Let the fall begin

Fall Fest may have passed, but the true entertainment of fall hasn't begun.

With winter quickly approaching, many feel the need to enjoy the last bit of fresh outdoor air before the snow and ice take over. Luckily, Western New York has an endless amount of fall festivities to take part in.

Visiting a pumpkin farm is must-do for any fall agenda. The Great Pumpkin Farm, located at 11199 Main St. in Clarence, opens Sept. 25 and has many activities for everyone's inner child. The farm hosts many attractions including a corn maze, amusement rides, hayrides, a pumpkin cannon, a pumpkin-picking patch and the "Pumpkin Olympics" from Oct. 9-11.

The corn maze costs just $5 and presents a detective themed game to play while running around the maze. The objective is similar to the murder-mystery game Clue, where one must act as a detective and figure out who caused the accident that led to farmer Joe's disappearance.

"It's a chance to still enjoy being outside even when the weather is about to turn and it can be made into an adventure," said Brian Hopkins, a junior business major. "Trying to find the biggest or oddest shaped pumpkin and seeing who can make it to the middle of the maze first or out the quickest are my favorite activities."

For the more daring, Frightworld America's Screampark is a must see after the Travel Chanel voted it the third scariest Halloween attraction in America.

"I love Frightworld," said Amanda Spencer, a senior business major. "There is a lot of variety and people chase you with chainsaws."

This scream park is more than just a haunted house. It's a 108,000-square foot vacated building that hosts five completely different haunted houses: "House of the Dead," "Wicked Woods," "Return of Mummy's Curse," "Carnevil in 3-D" and "Phobia'z."

"With there being five houses it takes a good amount of time to get through each one, so when you leave, your money was well spent," said Savoya Spirro, a senior business major.

Frightworld is located at 3060 Sheridan Dr. in Amherst. It opens Sept. 24 and runs until Oct. 31. Entrance into the haunted houses costs $23 and includes a visit to each of the five houses. Discounts on admission can be found at Wendy's, Party City and Noco Express Marts.

The Marble Orchard ghost walks, located at the courtyard on 476 Center St. in Lewiston, offers ghost stories, myths, tales of murder, crime and mystery. Admission is $10 and the event runs from Sept. 18 to Oct. 30.

Starting Oct. 2, Oktoberfest comes to Springville. Oktoberfest celebrates authentic German beer, food and music. Festivities include a German Apfel dessert contest, along with a beer competition and a German car show.

A few other exciting things to check out are Lockport's haunted cave, a 70-minute haunted ride along the Erie Canal that takes place in late October.

For those who are over 21, the Niagara Wine Trail also hosts Halloween-inspired events. Harvest Fest happens Sept. 24-26. Also, be sure to attend Hallowine, a murder mystery game taking place Oct. 29 through Halloween. Tickets for events are $20 if pre-ordered or $25 at the door.

Student appreciation night at the Corn Maize, located in Wheatfield on Niagara Falls Boulevard, offers a dollar off to college students during "Flight Light Night," which takes place on Sept. 25 and 26.