Top 10 Family Events to Do This Fall

Fall is apple season, as orchards are filled with sweet and crisp varieties ready to be picked and eaten. Apple Jack Orchards offers fall harvests with 20 varieties of apples as well as pumpkins and sunflowers. The fun farm is also celebrating Peanuts’ 75th anniversary with a 5-acre themed corn maze to pay homage to Charlie Brown and his friends. The grounds also feature a corn pit, bouncy cushions, games, swings, a bubble barn, a wagon train and more. Keep the merriment going by taking home hand-dipped caramel apples, homemade pies and chips. (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Nov. 23, $8 to $20, free admission to the apple market, gift shop and bakery, 4875 37th St. SE., Delano, applejackorchards.com)

Valleyfair’s spooky nights of fun are back. The amusement park has resurrected Minnesota’s biggest Halloween attraction. Guests will need to be brave to enter the six immersive haunted mazes, including the new, scary-tastic “Cryptic Land,” where guests must avoid the Minnesota Iceman. Those who manage to navigate the mazes safely can traverse spooky zones and interactive activities like Hide and Seek, Hell on Wheels, Raveyard and more. This time, the attraction is a separate ticketed event from the family-friendly “Tricks and Treats” daytime event, which will continue this year with lighthearted, scare-free entertainment and activities. (ValleyScare: Select Fridays and Saturdays, Sept. 21-Oct. 26; check website for schedule, valleyscare.com; Tricks and Treats: 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28-Oct. 27, valleyfair.com, $34.99-$65, 1 Valleyfair Drive, Shakopee)

A short drive from the Twin Cities will take you to wholesome fall activities at the farm where “joy is the main crop.” Seasonal adventures include a bee experience, corn maze, zoom mountain, corn box, farm animal visits, hayrides and more. At the accompanying Waldoch Farm, little farmhands can pick strawberries, vegetables and other produce. There’s also a variety of hanging baskets and bedding plants for fall planting. (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily Sept. 21-Oct. 31, closed Tuesdays, $14.99 to $22.99, 8174 Lake Drive, Lino Lakes, waldochfarm.com)

With the feel of a backyard carnival, this event also has the serious goal of raising awareness about suicide prevention. Through activities and information from community resources, the goal is for guests to leave with coping skills and daily tips to help children and teens with mental illness. Learn healthy mindfulness through games and activities. Eat from food trucks, listen to music and maybe even win a raffle prize. Proceeds benefit Shout Out Loud’s School-Based Mental Wellness and Coping Skills program, which equips students with strategies to maintain their mental well-being. (11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 28, free, The Roc, 3700 Monterey Drive, St. Louis Park, shoutoutloudmn.com)

The Anoka County Fairgrounds will be filled with the sights, sounds and smells of cooler weather. More than 100 makers, crafters and artisans will be selling a variety of wares. Enter the daily costume contest, then ask a brave friend to take a stroll through the Knights of Columbus Haunted House. The Anoka-Champlin Fire Department will provide safety demonstrations. Entertainment will include music, festival food, pedal tractors, pumpkin bowling and more. Wristbands will be available for carnival rides for $25 daily. (11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 4-6, $5 to $10, 3200 St. Francis Blvd., Anoka, anokacountyfair.com)

More than 40 decorated characters will add charm to the western suburbs. Families can take a self-guided tour of the city to see quirky, clever and fun scarecrows dressed up for fun. Most of the scarecrows are staged outside stores and businesses to showcase members of the Waconia Chamber of Commerce. For a little extra competition, there will be a grand prize and a winner chosen by the public. (October 10-20, throughout Waconia, check the website for locations, destinationwaconia.org)

Kids don’t have to wait until Halloween to show off their costumes. Dress up as a princess, superhero or other character for a trick-or-treat. Organizations that help youth in the Coon Rapids community will be there. Play a game of bingo or musical chairs. Get your face painted and run obstacle courses. Each child will receive a pumpkin while supplies last. (10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 19, free, Sand Creek Park, 1008 Northdale Blvd., Coon Rapids, coonrapidsmn.gov)

A gathering for geeks, nerds and those who are simply obsessed with certain entertainment franchises. Celebrity attendees include actors Hayden Christensen and Stephanie Beatriz and professional wrestler Sting, to name a few. Throughout the three days, guests and cosplayers can attend workshops and shop from vendors selling comic book, toy, movie and gaming merchandise. (Nov. 8, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Nov. 9, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Nov. 10, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Nov. 10, $10 to $199, Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 2nd Av. S., Mpls., twincitiescon.com)