Fall Fun for Everyone!

With many of last fall’s family activities scrapped or downsized due to the pandemic, this year’s slate of festive happenings is robust, and rightly so!

Dress-Up Days

Get a head start on dressing up at the Egyptian Theatre’s “Halloween Spooktacular!” by YouTheatre, bringing the classic stories of Dracula and Frankenstein to life on the Egyptian Studios’ stage. Billed as “a little bit spooky, a little bit silly,” the event is held Oct. 29 – 31, with tickets available by clicking here. The Egyptian is also hosting an “Evil Dead Film Fest,” hosted by “Evil Dead” star, Bruce Campbell. From Oct. 29-31, the Festival will feature the films, “Evil Dead,” “Evil Dead II,” “Army of Darkness,” and “My Name is Bruce.”

Basin Recreation’s “Celebrate the Spirits” event will be on Saturday, Oct. 30 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. For $15 per individual or $40 per family, revelers of all ages can enjoy trick-or-treating, costume contests, festive activities, and local vendors. Click here to learn more and purchase tickets.

The DeJoria Center in Kamas is hosting a Trunk or Treat on Oct. 30 from 3:30 – 6 p.m., with free admission and food/drinks available from the State Road Food Wagon. Families are invited to participate with their vehicle and enough treats to go around!

And it’s official! One of the most beloved locals’ events in Park City is back – Halloween on Main Street will be held on Oct. 31 from 3-5 p.m. This popular and highly anticipated event features storefronts up and down Main offering goodies to local ghouls and goblins, capped off at 5 p.m. with the Dog Parade on Lower Main Street. Leashed, costumed dogs and their owners should meet at 4:45 below the Lower Main Street Pedestrian Bridge, from which they will march to Heber Avenue. As with all Old Town events, everyone is encouraged to walk, bike, carpool or take Park City Transit to Main Street, with doggies welcome on the busses with their owners. For more information, click here.

Pumpkin Picking

Nothing says “fall” quite like visiting a pumpkin patch on a mission to find the most fitting candidate for your family’s front porch jack-o’-lanterns!

As part of the ongoing transformation of the former Park City Nursery into the expanded Park City Gardens, a Pumpkin Patch and Haunted Forest has opened for the month of October. Admission is free, but a donation to the Utah Food Bank is encouraged. Hours are Monday – Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and on Sundays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Park City Municipal is inviting everyone to show off their spooky pumpkin creations at the inaugural community Pumpkin Stroll, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 28, at the Bonanza Art Park (corner of Munchkin Road and Bonanza Drive). Participants can drop-off an already-carved pumpkin at the Art Park between 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Oct. 28, then all submitted jack-o’-lanterns will be lit and placed around the park for community viewing from 4 – 7 p.m. Costumes are encouraged, with planned activities including pumpkin painting, piñata making, face painting and spooky tunes with DJ Funky Boss, lawn games, and beer garden.

In Wasatch County, Kohler Creamery hosts is Hay Maze and Pumpkin Patch, featuring a maze constructed from more than 100 straw bales on this working dairy farm, and the opportunity to select that perfect pumpkin to take home. Prices are $8.99 per person for the maze and pumpkin, or $11.99 for a VIP experience when you add on some yummy Aggies Ice Cream. Heber Valley Artisan Cheese curds, soups and grilled cheese sandwiches are also available for purchase. This attraction operates through Oct. 30 from Monday through Saturday during business hours (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.).

With more than 55 attractions in one location, Cornbelly’s in Lehi at Thanksgiving Point offers up a massive corn maze, apple blasters, duck races, a giant slide, a ropes course, hayrides, farm golf, and a cow train, among other family-friendly activities. Activities such as paintball, face painting, a u-pick pumpkin patch and a carousel are available for an extra fee. Cornbelly’s is open Monday-Saturday through Oct. 30, with extended hours until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.    

If you’re up for driving to bucolic Cache County (70 miles north of Salt Lake City), the American West Heritage Center holds activities throughout October, earning it Reader’s Digest’s “Best Pumpkin Patch” honors for Utah. While the Fall Harvest Festival is held Oct. 15 & 16, and includes opportunities to press fresh apple cider, make candles and take a turn in the BB shooting range, the Center’s daily activities also include pony and train rides, a seven-acre corn maze (closed Sundays) and “Haunted Hollow” on Friday and Saturday nights.

Fun and festive community celebrations are one of the many reasons so many people Choose Park City. Connect with Christine Grenney at 435-640-4238, or visiting her website by clicking here to learn about the many mountain properties providing easy access to each of the state’s resort communities.