caramel apple, anyone?) in its gift shop.
Pop Over to the Pumpkin Patch
Hopping on a hay wagon to pick a pumpkin from the field is quintessential fall fun. Vala’s Pumpkin Patch and Apple Orchard immediately comes to mind, with its many activities – including a corn maze, train rides, pony rides, and spook shed – and events. But there are other lower-keyed options as well. The Bellevue Berry and Pumpkin Ranch is open for you-pick berries and pumpkins, has an old-timey town play area, and hosts numerous events throughout the year. And if you really want to go old-school, low-cost, visit the pumpkin patch Wenninghoff’s Farm this fall for hay bale climbing, a corn maze, a combine slide, and more (and pumpkins, of course).
Hit an Event
There are plenty of one-and-done outings during an Omaha autumn. History buffs will love stepping back in time for Ft. Atkinson State Historical Park’s Living History Day, chocked full of artisans practicing their trades, soldiers running drills, and enactors bringing 1820s living to 21st century life. The event will take place September 5-6 and October 3-4. Fort Calhoun has more to offer. Alpacas of the Heartland Farm hosts the National Alpaca Farm Days on September 26-27. Tour its rolling hills to pet – and feed – big-eyed alpacas, then tour the pop-up gift shop for wooly finds. Fall is time to celebrate the humble apple. Nebraska City draws big crowds for its AppleJack Harvest Festival, held this year on the weekends of September 19-20, 26-27, and October 3-4. The ongoing Arbor Day Farm Harvest Celebration, held each weekend from September 1-October 31, features living history days, hayrides, apple picking, and more. Get a jump on holiday shopping at Junkstock Harvest Edition on October 2-4 and 9-11 in Waterloo, NE. Hundreds of antique and vintage vendors, live music, and food trucks make it must for shoppers, foodies, and music buffs alike. Fall is busy at Ditmar Orchard and Vineyard, which hosts the Fields of Flight Hot Air Balloon Festival September 11-13, Midwest Winds Kite-Fliers September 19, and Pumpkin Festival in October.
And for the Adults…
No kiddos to take to the pumpkin patch or apple picking? No problem! There’s PLENTY of fall fun for adults, too! One word: Oktoberfest. And this one word brings to mind another single word: beer. Omaha’s German American Society is hosting its annual Oktoberfest on September 18-19, so stop by the German-American Club for a beer and brat. Or check out the celebration at the Crescent Moon on September 25&26. Since you are on Farnam Street, pop into Farnam House Brewing Co to sample a few of their house brews. Or take it on across town to Benson, home to a few other local brew houses, like Benson Brewery (get a serving – or two, or three – of their delicious soft pretzel sticks, the perfect beer-sipping snack) and Infusion Brewing Company. Infusion also has locations in southwest Omaha and Little Bohemia. Don’t forget Lucky Bucket Brewing Company in LaVista, which offers tours and tastings. Or if your tastes run to wine, Springfield’s Soaring Wings Vineyard and Brewing is definitely worth a visit, especially during its annual Harvest Festival held the last Saturday of September. Ditmar Orchard and Vineyard also has a Wine Walk on October 3.
Fall is the season of plenty, and that includes an abundance of activities in the Omaha area. So get out there and enjoy!
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