Thrifty Tips

Monday was the first day of Autumn & it is one of my favorite seasons! Here are some reasons to be Happy about now...

• Autumn means it's Season Premier time! After not watching TV at all for the whole entire summer (except for an occasional movie) I'm very excited that all of my favorite TV shows are coming back on! Speaking of which, Grey's Anatomy premiers tonight & I'm so excited about that one!


• I love the beauty of Autumn! The changing colors of the leaves are beautiful! And the weather is usually great! Not too cold, not too hot.


• October is one of my favorite months. Because October is my birthday month & because I love all the fun activities that my family & I participate in! Therefore I wanted to share with you some events going on the Local Cincinnati Area that are Free and or Inexpensive! If you are an "Out of State" reader I would recommend checking with your local park, or library for events going on in your town!

Some Free Events in the Cincinnati Area:
*Fall Family Fun at Symmes Township Park at 11600 Lebanon Road, Loveland, OH on Friday, October 3rd from 3:00 PM until 8:00 PM Admission is Free, but advanced reservations are required. Bake your own apple pie, shear an alpaca, plant a pizza garden, make a grass man, learn about vegetables and grains, visit a petting zoo, and discover how you can protect the environment. Beautiful animal mosaics and amazing fall decor. Pets are welcome and encouraged to come in costume for a pet parade at 6 PM. Go here for more info & to place your reservation!

*Loveland Greenhouse Scarecrow Festival at 1924 Lebanon Road Loveland, OH on October 4th & 5th, 2008 from 11-5pm on Sunday and 9-5pm on Saturday. Corn Shock Maze, Face Painting, Pumpkin Painting, Scarecrow Making, Games, Scarecrow Contest (Create Loveland's best scarecrow & win $50), Food & Refreshments. Looks like this one is Free! Go here for more info.

Inexpensive:
*The 2008 Sunflower Festival at Gorman Heritage Farm at 10052 Reading Road, Evendale, OH on Sat. & Sun. October 4th & 5th from 10am until 4 pm. This one cost money-- It is $6 for adults and $4 for children(3-17) and Seniors(65 +). Parking is free. You can visit fields & fields full of Sunflowers and pick your own bouquet. They also have a Sunflower maze, music & dance performances, pumpkin patch, hayrides, and activities & crafts for children & lots more! Go here for more info!
*Welcome to Halloween Nights! October17-30, 2008 Sneak Preview:October 10, 11 and 12
Parky's Farm in Winton Woods
Sunday - Thursday 6pm - 9pm Friday & Saturday 6pm - 11pm
Cost is $5 per person(23 months and under FREE)
Come join us for this non-scary, family-oriented Halloween event! See over tens of thousands of lights including animated, decorative Halloween light displays of pumpkins, corn stalks, ghosts bats and witches. Take part in the many activities offered for the whole family. Go here for more info!

Pumpkin Festivals, Both have Free admission!
*This one is my all time favorite! It is a family tradition for our family to visit Lobenstein Farm! We have been going there every year for as far back as I can remember! It is a very popular pumpkin farm with more than 30,000 visitors every year! It is located in Indiana, so it's a little bit of a drive for us, but we do it every year. Lobenstein Farm is located at 29703 Post 464 Road, St. Leon, Indiana 47012. For more info you can call (812) 576-3177. It is only 30 minutes from Cincinnati, and 30 minutes from Greensburg Indiana. Just 3 miles off of I-74. Just take I-74 West from Cincinnati, or east from Indianapolis to the St. Leon - Lawrenceburg exit and Follow the signs! Admission & parking is Free! Open the first three weekends in October. Oct. 4-5, Oct. 11-12, and October 18-19th. Enjoy a hayride to the pumpkin patch. You get to pick your own pumpkin! Also enjoy craft stands, farm animals, Corn & Hay maze, kids games, and face painting! And best of all-- Enjoy home cooked Country fried chicken, and homemade pumpkin pie! My favorite! Not good on my waistline-but I deserve a treat! Refreshments are from 10am to 7 pm! It's fun for all ages! Maybe I'll see ya there!
*Another fun pumpkin fest is at Shaw Farm. Shaw Farms 1737 Ohio 131, Milford(513) 575-2022 Open daily through Oct. 31. 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Handmade displays featuring pumpkin characters and hayrides, plus bluegrass music on the weekends. Hands-on entertainment for children, including Aladdin's Castle, a Cinderella coach, face painting and an interactive playground. Tractor-drawn and horse-drawn hayrides are available on the weekends. Scheduled field trips are also available.Admission: Free (hayrides are $2.50 with tractor, $3.50 with horses). More information, directions
I hope you enjoyed my events list! You can also visit Cincinnati Cents, Katie also posts family events on Thursdays! Stay tuned for more events next week!