By Nanette Wiser
FALL FESTIVALS Corn mazes, hayrides, pumpkin patches and pet-tacular animals usher in fall. At Largo’s DK Farms and
Gardens’ Fall Festival, the family can enjoy a Kiddie Barrel Train Ride, bounce houses, pumpkin patch, hay rides, outdoor games, animal encounters (goats, rabbits), food trucks, bull or pony rides, miniature golf, gem mining and more every weekend in October 10am-3pm. Get your tickets in advance: dkfarmsandgardens.com/fall
Plant City’s Keel Farms hosts Harvest Days every Sat.-Sun. in October 10am-3pm featuring a family-friendly Corky’s corn maze, hayrides, pumpkin painting, food and craft vendors, a kids zone and Keel’s seasonal autumn wines, beers and more. Admission and parking are free. Keel’s also hosts live music, trivia nights and yoga at the Farm and Winery. On Fri.-Sun. in October, visit Harvest Holler Corn Maze in Polk County, the perfect spot to pick up giant carving pumpkins, play corn hole, explore the country store for décor and prepared foods grown on the farm and pose for your fall family photo. harvestholler.com
And what would autumn be without EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival through Nov. 18, serving dishes from six continents, a concert series and for all ages, the Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak scavenger hunt, and Emile’s Fromage Montage, a flavorful food stroll. The festival is included with park admission, with food and beverages available for purchase.
HAPPY HUMPDAY Trivia, karaoke, game night oh my! Wednesday is the night to play after work. We sampled Humpday 10/11 for adult fun. Head over to Trivia Nights at Seminole’s Angry Pepper Taphouse, Big Trophy Trivia at Pinellas Ale Works, Karaoke at The Garage on Central DTSP, open mic night at Whistle Stop, BANDINGO Music Trivia at Grassroots St. Pete (1st, 2nd Wed. of the month) and Salty Nun or Spooky Theme Trivia @3Daughters, which also hosts a popular music trivia on Thursday. Channel your inner artist on 10/18 at a Fall Flower Arranging class at 3 Daughters or Painting With A Twist. Or dance the night away with Fiona at Corey Avenue’s Grapes Wine Café.
GET FIT If you are bored with your Jazzercise DVDs and Silver Sneaker online workouts, or shlepping to the gym, try this trippy tech. Virtual reality workouts can gamify your total body workout and take you around the world. There’s a VR workout app for every taste.
You can slash music notes (Beat Saber), climb mountains (The Climb), work out (Gym Class VR or YUR.Fit), hit the river (Kayak VR) or get groovy (Dance Central, Viro Move). SHAPE magazine suggests starting your VR workout journey with the Meta Quest 2, one of the more affordable VR headsets on the market. It pairs seamlessly with Supernatural, an app that offers gamified total-body workouts that take you to picturesque, hyper-realistic locations.
Prefer exercising in the real world? In October, locals re-embrace outdoor activities such as group walks, biking or paddleboarding found on Meet-Ups or joining casual sporting clubs. Also known as “green exercise,” working out in nature improves mood and self-esteem in as little as 5 minutes and reduces feelings of tension, anger, and depression.
