Fall is Vinton County’s busiest season and it’s our most beautiful too! Here are a few of the events coming up this month!
Get a Bird’s Eye View!
There’s no better way to enjoy Vinton County’s fall foliage than from the sky!
The Annual Leaf Peep/Young Eagles Day will be held Sunday, October 21 at the Vinton County Airport. Sponsored by the Vinton County Pilots and Boosters Association, youngsters ages 17 and younger will be able to receive one free airplane ride. Very young children, 6 years of age and younger, may be required to have a parent or guardian fly with them, but the person flying with them, if older than 17, will have to purchase an adult ride ticket.
The Leaf Peek offers a great opportunity to see the changing leaf colors from the air. An airplane ride also gives you the opportunity to see a section of Vinton County, including McArthur and Lake Hope State Park, from the air.
A Garden Tractor Pull is also scheduled that day and will begin at about noon. Also scheduled are go cart races. Food will be available in the airport shelter house beginning at 11 a.m. and will continue through the day until about 4 p.m.
Airplane rides will begin at 11 a.m. and ride tickets will be available at a booth in the shelter house.
The Vinton County Airport is located about six miles north of McArthur, Ohio just off St. Rt. 93 on airport Road. Follow the airport signs.
For more information, contact Vinton County Pilots and Boosters Association President Nick Rupert at 740-357-0268 or Secretary Steve Keller at 740-418-2612. Proceeds from all events at the Vinton County Airport are used to maintain and manage the airport.
Take A Hike
Lake Hope State Park will host the thirty-third annual Fall Hike on Saturday, October 20. The hike will begin at 10 a.m. with sassafras tea at the Hope Shelterhouse. Groups of hikers will be travel a three mile trail to the Hope Furnace.
Hikers are served Sassafras Tea at the beginning of Lake Hope’s Fall Hike.
Hikers will be led by park personnel and Hocking College students who will explain the flora and fauna, trees, history and wildlife they see along the way. The event will end at the Hope Furnace where participants can sample beans and cornbread before being shuttled back to their vehicles.
Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather, to bring a water bottle and wear comfortable hiking shoes. The three mile trail is reasonably simple for most hikers. For more information, contact the Lake Hope State Park Office at 740-596-4938.
ROAR Like an Appalachian
Get up close and personal with a llama, prove your pumpkin stacking skills and take a wagon ride. These are just a few of the things you can see and do at Lake Hope State Park’s Rural Ohio Appalachia Revisited (ROAR) Day.
Roll a pumpkin, enjoy a wagon ride and buy some crafts. You can do it all at ROAR Day!
This October 27 event celebrates all that is good about Appalachian culture through food, crafts, music and traditional skills. The day is designed to provide free and inexpensive fun for kids of all ages while celebrating Appalachia both past and present.
The schedule includes flint knappers, soap makers, painters, a broom maker, local history, archery, an antique tractor show and delicious food. Family friendly activities will include Halloween fun for the kids, pumpkin rolling, pumpkin painting and other fun.
Vinton County resident Emmett Joy is a woodcarver who has been participating in ROAR since the very beginning. Many youngsters will remember Joy for the “three minute owls” he passes out to children who pass by his table at the historic Hope School. He carves the simple owls from small chunks of wood that are the perfect size for tiny hands. “The kids seem to really like them. There are some kids who come back year after year to get a new owl,” Joy said.
Joy, who began carving in 1988, said that he enjoys ROAR Day as much as the visitors. “I like the fall atmosphere, I like to carve for the kids, I like to show my stuff. It’s a good day, especially for the children because there’s a lot to do. And fun for the adults because it’s a chance to look back at the way things were done in the old days. There’s something for all ages,” Joy explained.
Visitors can also take a tour of the new Hope Lodge, try food from the new restaurant menu and enjoy the fall foliage in the park.
ROAR Day will be held on Saturday, October 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendors, activities and music will be set up in four locations around the park. For information contact the Lake Hope Park Office at 740-596-4938.
Hauntings at Lake Alma
Lake Alma is simply breathtaking in the fall and it’s spooky after dark!
The Annual Lake Alma Halloween Campout is again scheduled for the fourth weekend in October – this year’s dates are Oct. 26-27. The park staff and FRIENDS of Lake Alma are making plans for a fun-filled weekend. All the Reservable campsites are taken, however several walk-in sites are still available on a first come, first served basis.
Activities for the weekend include Best Decorated Campsites, picking up a pumpkin for “decorating” at the Camp Office after 5 p.m. This year instead of the “pumpkin carving” the competition will be for “pumpkin decorating”. So think an idea for your pumpkin that does not include carving. The competition is open to decorating your pumpkin as your favorite character or fun idea. All decorations must be in good taste and appropriate for the occasion. A movie will close out the activities for Friday evening at dusk.
Activities on Saturday include lunch consisting of Beans & Cornbread, hotdogs and a beverage. Food will be provided by the FRIENDS of Lake Alma. Donations for all FRIENDS events currently go toward the new Playground Equipment Fund and park improvements.
Ryan Griffith and James Dimel, volunteers with the FRIENDS of Lake Alma, are sponsoring the Fall Fearless 5K Run and a 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament. These events are scheduled for October 27th. The 5K will begin at 9:00 am and the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament will begin at 10:00 am at the basketball court.
Registrations can be made anytime and until the time of the events. The costs of these events are $10 each per participant. The 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament will consist of 3 players and an alternate. Proceeds from both events will be donated to Thirst Youth Ministries. For additional information concerning these events please call Ryan Griffith at 740-418-3320.
The Haunted Trail will again be on the schedule beginning at dusk. Everyone should meet at the 2nd Beach Parking Lot to begin the haunted trail up Old Pine Hill. For additional information call the Camp Office at 740-384-4474.