Family Friendly Events Around Metro Detroit for Fall 2019

Today is officially the first day of fall! So grab a Pumpkin Spice Latte, throw on some boots and a scarf and take the kiddos outside to enjoy the beautiful weather! There are so many fun things to do around Metro Detroit this time of year, so there’s really no excuse not to! We have even compiled a list for you to make them all easier to find. So get out there and have some fall fun! Don’t forget to let us know if there is something going on in your town that we missed!

Things to Do:

October 5th at 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

What: Ferndale Fall Festival
Where: Detroit Curling Club
Details: 2019 entertainment and activities include – hayrides, pony ride, carnival games, face painting, inflatable bouncers, trick-or-treating, pumpkin painting, music, arts and crafts, photo station and more!

October 6th

What: Fall Color Walk
Where: Heritage Park in Farmington Hills @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Details: Experience the magic of the season! Take a guided hike under a canopy of color through Heritage Park. Discover why and how leaves change color in the fall, and search for animals preparing for winter. Please dress for the weather.

What: Harvest Happening – Fall Festival
Where: Hess-Hathaway Park in Waterford @ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Details: This annual event is a fun event for the entire family. The day is filled with a variety of activities and events including:
A children’s area with inflatables, a trackless train, Science Alive, make and take crafts, a pumpkin patch, Golden Age Club Bake Sale, crafters, entertainment, farm animals, food concessions, hayrides, pony rides, and more!

What: Clawson Fall Festival

Where: Clawson City Park @ 3:00 – 6:00 pm
Details:Celebrate the beginning of fall with an afternoon of fun with the Parks & Rec Department! The day includes free hayrides, farm animals, free rock-climbing wall and inflatables (don’t forget your socks) and baked goods for sale. Food offerings will be available at the Clawson Chamber’s Taste of the Town. The day will end with everyone’s favorite— a bonfire conducted by the Clawson Fire Department.

October 8th @ 5:00 – 8:00 pm

What: Hay Day
Where: Heritage Park in Farmington Hills
Details: Hay! Check out these unbe-leaf-able activities: hayrides, pumpkin painting, hiking, bouncing on the bounce house, touring the Fire Department’s fire tuck, roasting marshmallows and hot dogs over Farmington Hills largest camp fire, and watching the trees change color. Food, hayrides, and other items will be available for purchase. FREE ADMISSION

October 11th-27th

What: Hallowe’en at Greenfield Village
Where: Greenfield Village
Details: What is the most enchantingly thrilling Hallowe’en adventure of all time? The story you create in Greenfield Village through magical encounters with show-stopping storybook characters along a path lit by over 1,000 hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns.

Throughout your evening, comfort yourself with craft beers, warm apple cider and fresh doughnuts, then stop for a photo opportunity at your favorite scene. The torches are lit, bells are tolling, skeletons are dancing and pumpkins are singing — all to make this the most stirring night of the year.

October 12th

What: Stone Wall Pumpkin Festival
Where: Rochester Hills Museum/Van Hoosen Farm
Details: Come and enjoy the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm’s signature event – the Stone Wall Pumpkin Festival. The presenting sponsor is Genisys Credit Union. Activities during the day include food, pumpkin bowling, Stoney Creek High School Drum line, a Rochester Hills Fire Truck, and more! Guests are invited to carve a pumpkin and place it on the stone walls surrounding the Museum property and return in the evening to see all the pumpkins lighted up! The Museum is hoping to exceed its record of 1,011 pumpkins lighted at one time. In addition, an outdoor exhibit of scarecrows made by local organizations will be on display. The Museum will provide stencils and carving tools but guests are encouraged to bring their own carving tools from home.

October 17th – 30th

What: Zoo Boo

Where: Detroit Zoo
Details: The Detroit Zoo’s annual “merry-not-scary” event has been re-imagined to bring even more Halloween excitement to your family! New this year–the entire Zoo will be open until dark, allowing you to visit your favorite animals throughout. You will also have the option to purchase tickets to a 15-minute version of “The Wizard of Oz 4-D Experience” at the Wild Adventure Zone in the Ford Education Center, or purchase tickets to take a ride on the Tauber Family Railroad!

Zoo Boo will be held on the afternoons of October 11-13, October 18-20 and October 25-27. These Friday, Saturday and Sunday events will run from 3 to 7:30 p.m. with last entry at 6:30 p.m.

October 18th – 20th

What: Halloween Hoot
Where: Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve in Rochester, MI
Details: An annual fundraiser hosted by Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve, Halloween Hoot is a light-hearted family friendly Halloween experience for you and your family to enjoy in a safe, all-in-one, environment. Discover Dinosaur Hill like you’ve never seen it before with guided forest walks with funny and interactive skits along the way, crafts, candy (duh!), a mini-carnival, and a cozy campfire with cider and doughnuts!

October 19th

What: Mommy/Daddy and Me – Monster Mugs
Where: Creative Arts Studio in Royal Oak
Details:Scoop up your little monster and come make a memory at our Monster Mug Mommy/Daddy and Me class. We’ll read a monster story and then use hand prints and sponges to create a monster design on a coffee mug. After the class, our talented custom artists will add details and your child’s name finish of your personalized masterpiece. Cost: $25

October 20th

What: Trick or Treat Among the Trees

Where: Troy Nature Center
Details:Put on your costume and come out to hike the woodland pumpkin trail with a SNC guide. Learn some secrets of the forest, receive treats, meet costumed characters and more! Dress for the weather. Adults are free and must remain for the program.
Ages: 3 – 9
TNS Member: $10.50 | Non-Member: $13.50

October 26th 

What: Streets of Treats (Family Halloween Event)
Where: Downtown Northville
Details:Kids’ costume parade begins at 10:00am beginning at the Community Center (303 W. Main St). Trick or Treat Stations will be open throughout Downtown Northville. Please come out and join us!

What: Trick or Treasure
Where: Downtown Clawson
Details: Kids in costume will travel through the downtown businesses collecting allergy-free treats and maybe a few tricks along the way! Find more information about this Downtown Development Authority (DDA) event at downtownclawson.com! There will tentatively be an unveiling of the Clawson / DIA Mural Project as well—check the back page for details!

What: Halloween Hoot
Where: Beverly Park in Beverly Hills
Details: All children living in Beverly Hills are welcome to join in the festivities. For more information go to the Beverly Park homepage.

October 27th 

What: Birmingham Farmers Market End of Season Celebration
Where: Parking Lot # 6 North Old Woodward (the east side of North Old Woodward, north of Harmon Street) @ 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Details: Everyone is invited to join in as the Birmingham Farmers Market wraps up the season. Dress your children in their Halloween costumes and let them enjoy these fun pre-Halloween activities and events: live entertainment, children’s craft, pumpkin carving demos, Trick or Treating (make sure the kids wear their costumes!)

What: Spooky Monster Magic Show
Where: Baldwin Public Library @ 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm
Details:Join Gordon Russ the Magician for his special Spooky Magic Halloween Show. (The Pumpkin Patch parade will be held at afterwards!) All ages. Registration required for magic show – Call 248 647-1700.

October 28th @ 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm

What: Trick or Treat in the Village
Where: Troy Historic Village
Details:Don your red riding hood, climb a beanstalk, fly a magic carpet—make your way to the Troy Historic Village for fairytales and legends come to life. Wear your Halloween costume and collect tasty treats from all over Village fairytale land. Storybook characters, potions and elixirs, magical beasts and more await! Activities include pumpkin bowling, ringing the anvil and jousting, making a dragon craft to take home, and collecting mini-pumpkins

October 29th @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm

What: Troy Police Halloween Safety Bash
Where: Troy Police Department
Details: The Troy Police Department hosts the third annual Halloween Safety Bash, an emergency vehicle trunk or treat, on October 29, 2019 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The FREE, kid-friendly event features decorated police, fire and EMS vehicles, along with displays from a variety of community partners. The first 2500 children will receive a free, reusable safety light. Other giveaways include candy and promotional items. A live DJ will keep the event hopping with Halloween-themed music. All kids are welcome and costumes are optional. This a free event. For more information, email troypolice@troymi.gov.

 Cider Mills:

Cider Mills are the perfect fall event! Here is a list of cider mills around the metro Detroit area. See one missing? Comment below or email us your favorite and we’ll add it to the list!

1. Blake’s Orchard (17985 Armada Center Rd., Armada)
2. Erwin Orchards and Cider Mill (61475 Silver Lake Rd., South Lyon)
3. Franklin Cider Mill (7450 Franklin Rd., Bloomfield Hills)
4. Long Family Orchard & Cider Mill (1540 E. Commerce Rd., Commerce Twp.)
5. Miller’s Big Red Apple Orchard (4900 32 Mile Rd., Washington)
6. Paint Creek Cider Mill (4480 Orion Rd., Rochester)
7. Parmenter’s Cider Mill (714 Baseline Rd., Northville)
8. Rochester Cider Mill (5125 Rochester Rd., Rochester)
9. Spicer Orchards and Cider Mill (10411 Clyde Rd., Fenton)
10. Three Cedars Cider Mill (7897 Six Mile Rd., Northville)
11. Yates Cider Mill (1990 E. Avon Rd., Rochester Hills)

Mom of Fame – Arianne: Single Mom to Blended Family

Arianne is a mom to two and step-mom to four! She was a single *boy mom* that met the man of her dreams and is now a blended family of eight. She talks about the achievements she has had from not only raising her boys, but from being a step mother as well. She goes into combining the two families and the challenges and success (and love) that comes along with it. She deserves the mom of fame title.

Please show Arianne some momfaming love!

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

I’m 33-years old and live in the small town of Morenci, Az. I am currently a full-time online college student with Grand Canyon University. As of August 2019, just made my University President’s List for maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

Until 3 years ago I was a single mom raising two boys to become men. Then I met my current fiancé and now combined we have 6 children total, 3 boys and 3 girls. All from ages 12-years old to 4-years old.

My life is fulfilled for the first time in my life, everything seems to be coming together. I’m achieving things I never thought I could possibly do. Someone helping me mold my sons and having daughters of my own.

What is the best piece of advice you were given about motherhood? Did you take it? Would you give that piece of advice to someone else?

Motherhood is one of the most difficult jobs, yet one of the most rewarding jobs. It’s one of those blessings that come during the most difficult storms of your own, and your biggest achievement you could ever see is when you realize the young ladies and boys that you have raised and the people they become. To not be afraid to raise them by rules, and it’s ok to be the bad guy; that is your job because they will teach them to be great citizens. Not to baby them, and to allow them to stand on their own feet and use their voice.

At first as a new single mom I didn’t take the advice about not babying them, and about not standing over them and trying to do everything for my two sons. This was something I learned as they got older. It was extremely hard to break because they wouldn’t apply themselves and if something was hard, they wouldn’t want to do it.

Advice I would give is allow your children to learn how to use their own voice in a respectful manner. If something is happening at school that is bothering them, they need to tell a member of the school staff. They need to not be afraid to be honest and talk to someone that will teach them how to understand what having a voice truly means. Also, allow them to try new things. If they are three and want to try and make their own chocolate milk then let them, let them start to explore and remember they are learning by watching you.

How is motherhood different than you imagined it would be?

I thought Motherhood would be easy. That it’s a natural way of life. Motherhood is far from that! It’s a constant learning experience and constantly is teaching you more about yourself as a woman and mother.

Motherhood changes you and that’s something I never thought I would do. I thought I was secure in who I was, but becoming a mother taught me more about my own strengths and weaknesses that I didn’t know I had.

What are your three strengths when it comes to motherhood?

1. Patience has become one of my biggest strengths when it comes to their bad days, or teaching them how to cook. Patience and being patient with them during homework and life lessons.

2. Listening to them. When I learned to listen to my children my relationship with them got stronger. Showing that their feelings do matter.

3. Making time for the little things. Life gets so busy and making the time to go on that bike ride with them because they asked or going to throw the ball with them. Making time for the little things is also a huge strength because that’s when the bonding happens.

Describe a time where you were completely overwhelmed as a mother.

When I went from being a mom of two children to a mom/stepmom of six children.

Combining a family and trying to do everything for all of them and build relationships and understand them. That was extremely hard and overwhelming. I would hide in the bathroom at times just because I felt, at many times, I couldn’t make any of them happy or be the mother/stepmother I wanted to be.

It’s frustrating and felt like I was failing them all. It took about a year of overcoming the feelings I had to finally understand how to be the mother I wanted. It also took me not giving up just because it was hard. My stepchildren love their dad, but there is something about the women of the house. Always coming in to ask me something when my fiancé was right next to me or coming in to tell on someone.

Learning how to be what they all needed was very overwhelming. Now I can say it was worth it.

Is there anything you feel that you have lost about yourself since becoming a mother? What have you gained?

Being a mother, there is no room for being selfish. Everything you do as a mother is for your children. No decision can be made without thinking how this will affect your children.

I was a selfish young adult, and that wasn’t the best quality. So, gaining the understanding of not being selfish, I feel, has made myself a better person in general.

Having my children has made me a better person.

What do you want your child(ren) to learn from you?

How to accept your mistakes and learn from them.
How to never give up when things get hard.
How to constantly want to improve and grow as a person.
How to always reach for your best and challenge yourself.
How to never stop being about family.
How to understand that being a stepparent is just as important; to be a parent to all the children.
How blood doesn’t make you family, but if you have step siblings, they are your family. How to protect each other as they grow up together.
How to be strong and independent people.

Mom of Fame – Brooke: Girl Mom of a Toddler & a Teenager

Brooke is another amazing mom that we are lucky enough to add to our Mom of Fame. She is a *girl mom* of a toddler and a teenager (and she is still alive to talk about it!) She tells us about the overwhelming moment that finally made her ask for help, what losing her sister at a young age taught her and how becoming a mom made her love herself more than ever. Please show Brooke some momfaming love!

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

I am a Health, Wellness and Life Coach. My husband is a therapist, we live in Rochester Hills and have 2 Daughters Gabriella (14) and Paisley (4).  My husband and I love to spend our free time with the kids, either going to the park, to the local hot spots or travelling up north. Gabriella plays Club travel volleyball and that takes up a lot of our time as a family traveling to support her at her tournaments. We enjoy family game night and Friday Pizza nights. Our youngest is obsessed with dance and we enjoy watching her nurture and develop that. We try to have a date night twice a month so that we stay connected, because if we are in sync everything else sort of falls into place. We are just your typical family of girls, all things pink.  We really try to have fun as a family and laugh as much as possible.

What is the best piece of advice you were given about motherhood? Did you take it? Would you give that piece of advice to someone else?

The best piece of advice I was given about motherhood was to be like water and go with the flow [and to] remember to enjoy the little moments because in the end those are the biggest moments.

I continue to take this advice, I’m not perfect at it but having kids whose ages are farther apart I see the value in it.

I give this advice to any mom who asks for it.

How is motherhood different than you imagined it would be?

Motherhood is a thousand percent different than I imagined it. I think when you are pregnant with your first you sort of start planning things out and imagining how they will look. Then when baby comes it’s like WOAH, this isn’t what I signed up for! HAHA. But, It ends up being everything you never thought you needed and more; truly incredible. Even on the most challenging days, the love you feel and the connection is more amazing than anything. At least for me, that’s how it has been.

What are your three strengths when it comes to motherhood?

I’m caring and loving; I lost my sister when I was 13, so I really show my kids how much I love them and make a point to tell them daily..

I would say I encourage my kids to be uniquely themselves and independent, by showing them in my actions.

I’m pretty good at making them laugh either with me or at me and we love an impromptu dance party. I really try to be fun but with a side of responsible.

Describe a time where you were completely overwhelmed as a mother.

A time I was completely overwhelmed as a mother was when I was sick with gall stones and a blocked bile duct. I had multiple outpatient surgeries with a baby and tween. I was sick and I was in pain and exhausted. I felt guilty for not being able to keep up with either kid’s schedule and I had an emotional melt down. This forced me learn how to ASK for help and receive it. Something I don’t think many of us are very good at. Learning that has been monumental in my ability to feel confident reaching out to family and friends when I’m in over my head.

Is there anything you feel that you have lost about yourself since becoming a mother? What have you gained?

I would say I lost some of my feisty free spirit; but, what I’ve gained is so much more than what I felt I lost. The beauty about motherhood is that things about yourself can be lost, but they can also be found again and when those things come back it’s better than you remembered it. I learned unconditional selfless love because of being a mom and it is what defines me now. Honestly, the thing I am most proud of today, is being a mom and my kids.

What do you want your children to learn from you?

I want my kids to know that they can be anything they want to be, and not to dim their light for anyone. I really take to heart that kids will do what you do, not what you say, so I just try to show them that it’s never too late to do the things that light you up.