THINGS TO DO IN CINCINNATI - 4 GREAT FAMILY-FRIENDLY FALL OUTINGS

Wow, October 1st already!  And my mind is swirling with images of pumpkins and hay and corn mazes.  While the Greater Cincinnati area has lots of great destinations for Fall fun, I give you four of my family's favorites:


1.  Fall-O-Ween Festival at Coney Island

I admit to a special fondness for Coney Island any time of the year.  Before King's Island and its acres of incredible roller coasters, thrill rides, and award-winning kiddie area, there was Coney.  It closed when I was a baby and I know its amusement park history only through documentaries and stories from my parents and older siblings.  Still, this small amusement park by the river has a charm all its own, even when I'm not imagining where the painted Yellow Brick Road once wound through the park's "Land of Oz."

Fall-O-Ween features displays, Halloween crafts, farm animals, and a trick-or-treat trail, as well as all the classic Coney rides.  Fall-O-Ween runs weekends now through October 9, from noon to 6 p.m.  More information, including online ticket purchasing, can be found at Coney Island's website here.







2.  Fall on the Farm - Blooms 'N Berries, Loveland, Ohio 

There's nothing like a family farm to make Fall complete.  Located about 20 miles northeast of downtown Cincinnati, Bloom 'N Berries won the 2006 award for "Best Pumpkin Patch" from Cincinnati magazine.  We'd have to agree.  There are lots of kid-friendly activities, games, animals, and a hayride to the gorgeous fields full of pumpkins.  They also have the most fabulous 7-acre corn maze, this year cut in the shape of a train.  (Check out the photo here.)

 Blooms 'N Berries' Fall on the Farm is open weekends now through the end of October.  For prices, directions, and hours, please check out their website here.


3.  Halloween Nights at Parky's Farm, Winton Woods, Cincinnati

Enjoy a hayride through the woods, gather around the camp-fire, and enjoy beautiful lighted displays at Parky's Farm.  Other activities include a moon bounce, obstacle course, not-so-haunted barn (non-moving decorations with creepy music), and a fortune-teller.  Your family might also enjoy The Magic of Phil Dalton and Rock Star Corey's Kids Rock Show.  Halloween Nights is open 6 to 10 p.m., Thursday through Sunday, beginning October 6.  Admission is $6 per person (free for kids under 23 months), but you can save a dollar per ticket by purchasing online here.   Directions and more information can be found at the Hamilton County Parks website here


4.  Hall-Zoo-Ween, Cincinnati Zoo

Enjoy Halloween fun at Cincinnati's first-class zoo and botanical garden.  Children 12 and under can dress in costume and trick-or-treat through the Zoo.  You can also take in Phil Dalton's Theatre of Illusions on Satudays and Sundays at 1 and 3 p.m., get your fingers painted or a tattoo at the Beauty Shop of Horrors, watch giant pumpkin carving demonstrations, and visit the Frisch's pumpkin patch.  Also back for 2011 is the Search for the Golden Frisch's Big Boy.  Find one of the two golden Big Boy statues hidden each day and win your choice of a Frisch's or Zoo prize package valued at $150.

Hall-Zoo-Ween is free with Zoo admission -- $14 for adults, $10 for children, and $8 for parking.  Directions and more information can be found at the Zoo's website here.


So, tell me, what are some of your favorite Halloween traditions or outings?  Please share in the comments!