Ashland County features a flurry of events through October

ASHLAND — Like autumn?

Like it or not, it’s a busy time of year and the Ashland County community is here for it.

There’s hiking through the multi-colored trees in the woods, searching for Bigfoot, trick or treat (for kids and adults), apple picking and more.

Scroll to find happenings through October.

The Loudonville Street Fair

The annual street fair, meaning it’s open to the public for free, has been around since 1876. Expect downtown Loudonville’s streets to be lined with rides, fair food and vendors through this weekend.

For a full schedule for each day, check out the website.

Get your food & cider here

• Head out to the Scenic Ridge Fruit Farm in Jeromesville for apple picking and autumnal clothes and food shopping. The farm is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Oct. 7.

• Honey Haven Farm in Milton Township will throw a fall festival from Sept. 23 through Oct. 29. Their hours are Friday, 3-7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. There’s an indoor straw maze, a corn maze and seasonal produce for sale.

• Pathfinder Farms, just outside of Hayesville, will host S’mores with Mom on Oct. 7. The seventh-annual event features pumpkin carving, fishing, archery, carpentry and hiking.

• It’s not a farm, but it’s close enough. Beyond Measure Market in Greenwich will host a Fall Fest Open House on Oct. 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with pumpkin themed foods and other seasonal items like mums.

• Shenandoah Christian Church, in Shiloh, will host its 65th annual Apple Butter Festival on Oct. 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. They’ll have homemade soups, sandwiches, pies and apple dumplings, and, of course, apple butter.

The famous apple butter will be made on the spot in five copper kettles over wood fires all day.

• Go make some cider at the Ashland County Parks District’s Sauer Farm Cider Days event. It will happen Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 260 Township Road 1601 in Greenwich.

• Grace Church on West Main Street in Ashland will host the Ashland Church Community Emergency Shelter Services annual Souper Saturday on Oct. 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event benefits ACCESS through sales of hot dogs, homemade soups, drinks and baked goods.

Hiking

The Ashland County Parks District offers up a challenge through the Fall Hiking Spree from Sept. 8 to Nov. 30.

Residents are encouraged to hike six of 11 routes found in Ashland County parks. The list of routes, which vary in difficulty and length, are available online.

Spooky (and kooky) events

• Bigfoot Basecamp: If you’re into searching for Bigfoot, Pleasant Hill Lake Park is throwing its second-annual Bigfoot Basecamp event. The event draws hundreds of Sasquatch enthusiasts from around the country.

Tickets start at $15 per car and more information can be found here.

• Halloween Weekend comes early at Pleasant Hill Lake Park. The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District park will throw a party on Oct. 14 featuring trick or treat, a costume ball, crafts, archery, hayrides, balloon twisting and magic.

• The Ashland County Historical Society’s Freer Home on Center Street in Ashland will host its fifth-annual Pumpkin Glow on Oct. 21 from 5-8 p.m.

The event will feature decorated jack-o’-lanterns throughout the property and a “family-friendly” Halloween House inside Freer Home. Admission costs $5 for adults and $3 for children.

• Ashland Main Street is hosting a Costume Crawl in downtown Ashland on Oct. 27 from 5-9 p.m.

AMS encourages people to “celebrate the season the big kid way” by patronizing downtown restaurants, which will have food and drink specials all night and then partake in the costume contest at Foundation Plaza.

• Appleseed Community Mental Health Center hosts its Autumn Apple Festival on Oct. 28 from 1-3 p.m. The free event features trunk or treat, face painting, crafts, a bouncy house and corn hole.

• Ashland Main Street also thinks of the kids. The downtown Ashland nonprofit will sponsor a Costume Capers event on Oct. 31 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Kids are encouraged to dress up for a trick or treat route downtown.

Trick or treat (and trunk or treat) times

Hayesville will host its annual Halloween Trunk or Treat & Cruise-In on Oct. 14 from 1-5 p.m.

Grace Church on West Main Street in Ashland will throw a trunk or treat event on Oct. 18 from 5-7 p.m.

The Inn at Ashland Woods, an assisted living facility, will host a trick or treat event on Oct. 19 from 6-7 p.m.

Ashland: 5-7 p.m. on Oct. 26.

Jeromesville: 6-7 p.m. on Oct. 26.

Loudonville: 3:30-7 p.m. on Oct. 28. A parade will start in downtown Loudonville at 4 p.m.