The first day of fall is September 22 and there's plenty of fun activities to keep your family busy all weekend long. These 10 activities and events are the Lynchburg Macaroni Kid top picks for the weekend.
1. Smith's Pumpkin Patch, located at 6204 Fort Avenue, opens for the season on Thursday, Sept. 21, and remains open daily through Oct. 31. Smith’s hours are Monday-Thursday 2:30-8:30 p.m., Friday 10-9, Saturday 9-9, Sunday 12-8. Kids 1 year old and younger are admitted free. Kids can enjoy all-day fun in the play area at Smith's, which includes bounce houses, Noah's Ark, teepee, the Titanic slide, and Chaos Obstacle Course. The newest bounce this year includes basketball and dodgeball. Kids can paint their own pumpkin and the entire family can enjoy a hayride to the corn maze. Season passes are available (parents are admitted free with child's season pass) or pay at the gate.
2. Yoders' Farm is located at 1134 Browns Mill Road in Rustburg. Yoders' opens for the season on Sept. 22 and remains open on Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 4. Hours are 10-10 on Fridays and Saturdays. Kids of all ages can enjoy the corn maze, pumpkin patch, hay rides, duck races, farm animals and more. This year's corn maze is over 10 acres and better than ever. Race your friends on the corn maze leaderboard using the corn maze app. Farm admission is free with a small charge for the corn maze and hayride (both free for ages 5 and under accompanied by a paying adult).
3. Layman Family Farms is located at 1815 Mountain View Church Road in Blue Ridge. Layman opened for the season on Sept. 16 and remains open on weekends through Nov. 11. During September, Layman Farm is open Saturdays from 10-6 and Sundays from 11-6. Friday hours will be added in October, as well as late night hours on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Admission at Layman is free for kids under age 2. Enjoy the corn maze, pumpkin patch, hay ride, corn crib, tunnel slide, jumping pillow, cow train, corn cannon, pumpkin blaster, animal alley and lots more. Each guest receives a wristband with three 'pumpkins' to use on special attractions: the cow train, corn cannon, jumping pillow, and pumpkin blaster. Purchase additional tokens to enjoy these attractions more than once. Season passes are available or pay at the gate.
4. The Amazing Mile Youth Run and Family Festival takes place on Friday, Sept. 22 at 9th and Jefferson Street in downtown Lynchburg. Amazement Square will be closed all day on Friday. The Family Festival begins at 4 PM. The Amazing Mile Youth Run events begin at 6 PM with three age and distance divisions: 1/4 mile for ages 0-5, 1/2 mile for ages 6-9, and 1 mile for ages 13 and under. The 1/4 and 1/2-mile races will not be timed. Only the one mile race will have timing chips. One adult will be able to run with a child in the 1/4 and 1/2-mile races. No adults are allowed in the 1-mile race. Whether or not your kids participate in this event, it's fun to attend.
5. The Virginia 10 Miler, 10 Miler Relay, 4 Miler, and 4-Mile Walk take place on Saturday, Sept. 23 at E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg. The 10 Miler, 10 Miler Relay, and 4 Miler begin at 8 AM with the 4-Mile Walk starting at 8:05 AM. The 10 Miler events also end at E.C. Glass, while the 4 Miler events end at Randolph College with free shuttle bus service back to E.C. Glass. The festive atmosphere of this iconic Lynchburg event makes this a favorite event for both runners and watchers. There will be information booths set up on the grounds of E.C. Glass before and during the events. Road closure information noted below is from the Virginia 10 Miler website
Virginia 10 Miler Road Closures:
6:30 a.m. -- Langhorne Rd. between Memorial Ave. & Murrell Rd.
7:35 a.m. -- Langhorne Rd. from Murrell Rd. to Rivermont Terrace. Rivermont Terrace from Langhorne Rd. to Rivermont Ave.
7:55 a.m. -- Rivermont Ave. from Rivermont Terrace to Riverside Park
9:45 a.m. -- Rivermont Ave. reopens
10:15 a.m. -- Rivermont Terrace reopens, Langhorne Rd. from Rivermont Ave. to Murrell Rd. reopens
11:30 a.m. -- Langhorne Rd. from Murrell Rd. to Memorial Ave. reopens
6. Centerfest takes place on Sept. 23 from 10 AM - 6 PM in downtown Bedford. Centerfest is one of the largest community festivals in the Mid-Atlantic featuring handmade items from across the country, live music, churches, charities, political organizations and tons of great food. Kids' activities include pony rides, face painting, a a variety of rides and games. There's plenty of free fun for the whole family with a small cost for food and some activities.
7. Kidz Kraze Consignment Sale takes place Sept. 23-30 in the former Macy's space at River Ridge Mall. The HUGE week long consignment event offers amazing deals on children's and maternity clothing, toys, books, games, swings, high chairs, strollers, furniture, and more. With hundreds of local families consigning, there is everything imaginable for kids at a fraction of retail price. The weekend schedule for Kidz Kraze is noted below
- Friday, Sept. 22, 5-9 pm Pre-sale events: 5 PM Gold Ticket Volunteer; 5:45 PM Silver Ticket Volunteer; 6:30 PM Super Volunteer; 7 PM Volunteer; 7:45 PM Kidz Care Sponsor; 8 PM Consignor
- Saturday, Sept. 23: 8:30-9:30 am First Time Parents' Pre-sale (Adv online registration required) ; 9:30 am - 7 pm OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
- Sunday, Sept. 24, 11 am - 4 pm Open to the public
8. Flip 4 Kids takes place on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 1-4 PM at Elite Athletics, 52 Barbour Drive (off Waterlick Road) in Forest. The family event is open to the public for a small fee, with proceeds supporting the Children's Miracle Network to help obtain a neonatal/ pediatric ambulance. Flip 4 Kids includes: Inflatables, Games, Prizes, Petting Zoo, Character Appearances, Climbing Wall, Face Painting, Balloon Twisting, Police Car, Ident a Kid, Money Booth, Frosty Penguin and more.
9. The final movie of the Movies in the Park Summer Series takes place in Lynchburg's Riverfront Park on Jefferson Street on Saturday, Sept. 23. Space Jam is presented by Downtown Lynchburg Association. Gates open at 7 PM and the movie begins at dusk, but there will be lots going on before then. Grab some grub from local food trucks, chat with the sponsors, or take a walk around Downtown Lynchburg. Don't forget to drop by the Lynchburg Parks and Recreation info tent to learn more about Parks and Recreation while you're there, too.
10. Check out our article It's Apple Orchard Time for 2017 in Central Virginia and head to a local apple orchard. Choose your favorite varieties from the packing shed or pick-your-own at some of the orchards. Pack a picnic lunch or dinner and enjoy a fall family picnic along the way. Hit one of the local parks and play on the playground after you eat. You might also enjoy a day trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway, stopping at one of the picnic areas to enjoy a meal, then take a family hike in the woods. Fall is here, so enjoy making some family memories this weekend!
