Fall is here and that means OCTOBER and that means HALLOWEEN and that means BATS!
Bats are victims of BAD public relations, specifically because of that FICTIONAL guy, DRACULA!
Bats have been on Earth for more than 50 million years. With over 1,400 species, they are the second largest order of mammals, and those species cover six continents. Globally, bats provide vital ecosystem services in the form of eating insect pests, plant pollination, and seed dispersal, making them essential to the health of our planet.
Making a bat-friendly place in your backyard supports the essential role bats have in the environment. All 15 different species of bats in Oregon eat insects…..mosquitoes, gnats, night flying beetles and moths.
Here’s a few BAT facts: 1. One Little Brown Bat can eat over 1000 bugs PER HOUR! 2. The world’s smallest bat is the Bumblebee Bat measuring 1.5 –3 inches in length and weighing 2 grams as a full-grown adult. 3. The world’s largest bat is the Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox with a wingspan up to 6 feet! 4. The oldest known bat was a male Brant’s myotis who lived 41 years. 5. Of the 1,400+ species of bats in the world, only three are vampire bats that drink blood. They ONLY live in Central America NOT TRANSYLVANIA!
It’s time to help our BUG EATING friends….THE BATS!
Here’s your chance – Build your OWN BAT-HOUSE – STEM kit.
You get it ALL…..pre-cut ALL weather re-purposed plywood, screws and nails along with FULL detailed instructions to build your own BAT-HOUSE. Measures 16 in. tall, 8 in. wide and 2 ½ in. deep when finished. All you need is a hammer and screwdriver.
Features galvanized mesh for inside the house…..gives ‘em traction to climb up inside. Will hold about 35-50 little brown bats. They will use it as a roost as well as a NURSERY!
This package also includes a BAT coloring page and detailed 3 page educational fact sheet about all 15 Oregon bats and why bats are SO important.
If you are interested, please send an email to [email protected] with quantity and your address.
This is a PERFECT activity for scouts, homeschoolers or ANYONE who wants to invite these AMAZING mammals to your property.
A wonderful time for the Holiday Season. Bring the family for the weekend events to see Santa and Mrs. Claus, play games, see the beautiful decorations, local art and more.
Activities include Fishing at the North Pole, Coloring and Letters to Santa, holiday building project with The Home Depot, face painting by Leslie Heidner Body Art, and taking that perfect photo in the spectacular Southern Oregon Adventure setting.
Every 45 minutes, the entertainment on the big stage will change, ranging from bands to choirs to individual singers to classical performers during this live musical mash-up.
Santa will be available for pictures, so bring your camera.
Evergreen Federal Bank will feature its spectacularly unique Southern Oregon Adventure displays. We are honored to hold our Festival at this one-of-a-kind venue. Thank you, Evergreen Federal Bank!
Santa’s Visit
Santa’s schedule will be from 10:00 to 11:30 am, 12:00 to 1:30 pm, and 2:00 to 4:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. When you go fishing at the North Pole, you’ll catch a bookmark that you can use to pick out a children’s book from Santa’s library. Bring your book to Santa, and he will sign it for you!
Tickets
Tickets for Saturday or Sunday during the Weekend Holiday Event are only sold at the door. Admission prices are as follows:
Adult (18–54): $5
Children (5–17) / Senior (55+): $3
Children 4 & under: Free
Family Pass (up to 6 family members): $20
Southern Oregon is ready to celebrate with some Autumn Adventures.
Find family favorite Harvest Festivals and Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes, Haunts and more. Bring the family and join in for all the fun Fall Festivities.
Harvest Festivals and Pumpkin Patches
Pheasant Fields Farm Harvest Festival. Pumpkin Patch, Hay ride, Corn Maze, Music, Local artisans and more! Located at 1865 Camp Baker Rd in Medford, Oregon. facebook.com/pheasantfieldsfarmoregon
Fort Vannoy Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze. Open Daily in October from 11am-6pm. Farm stand, pumpkin patch, kid’s activities. Weekends : Hay rides, zip lines, pumpkin chunker, cow train, monster truck rides, camel rides, petting zoo, bounce house, food vendors. Located at 5791 Lower River Rd. in Grants Pass Oregon. www.fortvannoyfarms.com
Haunted Maze at Fort Vannoy Farms. Located at 5791 Lower River Rd in Grants Pass, Oregon. www.fortvannoyfarms.com
Scarecrow Festival. In the centuries-old tradition farmers used to save their crops, you can make your own scarecrow. When you’ve completed your scarecrow you can enter it in the Scarecrow Contest and compete for a People’s Choice Award, OR take your scarecrow home with. Everything you need to make a scarecrow is available in a kit available for purchase. While you’re at the farm plan to take a hay ride, paint a pumpkin or bob for an apple, browse the Hanley Mercantile, enjoy lunch prepared by the Jackson County Master Food Preservers, or tour the Hanley House . Don’t miss your chance to be part of the Scarecrow Festival Weekend! 1053 Hanley Road, Central Point. http://www.sohs.org/node/185002
Grants Pass Shopping Center Halloween Festival. Trick or Treat at participating store, BugsRUs, Bounce Houses, face painting, kid’s costume contest, balloon animals. 959 NE D St, Grants Pass.
Kruse Farms Pumpkin Patch. Weekends in October from 10am-4pm. Pumpkin Patch, Hayrides, Corn Maze, Hay Maze, food and more. Located at 532 Melrose Rd. Roseburg, Oregon. http://www.krusefarms.com/
Mahaffy Ranch Pumpkin Patch. Pumpkin Patch, Hay Maze, Corn Maze and more. Located in Coos Bay, Oregon.http://mahaffyranch.com/
Klamath Basin Potato Festival. Parade, food, vendors, Spud Run, music, exhibits and more. Located in Merrill, Oregon. http://www.klamathbasinpotatofestival.com/home
I recently found Sugar Plumb Acres on Facebookand was super excited to go out and check out the farm located at 1850 Pioneer Rd. in Talent, Oregon.
We have a family recipe for a peach cake that my children love so it was easy to talk them into coming. When we pulled up to the farm the first thing that caught my eye was all the beautiful flowers!
They have a u-pick area that you can find reasonable priced flowers to make your own bouquet. Our next trip out we will be taking advantage of this for sure. We were directed to area to pick the peaches, you need to bring your own containers to transport them, we brought reusable fruit bags.
There are plenty of low hanging fruit so that even your toddlers are able to participate. Once you’ve gathered all your peaches you just have to pull up to the exit and you’re able to weight and pay right there, the farm does only take cash or checks.
The Storytelling Guild presents Annual Children’s Festival every July at the beautiful Britt Gardens in Jacksonville, Oregon. For many years, the festival has provided fun-filled summer days of affordable entertainment for the entire family!
The first Children’s Festival was in 1967 and began as a small storytelling program, billed as: “A Child’s Fun ‘N Fantasy Afternoon” and was held under the trees at Britt Gardens in Jacksonville. The turnout for this one-day event was so tremendous, 200 children, that it was repeated the next day for another 300 children!
It was apparent that this was an important program and plans were readied for a true Festival in 1968. The Storytelling Guild and the Jackson County Library began planning by recruiting volunteers from the mothers who attended the first Festival. Sixteen volunteers and the local chapter of the American Association of University Women planned for that second year.
The second festival drew 2,000 children. The third, 4000 and by 1981, the Children’s Festival was attracting 15,000 visitors!
At the festival, children and adults will enjoy a variety of booths with hands-on arts, crafts, science projects and feeding of the litter eating dragons. All activities are included with the price of admission! Older children will enjoy activities such as: candle making, pottery and wood working, while younger children will have a chance to make their own puppet, sand and easel art, and have their faces painted. In addition to fun hands-on projects, you can sit back and enjoy storytelling, child focused entertainment and stage performances.
Admission is $3 per person per day (adults and children). Food is available for purchase inside the festival at the yummy Dragon Deli. The goal has always been to offer an amazing day of entertainment and education for a reasonable cost.
The mission of The Story Telling Guild and Children’s Festival is to expose children of all ages to the magic of imagination and to instill a love of books and the joy of reading.
The Oregon Bee Store in Eagle Point has the cutest little store with the cutest stuff inside and pure local honey. But the main reason we stopped was for the U Pick strawberries!
My 3 1/2 year old daughter had a blast picking her own strawberries . It is a great way to get outside and teach children where strawberries come from, how they are grown, when they are just right and taste a freshly picked one.
The Oregon Bee Store offer buckets to pick the strawberries but don’t forget to bring something to take them home in.
The Oregon Bee Store is located at 14356 Highway 62 in Eagle Point, Oregon. You can give them a call at (541) 826-7621 or stop in to visit the shop and pick some fresh strawberries.
In an average winter, Crater Lake National Park receives 43 feet of snow! Ranger-led snowshoe hikes are a fun way to explore this winter wonderland while learning how plants, animals, and people survive the harsh conditions.
Every Saturday and Sunday (and some holidays) Crater Lake National Park offers free guided snowshoe walks. Ranger-led snowshoe walks are a fun way to explore this winter wonderland and learn how plants and animals survive the snowy months. Walks are offered to visitors ages 8+ on weekends December through April, with additional weekday hikes in late December and early January.
The two-hour walks start at 1:00 p.m. and cover one mile of moderately strenuous terrain. Walks are off-trail explorations through the forests and meadows at the rim of Crater Lake. No previous snowshoeing experience is necessary. Snowshoes are provided free of charge, but advance registration is required. Space is limited on walks. For more information and to sign up, call the park’s visitor center at 541-594-3100 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants should be at least 8 years old and come prepared with warm clothing and water-resistant footwear.
The weather that gives us spectacular winter recreation also presents people with challenging road conditions. Throughout the fall, winter, and spring, visitors should come prepared for snowy, icy roads, and limited visibility. Before you leave home, ensure that your vehicle is equipped for winter conditions and that you are comfortable driving on snowy roads. Visitors must have traction tires on their vehicles or carry chains, and know how to use them. Drive for the conditions; the posted speed limit is not always a safe speed. Visitors may encounter heavy snow removal equipment on park roads. Please drive slowly and give plows and other heavy equipment plenty of space.
Crater Lake National Park is open 365 days a year. The Steel Visitor Center is open every day except December 25, and food and gifts are available in the Rim Café and Gift Shop year-round except on Thanksgiving Day and December 25. For independent explorations, snowshoes are available for rent at the Rim Café and Gift Shop. Lodging and gasoline are not available in the park from mid-October to late-May.
For more information on winter conditions, services, and programs in Crater Lake National Park, visit our website atwww.nps.gov/crla.
Every year in Medford, Oregon the Rogue Valley Celebrates with the Annual Pear Blossom Festival.
Beginning at the end of March with Pageants, followed by Golf Tournament, Fun Runs, Bike Rides, Food Events and more!
The Parade and Street Fair are held in downtown Medford.
There is fun for all ages! A must do event if you are visiting the Rogue Valley.
June is cherry-picking month in Southern Oregon! If you don’t have your own cherry trees to pick from, consider heading over to Valley View Orchard at exit 19 in Ashland next season.
This organic Farm also offers U-pick peaches, apricots, grapes and more when in season, so mark your calendars and follow them on Facebook for their Picking Times.
Taking children on an outing to the farm teaches them where their food comes from and gives them a sense of accomplishment as they “hunt” for the best produce to choose. But make sure it is an organic farm or orchard to insure the safest, pesticide-free foraging for the little ones.
Dress comfortably in loose-fitting close to accommodate lots of reaching, stretching and walking. Tennis shoes (no open-toes) are a must, and wearing a hat naturally protects little faces from sun and the heat of summer. Buckets are provided by the farm, but keep in mind that the trek back to the farmhouse to pay can be a long one with a full bucket of cherries. We always ask for two buckets each and fill them only half full or less to make the return trip and checking out a breeze.
Be prepared to hear, “This was my most favoritist thing to do ever!” , as you drive away from the farm, with little lips smeared in cherry juice and smiles that reach from ear to ear.
Karen Daggett Austin
Owner, True Juice organic Café’ and Nana to five kiddos who LOVE to garden and pick fruits and veggies
Flashlight Nights at Pheasant Fields Farm Corn Maze.
Fort Vannoy Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze
Haunted Maze at Fort Vannoy Farms.
Grants Pass Shopping Center Halloween Festival. Trick or Treat at participating store, BugsRUs, Bounce Houses, face painting, kid’s costume contest, balloon animals. 959 NE D St, Grants Pass.
The Wood House Festival
Kruse Farms Pumpkin Patch.
Youngs Fall Festival.
Mahaffy Ranch Pumpkin Patch
Klamath Basin Potato Festival
The Storytelling Guild presents Annual Children’s Festival every July at the beautiful Britt Gardens in Jacksonville, Oregon. For many years, the festival has provided fun-filled summer days of affordable entertainment for the entire family!
Golf Tournament, Fun Runs, Bike Rides, Food Events and more!
