Oct 9, 2020 | ACTIVE LIFE | By Leah Thayer | Photo by Bibi Powers
Are you looking for safe ways to get involved in the community this month? Looking for an outlet to relieve your pent-up online school stresses? Looking for an excuse to dress up in fall colors and pose next to some gourds? Then great! You’ve come to the right place for a rundown of the best outdoor activities available in Colorado Springs this month in celebration of fall.
Many events that would normally ring in this colorful season are postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are still ways to get out in the community and enjoy the fall festivities safely.
To start, you can head over to the Miner’s Pumpkin Patch any weekend in Oct. for fall essentials like hay rides, apple cider, and of course to pick out some pumpkins! The patch is open by appointment on weekends from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.. According to the event’s webpage, social distancing guidelines will be observed, and masks are encouraged for any indoor activities. Admission costs $10 per person and allows you access to all activities offered and one pumpkin (additional pumpkins are $5). At just over a 15 minute drive away from the Colorado College campus, it’s definitely worth a trip. (click here for directions from CC campus)
Next, we have Wishing Star Farm, where all your wildest fall wishes can come true. In addition to their pumpkin patch, the main attraction here is the petting zoo, the largest one in Colorado Springs. What better cure is there to block stresses than petting a baby goat? Yeah, there isn’t one! The petting zoo also features ponies, donkeys, ducks, and chickens. There is a $10 per person admission price and picking a pumpkin from the patch costs an additional $4 per pumpkin. The drive to this dreamland of a farm is just under 30 minutes from campus (click here for directions). According to their website, Wishing Star Farms will be following CDC safety guidelines.
Boo at the Zoo is another fun way to get in the spooky spirit of fall. With most of the zoo’s exhibits outdoors, it can be a safe way to engage in the community, support animal conservation, and just have some fun this month! Boo at the zoo is a Halloween-themed event happening at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo during weekends starting Oct. 17. Expect spooky decorations and sustainably-sourced candy in addition to the exhibits the zoo normally offers. As precautionary measures, zoo guests are required to wear masks when inside all zoo buildings, and the event will have limited capacity, with tickets available online in advance.
These next few days may be your last chance to catch the vibrant fall colors near their peak. Look to Seven Bridges trail as one of the closest ways to fully take in the changing aspen hues. You may already be familiar with this popular local trail, but what some may not know is that there’s a secret gem waiting for those who go the extra mile, literally. If you continue past the seventh bridge, you’ll be treated to an aspen grove that still may be displaying its spectacle of gold, red, and orange. This is a 3.8 mile out and back trail, just over a 20 minute drive from campus (directions from campus here).
Lastly, but certainly not least, what is the best thing you can do to celebrate the season? VOTE! Vote early if you can! Head to iwillvote.com to learn about voter registration and making a voting plan. While this may not be related to fall colors or pumpkin patches, let this be yet another reminder for you that election day is less than one month away.
While many aspects of life remain altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever to celebrate the little joys in life. Fall is a season of change, and while COVID-19 may have felt like a season of constant change and disruption, it may have taught us to accept and even celebrate change. So, whether it’s picking some pumpkins, sipping apple cider, or walking through the autumn leaves, here’s to hoping we all get the chance to get out and celebrate this season however we can!