Apple Festivals

October 7, 2007 - Steilacoom Apple Squeeze, Town of Steilacoom, WA, 253-584-4133, 10 am to 4 pm. Festival of the apple with 20 presses for cider squeezing; apple products for sale.

October 13, 2007 - Meeker Mansion Cider Squeeze, 312 Spring Street, Puyallup, WA, 253-848-1770. 10 am to 4 pm. Squeezing apples is great family fun. Pumpkins, seasonal farmers market, & vendors round out the day.

Harvest Fests & Farm Tours

September 29, 2007 - Tacoma Community Garden Tour & Harvest Party, all day event begins at Proctor Farmer's Market, 26th and Proctor. Join us for a self-guided tour of some of Tacoma's many community gardens, slated to begin at the Proctor Farmer's Market and end up with some social time at Stadium Bistro in the Stadium District. Get a peek at what our urban gardeners are up to, as take a few moments to meet each garden's tour hosts to learn about some Tacoma resources you may or may not know about. More details to come, keep checking Tacomagardens.com for updates.

October 6, 2007 - Harvest Celebration Farm Tour, Pierce County Farms. 10 am to 4 pm. Coordinated by WSU Pierce County Extension, 253-798-7180. See our special Harvest Celebration Farm Tour page.

October 6, 2007 - Fife Harvest Festival, Fife City Hall, 10 am to 8 pm, 253-922-2489. Mark your calendar for the first Saturday of October. Beginning with a parade through the south side of Fife and breakfast served at Columbia Junior High, there are booths and balloons, music and munchies, games and give-aways, unicycles and umbrellas (hey, it is October!). The Cascade Blood Mobile is present to keep up that civic duty in a most convenient way. There are emergency vehicles to check out with related information to take home. The Fife Historical Society put up and excellent display, providing a great educational opportunity on our history. Several local vendors set up shop, as well. This is truly a wonderful way to kick off the harvest season, get to know your fellow Fife citizens, and just have a great time. Please join us! Fifeharvestfestival.org

October 5-7, 2007 - Oktoberfest NW, Puyallup Fairgrounds, Friday and Saturday, 11 am - Midnight, and Sunday 11 am - 6 pm, 425-283-5050. The third annual Oktoberfest Northwest will offer free admission on Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and half-price tickets on Sunday. Regular ticket prices are $8 for adults and children age 12 and under are free. “We believe Oktoberfest Northwest is Western Washington’s premiere Oktoberfest celebration,” says Jody May, event producer. Oktoberfest Northwest offers a Munich-inspired Festhalle Biergarten, traditional bratwurst, handmade German pretzels, strudel and schnitzel, along with an entertainment line-up on two stages that is matched by no other Oktoberfest celebration in the area. This year’s headliner, Lynn Marie and the Boxhounds, is a Grammy-nominated artist with a strong following. Other attractions making this event unique are the Hammerschlagen Tournament (introduced at Oktoberfest Northwest last year), and the Miss Oktoberfest Swing Girl. Oktoberfest Northwest is also host to the Scandinavian Heritage Festival, held in the Pavilion Building. Both events are included in admission. For more information, visit Oktoberfestnw.com.

October 7, 2007 - Tumwater Harvest Festival, Tumwater Falls Park, Deschutes Way SW and C Street, Tumwater. Free Admission, Free Parking, & Free Shuttle. For information or to volunteer call: 360 754-4217. The festival is a celebration of the harvest, the return of the salmon, and the heritage of Tumwater and the South Sound region. The program includes a Heritage Music Stage, salmon activities, apple cider pressing by young people in pioneer clothing, salmon, chicken, and German foods, desserts, pioneer craft demonstrations and sales, farm animal petting, guided walking tours on the Deschutes River, living history, and an authentic covered wagon that crossed the Oregon Trail. The festival is presented by the City of Tumwater through its Henderson House Museum.

Pumpkin Patches & Corn Mazes

September 30th - October 31st, 2007, Maris Farms, 24713 Sumner-Buckley Hwy, Buckley, WA, Monday - Friday 9 am to 5 pm (limited weekday offerings) Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 5 pm, fully staffed, everything open. Corn maze, pumpkin patch, hay rides, large children's courtyard featuring cow train rides, corn kernal pit, (like a ball pit, but with corn) bounce house, pony rides, concessions, and more! More activities for adults, too, see our upcoming Halloween section for more details. Marisfarms.com

October 6th - October 28th, 2007, Terry's Berries, 4520 River Road Tacoma, WA, 253-922-1604, Weekends 10 am to 6 pm. Farm open to the public for corn maze, pumpkin patch, children's activities. Terrysberries.com

October 22nd - November 4, 2007, W.W. Seymour Conservatory Pumpkin Patch, 316 S. G Street (Wright Park) Tacoma. Fanciful exhibition mums, oversize metalwork crows and a plethora of pumpkins provide a unique indoor opportunity for pictures around Halloween. Bring your costumed cuties and your camera for memories to last forever. Note: The pumpkin patch pumpkins are not for sale. Free! Donations welcome.