Latest news with #fallfestival
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jellystone Park Locations Pack Their Autumn Weekends With Fall Activities and Halloween Fun
Some parks have as many as six consecutive Halloween-themed weekends. Activities include apple bobbing, scarecrow decorating, costume contests, campsite decorating contests, haunted trails, spooky dances, and, of course, trick-or-treating Editor's Note: A limited number of complimentary and discounted stays are available to qualified journalists, influencers and content creators. Visit request form here: SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Aug. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For some campgrounds, summer is the busiest time of year. But at Jellystone Park locations, some of the busiest weekends are actually in September and October. 'Families love our fall festival and Halloween-themed weekends,' said Trent Hershenson, vice president of marketing for Camp Jellystone, which franchises more than 75 Jellystone Park locations across North America in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences. Jellystone Park's fall themed weekends include everything from scarecrow making and fall crafts to apple bobbing and pumpkin spice cooking competitions. Halloween-themed weekends include trick-or-treating, costume contests, magic pumpkin patches, campsite and cabin decorating contests, and, at some locations, haunted houses, mummy wrapping and zombie chase activities. 'Most locations offer a combination of scary and not-so-scary experiences so families can choose the weekends with the types of activities that best fit their children,' Hershenson said. Here's a sampling of the activities planned this fall at Jellystone Park locations across the country: — Big Prairie, Ohio (Holmes County): This location will have an 'Apple Dumpling Festival Weekend' September 26-28 with hands-on workshops on how to make dumplings. There will also be cider pressing, apple decorating contests, wagon rides, barrel rides, live music, craft vendors, and Grandma Ruth's famous apple dumplings. On October 3-5 the park will have a 'Harvest Hoedown Cider & Donuts Weekend' with cider tasting, fresh-made hot apple cider, and fresh-baked spiced donuts. There will also be a tractor-pulled wagon ride, a magic pumpkin ride, costume contests, and trick-or-treating. The weekend of October 10-12 will be a 'Fall Flannel Festival' that includes a flannel fashion contest and lumberjack-inspired games as well as pine cone crafts, fall ceramics, a magic pumpkin ride, a costume contest, and trick-or-treating. A 'Fall Foliage Fiesta' is set for October 17-19 with scenic hikes, nature photography contests, pumpkin painting, and a costume parade. — Burleson, Texas: This location offers six consecutive fall weekends beginning the last weekend in September. Activities include a pumpkin decorating contest, a costume fashion show, a campsite decorating contest, a trick-or-treat trail, and an annual haunt spectacle. Three 'Gobble 'Til You Wobble' weekends are also scheduled beginning Nov. 7-9. Activities include a pumpkin pie eating contest, a turkey scavenger hunt, a gobble contest, turkey trot races, and a pumpkin spice cooking competition with sweet and savory categories. — Caledonia, Wisconsin (Just Outside Milwaukee): This location will have six consecutive weekends of fall and Halloween fun, starting with a fall fiesta the weekend of Sept. 5-7 with apple bobbing, apple bowling, fall harvest trivia, magic pumpkin seeds, a costume contest, and trick-or-treating. The weekend of Sept. 12-14 includes a wrap-a-mummy game while the weekend of Sept. 19-21 includes pumpkin bowling and a pumpkin decorating contest. Sept. 28-30 includes creepy crafts and a monster-themed costume party, a frightful scavenger hunt, spooky storytelling, and ghoulish dancing. Oct. 3-5 is a 'Wizards and Warlocks Weekend' with magical crafts and potions while Oct. 17-19 includes all kinds of fall and Halloween fun, including a campsite decorating contest and a haunted trail. — Cochran, Georgia: This location will have a chocolate lovers weekend the last weekend of September with chocolate-themed crafts, sweet treats, and various chocolate challenges, including a chocolate slide. A 'Fall Frenzy Weekend' is set for Oct. 10-13 with hayrides, pumpkin painting and autumn-themed fun. Halloween weekends are planned for the last two weekends of October with pumpkin carving, trick or treating and spooky surprises. — Endicott, New York (Binghamton Area): This location will have a 'Magical Pumpkin Weekend' Sept. 19-21. Activities include planting magic pumpkin seeds, pumpkin crafts, pumpkin chunking, pumpkin bowling, a pumpkin toss, a pumpkin memory game and a pumpkin piñata. Halloween activities with trick-or-treating begin the last weekend of September and run through Oct. 24-26. Some weekends have overlapping themes, including a 'Mischief and Magic Wizards and Witches Weekend' Oct. 3-5. Kids can make witch hats, wizard masks, and wands; join in witches' broomstick races and a spell casting relay; visit the magic potion-making station; and tour the haunted house. A pumpkin painting contest and monster-themed dance party are scheduled for October 17-19. A zombie-themed weekend takes place Oct. 24-26 with a zombie mask craft activity, a zombie walk relay race, zombie charades, and games of zombie gellyball. — Estes Park, Colorado (Just Outside Rocky Mountain National Park): This location's fall activities include Halloween Weekends the first three weekends of September with campsite decorating contests, costume contests, haunted hikes, trick- or-treating, and spooky dance parties. The last weekend of September includes similar activities plus a golf cart decorating contest and zombie laser tag. — Hurricane, Utah (Just Outside Zion National Park): This location will have five consecutive weekends with Halloween-themed activities beginning the last weekend of September. Activities include a magic pumpkin patch, a trick-or-treat trail and a spooky wagon ride. A Zombie Apocalypse weekend is scheduled for Oct. 24-26 while a Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) weekend is set for Oct. 30-Nov. 2 with vibrant festivities, crafts, and music. A 'Gratitude Weekend' will take place Nov. 7-9 with gratitude-themed activities, campfire storytelling, and moments to reflect with family. — Jamestown, New York (Chautauqua County): Three weekends with trick-or-treating and other Halloween activities are scheduled at this location beginning the last weekend of September. — Lake Charles, Louisiana: Every weekend in October has some kind of frightful activity at this location. Activities range from mummy wrapping relays and scavenger hunts Oct. 10-12 to zombie chases Oct. 17-19 and a best wicked witch laugh contest Oct. 24-26 while Halloween weekend includes a costume parade and a bone-chilling haunted trail. November activities include an autumn harvest weekend Nov. 7-9 with candle making, a nature scavenger hunt, and leaf art. The weekend of Nov. 14-16 includes cider tasting, apple bobbing, candle making, and an ugly sweater parade while Nov. 21-23 includes a gumbo cookoff, a PJ movie night, a hot cocoa bar, s'mores, and campfire stories. Thanksgiving weekend activities include pumpkin bowling, turkey tag, a pie-eating contest, and Thanksgiving crafts. — Loudon, Tennessee (Watts Bar Lake Area): This location will have six consecutive Halloween-themed weekends starting the last weekend of September. Activities include pumpkin painting, a campsite and cabin decorating contest, a costume contest, and ghoulish dances. — Monticello, Iowa (Between Dubuque and Cedar Rapids): Four Halloween-themed weekends begin Sept. 19-21 at this location. Activities include a haunted trail. A chili and soup cookoff is also scheduled for Sept. 19-21. — New Douglas, Illinois: This location has fall-themed activities the last weekend of September and first weekend of October with pumpkin picking, games, crafts, and trick-or-treating. Three Halloween-themed weekends begin Oct. 10-13 with a haunted house, trick-or-treating, and ghostly games. A zombie themed weekend is set for Oct. 24-26 with zombie scavenger hunts and an undead three-legged race. — Pelahatchie, Mississippi: This location will have a 'Harvest Hoedown Weekend' the last weekend of September. Activities include a harvest craft station, apple bobbing with a twist, a cornhole tournament, a scarecrow making contest, a wagon ride, and a harvest hoedown dance party. This location will also have five consecutive Halloween-themed weekends with a magic pumpkin patch, a scarecrow making contest, a campsite decorating contest, a golf cart decorating contest, a not-so-haunted kiddie trail, a haunted trail of terror, an eyeball scavenger hunt, vampire donuts, a glow ghost ride, and an interactive scary story with a Jellystone Park character. About Camp JellystoneWith more than 75 locations across the United States and Canada, Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts feature fun attractions such as pools and water slides, non-stop family activities, up-close fun with Yogi Bear characters, and glamping-style accommodations. For more information about Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts, please visit For information on franchising opportunities, please visit About Warner Bros. Discovery Global ExperiencesWarner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences (WBDGE) is a worldwide leader in the creation, development, licensing and operating of location-based entertainment based on the biggest franchises, stories, and characters from Warner Bros.' world-renowned film, television, animation, and games studios, HBO, Discovery, Cartoon Network and more. WBDGE is home to the groundbreaking locations of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal theme parks around the world, award-winning Warner Bros. Studio Tour locations in London, Hollywood, and Tokyo, the iconic Harry Potter New York flagship store, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, The WB Abu Dhabi, The FRIENDS Experience, The Game of Thrones Studio Tour and countless other experiences inspired by Harry Potter, DC, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Game of Thrones, FRIENDS and more. WBDGE is part of Warner Bros. Discovery's Revenue & Strategy division. YOGI BEAR and all related characters and elements © & ™ Hanna-Barbera (s25). Contacts: Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-ResortsRitter Communications, Brad RitterBRitter@ Warner Bros. Discovery Global ExperiencesLindsay A photo accompanying this announcement is available at in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jellystone Park Locations Pack Their Autumn Weekends With Fall Activities and Halloween Fun
Some parks have as many as six consecutive Halloween-themed weekends. Activities include apple bobbing, scarecrow decorating, costume contests, campsite decorating contests, haunted trails, spooky dances, and, of course, trick-or-treating Editor's Note: A limited number of complimentary and discounted stays are available to qualified journalists, influencers and content creators. Visit request form here: SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Aug. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For some campgrounds, summer is the busiest time of year. But at Jellystone Park locations, some of the busiest weekends are actually in September and October. 'Families love our fall festival and Halloween-themed weekends,' said Trent Hershenson, vice president of marketing for Camp Jellystone, which franchises more than 75 Jellystone Park locations across North America in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences. Jellystone Park's fall themed weekends include everything from scarecrow making and fall crafts to apple bobbing and pumpkin spice cooking competitions. Halloween-themed weekends include trick-or-treating, costume contests, magic pumpkin patches, campsite and cabin decorating contests, and, at some locations, haunted houses, mummy wrapping and zombie chase activities. 'Most locations offer a combination of scary and not-so-scary experiences so families can choose the weekends with the types of activities that best fit their children,' Hershenson said. Here's a sampling of the activities planned this fall at Jellystone Park locations across the country: — Big Prairie, Ohio (Holmes County): This location will have an 'Apple Dumpling Festival Weekend' September 26-28 with hands-on workshops on how to make dumplings. There will also be cider pressing, apple decorating contests, wagon rides, barrel rides, live music, craft vendors, and Grandma Ruth's famous apple dumplings. On October 3-5 the park will have a 'Harvest Hoedown Cider & Donuts Weekend' with cider tasting, fresh-made hot apple cider, and fresh-baked spiced donuts. There will also be a tractor-pulled wagon ride, a magic pumpkin ride, costume contests, and trick-or-treating. The weekend of October 10-12 will be a 'Fall Flannel Festival' that includes a flannel fashion contest and lumberjack-inspired games as well as pine cone crafts, fall ceramics, a magic pumpkin ride, a costume contest, and trick-or-treating. A 'Fall Foliage Fiesta' is set for October 17-19 with scenic hikes, nature photography contests, pumpkin painting, and a costume parade. — Burleson, Texas: This location offers six consecutive fall weekends beginning the last weekend in September. Activities include a pumpkin decorating contest, a costume fashion show, a campsite decorating contest, a trick-or-treat trail, and an annual haunt spectacle. Three 'Gobble 'Til You Wobble' weekends are also scheduled beginning Nov. 7-9. Activities include a pumpkin pie eating contest, a turkey scavenger hunt, a gobble contest, turkey trot races, and a pumpkin spice cooking competition with sweet and savory categories. — Caledonia, Wisconsin (Just Outside Milwaukee): This location will have six consecutive weekends of fall and Halloween fun, starting with a fall fiesta the weekend of Sept. 5-7 with apple bobbing, apple bowling, fall harvest trivia, magic pumpkin seeds, a costume contest, and trick-or-treating. The weekend of Sept. 12-14 includes a wrap-a-mummy game while the weekend of Sept. 19-21 includes pumpkin bowling and a pumpkin decorating contest. Sept. 28-30 includes creepy crafts and a monster-themed costume party, a frightful scavenger hunt, spooky storytelling, and ghoulish dancing. Oct. 3-5 is a 'Wizards and Warlocks Weekend' with magical crafts and potions while Oct. 17-19 includes all kinds of fall and Halloween fun, including a campsite decorating contest and a haunted trail. — Cochran, Georgia: This location will have a chocolate lovers weekend the last weekend of September with chocolate-themed crafts, sweet treats, and various chocolate challenges, including a chocolate slide. A 'Fall Frenzy Weekend' is set for Oct. 10-13 with hayrides, pumpkin painting and autumn-themed fun. Halloween weekends are planned for the last two weekends of October with pumpkin carving, trick or treating and spooky surprises. — Endicott, New York (Binghamton Area): This location will have a 'Magical Pumpkin Weekend' Sept. 19-21. Activities include planting magic pumpkin seeds, pumpkin crafts, pumpkin chunking, pumpkin bowling, a pumpkin toss, a pumpkin memory game and a pumpkin piñata. Halloween activities with trick-or-treating begin the last weekend of September and run through Oct. 24-26. Some weekends have overlapping themes, including a 'Mischief and Magic Wizards and Witches Weekend' Oct. 3-5. Kids can make witch hats, wizard masks, and wands; join in witches' broomstick races and a spell casting relay; visit the magic potion-making station; and tour the haunted house. A pumpkin painting contest and monster-themed dance party are scheduled for October 17-19. A zombie-themed weekend takes place Oct. 24-26 with a zombie mask craft activity, a zombie walk relay race, zombie charades, and games of zombie gellyball. — Estes Park, Colorado (Just Outside Rocky Mountain National Park): This location's fall activities include Halloween Weekends the first three weekends of September with campsite decorating contests, costume contests, haunted hikes, trick- or-treating, and spooky dance parties. The last weekend of September includes similar activities plus a golf cart decorating contest and zombie laser tag. — Hurricane, Utah (Just Outside Zion National Park): This location will have five consecutive weekends with Halloween-themed activities beginning the last weekend of September. Activities include a magic pumpkin patch, a trick-or-treat trail and a spooky wagon ride. A Zombie Apocalypse weekend is scheduled for Oct. 24-26 while a Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) weekend is set for Oct. 30-Nov. 2 with vibrant festivities, crafts, and music. A 'Gratitude Weekend' will take place Nov. 7-9 with gratitude-themed activities, campfire storytelling, and moments to reflect with family. — Jamestown, New York (Chautauqua County): Three weekends with trick-or-treating and other Halloween activities are scheduled at this location beginning the last weekend of September. — Lake Charles, Louisiana: Every weekend in October has some kind of frightful activity at this location. Activities range from mummy wrapping relays and scavenger hunts Oct. 10-12 to zombie chases Oct. 17-19 and a best wicked witch laugh contest Oct. 24-26 while Halloween weekend includes a costume parade and a bone-chilling haunted trail. November activities include an autumn harvest weekend Nov. 7-9 with candle making, a nature scavenger hunt, and leaf art. The weekend of Nov. 14-16 includes cider tasting, apple bobbing, candle making, and an ugly sweater parade while Nov. 21-23 includes a gumbo cookoff, a PJ movie night, a hot cocoa bar, s'mores, and campfire stories. Thanksgiving weekend activities include pumpkin bowling, turkey tag, a pie-eating contest, and Thanksgiving crafts. — Loudon, Tennessee (Watts Bar Lake Area): This location will have six consecutive Halloween-themed weekends starting the last weekend of September. Activities include pumpkin painting, a campsite and cabin decorating contest, a costume contest, and ghoulish dances. — Monticello, Iowa (Between Dubuque and Cedar Rapids): Four Halloween-themed weekends begin Sept. 19-21 at this location. Activities include a haunted trail. A chili and soup cookoff is also scheduled for Sept. 19-21. — New Douglas, Illinois: This location has fall-themed activities the last weekend of September and first weekend of October with pumpkin picking, games, crafts, and trick-or-treating. Three Halloween-themed weekends begin Oct. 10-13 with a haunted house, trick-or-treating, and ghostly games. A zombie themed weekend is set for Oct. 24-26 with zombie scavenger hunts and an undead three-legged race. — Pelahatchie, Mississippi: This location will have a 'Harvest Hoedown Weekend' the last weekend of September. Activities include a harvest craft station, apple bobbing with a twist, a cornhole tournament, a scarecrow making contest, a wagon ride, and a harvest hoedown dance party. This location will also have five consecutive Halloween-themed weekends with a magic pumpkin patch, a scarecrow making contest, a campsite decorating contest, a golf cart decorating contest, a not-so-haunted kiddie trail, a haunted trail of terror, an eyeball scavenger hunt, vampire donuts, a glow ghost ride, and an interactive scary story with a Jellystone Park character. About Camp JellystoneWith more than 75 locations across the United States and Canada, Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts feature fun attractions such as pools and water slides, non-stop family activities, up-close fun with Yogi Bear characters, and glamping-style accommodations. For more information about Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts, please visit For information on franchising opportunities, please visit About Warner Bros. Discovery Global ExperiencesWarner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences (WBDGE) is a worldwide leader in the creation, development, licensing and operating of location-based entertainment based on the biggest franchises, stories, and characters from Warner Bros.' world-renowned film, television, animation, and games studios, HBO, Discovery, Cartoon Network and more. WBDGE is home to the groundbreaking locations of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal theme parks around the world, award-winning Warner Bros. Studio Tour locations in London, Hollywood, and Tokyo, the iconic Harry Potter New York flagship store, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, The WB Abu Dhabi, The FRIENDS Experience, The Game of Thrones Studio Tour and countless other experiences inspired by Harry Potter, DC, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Game of Thrones, FRIENDS and more. WBDGE is part of Warner Bros. Discovery's Revenue & Strategy division. YOGI BEAR and all related characters and elements © & ™ Hanna-Barbera (s25). Contacts: Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-ResortsRitter Communications, Brad RitterBRitter@ Warner Bros. Discovery Global ExperiencesLindsay A photo accompanying this announcement is available at in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The unexpected anxiety of fall festival season
It's almost here…can you feel it? You know it's coming. For some of you, it might already be here. Or maybe, wherever it is you live, perhaps it's already passed. If so, congratulations. Here in Florida, though, it's just about to start. Fall festival season. Also known as the time of year when my anxiety about disappointing carnival workers and going broke buying 25-cent stuffed animals for five dollars really starts to ramp up. Can you feel that hint of autumn freshness in the air? I can't. Partly because it's still 90 degrees here most days, and partly because I'm worried about happening upon a carnival I didn't know about when the kids are with me in the car. This happened last year. I make a point of keeping a mental map of where the festivals are in our area and a rough calendar of when they arrive and depart. That way, I can avoid driving past any of those locations during carnival dates. Last year, though, I failed. One afternoon, we were driving to the park, just minding our own business, when suddenly an involuntary groan emanated from the very core of my beleaguered soul and escaped out of my mouth. I had seen it first. The hint of a Ferris wheel just beyond the stand of trees on the right. I rested my elbow on the steering wheel so that the palm of my hand could support the weight of my stupid head that had clearly not been doing its most important job. About five seconds later, the shrieking from the backseat began. Needless to say, we didn't make it to the park that day. Rather, we pulled into the large empty field that seems to hold no purpose other than hosting this small carnival each fall. There is a rutted dirt path that picks up where the asphalt from the street leaves off that is guarded by a swinging metal gate you might see on a cattle pen. There is no fence anywhere, just the lonely gate and a sagging oak tree standing watch. Because it was around 3:30 on a Thursday afternoon, there were no more than five cars scattered about the field of matted grass. 'Well, at least it's not too crowded,' I thought, stupidly. The fair was set up like an alley with rides on both sides and game booths down the middle. There was only one way in and out. Better than The Hotel California, but only slightly. Once we bought our ride tickets (like 20 for $30 or something similarly ridiculous), we were trapped. At each game booth and little kids' ride, we were besieged by bored carnival workers. 'Hey, Dad! Fishing game right here,' they said. 'I'll let them keep playing until they win.' That sounded good until you realized winning meant that, in return for five dollars each, they got to pull plastic fish out of the water with toy fishing rods, which took about fifteen seconds, so that they could receive a genuine stuffed animal (retail price: approximately fifty cents). 'Umm, maybe on our way out,' I stammered with my most awkward smile plastered on my face. 'Ok. I'll be here!' Crap. He was right. He would be there. And I couldn't count on the crowd of seven total fairgoers to help me blend in. This was turning into my worst nightmare. As we made our way along the festival alleyway, I was accosted by literally every game attendant. I didn't have much cash on me, but I seriously considered finding an ATM so as not to disappoint any of them. Sure, finances are tight with three kids, but when the choice is stick to a budget or personally disappoint people, I'm genetically predisposed to spending with reckless abandon. 'Maybe next time,' I tried to say at a few of the games. 'OK. We'll be here,' they replied. Crap. They were really good at this. To simplify matters, I emptied the contents of my wallet onto the ground and started tossing dollar bills, five-dollar gift cards, Dunkin Donuts game pieces, and a membership card to the science center in the direction of every festival worker I could find. Eventually, I hit upon an alternative strategy. The ride attendants were typically less aggressive than the game attendants, so I instructed the boys to walk with me as close to the rides as possible. When the attendant at the ring toss turned her back, we darted past, hugging close to the haunted house. This strategy worked very poorly. Primarily because my kids are terrible at subterfuge, they zig-zagged back and forth, admiring the cheaply-made plush monkeys hanging from a string in front of the water gun shooting booth. 'Want to give it a shot, Dad? See what kind of aim you have?' the attendant asked. 'HAHAHA,' I responded for some reason as I herded the kids back toward the festival entrance/exit. We stopped on the way out to ride the little train thing that just slowly drives around an oval for about one minute. The boys loved it more than I've ever loved anything. We rode it twice, which pretty much exhausted all our ride tickets. Thirty dollars well spent. All that was left to do was escape to the car, which was easier said than done because we had to pass by the fishing guy. And yes, he was there as promised. Short story shorter, the boys fished out plastic fish from a kiddie pool, which pleased them inordinately. As promised, they received their prizes: miniature stuffed sharks. They loved the sharks so much they carried them around for a couple of days and then deposited them in our heap of stuffed animals that lives either on the shelf in the playroom or on the floor. It took a bit of cajoling and promises to return soon to get them to the car, but we finally made it. As we drove away, I took a few deep breaths to calm my raging anxiety and promised myself never again. But now that I'm writing this and thinking about the boys' exuberant faces, I can already feel myself caving. I'm sure it will be fine. I mean, what could go wrong? Remember how I laughed for some reason when the water gun game guy talked to me, and then we ran away? It can't get much worse than that, and I survived! Sure, I think about it most nights when I'm lying in bed, but, really, I'm totally cool with it now. And this time, I'll be better prepared. When the game attendants start hassling me by asking politely if I'd like to play their game, I will confidently say, 'No, thank you. Not this time…maybe next time around. We'll be back in five minutes…I'm out of money. What is a game? Where is the bathroom? Look up! Is that an asteroid coming our way?' That should do it. Solve the daily Crossword
