The autumn season is a great time to get outside and enjoy all the fun family activities available around Kenosha. The leaves are changing, there’s a briskness in the air, and practically every weekend has something new and exciting going on.
Looking to go trick-or-treating? Want to take a nature walk and see fall colors? Or are you simply not sure what is happening in the area? Here is a quick guide to some of the kid-friendly fall activities taking place around Kenosha, Wisconsin!
Kid-Friendly Fall Activities in Kenosha
Trick-Or-Treating
Trick-or-treating is one of the most popular fall activities around the country! You can trick-or-treat in any area of town and see spooktacular decorations and cool costumes. Plus, there’s candy galore!
Kenosha is a safe town to go trick-or-treating in, as long as you follow these trick-or-treating safety tips. Generally, if you’re worried about safety, you can go trick-or-treating during the day at various places throughout town.
Trick-or-treating on 6th Avenue is an annual tradition on the weekend before Halloween. Participating businesses come to life as they offer fun activities and treats for the children! The city of Kenosha does have official trick-or-treating hours. Trick-or-treating on 6th Avenue is between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., while general trick-or-treating is on Thursday, October 31st, between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. However, you and your children can go trick-or-treating before these hours, as long as you are not bothering anyone.
Trunk-or-Treat
Trunk-or-treat is a fun spin on “trick or treating”, where participants bring their cars to a specified location (usually in a parking lot), and the drivers and their families decorate their cars for Halloween! It is sort of like a Halloween tailgate. You don’t have to be a participating car to join in on the fun; just show up with your family and friends and enjoy collecting candy and toys from vehicle to vehicle.
Kenosha hosts a few different trunk-or-treating events. In Uptown, your little ghosts can collect treats and enjoy free activities in the Super Saturday Trunk-or-Treat on 63rd Street. This is located in the Uptown Brass Center parking lot on Saturday, October 26th, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Costumes are encouraged, as there will be prizes for the best one.
You can also attend the trunk-or-treat at the Kenosha YMCA from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm or the trunk-or-treat at Bristol School from 2:30 pm to 5:15 pm, which features an outdoor movie showing of Hocus Pocus at 5:30 pm! Both of these events are also on Saturday, October 26th, 2024.
Fall Into Fun Festival
Don’t miss out on this FREE, fun-for-all-ages festival! The Fall Into Fun Festival hosts a pumpkin decorating contest, face painting, live music, and more! The first 200 kids get a free pumpkin to decorate, as well as free decorating supplies available for all. There’s a costume contest for dogs, as well as a costume contest for humans of all ages.
Join the fun at Veterans Memorial Park outside City Hall on Saturday, October 12th, 2024 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. So grab your pumpkins, dress up as your favorite characters, and win some prizes!
Enjoy Nature
One of the best, most iconic parts of falls is all the colorful leaves. The change in foliage generally peaks during the middle of October, making it a great activity to enjoy with your children. You and your kids can look at the colors, take photographs or make drawings of what you see, and collect leaves for various craft projects. Luckily, there are lots of gorgeous places to visit around Kenosha.
Petrifying Springs Park is a hidden gem right in your Kenosha backyard. With miles and miles of family-friendly hiking trails, kids of every age can get outside to stretch their legs, enjoy the crisp air, and watch the leaves change colors. And parents, don’t think we forgot about you! After you’re done, make sure you stop by the Biergarten for a tasty draft beer and a jumbo hot pretzel! It will be open all throughout the fall, offering a spot for some relaxation before heading back home.
Another great place to enjoy the outdoors is the Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum, which covers more than 12 acres. You can look at many different trees and wild animals, including migrating birds. The sanctuary is home to events throughout the fall, including guided tours, night hikes, various crafts, and cooking classes.
If you want to get outside of Kenosha, you can visit Bristol Woods Park. This park contains miles of hiking trails, giving you plenty of opportunities to see the trees and get out for a refreshing fall nature walk.
Additionally, you can also visit the Pringle Nature Center and attend various programs. On October 27th, the Pringle Center is running a candlelit Halloween hike, which offers a little spookiness without being overwhelming for the kiddos. Plus, it ends with refreshments.
Visit a Farm
Farms can offer many types of fall fun in Kenosha. Keep in mind that you may need to drive a few miles outside the city to get to them—however, traveling with kids doesn’t always have to be difficult. Especially when you’ve got such a fun day to look forward to.
Apple Holler
If you’re in the mood for some good old-fashioned apple picking, then Apple Holler is the place to go! It’s a popular attraction in Sturtevant, WI, which is just north of Kenosha. Other than housing a large orchard, they also offer hayrides, corn mazes, and many more activities. You can eat breakfast or lunch at their Red Barn restaurant, which is known for having some of the tastiest meals around!
Jerry Smith Pumpkin Farm
If you prefer pumpkin-related fun, you can visit Jerry Smith Pumpkin Farm located in Kenosha. You can pick pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns, roast pumpkin seeds, and sip on steaming hot apple cider. The farm also offers attractions like corn mazes, petting zoos, and hayrides, as well as a country store brimming with farm-fresh produce you can buy to enjoy back at home.
Swan’s Pumpkin Farm
Another great pumpkin farm option is Swan’s Pumpkin Farm in Franksville, WI. There, you can buy many different types of pumpkins, go on hayrides, and walk through a haunted maze or graveyard. For those looking for something a little less spooky, the farm also has a pedal kart track that we recommend getting in line early for, as it is extremely popular!
Haunted Attractions
If your children are looking to get a little spooked but not too intimidated, you can take them on a ghost tour. Several companies offer ghost tours of the downtown Kenosha area, which is acclaimed for being a hotbed of paranormal activity. The tours are available during the day or night, and you can learn about Kenosha’s history and architecture while you’re at it. (Please note that many of these tours have a height requirement of 5’2” to be able to reach the pedals, making them an ideal option for older children.)
The Kemper Center runs a haunted house that is open every Saturday night in October. This year, the theme is a haunted cemetery. During the first hour, the lights are on, making it ideal for younger kids, and then after that, the lights are turned back off. All proceeds from the house go toward the Teen Task Force of Kenosha.
While you are going trick-or-treating, you may come across “home haunts”. These are small attractions that members of the community create. Most of them are appropriate for kids, so don’t be afraid to let them enjoy whatever your neighbors have to offer.
It’s important to remember that most haunted attractions are intended for adults—in fact, many houses have rules prohibiting young children from going inside. While part of the fun of Halloween may be the scare factor, please be cautious and only allow your older children to visit most attractions.
Start Filling Your Calendar
From nature walks to farm festivities, there are many fall attractions now open to the public around Kenosha. From apple and pumpkin picking to hayrides and haunted houses, there’s something for everyone this season. To learn about even more events, check out the Kenosha Fall Events Calendar.
Interested in giving your kid more opportunities for fall fun? Consider sending them to daycare! Cornerstone Academy serves Kenosha-area children, and we run fall activities, crafts, movies, and educational lessons! Contact us today for more information.
