Fall Story Ideas
Autumn in Tualatin Valley is a treat to the senses. Here are five story topics that are perfectly suited for round-ups and other fall-themed articles.
1. Harvest Season
October marks harvest season at Tualatin Valley’s farms. Visitors may pick pumpkins to take home to carve, get lost in a corn maze, play a round of pumpkin bowling, and pick apples and other fall fruits at u-pick farms.
Several pumpkin patches are open for harvest family fun throughout October. Tualatin Valley is home to Roloff Farms, the location of the hit series, Little People Big World. Speaking of pumpkins, the popular West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta–which has received national media coverage in recent years–takes place in the city of Tualatin Valley each October. This fun-to-watch event features 1,000-pound pumpkins that are hollowed out and used as boats, where lucky participants race across the lake while dressed in a festive costume.
Fall is apple season, and Tualatin Valley is all about its apples in October and November. Smith Berry Barn grows more than two dozen varieties of apples and pears in its u-pick orchard. Bell’s Orchard has “short orchards,” which allows families to pick apples without a ladder. Oregon Heritage Farms holds two apple events in October, CiderFest (which includes cider plant tours by reservation) and AppleFest.
2. Autumn Bird Migration
October is bird migration season, as the Tualatin Valley is on the Pacific Flyway, the north-south path for migratory birds in North America and South America. The Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge and Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve are just two wildlife areas with trails that offer some of the best bird watching opportunities in the Tualatin Valley during this active season.
3. Fall Colors
September and October are prime months for “leaf-peeping” in the Tualatin Valley. One of the best ways to view the splendor of the Tualatin Valley this time of year, is with a drive along the Vineyard and Valley Scenic Tour Route, a 60-mile driving tour. Discover farms, wineries, amazing sights and more along this experiential tour of our agricultural valley. Or paddle along the scenic and serene Tualatin River Water Trail for a memorable way to soak in the colors of the season.
4. Outdoor Adventure
Cooler temperatures invite cyclists to ride along the 21-mile (one way) Banks-Vernonia State Trail, a rails-to-trails project that converted a dated railroad line, takes hikers, cyclists and equestrians of all levels on a scenic route through rural lands.
Zip lining also is a popular pastime in the Tualatin Valley during the fall. Tree to Tree Adventure Park is a “playground in the trees” features an aerial adventure ropes, zip line tours, dueling zip line racing and more. Pumpkin Ridge Zip Tour is a guided zip-line tour along eight zip lines that takes adventurers through a beautiful forest, across majestic suspension bridges and near the breathtaking Brunswick Canyon.
5. Wine Crush
Mother Nature is unpredictable and it’s nearly impossible to forecast when the wine harvest, or “crush,” will happen. However, fall in Tualatin Valley’s wine country is still an exciting time to visit. Take a progressive wine tour at Ponzi Vineyards, where visitors may be able to witness the fall crush before their eyes. With more than 30 estate wineries in Tualatin Valley, there are plenty of opportunities to see the energy of wine harvest season up close and personal.
