Fun Fall Activities at Campgrounds

Here’s a sampling of some of the fall activities taking place at campgrounds, RV parks and resorts across the country, followed by examples of festivals with nearby campgrounds that can be used as base camps to attend these events:

Acres of Wildlife Campground in Steep Falls, Maine: This campground’s Halloween-themed weekends take place during the last two weekends of September with campsite decorating and trick-or-treating throughout the campground.

Lake Monroe Jellystone Park in Bloomington, Indiana: Autumn at this park begins with a fall art festival Sept. 16-18 that features local artisans who bring their creations and show how they make them as well as craft activities, such as wood burning and candle making, in which everyone can participate. “The Great Scarecrow Weekend” will be Sept. 23-25 with a magic pumpkin patch, ghostly crafts, a scarecrow decorating contest and trick-or- treating Saturday night. There will also be Halloween-themed weekends every weekend in October with a magic pumpkin patch, caramel apples, contests for best costumes and best decorated campsites, and trick-or-treating. 

Buckeye Lake / Columbus East KOA in Buckeye Lake, Ohio: This park will offer a “Redneck / Hillbilly Weekend” Sept. 23-25 with seed spitting contests, target practice, games of herding and crafts. A “Scarecrows and More Weekend” is set for Sept. 30-Oct. 2 with a campsite decorating contest using scarecrows, pumpkin decorating, fall crafts, and parades with decorated golf carts and bicycles. This park will also offer four consecutive Halloween-themed weekends in October with campsite decorating, pumpkin carving, pumpkin decorating and costume contests that include pets.

Gettysburg Battlefield KOA in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: Halloween themed events are scheduled for the last two weekends of October and will include a haunted trail, campsite decorating contests, trick or treating, Friday night ghost stories and Saturday night outdoor Halloween party with a DJ.

Hagerstown / Antietam Battlefield KOA in Hagerstown, Maryland: This park has four consecutive Halloween-themed activities beginning the weekend of Oct. 7-9. Activities include costume parades, Halloween crafts, pumpkin carving, magic shows and campsite decorating contests. The park also operates Terror at Creekside Manor, a haunted house inside a two-story house on property next door to the campground.

Harpers Ferry / Civil War Battlefields KOA in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia: Halloween events at this park are set for every weekend in October, including costume contests, trick or treating, and a haunted house.

Houghton / Letchworth KOA in Houghton, New York: This park will have a fall festival weekend Sept. 24 with fall crafts, a fishing derby and a nature scavenger hunt. Halloween-themed weekends will take place the first two weekends of October and will include Halloween games, campsite decorating, a flashlight candy hunt, and trick-or-treating.

Lake Arrowhead Campground in Montello, Wisconsin: This campground has a state-sanctioned barbecue competition called the Puckaway Pigfest Sept. 9-11 and four Halloween-themed weekends Sept. 16-18, Sept. 23-25, Sept. 30 to Oct. 2, and Oct. 14-16. Activities include a magic pumpkin patch, a haunted walk, a costume dance and trick-or-treating.

Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort in Santa Claus, Indiana: This park will have seven consecutive Halloween themed weekends starting Sept. 16 -17.  Activities include campsite decorating, costume contests and trick-or-treating.

Jellystone Park at Birchwood Acres in Greenfield Park, New York: This park is planning a full week of Halloween activities, Aug. 22-28, with ghoulish games, creepy crafts and a haunted house. The park will also have four consecutive Halloween-themed weekends beginning Sept. 16-18 with pumpkin painting, pumpkin bowling, a campsite decorating contest and a costume contest during the Saturday night dance.

Jellystone Park at Larkspur, Colorado: Fall activities at this park include four consecutive Halloween-themed weekends starting Oct. 7-9 that include decorated golf cart parades, campsite decorating contests, costume contests, trick- or-treating and Halloween-themed crafts and activities.

Jellystone Park at Pine Lake in Pittsfield, Illinois: This park will feature three consecutive Halloween-themed weekends starting Sept. 23-25 with activities that include decorating the Pine Lakes Witch House, a “witches house bonfire,” costume contests for adults and children, and a haunted trail maze at night. The park will also offer three consecutive non-scary Halloween-themed weekends beginning Oct. 14-16 with pumpkin painting, costume contests, trick-or-treating and wagon rides.
 

Jellystone Park of Chicago in Millbrook, Illinois: This park kicks off fall with a “Fall Fest Weekend” Sept. 23-25 with apple bobbing and scarecrow making contests and a fall scavenger hunt. A “Friends Giving Weekend” will take place Sept. 30-Oct. 2 when park guests are invited to bring a dish to share in a park-wide potluck. Three Halloween-themed weekends will start Oct. 7-9 with non-scary activities, including magic pumpkin rides, costume contests and trick-or-treating. Halloween festivities Oct. 14-16 will include a

“ ‘Boo!’ Boo Boogie” with a DJ and dancing, with the scariest weekend being Oct. 21-23 with a haunted forest walk.

Medina KOA in Medina, New York: This campground will have a Mardi Gras-themed weekend Sept. 16-18 with a Mardi Gras themed golf cart parade. The park will also celebrate Halloween the last two weekends of September with a costume contest, trick-or-treating and a Halloween party with music, games and prizes. Over Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 7-10, the park will offer pumpkin painting and children’s candy bar bingo, both for children 17 and under, as well as live music for all ages performed by the Creekside Country Band.

Pierceton Jellystone Park in Pierceton, Indiana: This park will host a Halloween-themed weekend Aug. 5-7, which includes a “Trail of Terror,” trick-or-treating, a costume contest, Halloween riddles and Halloween bingo. The park’s “Fall Fest Farewell Weekend,” Sept. 16-18, includes a pumpkin patch for the kids, pumpkin carving contests for adults and children, an Oktoberfest celebration with sausage, kraut and German beer, and a family movie night.

Port Huron KOA in Kimball, Michigan: This park is planning seven consecutive Halloween-themed weekends starting the weekend of Sept. 15-18. Activity details will be posted on the park’s website later this summer.

Shelby / Mansfield KOA in Shelby, Ohio:  This park will have a fall festival weekend Sept. 14-16 when campers will be able to help make apple cider and participate in pumpkin glow carving contests. There will also be caramel apples, apple dumplings, Dutch oven donuts and bonfires with s’mores. Starting the weekend of Sept. 23-25, the park will offer four consecutive Halloween-themed weekends with pumpkin painting, campsite decorating contests and trick-or-treating. There will also be a haunted barn on every weekend except Oct. 7-9. Proceeds from the haunted barn will be donated to KOA Care Camps.

Tall Pines Campground in Bainbridge, New York: This park will have two consecutive Halloween-themed weekends beginning Sept. 30-Oct. 2, the first of which will feature Halloween activities for pets, including a pet parade and pet slate painting. Other activities include a flashlight pumpkin hunt and Halloween plaster crafts. Halloween-themed activities for Oct. 7-10 include a costume parade, zombie laser tag, candy dish painting, a grim reaper’s candy hunt, tie dye t-shirts featuring pumpkins and ghosts and a spookiest campsite contest.

Temecula / Vail Lake KOA in Temecula, California: This park will have five consecutive Halloween-themed events beginning the last weekend of September. Activities will include pumpkin carving and painting; Halloween costume and campsite decorating contests for people and pets; Halloween-themed barrel train rides; and arts and crafts.

Whispering Hills Jellystone Park in Big Prairie, Ohio: This park’s fall activities include a “Barnyard Weekend” Sept. 16-18 with a petting zoo, scarecrow face painting, a shucking corn competition, and a straw bale toss. The park’s annual “Apple Dumpling Festival Weekend” is scheduled for Sept. 23-25 with activities ranging from a kiddie tractor pull to horse-drawn dragon rides, as well as apple and fall festival activities, including an 8-acre corn maze. Mrs. Saurer’s famous apple dumplings will also be available for purchase. The park will have five consecutive weekends with Halloween-themed activities beginning Sept. 30-Oct. 2 with pumpkin tosses and pumpkin bowling among other events. The last weekend of October will feature mummy races, painting challenges and Halloween costume contests.

Of course, while many campgrounds offer their own variety of fall activities, others can be used as base camps for fall festivals and other events nearby.

Here’s a sampling of fall events with nearby campgrounds:

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, Oct. 1-9, in Albuquerque, New Mexico: This annual event, now in its 50th year, will feature more than 600 hot air balloons, including balloons and balloon pilots from around the world. Highlights of this event include the pre-dawn balloon launches when the brightly colored balloons lift off into the still dark sky.

Nearby campgrounds include:

American RV Resort in Albuquerque.

The Calaveras Grape Stomp, Oct. 1, in Murphys, California: This community event has become an annual tradition for families and friends to gather for a weekend of wine fun that includes California’s largest grape stomping event. Over 100 “Stomp Teams” of two compete for the title of "Top Stompers" on the big stage and for a good cause as a portion of the auction proceeds benefit community groups and the high school scholarships program. Attendees enjoy wine by the glass and bottle, food vendors and entertainment as well as the annual Grape Stomp Auction. Nearby campgrounds include:

Angels Camp RV Resort in Angels Camp

The Catoctin Colorfest, Oct. 8- 9 in Thurmont, Maryland: This event, one of the largest outdoor craft shows on the East Coast, features local art, jewelry, crafts, and a variety of delicious foods. Nearby campgrounds include:

Ole Mink Farm Resort in Thurmont

Frankenmuth’s Oktoberfest, September 15-18 at Heritage Park in Frankenmuth, Michigan: Frankenmuth's Oktoberfest was the first Oktoberfest to operate with the blessing of the original Oktoberfest in Munich. With this proclamation, the event was moved into September to coincide with the opening of the Munich event. Munich’s Hofbrauhaus became the official beer sponsor of the Frankenmuth Oktoberfest in 1997. With Frankenmuth's unique German heritage and culture, the Frankenmuth Oktoberfest strives to preserve the sights and sounds of the Munich Oktoberfest.  The event features authentic entertainment, dancing, Oktoberfest souvenirs, various food selections, and authentic Hofbrauhaus Oktoberfest beer. Nearby campgrounds include:

Jellystone Park in Frankenmuth

LaFayette Apple Festival, Oct. 8-9, in LaFayette, New York: Held annually in the heart of Upstate New York’s apple-growing region, the festival features an apple pie and scarecrow competitions in addition to featuring crafters and artisans, roaming entertainers and musical performers. The festival is located directly on U.S. Route 20, which is a New York State Scenic Byway.

Nearby campgrounds include:

Forest Lake Campground in Truxton

Medina Lake Cajun Festival, Sept. 24, in Lakehills, Texas: This festival brings the music, food and culture of Louisiana to the Texas Hill Country for fun the whole family can enjoy. Visitors can listen and dance to topnotch Louisiana Cajun and Zydeco music on two stages with bands from the heart of Louisiana, and sample gumbo from the Great Gumbo Cook-off.  Delicious Cajun food is cooked on site. Dishes include crawfish pies, jambalaya, fried fish and shrimp, red beans and rice, crawfish etouffee, boudin jalapeno pepper poppers, bread pudding with whiskey sauce, and pecan pralines. Nearby campgrounds include:

Lake Medina RV Resort in Lakehills

Peoria Country Festival at Pleasant Harbor, Oct. 8 in Peoria, Arizona:This event features live country music from popular country bands as well as food trucks, a beer garden serving a variety of “adult beverages,” as well as a fan experience located within the event which includes “live” bull riding. The event site features views of Lake Pleasant and easy access to a variety of lakeside water sports activities. RV sites are available at Pleasant Harbor RV Park.

The Warrens Cranberry Festival, Sept. 23-25 in Warrens, Wisconsin: Activities include a parade; cranberry march tours; a biggest cranberry contest; a cranberry chiffon pie eating contest; a quilt and needlework contest; and a photography contest. There will also be a pancake breakfast with cranberry syrup. Nearby campgrounds include:

Jellystone Park in Warrens

Wurstfest, Nov. 4-13, in New Braunfels, Texas: This is a 10-day German-themed food and craft beer event at the Wurstfest grounds in New Braunfels. Nearby Campgrounds include:

Leisure Resort on the San Marcos River in Fentress