Corridor Area Pumpkin Patches and Other Kid-friendly Halloween Activities

Looking for something to do this fall with your little pumpkins?  The corridor offers a ton of fun activities from apple orchards, to pumpkin patches, to safe trick-or-treating.  Here’s a list of activities I compiled.  Feel free to comment if you’ve visited any of these, and let me know if I missed any good ones!

Knight’s Farm: Pumpkin Patch
This is the one my family usually goes to every year. It’s located outside Cedar Rapids in Springville. It has a pumpkin patch, kids fun area with inflatable toys, a hayrack, and a mini-corn maze just right for the kiddos. 

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Bike riding and Bluegrass

Central City showcases two festivals this weekend – CC Rider and the 33rd annual Bluegrass Festival.

The decorated bikes have adorned lawns and businesses for weeks. Some were spray painted purple from rim to rim, some held flower baskets, and others sparkled in the summer sun. Regardless of the artist’s intention, each drew attention and encouraged passersby to participate in Central City’s 8^th annual CC Rider festival.  Finally, on Saturday, August 23^rd, the bid day arrived.

The Central City Main Street organization puts on the CC Rider Community Festival and Bike Ride every year, which began in 2001. The heart of the festival revolves around a number of bike rides. Participants could choose from either a 14, 34, 62 or the new 100 mile route through scenic Grant Wood Country. The Festival also features a 5k Run/Walk for adults as well as kids. There is also a bike safety “rodeo” and scavenger hunt for the kids.

Some unique family getaway spots await you just outside the Corridor

This weekend my family explored some of Northeast Iowa’s treasures including Spook Cave and Pike’s Peak state park.

If you’re looking for something different to do this weekend, I encourage you to travel two hours north of the Corridor and do some exploring at one of Northeast Iowa’s hidden treasures.  Spook Cave, located outside McGregor, IA , is unlike any other cave tour you’ll experience.  

I had been to Spook Cave as a child, although I don’t remember much more than the sweatshirt someone bought for me with a Casper-like ghost on it.  As we waited for our tour to start, I read up on some Spook Cave history.

We Found Fun at The Lost Island

An overcast day in the low 70s doesn’t exactly scream water activity weather, but none-the-less three carfuls of my girlfriends and our kids made our way the The Lost Island water park in Waterloo today.  Of course, when we planned the excursion last month, we expected a Friday in late July to be hot and humid.  We debated going for a moment, till I admitted I’d already bought my tickets in advance to save a couple bucks.  So, with grey skies and the threat of rain, we put on our ‘make the best of it’ mom faces and still had a pretty good time.

I found the beef and it’s in Solon!

This weekend (July 18 and 19) the community of Solon will swell as residents return to this prideful hometown and others come to see what all the fuss is about.

Solon Beef Days features bands, pedal tractor pulls, hay bale throwing contests, carnival rides, and beef of course! Check out the website for a full schedule.

Beef Days got it’s start back in 1971 when four local organizations came together to start an “old time celebration.” Because the Johnson County Cattlemen’s Association cooked steaks for the event, it seemed like “Beef” should be in the event’s name.

Come enjoy the fun, get to meet some of your neighbors and witness another first-class community in the Corridor come together with pride.

posted by: danaengelbert