46 Local Fall Activities: West Michigan’s Best PRINTABLE Bucket List

Shoot Apple Cannons

1185 9 Mile Rd NW, Sparta, MI 49345

Home of the straw mountain and apple cannons, Schwallier’s Country Basket also has a corn maze, an outdoor play area, and of course, some of the spunkiest goats around.

Pick Your Apples, then Get Lost in the Sunflower Maze

17647 40th Ave, Conklin, MI 49403

A beautiful 100-year-old barn welcomes you at Rasch Cherry & Apple Market in Conklin, just 20 minutes from Grand Rapids.

After picking Honey Crisp, Gala, or Golden Supreme apples, stop into the market for baked goods.

Don’t leave without exploring the unique sunflower maze.

Get the Hard Cider Flight

3550 Alden Nash Ave NE, Lowell, MI 49331

Include a stop at Red Barn Market on your fall bucket list simply for the Hard Cider tasting room and delicious sandwiches.

Also enjoy homemade donuts, pumpkins, ice cream, farm animals & the sunflower maze.

Visit the Mother of All Petting Zoos

2985 N Sheridan Rd, Stanton, MI 48888

Take your time visiting with the many animals in the petting zoo at Anderson & Girls, then grab some lunch from the Sweet Shop.

Next, find the perfect pumpkin for your jack-o’-lantern in the pumpkin patch and top it off with a few runs down the giant slides.

Watch the Pigs Run

8544 Gull Rd, Richland, MI 49083

No matter what kind of fall activities experience you’re looking for, you can likely find it at Gull Meadow Farms.

• Corn Maze
• Hayrides
• Pumpkin Patch
• Apple Picking
• Homemade Donuts
• Zip Line
• Carnival Games
• Photo Ops
• Farm Animals
• Farmers Market
• Sunflowers
• Multiple Slides

Watch the Cider Being Pressed 

3025 6 Mile Rd, Grand Rapids, MI 49544

The Apple Cider at Heritage Farms Market is 100% natural and you can watch it being pressed.

Take home a gallon or enjoy an apple cider slushie. Don’t forget a freshly-made Old Fashion Spiced Donuts with cinnamon sugar!

Mini golf, wagon rides, corn maze, jumping pillow & animals, too!

Pick Up a Gallon of Klein’s Amazing Cider

2151 10 Mile Rd, Sparta, MI 49345

The cider at Klein Cider Mill is made from of a combination of apples depending on what is in season.

What does that mean? That the taste of the cider changes with each press. But don’t worry – it’s still gonna be delicious!

Their fresh, unpasteurized Apple Cider comes in half-gallon, gallon, and bulk quantities. Freeze it to make your fall fun last even longer!

Try all of the Bakery Treats & Save!

5348 N State Rd, Orleans, MI 48865

This adorable farm market at Pierson Orchard features a from-scratch bakery with some of the tastiest – and biggest – donuts and pastries we’ve ever tasted.

Plus, their prices are some of the best in West Michigan!

The on-site cider mill utilizes homegrown fruits. Just don’t get the cider without some of the donuts and pies (made fresh daily.)

Snap a Pic at the Pumpkin House

4180 M-20, New Era, MI 49446

Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo is full of fall fun — complete with awesome photo ops.

Pick a pumpkin from their patch, then grab a pic at the pumpkin house or on the big rocking chair.

Pose with the Pretty Pink Pickup

3025 6 Mile Rd, Grand Rapids, MI 49544

Does it even get more adorable than a pink pickup truck?

Ed Dunneback & Girls Farm’s pink pickup is the cutest place for a pic after you’ve gone apple or pumpkin picking.

And you have to check out their market & diner.

They make their own hard cider and beer, for starters. They also have a delicious food menu and a market loaded with lots of locally made products.

Take Your Family Photos

12570 Grand River Dr SE, Lowell, MI 49331

Riverfront Park’s wooden bridge in Lowell is the perfect fall backdrop for family photos.

Don’t just take our word for it, go check it out yourself!

Want more options? We’ve rounded put the best Fall photo hot spots.

Covered Bridges Fall Color Route

Alto – Lowell

Don’t sleep on our covered bridges fall route during peak season! The views (and highlighted stops) are picture perfect.

This route packs a punch with all the things for busy families; donuts, cider & hayrides – oh my!

Cheese, Hard Cider & Donuts Fall Color Route

Ottawa County

Hop in the car and follow the fall colors through our easy route in Ottawa County along the Grand River. Stop at pin pointed treasures along to way for donuts, cider & more.

The best news? It’s only an hour of driving!

Slingshot Apples at AppleFest 

Downtown Sparta, MI 49345

Sept 15-16, 2024. For apple-themed fall activities, make your way to the annual AppleFest in Sparta, MI.

Shop artisan booths, order from a food truck, make a craft, shoot an apple slingshot, and more.

Celebrate All Things Pumpkin

Downtown Zeeland, MI

This 2-day festival (October 3-5, 2024) is has been celebrating fall for over 40 years. 

Zeeland’s Pumpkinfest pulls out all the fall stops with food, music, kids activities, a parade, and more.

Admire Giant Professionally Carved Pumpkins

150 West 8th St, Holland, MI 49424

October 4-5, 2024. Downtown Holland’s Fall Fest is the only fall festival in West Michigan where you’ll find the nation’s best professional pumpkin carvers carving the biggest pumpkins you’ve ever seen!

Take a Hike – Enjoy the fall colors while hiking a favorite trail.

 Visit the Giant Pumpkins at FMG – Scale the giant pumpkins in the Michigan Farm Garden at Meijer Gardens.

Try Pumpkin Bowling – In your driveway, set up empty soda bottles as pins and bowl them down with small pumpkins.

Take the Donut Challenge – Head out and see how many donut spots you can visit in one day.

Get Crafty – Make your own scarecrow, bake apple or pumpkin pies, or build an outdoor bird feeder from old bagels or pine cones.

Food & Friends: Cook up some chili and tailgate with friends, or host a bonfire and make hobo dinners.

Wander through Art City

Downtown Grand Rapids

Families love this city-wide event that encourages curiosity and imagination.

ArtPrize has a different feel between daytime and nighttime. It warrants a trip during both if you’d like to experience all ArtPrize has to offer.

The light-up installations really come to life after the sun sets.

Dress up for John Ball Zoo Goes Boo

1300 W Fulton St, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Dates: October 11 – 13, 18 – 20 & 25 – 27, 2024

My family’s favorite Halloween tradition is going to John Ball Zoo Goes Boo.

Each year the zoo transforms into the ultimate Halloween destination with decorations, costumes, candy, and, of course, the Zoo’s amazing animals.

Spooky treat stations ready for trick-or-treating are located throughout the Zoo. 

Find the Best Decorated Halloween Houses

Decorating houses isn’t just for Christmas anymore.

Load up the warm cider and donuts and find the spookiest houses near you.

Find Trunk or Treats Near You

Fill those treat bags with another opportunity to put on costumes at these trunk or treat events around West Michigan.

This is a popular option for younger kids who may tire quickly on Halloween evening.

And indoor trunk or treats are even better if the weather is cold or rainy!

Jump into a Halloween Parade or Race

Stop by another Halloween-themed event like a race, parade or costume tour.

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Find Your Neighborhood’s Trick or Treat Times

Go trick-or-treating!

Find your town’s time on our big list of trick-or-treat times.