As fall carries on, the weather cools down and daylight becomes shorter, seasonal festivities take place.
Butler’s Orchard is a family-focused farm with pick-your-own patches, a kids’ play area & hayrides, plus a market and cafe. Butler’s Orchard is having its 42nd annual pumpkin festival from Sept. 24 to Oct. 30, Wednesdays through Sundays.
Senior Spencer Becker went to Butler’s Orchard with friends and went pumpkin picking. “I spent the day at Butler’s Orchard and had a lot of fun, they have so much to do there,” Becker said.

Butler’s Orchard has a wide selection of activities depending on the season. “I was able to do so much like pet animals and go on tractors and get pumpkins and eat food,” Becker said.

Butler’s Orchard has a large variety of pumpkins to choose from in their pumpkin patch. The pumpkins come in all different shapes and sizes. “I am excited to use the pumpkin I got and carve it with my friends,” Becker said.
Another fall festivity that has begun to take place are Oktoberfests, which include festivities such as professional pumpkin carving, apple cider pressing demonstrations, inflatables, hands-on crafts, pumpkin and face painting, balloon twisting, bubbles, artists and crafters, family activities and strolling entertainers. They also commonly have stages with live entertainment featuring a variety of bands and opportunities to stroll through the business expo, explore restaurants and retail establishments within the community.

Senior Katie Bowman goes to Oktoberfests with her family every year. “I love Oktoberfests because there are so many different activities to do and me and my family have so much fun together,” Bowman said.
Bowman’s favorite activity is painting pumpkins and she enjoys the food at Oktoberfests. “One of my favorite things is the food because there are so many different things I get to try. I also like that different stands give out candy and free things,” Bowman said.

Bowman also loves to bake. “Baking in the fall is literally my favorite thing to do because I love using spices like cinnamon and nutmeg and pumpkin spice in my recipes,” Bowman said.

Baking is a form of self-expression that helps relieve stress. Bowman bakes all kinds of treats and shares them with her family and friends. “My favorite things to bake are apple pie and pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread with my mom and I like to bake because it soothes me and makes me feel calm and I get to spend time with my mom,” Bowman said.

Senior Nick Kim enjoys hiking during the fall and tries to go at least a couple times a month. Hiking can improve cardiovascular health and muscle tone that uses every part of your body. Kim said, “I like to hike because it is good exercise and I can spend time in the fresh air and I usually hike with friends or family and I bring my dog.”