Extend the camping season with Autumn Adventures in Ohio

With more than 8 million acres of woods that soon will be draped in fall color, the Ohio Tourism Division and Ohio Department of Natural Resources have teamed up to provide a one-stop Autumn Adventures website at www.DiscoverOhio.com/AutumnAdventures. Filled with information on Ohio's fall festivals and events, weekly fall color reports, farm markets, wineries and itineraries, Autumn Adventures is designed to help fall leaf peepers, outdoor adventurers and festival goers enjoy Ohio's outstanding fall travel experiences.

"Autumn in Ohio is a season for all the senses — the sweet smell of grapes in the vineyards; a riot of blazing red, orange and yellow foliage in 74 state parks; the taste of tart, juicy apples from a farm market or pumpkin donuts from a festival," said Ohio Tourism Director Amir Eylon. "Having four distinct seasons gives Ohio travelers a variety of experiences throughout the year and our fall events and attractions continue to be some of our visitors' favorites."

In addition to the festivals and events that celebrate the fall season in Ohio, the Autumn Adventures website also features:
- Travel itineraries;
- Wineries/vineyards ripe for the October "crush;"
- Farm markets brimming with pumpkins, squash and baked goods.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources features include:
- Weekly fall color reports from across the state (beginning in late September);
- Scenic drives;
- Hunting and birding information;
- State park events and more.

Following is just a sampling of festivals included on the Autumn Adventures website:

Barnesville Pumpkin Festival, Downtown Barnesville, Sept. 23 - 26 (SE Ohio)
This Barnesville tradition features a pumpkin weigh-in for the largest pumpkin and pumpkin-infused treats including ice cream, pies and cookies. Visitors enjoy local contests for the longest beard and a fiddle-playing championship. Don't miss the crowning of Barnesville's royalty.

20th Annual Barberton Mum Fest, Lake Anna Park, Barberton, Sept. 25 - 26 (NE)
Regarded as the largest display of mums in North America, the 20th Annual Mum Fest displays 20,000 Chrysanthemums that create more than a million mum blooms in a rainbow of colors at Barberton's Lake Anna Park. Visitors enjoy a potted mum sale, log carving, water ski shows, arts and crafts, fabulous foods, sand sculpting, historical displays and children's activities. This family-friendly event also hosts free musical entertainment by local acts.

Feathers and Foliage Bird Festival, Throughout Kelleys Island, Sept. 25 (NW)
Take a tree identification walk through Kelleys Island State Park with a State Park manager, and bring along your binoculars for the guided birding walk at the North Pond Preserve and Boardwalk. Visitors can view a variety of migrating birds along the trail and from an observation deck overlooking the pond. At the bi-annual Long Point banding station, visitors can see birds up close as they're banded for tracking.

Ohio Swiss Festival, Downtown Sugarcreek, Oct. 1 - 2 (NE)
Enjoy Swiss costumes, Alpine horn players, Swiss-inspired storefronts with hand-made goods and samples of nearly every cheese imaginable. Known as the "Little Switzerland of Ohio" the bucolic village of Sugarcreek is the perfect backdrop to enjoy the Steintossen (a contest in which contestants "toss" a 138 pound stone), a yodeling contest, musical entertainment from polka to the Grammy-nominated Del Sinchak, parades and more.

Apple Butter Festival, Mt. Gilead State Park, Oct. 1 - 2 (C)
Get the family and a camping tent and head down to Mt. Gilead State Park in beautiful Morrow County for a celebration of fall. Homemade samples of apple butter will make for a tasty treat followed by hayrides, Halloween-themed festivities, fall hikes, entertainment and ham and bean soup. As the stars come out, it's prime time to build a campfire and tell spooky ghost stories.

40th Annual Bob Evans Farm Festival, Rio Grande, Oct. 8 - 10 (SE)
This celebration of the harvest season attracts thousands of visitors with its traditional arts & crafts, farm contests, children's activities and demonstrations and delicious home-style foods that warm the body and soul. Live musical entertainment features some of the region's favorite bluegrass bands.

41st Annual Ohio Sauerkraut Festival, Downtown Waynesville, Oct. 9 - 10 (SW)
When German immigrants began settling in southwest Ohio, they brought with them culinary and cultural inspirations. Every fall, Waynesville honors this history with the Sauerkraut Festival and nearly 13,000 pounds of sauerkraut! Experience the savory flavors of the finest Reubens, "kraut dogs" and cabbage rolls. Take your quest for culinary exploration one step further and treat your tastebuds to sauerkraut-inspired creations including pizza, donuts, fudge and even sundaes.

Fall on the Farm & Scout Day at Historic Sauder Village, Archbold, Oct. 9 (NW)
Sauder Village's Fall on the Farm gives visitors an opportunity to step back in time to an 1800s pioneer village and help prepare the farm for winter. From making noodles, butter and cornhusk dolls to decorating pumpkins, pressing apples for cider and exploring a straw tunnel, there is plenty of fun for the whole family. Visitors also may help harvest sunflower seeds and vegetables from the garden. See the website for free/special admission rates for uniformed Boy and Girl Scouts.

Circleville Pumpkin Show, Downtown Circleville, Oct. 20 - 23 (C)
One of Ohio's most famous annual festivals, the Circleville Pumpkin Show entertains more than 400,000 visitors with all things pumpkin. Since 1907, the Pumpkin Show has provided pumpkin foods, carnival rides, parades and the "King Pumpkin Contest" to find the largest pumpkin. Don't miss the pumpkin weigh-in where past "King Pumpkins" have tipped the scales at more than 1,500 pounds!