SophiaReinhardt

Fall is a very popular season for many people. From the pumpkin spice lattes, to cooler weather, to pumpkin patches and apple picking, the question many have is: what is there to even do in Nebraska?

In Nebraska City, the Arbor Day Farm provides a lot of great activities. The Arbor Day Farm is known for outdoor hiking trails and activities, including two AppleJack Weekends in September. 

Aside from hiking, Arbor Day Farm also has different tree houses and outdoor activities for climbing and learning about the different types of plants and animals. People can also visit the historical Arbor Lodge Park or tour the historic mansion. Arbor Day Farm is the perfect place for any nature enthusiast. 

Another popular activity is going to pumpkin patches. The main pumpkin patches near Omaha include Vala’s, Skinny Bones and Bellevue Berry Farm.

Vala’s is a fan favorite for many. People go there for its festival weekends, haunted houses, hay rack rides, apple picking, bounce pads, animals and various fall treats. 

Vala’s festival weekends include the Cider and Sunflower Festival, Bluegrass and BBQ Festival and the Pumpkin Harvest Festival. These festival weekends include various activities and lower prices for tickets. Vala’s opened on Sept. 1 and will remain open until Oct. 31. 

For some, Vala’s is very nostalgic and a must do, but others find that there are different pumpkin patches they would rather visit.

Skinny Bones is another popular pumpkin patch. Some fan favorite activities here include: the corn maze, slides, jumping pillows, racetracks, petting zoo, delicious food, tornado alley, rolling racers and House of Mystery. 

One of their most popular events is Dog Day, where people can bring their dogs in for a fun day at the pumpkin patch; they even have a costume contest for the dogs. They also have a jewelry event, an education day event and a Scout’s day event. Skinny Bones opened on Sept. 8 and will close on Oct. 31, and is the perfect place for people of all ages to go to have some fall fun. 

Bellevue Berry Farm is also home to a few Halloween themed events. Their pumpkin season began on Sept. 16 and will end on Oct. 31. During this time, the berry farm is decked out like an old ghost town. They also have activities such as mazes, zip lines and a hay rack ride through their spooky forest to the pumpkin patch. They also have their Ranch of Terror haunted house and a haunted hayride on weekends. 

The Ranch of Terror includes walking through their haunted forest, caves and a hay rack ride through the woods. Bellevue Berry Farm offers great activities for those who like scares, and those who simply prefer a fun fall day.

Fontenelle Forest hosts a variety of things to do. Fontenelle has different hiking trails, wildlife observation, indoor and outdoor play areas, and their famous TreeRush adventure park. 

TreeRush is an outdoor ropes climbing course with six different courses. The courses are different challenge levels ranging from very easy to expert. 

During weekends in October, they host Haunted TreeRush. Haunted TreeRush includes DJs, Halloween decorations and costume contests and takes place under glowing lights. TreeRush is open until late November. Fontenelle Forest hiking trails and indoor activities remain open all year round.

Recently, drive-in movies have become a very popular activity. The Quasar drive-in theater will be playing Halloween movies all throughout October on select nights. 

Although it might not seem like there is much to do in Nebraska, many places can provide fun times and great memories. These are just a few examples of the many events that go on around Omaha during the fall.