4 Fall Activities Perfect for Families in Matthews, NC

As the weather turns cooler in the Matthews, NC area, you may be looking for fun fall activities that you can do with your family. Check out at least one of these four attractions and festivals that are perfect for both kids and adults.

Stumptown Park

Located in the downtown area of Matthews, Stumptown Park is a favorite among families. On Labor Day weekend, you can participate in the Matthews Alive festival, which supports local non-profit organizations. You can enjoy tasty food, watch live entertainment acts, and participate in family-friendly activities. There are also vendors and artists that sell their creations, and there are carnival rides available for all ages. If you miss the festival, you can still enjoy other concerts and family activities hosted at the park throughout the year.

Lazy 5 Ranch

This privately owned ranch is fun to visit during the fall months. A variety of exotic animals call it home, including zebras, ostriches, rheas, bison, giraffes, and emus. You can take a wagon ride through the ranch for an additional fee, and the price includes a bucket of animal feed. The ranch opens at 9:00 a.m. on Monday through Saturday and at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. It stays open until one hour before the sun sets each day.

Between October 3 and November 1, the ranch holds a Fall Festival. Activities include a straw castle, a corn box, and a pumpkin patch where you can pick out a pumpkin to paint or slingshot across the ranch. On weekends, you can also roast marshmallows or sample the fresh apple butter and kettle corn.

Colonel Beatty Park

If your family wants to do something active during the cooler fall season, check out Colonel Beatty Park on Weddington Road in Matthews. Here you can bike on more than six miles of mountain biking trails, take an easy hike on the surrounding walking trails, and canoe or kayak on the lake. There are also baseball and soccer fields and tennis courts. Don’t forget to pack a picnic and take advantage of the tables and other picnic facilities located throughout the park.

ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center

Located in the heart of the cultural arts district in Charlotte, this spot is perfect for kids and teens. It includes two children’s theatres and a library that recently earned the top spot on the Livability.com list of children’s libraries in the U.S. There are designated areas for different age groups, along with interactive exhibit space and a multimedia production studio. More than 300,000 people visit this youth center each year.

Because it’s all indoors, this is a great fall activity on a rainy or chilly day when outdoor activities aren’t options. It’s about 11 miles from Matthews, so it’ll take around 20 minutes to get there if there isn’t too much traffic.

Enjoy fun activities and festivals this fall with the family in the Matthews area. Instead of staying home when the summer months end, plan to take part in at least one of these activities with your kids.

Image by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Licensed via CC BY-SA 2.0

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