What Autumn Has in Store

1. The autumn season is a mix of many fun customs for all ages, with an endless bounty of good things to do. This fall's to-do lists may include pumpkin shopping and carving, baking pumpkin seeds, enjoying some apple cider, hot chocolate and pumpkin-spice coffee, picking apples, visiting corn mazes, decorating the house with spooky ghosts for Halloween, and oh-so-much more... the list goes on and on. To help with your October plans, below are some festive autumnal activities.

2. For Older Kids, Teens and Adults:

The Connecticut Trolley Museum in East Windsor is holding their popular event on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in October. Jump onboard and prepare to be frightened.

A Lantern Tour and Haunted Woods Walk will take place on Oct. 14, 15, 21 and 22 at 2382 South St. in Coventry. This program offers a step back in time (and forward in fear) by the Coventry Historical Society and Ghouls of Graveside Manor. Visit http://www.darkwalk.net for more details.

 Traveling through Farmington? Looking for a place to rest your bones or someone else’s? Tour the Haunted Whitman Inne, where you'll find ghosts, ghouls, and gruesome figures around every corner. If you're feeling particularly brave, stay the night! This event takes place on Oct. 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., so mark your calendars. Program registration is on a first come, first served basis, so register now by phone at 860-677-9222.

The Fright Night Fest at Six Flags New England is one of the most terrifying Halloween events in the area, with numerous haunted mazes, shows and rides. According to the Web site, you and your friends will have the fright of your life! With attractions such as Slayer's Lair, Midnight Mansion, Wicked Tombstone, Territory Woods and many more, you'll surely be scared out of your wits. 

3. For Kids and Families:

Brown's Harvest in Windsor not only offers all your typical fall home decor and treats daily, including pumpkins, mums, cornstalks, cider, homemade apple cider donuts and fresh-baked apple and pumpkin pies, but they also offer weekend activities such as hayrides, face painting and an age-8-and-under corn maze. 

Pell Farms in Somers offers pre-picked pumpkins, a pumpkin patch, corn maze, a straw/hay bale maze, tractor-pulled hay rides, wagon rides, face painting, pony rides, a petting zoo, farm animals, food and decorative items for the season.

Scantic Valley Farm in Somers also has pumpkins, a pumpkin patch, one of the area's largest corn mazes, tractor-pulled hay rides, fresh eggs, a refreshment stand, picnic area and more.  

If your organization is holding an autumn or Halloween-themed event, be sure to post it on Patch.com!

4. On this day in history, 1955, Beat-generation poet Alan Ginsberg read "Howl" for the first time. Ginsberg read his poem during a reading at San Francisco's Six Gallery.

5. Today is expected to be mostly sunny with a high in the mid-60's. Temperatures should dip into the lower 50's tonight, according to National Weather Service reports.