If you’re a typical tourist, winter may not be the ideal season for visiting Seattle and sightseeing. The overcast skies, drizzling rain, and occasional snow would be enough to numb your toes and dampen your mood. BUT if you aren’t an average visitor, you’re in for a rare treat. You don’t need special powers to make the most out of winter in Seattle. To uncover the beauty hidden within Emerald City, you need a map and a weather app. To enjoy it, high spirits and good company. And to know where to start, you need our little guide.
Oregon might be known for its evergreen forests best. However, we sure have plenty of colors from the fall palette – if you know where to look. You might be surprised by the impressive mixture of dark green, yellow, red, and deep orange. In this article, we will embark on an adventure to find the top six fall foliage hikes in Oregon. Each of the hikes provides fantastic scenery with mountain views, rivers, waterfalls, and of course, a wonderful blend of autumn colors.
The quaint area of Bellingham has activities and outdoor adventures to do year-round, and the holiday season is no exception. There are several exceptional holiday activities to enjoy in Bellingham in December. Like any small community, the magic of the holidays overwhelms Bellingham. Whether you are looking for an outdoor adventure in the snow or a cozy Christmas activity complete with Christmas music, there is an activity for everyone. Below are just a handful of Best of Bellingham in the winter!
Skiing
If you have been looking forward to snow-packed mountains since the snow melted off in August, look no further. The snow is here, and that means that winter alpine sports are kicking up for the season. If you are looking to head up to the mountain to go Skiing or Snowboarding this season, head to MT. Baker. Mt. Baker offers some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the Pacific Northwest. In 2020, Mt. Baker Experienced the deepest snowpack in the United States and had an excellent alpine season.
With runs for all levels from beginner to expert, there is a place for the whole family to enjoy. If you are new to skiing or snowboarding, consider signing up for lessons. Mt. Baker Ski resort is near Bellingham in the Cascade Mountain Range.
Alpine Hiking
One of the most incredible winter activities to do in the Pacific Northwest is to go see the Larches. Larches are a type of tree that turn golden in the Late Autumn and early winter. Their needles turn golden as they die because the tree is withdrawing nutrients from them to save for the winter. Larches are popular because beautiful snowcapped areas turn golden in September, October, and early November with these unique trees.
While there are many Apline hikes to see the Larches in Washington State, there are several that are close to Bellingham. In the North Cascades, Maple Pass Loop, a 7-mile trail, is a beautiful larch location. Blue Lake is a 4.5-mile hike that leads you to a frozen lake in the wintertime and has a beautiful display of larches. Cut Throat Pass, a more difficult hike at a 10-mile round trip, also has an excellent larch view. These hikes are often covered in snow in late October, so be prepared.
Christmas Tree Farms
Finding a Christmas tree is arguably one of the most essential activities of the holiday season. Bellingham and the surrounding area in the foothills of the North Cascades is home to dozens of Christmas tree farms. There is plenty of trees to choose from and many local Christmas tree farmers to support.
Alpine Meadows Christmas Tree Farm
The Stremler Family has been running the Alpine Meadows Christmas tree farm since 1982. The farm is located just outside Bellingham in Deming, Wa, and is open during November and early December every year. This family-owned business is excited to help you find the perfect tree for you and your family. This is a U-cut Christmas tree farm, so get ready to take home a fresh tree!
Activities
Holiday Port Festival
The Holiday Port Festival is a free, family-friendly event that is held during the first weekend of December. There is a number of community events and other activities to do, such as Performances by local choirs, bands, and dancers. There is a gingerbread house display and free cookies and hot cider during a normal year. For kids, there is always an area to visit with Santa, and there are often horse-drawn, and tractor wagon rides. The exact dates for this event change yearly, so make sure to check in with the port of Bellingham’s website to find out this year’s dates.
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
If you are looking for an exciting day trip from Bellingham, the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in British Columbia, Canada, is exceptional! This suspension bridge park is lit up with Christmas lights every year in December and is complete with hot cocoa stands, Christmas music, and more. While the main suspension bridge is exciting, there are also many bridges in the forest from tree to tree that are fun for the whole family to explore! Make sure to bring your passports and warm clothes for this adventure.
Fairhaven Winter Fest
The Fairhaven Winter Fest is a community-driven event that creates a sense of magic for the holiday season. With lights under the winter sky, shops, holiday music, and more, this is an excellent evening activity in December. Part of this Fest is a lighted Bike parade where anyone can sign up and decorate their bike in lights and ride through Fairhaven Village. There is a window decorating competition for the businesses in Fairhaven and plenty of holiday cheer.
Fairhaven Firelight Stroll
The Firelight stroll is a part of Fairhaven’s Winter Fest. This quaint holiday tradition has plenty of small-town Christmas spirit to go around and is something you don’t want to miss. Starting in front of First Federal at 10th and Harris, everyone in the community gathers for a Christmas stroll. The surrounding streets are decorated with lights and other Christmas decorations, and there is often the soft lull of holiday music playing as your walk. This half-mile stroll is a great family activity! Grab your hot cocoa and your winter coat for this winter wonderland activity.
Holiday Market by the Sea
The holiday Market by the Sea is an indoor Market that features homemade soaps, candles, pastries, jam, coffee, and more. This event is located in Blaine, Wa, and happens in late November and December. If you are looking for last-minute Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers, the Holliday Market by the Sea is an excellent place to support local vendors for the holidays.
The Bellingham Clever Neighbor is happy to bring you the best recommendations on activities for every season. Check back in soon to find out what the best spring activities are in Bellingham.
If you are a first-time visitor to Seattle, you might be wondering what there is to see and do in Emerald City. To be honest, there are so many attractions worth mentioning that it’s difficult to choose just a few. This magnificent city is not only rich in culture, art, technology, and entertainment, but it is also ideal for outdoor activities and leisure. Not to mention the Seattle gastronomic scene, which will delight any foodie.
Just like any close-knit community, Skagit county does a lot of community-centered events during the holiday season. In any given neighborhood, Christmas lights begin going up in early November, and by early December, neighborhoods are fully decorated. Every house will be lit, trees will be up, and you may even hear Christmas music.
Christmas is a fun time to be surrounded by friends and family, but it is also fun to partake in all of the community festivities around you. While so many traditions happen in December, this article is meant to help you pick out just a few Christmas-related activities to do near you this December. All over Skagit County, there are tree lighting ceremonies, Christmas plays, and more going on. Make sure to look into your cities events list to find a complete list of the events.
LaConner Boat Parade
In December, the Swinomish Channel will be aglow with the lights from decorated boats! The La Conner Boat parade happens every year and is a community favorite. Boats from the marina decorated with Christmas lights, Santas, music, and more drive through the channel at night!
Everyone lines the La Conner Channel Walkway and settles in with hot cocoa. Christmas music plays to get ready for the parade of boats to move down the channel and under the rainbow bridge before turning around and coming back through. Many of the boats are themed for their owner’s favorite Christmas movies. Some people even get creative with costumes to match their boats.
Homestead Drive Christmas Lights
There are quite a few spectacular neighbors with amazing Christmas lights in Skagit County. In Burlington, Nearly L.U. School, there is a very well known neighborhood, well known for its Christmas lights that is. Every year homestead Drive gets into the Christmas spirit. Every Single house puts lights up, and many houses add festive music, blow-up characters, or other fun additions to their yard. Many people add lights to the trees that line the neighborhood, and the neighborhood votes on the best lights every year.
In 2019, the neighborhood decided to take its Christmas celebration up a notch and have a winter block party complete with a sleigh and a real-life reindeer. The reindeer stayed for a few hours while children waited to take their pictures with it. There was Christmas music and hot cocoa, and because the event was posted on the news, people from all over the valley turned out to join in. On any given year during December, there is often a steady stream of cars making their way through the neighborhood to check out the lights once it’s dark out.
Mt. Vernon Parade and Christmas Tree Lighting
Most cities and towns in Skagit Valley do some type of Christmas celebration each year, but Mt. Vernon also offers a Christmas Parade. In early December, Mt. Vernon hosts a parade followed by a tree lighting event in Downtown Mt. Vernon. The parade usually starts at 5 pm and travels down the main street before the Tree lighting ceremony happens at Pine Park. This is a very fun community even, and the parade is filled with Christmas lights and people dressed as Santa.
Mclean Christmas Trees
Another key part of every Christmas celebration is a Christmas tree! There are several Christmas tree farms in Skagit County and even more in the surrounding areas. But you won’t have to go far for a perfect tree as Mclean Christmas Trees on Mclean road in Mt. Vernon sells excellent Christmas trees. The Mclean Christmas Tree Farm is a 12-acre farm with a variety of Christmas trees. They have Fraser Firs, Nordman Firs, Blue and Green Spruce, Douglas Firs, and Pine Trees. They open on the weekend after Thanksgiving on a normal year and often sell out extremely quickly. On their website, they mention that they have been completely sold out of trees for several years by December 2nd or 3rd.
National Forest Christmas Tree Permit
If you are excited about a traditional tree cutting experience with your family this Christmas, you may be interested in the National Forest Christmas Tree Permits. Every year, there are limited permits available to cut down Christmas Trees in the national forest. Christmas Tree permits are available for the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie national forest. The permitting usually begins in early November and goes until Christmas. This is a unique opportunity to partake in an old Christmas tradition that is unavailable in many areas of the state and the county.
Notable Mentions
The Towns of Burlington, Sedro-Woolley, Anacortes, and several others also hold annual Christmas tree lighting events. The dates and regular occurrences of these events change from year to year and have been affected by the ongoing pandemic, but it is worthwhile to check out your town’s community page in the late fall to find out what activities are happening near you.
There is plenty of opportunities for Santa Pictures in Skagit County as well. At many of the tree lighting events and the Mt. Vernon parade, there are Santas that are ready to take pictures with young children. Every year, the Burlington Mall offers a Santa Display with a Santa that children can talk with and take pictures with.
The town of Concrete offers a holiday lane every year, and several other areas have drive-through Christmas light displays. There is a singing house in Sedro-Woolley that times its Christmas lights to a local radio station. The singing house is located at 4623 Blank Rd. off Prairie Rd. near Samish School, Sedro-Woolley (musical display 92.3 FM. There is also a singing house on HWY 20 West towards Anacortes that has a very festive light display that is also in tune with a radio station. Anacortes has a community light show in the middle of December every year.
In Skagit county, there is no shortage of light displays, decorations, and events that happen to celebrate the winter holidays! It is a festive time, and due to the limited daylight hours and colder weather, taking advantage of some of these holiday events can be a great way to stay entertained during December. Check back into the Clever Neighbor for more holiday events and activities year-round.
A thanksgiving feast from Skagit county. With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, you may be planning your dinner menus and deciding which family member is making the stuffing this year and who is cooking the Turkey. While doing the big thanksgiving grocery haul can seem overwhelming, it doesn’t have to.
Unfortunately, with a valley full of local resources and struggling farmers, many people don’t know just how much of their thanksgiving feast they could find right here in Skagit County. From veggies to the dessert and the rolls to the turkey, nearly everything on your thanksgiving menu grows locally during the fall months.
While there are always more small farms and roadside stands to add to this list, the below guide is meant to help you find all of the main ingredients for your Thanksgiving feast somewhere local. Your quest for fresh finds may take a bit longer than a traditional trip to the grocery store; the work will be well worth it.
At every stop, you are sure to find farmers and families with stories on where their produce comes from and how it gets to your table. You will find fresh, local ingredients that haven’t traveled across the county or the world to get to you. You’ll be able to see the fields or talk to the baker, and maybe you’ll find a new favorite spot in Skagit County. Thanksgiving Dinner in Skagit County can and should be sourced locally!
The Turkey
Starting with arguably the most prominent part of a Thanksgiving spread, several local farms raise turkeys in Skagit County. While you may pay a premium for a local turkey, the benefits are significant. You will know where the turkey was raised, what it was fed, and if it is organic or not. You will know that your purchase came from a small-scale farm and not a bird mill. And, you will be able to support a great local meat place.
Skagit River Ranch is a Sedro Woolley Farm that is certified organic. They are a grass-fed family business that has been around for over 17 years. They believe in sustainable farming, clean food, and healthy living. Their certified organic turkeys are not filled with antibiotics, steroids, growth hormones, or animal by-products. They do not use chemicals or pesticides on their pastures, and their animals spend their entire lives on organic fields.
They require a $50 deposit on their Turkeys and the rest when you pick your turkey up. If you want a particular size bird, make sure to head to their turkey sign-up and deposit page to reserve your turkey.
Baked Goods and Pies
After the turkey, arguably the most essential part of a thanksgiving feast is the pies and desserts! Everyone eats a bit less turkey than they could stuff in every year to save room for pie! If you aren’t a world-class baker or simply want to leave it up to someone else this year, there are so many good bakeries in Skagit County.
For berry pies, check out Schuh farms. Steve and Susan Schuh have been farming in Skagit Valley since the 1960s and know a thing or two about berries. They grow seven varieties of berries, pumpkins, squash, corn, and more. They pride themselves on fresh-baked pies for the holiday season. Stop in or go online to place an order for your favorite kind of pie. They offer vegan and gluten-free options. If you want homemade tasting pies made with local ingredients, Schuh Farms is the place to stop.
The Calico Cupboard Café and Bakery offers up all kinds of delicious fall treats to add to your Thanksgiving table. This made from scratch bakery prides itself on a high standard of food quality and looks for opportunities to source locally. While their baked goods can be found in all three locations, the bakery itself is located in Anacortes.
In addition to breads of all kinds that you may need for stuffing or bread pudding made at home, the Calico has pies, scones, bars, cookies, and cakes. All of which can be pre-ordered to make sure you get the one you want. The Calico is known for their pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, enormous cinnamon rolls, and specialty pies like Peanut butter pie during the Fall months.
Also available at the Calico is key lime pie, lemon sour cream pie, chocolate milk, coconut cream, fruit pies, apple dumplings, danishes, and more. You can always stop in to browse the dessert cases and make your pick before placing your order for Thanksgiving. They also offer a wide range of gluten-free options. The Calico was first opened in 1981 and has been serving up baked goods ever since.
If you are in need of local bread and cookies, head to the Bread Farm in Edison. The bread farm was opened in 2003 and is an artisan bakery. They source local ingredients and believe in sustainable agriculture and stewardship of the land. They source ingredients free from harmful chemicals and pesticides and do not use additives or preservatives.
You can utilize curbside ordering to ensure they have what you need to add to your harvest table. They often sell out of bread and cookies before the day ends, so plan ahead and call if need be. Thanksgiving Dinner in Skagit County needs pies and desserts so why not let the local bakeries do the leg work!
Potatoes
No Thanksgiving would be complete without potatoes. Whether you like them bakes, mashed or scalloped, they are a critical component of most thanksgiving tables. Skagit county grows 95% of Washington’s red potatoes, so why not buy your potatoes from local farms.
Knutzen farms was founded in 1894 and are still run by the fifth generation of family members. Deeply rooted in family and farming, the Knutzen’s would love to share a bit of their pride and joy and send you home with some potatoes for your table. While this farm is a larger scale farm that sells commercially, they are always happy to make sure the locals have local potatoes.
Call the farm ahead of time to make sure they have what you want. If you are in the grocery store, look for “Chuckanut Valley,” “Naturally Healthy,” and “Highland View” for their private labels. Thanksgiving Dinner in Skagit County wouldn’t be complete without local potatoes.
Veggies
There are vegetables galore that are ready for harvest in November. Skagit Valley grows Brussel sprouts, chard, pumpkins, potatoes, kale, apples, squash, shallots, onions, and lettuce that all are harvest-ready in time for Thanksgiving. There are several places through the Skagit Valley that provide year-round crops.
If you are interested in having vegetables during the winter months, consider signing up for a CSA winter farm box. This will provide you with a box of fresh vegetables and other goods every other week for a certain amount of time. Many winter boxes run from November 3rd through March.
If you are only looking for vegetables for your Thanksgiving feast, a few places are open year-round or until Thanksgiving.
Schuh farms are one of the most reliable stands that are open year-round for vegetables. It is worth calling to farms like Swanson Family Farms and Hedlin farms, both in La Conner, as they both harvest winter vegetables but do not always have winter farm stands.
If you cannot find what you are looking for by either of those options, check out the CO-OP in Mt. Vernon, as they sell local, fresh and organic vegetables year-round.
Appetizers and Wine
Every good thanksgiving meal has a table full of appetizers before dinner even begins. For those who love oysters, Taylor’s shellfish is a true gem. Not only are the oysters delicious, but the views are incredible. Locals describe it as a quintessential PNW experience.
Located on Chuckanut drive on a rain line, Taylor’s Shellfish is a destination stop for tourists worldwide. When you stop by to grab your oysters for your Thanksgiving appetizer, make sure to sit down and eat a few while you watch the sunset over the San Juans.
Cheese is another staple of Thanksgiving. Cheese is essential whether you are whipping into your mash potatoes or serving it up at an appetizer. Samish Bay cheese is a farm run in Skagit Valley that produces organic, local cheese. Their cows are fed 100% organic feed, no hormones or antibiotics, and are given plenty of access to the outdoors. They believe that their animals live a good life on the farm and are excited to share their products with you. They have dozens of cheeses and cheese dips ranging from mild cheddar to Salmon dip.
For many, wine is a must at Thanksgiving. From reds to white, rose to sparkling, you will be hard-pressed to find a thanksgiving celebration without at least a few bottles of wine. There are many wineries in Skagit County, and no matter where you are, you shouldn’t have to drive far to find a local winery.
Eagle Haven Winery in Sedro Woolley is just one of the many great wineries in the county. Located in the foothills of the north cascades, they pride themselves on grapes grown in the fertile Skagit soil. The Eagle Haven winery began as an orchard in 1968 and today is a space for visitors of all ages to enjoy music, community, and wine if you are over 21.
Skagit County truly has so much to offer for your holiday season. Your traditional Thanksgiving spread can be entirely sourced from the county with a bit of leg work. Thanksgiving Dinner in Skagit County is truly a community effort from local farms and vendors.
Idaho has a lot of great places to visit for families who want to have a good time. There are numerous museums, national monuments, and beautiful parks to explore. Also, its mountains, rivers, and beautiful woods make it an ideal destination for those who love outdoor activities. So, if you’re wondering where to take your family for your next trip, Idaho is the place to go. If we haven’t already convinced you, here are the 6 best family vacation ideas in Idaho that will. You can start packing your bags now since you will want to leave for Idaho by the end of the article.
One of the most important parts of wedding planning is choosing a perfect honeymoon destination. Even though many people dream about endless sand beaches and tropical paradises, we’re here to change your mind by presenting fun travel ideas for newlyweds in the Pacific Northwest. Hopefully, we’ll be able to inspire you to at least consider visiting one of them with your loved one.
Bellingham is home to family-owned farms, Halloween activities, spooky tours, and more during the fall season! There is always something to do and this fall you can fill your weekends with fun, local activities.
SM’ Apples
Just North of Downtown Bellingham in Ferndale, Washington is SM’ Apples U-Pick Orchard. This U-pick orchard is family-owned and home to about a dozen varieties of apples. You can check out their website here to find harvest dates and prices for their apples. Their U-pick Orchard is a great family-friendly activity for this fall! Spend the day tromping through the rows of trees picking apples for apple pie, apple sauce, canning apples, and more!
Bellewood Farms and Distillery
At Bellewood Farms and Distillery, you can experience a farm-to-glass distillery in action. Bellewood takes apples grown on their very own farm and turns them into their award-winning Gin, Brandy, and Vodka. Their unique tasting room is open Wed-Sun from 10 am to 5 pm. They aim to put the highest quality fruits into their distilled products, and they are proud to focus on sustainable agriculture.
If you are looking for family-friendly activities, Bellewood Farms and Distillery offer a host of fun activities for all age. Their U-pick apples are a fan favorite, and during September and October, they are known for their Orin, Sonata, Bellewood Prince, Honeycrisp, and Fuji apples. You can take their bin train out to the field and spend the day picking apples.
During late September through October, their Harvest Happens event runs every day from 9 am to 4 pm. In addition to apple picking, they have a large field of pumpkins to choose from, Fresh Cider Doughnuts and kettle corn on the weekends, and much more. Bellewood Farms and Distillery is an excellent place to celebrate fall and local harvests.
Sunday Drive on the Water
If you are looking for stunning views of the Puget sound paired with a bit of fall, driving down Chuckanut Drive is a great option. Chuckanut Drive is a winding road that follows Bellingham Bay from Edison to Bellingham. With excellent scenic views, this drive is popular year-round. Covered by a canopy of trees, during the fall, this drive becomes a colorful fall fairytale. If you have part of the day to spend, do this drive and perhaps stop at Taylors Shellfish as you pass by for excellent views of the water and even better locally harvested Oysters.
Gore and Lore Tour
Every fall, Bellinghistory with the Good Time Girls offers a Gore and Lore tour of Bellingham. The Gore and Lore Tours feature Creepy tales from downtown Bellingham’s crypts – unsettling hauntings, strange historical happenings, and horrific true crimes in the dark heart of Bellingham. If you are looking for a creepy activity to do this Halloween season, check out the Gore and Lore Tour.
Also hosted by Bellinghistory with the Good Time Girls, you can take a Sin and Gin tour. These tours follow Bellingham’s saloon history through the prohibition era. This tour is 18+ and is an excellent option for adults looking to get to know Bellingham’s past.
Bellingham’s Irish Festival
If you are looking for a unique fall event this season, consider checking out Bellingham’s Irish Festival. From October 8th- 10th, you can enjoy educational workshops, classes, and performances, as well as several theaters, shops, and restaurants that are participating. This is a fun way to learn about Irish culture and enjoy a weekend.
Enjoying the Outdoors
Fall in the Pacific Northwest is notably mild. The weather is clear during much of September and October, and the temperatures are mild, making for great outdoor recreation. In the Bellingham area, an outdoor enthusiast’s playground awaits. There are a number of relays, races, and hikes that the city of Bellingham hosts in the fall that are open to anyone to sign up. Several bike races in September and October are an excellent way to enjoy the lovely fall weather outside.
If you are looking to be a bit more adventurous, the Puget Sound and Bellingham bay are calm and the same temperature year-round. Many people enjoy paddleboarding, kayaking, and other water sports throughout the fall. Bellingham Bay is a perfect space to kayak through September and October.
Lake Padden is home to an excellent outdoor walking trail that is mostly paved or gravel, which means it will not get as muddy as other trails during the wetter months. Fragrance Lake is another great hiking option year-round as it is a 5-mile trail that brings you to a lake. The hike does not have very many extended viewpoints, which means your experience will not be impacted by weather.
City of Bellingham sponsored Events
During most Halloween Seasons, Bellingham hosts a number of fun, family-friendly events. In previous years, Halloween scavenger hunts, virtual Halloween historical tours, scary storytellings, Farmers Market Pumpkin Hunts, and more have all been on the Calendar for October. Make sure to check in with the City of Bellingham’s website this October to see all the activities.
Bellingham is full of activities year-round, and fall is no exception. If you are ready to celebrate the fall harvest, there are pumpkin patches and farmer’s markets galore for apple picking, corn mazes, and more if you are a Halloween adventurer, spooky tours, Halloween nights, and more on the horizon in Bellingham this fall. If you are just looking for more ways to be outside. Now that summer has ended, there is plenty of hiking, biking, and water sports options for you to enjoy in Bellingham through October. Cozy Flannels, hot apple cider, and pumpkin season are quickly approaching, so make sure to check out all of the options in your area of Bellingham.
Check back into the Bellingham Clever Neighbor to find more season activities, recommendations, and more.
While the rest of Washington State begins to fall into the rainy fall weather and things button up for the cold weather, Skagit County is entering one of the year’s busiest seasons. As Skagit County is a farming community, there is much to harvest and celebrate in the fall months. September and October are alive with festivals, harvests, and plenty of picture-worthy colors and activities. Fall in Skagit County is beautiful and full of harvest colors and pumpkin patches for the whole family.
While many people think that the end of August brings the end of good weather in Western Washington, during an average year, the weather remains clear and warm during September, and October temperatures stay in the 50s. It is an excellent time to dive into all of the agriculture in the PNW.
Fall in the Skagit Valley is beautiful whether you love pumpkin patches, harvest dinners, farm stops, or bird watching. There is something fun for everyone to partake in.
Gordons Pumpkin Patch
If you are looking for fall colors, Instagram-worthy photos, and pumpkins galore, Gordon Skagit Farms in West Mt. Vernon is the place to visit. This outdoor playground is full of beautiful pumpkin displays full of every type of pumpkin and gourds you can imagine.
Gordon’s pumpkin patch prides itself on honing in on the best of Skagit Valley in the fall. This pumpkin patch is dedicated to fall, so you will not find any spooky spider webs or gouls hiding around the corners. You can, however, find local apples, dried flowers, and corn stalks.
If you are lucky, you might run into the horses and chickens that live on the property. In addition to the animals, you can find beautiful dresses, people, and other structures made out of corn and dried flowers. Gordon Skagit Farms is the quintessential fall in Skagit County.
Schuh Farms
Schuh farms is the perfect mix of Halloween and Fall festivities. While Schuh farms is open during most of the year, they truly shine during September and October. They have a large field where you can go out and pick your pumpkin. It is always fun to weed through rows and rows of pumpkins to find the perfect one to carve.
Schuh Farm is also in west Mt. Vernon and is home to a cute farm stand, farm animals, and lots of local delicacies. There are apple hand pies, local honey sticks, apples, and homemade applesauce. For young children, there are some Halloween-themed decorations and activities. The fan-favorite activity at Schuh farms is the animal area where goats, chicks, and sometimes pigs are often there.
Bird Watching
Fall bird watching is another excellent fall activity in the Skagit Valley. In October, the Snow Geese migrate back to the Skagit Valley from Russia’s Wrangel Island and parts of Alaska. The department of Fish and Wildlife estimates that nearly 80,000 Snow Geese spend their winters in Western Washington.
They are indeed a sight to behold. These Snow Geese are recognizable by their black wing tips and red feet. They come to Fir Island in Early October and Stay until mid-April. They move in huge groups across Fir Island and the Flats of La Conner and Mt. Vernon. On any given day in the winter in Skagit Valley, you are able to find them nestled in a farm field somewhere. They eating worms and other goodies leftover from the crop season.
In addition to the Snow Geese, Skagit County is home to many other birds during the fall and winter. With farmlands, marine areas, mountains, and forests, there are many environments for many different species. From Eagles to Blue Heron and more, Skagit County is the place to visit if you are a bird lover.
The Skagit Bay- Skagit Wildlife Area – Wylie Slough Area on Fir Island is just one of the many areas for birding in Skagit County. From the sea to the mountains and all of the farmland and forests in between are full of some of the best birding in Washington State. If you are ready to go birding on your own, simply decide what birds you want to see and head to the right water basin area in the valley.
If you are new to birding or want a guided tour of a new area, check out Skagit Guided Adventures for their birding tours. They offer several different birding tours throughout the year for different areas and types of birds. Even if you aren’t out specifically looking for birds, make sure to look up every so often as you adventure around the valley because you never know when you might spot a bald eagle, a nest, a hawk, or a flock of Snow Geese.
Festival of Family Farms
The Festival of Family Farms is one of the highlights of the fall season in Skagit County. The festival is a way for the county to celebrate the hard work of farmers through the busy season. Part of the main fun of the Festival is where everyone can learn what it takes to run a farm. From growing crops to feeding and tending animals, many of the Festival of Family Farms activities are hands-on experiences.
Participating farms, wineries, and other agriculture or livestock-based farms across Skagit County every year. This year’s festival of family farms will happen the weekend of October 2nd, and 3rd from 10 am-4 pm on both days. Corn mazes, pumpkin patches, kid’s activities, farm tours, and animal exhibits are all common occurrences at the festival. Local restaurants often set up booths at the farms to sell goodies, and each stop turns into a mini farmers market of sorts. Whether you are traveling with young children or solo, the Festival of Family Farms is a must-do activity in the fall.
Fall Crops
While many people associate the spring and summer with fresh fruits and veggies, Skagit Valley crops are harvested year-round. The fertile grounds and mild winters make for the perfect growing climate for leafy greens and root vegetables. A fun fact on fall harvests: Skagit Valley produces 95% of the red potatoes grown in the state of Washington.
If you are local to Northwest Washington and want to take your local buying year-round, consider a winter CSA. A CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. A CSA is a model where members pay upfront to help farmers cover the cost of growing the food, and in return, members get a portion of the harvest. This is a great avenue to support local farmers and eat local veggies year-round.
There are CSA’s nearly year-round in Skagit Valley with Pickup spots as far north as Bellingham and as far south as Seattle and Renton. Boldly Grown Farm offers a fall and winter CSA program that offers all sorts of locally grown goodies from November to March.
The Pumpkin Pitch
If you are a pumpkin enthusiast, the Burlington Harvest Festival and Pumpkin Patch is for you. This family-friendly event happens on the last Saturday of September at Skagit River Park from 10 am to 4 pm. This is a great event for small children because of the inflatables, pony rides, kid’s activities, and more. This event is completely free and takes a love of squash to a new level. There are often cars made out of zucchinis hurling around the park, a great pumpkin weigh-in contest, and best of all, the pumpkin patch.
Imagine pumpkins flying hundreds of feet through the air at high velocity. Every year, pumpkin pitch competitors build catapults or traction trebuchets to launch their pumpkins the entire length of the park. The pumpkins crash land at the end of the field, and the winner takes bragging rights for the year. The Burlington Harvest Festival and Pumpkin Pitch is truly a fun way to spend a Saturday.
There are so many fun things to do in Skagit County in the fall. Don’t let the rainy weather and clouds stop you from adventuring! On any given weekend in Skagit County in the fall, there is a farm festival, pumpkin-themed event, or a crop to be harvested. If you are ever looking for an additional way to spend the day, simply drive through the farm fields and see what is being grown and harvested.
While tourist season in Skagit County definitely peaks in the spring and summer, there is so much to explore and do in the county year-round. The fall can be a great time to beat the crowds and still enjoy mild weather. Biking, hiking, fishing, and other outdoor activities are extremely popular past times September- Early November before freezing temperatures come.
If you need activities to do in Skagit County in all of the other seasons of the year, make sure to check back in with the Clever Neighbor!
