Apple cider. Pumpkin spice. Hoodies and jeans. Friday Night Lights. As September enters the scene, an explosion of fall sensory experiences await the Mt. Pleasant area, and the activities available in the region provide the perfect opportunities to enjoy the season.
From pumpkin and apple farms, to produce and art markets, to football games, there is a little something for everyone to enjoy, young and old.
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Take a milestone selfie near the sign at Papa's Pumpkin Patch. (Photo courtesy of Papa's Pumpkin Patch)Pumpkin and Apple Farms
A weekend trip to the patch or orchard is an experience sure to please the whole family. One location to put on your fall bucket list is
Papa’s Pumpkin Patch, 3909 S. Summerton Road.
With the approach of autumn, Papa’s Pumpkin Patch has expanded its hours to six days a week, Tuesday through Sunday. Visitors should come hungry; Papa’s offers a variety of fresh donut flavors in addition to seasonal produce and apple cider slushies after Labor Day.
During your visit, you can find your way out of the corn maze, view the farm animals, and take a hayride.
In Weidman, another local pumpkin and apple farm offers many of the same experiences, in addition to a family day event in October.
Double D Farms, 8060 W. Airline Road, will host its 2022 Family Fun Day Event on Oct. 1, including an arts and crafts show.
On Family Day, visitors can explore the pumpkin patch, buy apples, ride the barrel train, play in the kids straw area, take wagon rides, and take part in various other activities for children.
Fall Markets
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Fresh produce, baked goods, and even flowers will fill area Farmers Markets for another month.(Photo courtesy of the Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market)Fall is the perfect time to wander the local markets with a coffee in hand, enjoying the milder temperatures that fall brings. Luckily, Mt. Pleasant has markets running consistently three days per week through September and part of October.
The
Mt. Pleasant Farmers’ Market remains open through much of October to meet your needs for produce, fresh flowers, sweet treats, and coffee, amongst other treasures. The change of season is sure to bring a unique shift in offerings as well.
The Thursday farmers’ market at Island Park will remain available through Oct. 27, and the Saturday market at Town Center will remain open until Oct. 8.
In addition, the
Native Farmers Market, located at the Farmer’s Market Pavilion on the corner of Broadway and Leaton roads, will be open to the public on Tuesdays until Oct. 4. Seasonal produce, baked goods, Native American art, and Indigenous foods represent some of what visitors to the market will find.
If local, handmade items are up your alley, you may choose to check out the
Mt. Pleasant Market, 2241 S. Lincoln Road, in the Cornerstone Church. The arts and crafts show will be held Sept. 10, Oct. 8, and Nov. 12.
Spooktacular Fun for Kids and Adults
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Fall also ushers in “spooky season,” and Halloween lovers young and old will find a variety of activities in the area that are Halloween themed.
One such event is the Halloween Carnival, which is put on by the
Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum, 5093 E. Remus Road, from 5-8pm on Oct. 21, the carnival will offer various activities for the whole family.
Executive Director Lizzie Dilg says, “There will be carnival games, inflatables, a costume contest, crafts, and food trucks for children and families to enjoy!”
Though fun and games are a large part of the day, the event also serves as a fundraiser. “United Way is sponsoring a matching grant for MPDM in the month of October, so all proceeds from the fundraiser will be matched by United Way!” says Dilg.
Admission is $8 for non-members and $6 for members; activity tickets can be purchased for $1 each or $10 for a wingspan.
If you’re looking for an adult’s night out, Buck’s Run Golf Club, 1559 S. Chippewa Road, will offer a couples’ night out on Oct. 7. The event, Boos and Booze on the Putting Island, will provide a scary-good time for those involved: 18 holes of putt-putt, spooky sliders, and ciders. Eerie decor and optional costumes will help participants get in the mood for Halloween.
Boos and Booze is sure to provide an evening of fall fun for $80 per couple. Visit the Buck’s Run Golf Club
website for more information and to register.
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Football fans are thrilled the season is underway. If you live near Mt. Pleasant, you're in luck. High school and college games are just minutes away.(Photo courtesy of Mt. Pleasant High School)Football Games
Is watching local athletes toss the pigskin your thing? Well, if so, fall is the season of opportunity in Mt. Pleasant. Whether you are looking to take in a college or high school level game, stadiums are mere minutes away from many locals.
Central Michigan University begins its season away on Sept. 1, but returns home on Sept. 8 for a match-up with South Alabama. Later in the season, on Oct. 8, CMU will take on Ball State for its Homecoming game. A complete game schedule can be found on the CMU Football
website. Fire up, Chips!
Chippewa Hills High School’s football season is also already underway, with game two taking place away this Fri., Sept. 2. If you need your Friday Night Lights fix, catch one of the team's four home games in September and October. A complete schedule can be found
here.
The Mt. Pleasant High School Oilers football team schedule is here. The team's season kicked off Aug. 26, but plays at home on Fri., Sept. 2.
Fall Arts and Crafts
If you are looking to create some of your own fall decor, look no further than
Art Reach of Mid Michigan, 111 E. Broadway St. Art Reach offers a variety of classes on a weekly basis, but there are several upcoming events tailored to the fall season.
On Sept. 10, jump on board with the gnome craze, and create your very own September Harvest Gnomes as part of the ongoing “Gnoming with my Homies” class series. Or, on Sept. 28, you can partake in the Needle Felted Pumpkin and Squash class.
For a complete listing of classes for kids and adults, visit the
website for more information.
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Four guided mushroom hunts will take place this year: Sept. 16, 21, and 30, and Oct. 8. Locations vary, but each hunt is led by the North American Mycological Association.Hunting in Nature
As most of us know, fall also brings with it deer hunting season, a time when many Michiganders flock to the woods in hopes of putting a whitetail between their sights.
But a different sort of hunting is available to those in the Mt. Pleasant area, and fortunately, the target doesn’t move. Four mushroom hunts will take place this year: Sept. 16, 21, and 30, and Oct. 8. Locations vary, but each hunt is led by Sister Marie Kopin of the North American Mycological Association.
The hunt for fungi is free to the public and put on by the
Chippewa River Watershed Conservancy. For a complete listing of events and more information, visit their
events page.
Looking for more? The
Mt. Pleasant Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is a great place to start your search for fall, and year-round, events. Check out its
Event Calendar and be sure to get out there this fall to enjoy all that the area has to offer!