October Archives - KS Mitchell

October’s Last Glorious Weekend

Here we are at the end of October when it feels like the month just started. If there was a way to trade another month for a second October, I would do it in a heartbeat. Do we really need January or August?

Since stopping time is impossible, at least in this dimension (am I right, sci-fi fans?), we’ll just have to enjoy the end of the month to the fullest. After all, there’s still pumpkin carving to be done, corn mazes to be wandered through, trick-or-treating and fall color!

Here’s a few fun things on my calendar this Halloween weekend in Northwest Arkansas:

Friday, Oct. 28th – Animal Science Day! Ok, this one has me excited. The Department of Animal Science at the University of Arkansas is hosting an evening of Halloween fun at the Pauline Whitaker Equine Center. It’s free, costumes are encouraged and yes, animals are involved. Science and animals for Halloween. Win-win!

Saturday, Oct. 29th – Haunted Night on the Battlefield – This is a fun night at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. Follow candle lit luminaries down the battlefield to the Borden House for a spooky historical scene. Paranormal investigators are on the path to talk about tracking ghosts and other paranormal activity through the battlefield. If you make it back from the self-guided tour, there’s kettle corn and apple cider to warm your soul!

Sunday, October 30th – This is the last weekend to check out the corn mazes around the area and make last minute pumpkin purchases for carving!

Monday, October 31st – Halloween! Wear something spooky, something fun, and something that glows in the dark (for safety) and have fun!

And just for fun –

My favorite spooky story – A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. It starts on a dark and stormy night, has three Whiches (misspelling intended!) and is about a dark, evil force trying to take over the universe one planet at a time.

My favorite Halloween show: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Who doesn’t love the Peanuts gang? I always felt sorry for Linus though, spending all night in the pumpkin patch instead of having Halloween fun.

My favorite Halloween costume: I had a lot of great costumes growing up, but I loved dressing up as a Civil War soldier (Union, my twin was Confederate) and also as a bobby cop (opposite my twin’s convict suit.)

My favorite Halloween candy: Candy corn! What else!

You can still catch me as Blogger of the Month on the Arkansas Women Bloggers website and check out Glass House Press’s Battle of the Werewolves vs. Vampires on the GH blog.

Here in Northwest Arkansas, October has been unusually warm, so it looks like our fall colors will stretch into a hopefully cooler November! Hey, November’s a great month, too.

Have a fun and safe Halloween weekend!

October’s Here! A Few Awesome Things for Everyone.

If you know me, you know I love October. I can’t imagine a more perfect month. Chilly mornings, warm afternoons, clear blue skies, red and gold leaves, and a hint of spookiness thrown in as we head into Halloween. Such fun.

This morning when I stepped outside for my walk, the air was cool, the sun on the way up to a beautiful blue sky, the wind made leaves swirl from the trees and a hawk swooped through the air. At that moment, I felt tremendous joy simply for being alive.

This month I’m the Blogger of the Month for Arkansas Women Bloggers. You can check out my first post here. If you haven’t visited the Arkansas Women Bloggers blog before, stop by! It’s a fascinating read.

I was also recently featured on the Glass House Press blog. I’m still so excited to be a part of this press and can’t wait for you all to read Dreamers, but until it’s published, you can check out GHP’s other great authors!

We all know October means pumpkin everything! You’re either for Team Pumpkin or against it. If you’re for it, here’s a great pumpkin cookie recipe my mom made every year! If pumpkin isn’t your thing, check out the other great author fall favorites.

If you’re in Northwest Arkansas this October, don’t miss True Lit Fest at the Fayetteville Library with keynote speaker Louis Sachar! I loved Holes (who didn’t?) and can’t wait to hear him speak. There’s also a wide variety of classes, author talks and even author pitch sessions. Don’t miss it!

If you’re celebrating October with kids, nwamotherlode.com is your best bet on finding all the cool October activities happening in the area.

Enjoy the most beautiful month of the year!

Awesome October Continues: 3 Fall Fun Events Happening in NWA this Weekend

Here we are in our second week of #awesomeOctober. I wanted to feature three cool things happening around Northwest Arkansas this week because October only comes around once a year! Well, technically thirty-one days a year, but those days go so fast.

1) Take a Ghost Walk

If you’re not into haunted houses (like me), but you still want to get out for a spooky tour, Rogers Historical Museum is holding Ghost Walks starting this week. The museum began the walks in 2013 to connect with local residents and entertain them with true stories from Benton County’s early history.

The Ghost Walks begin with a guide dressed in turn of the century clothing. The tour will include eight stops in downtown Rogers with a story of murder, mayhem or mischief for each stop. Walkers will also enjoy how scenic and active the downtown area is, especially decorated for fall and Halloween.

The Ghost Walks will be held October 15th and 16th this week, and October 22nd-24th. They’ll last one hour and cost $5. Tickets can be reserved at the Rogers Historical Museum.

2) Get Crafty

It’s craft fair weekend in Northwest Arkansas. If you love homemade crafts, handcrafted woodwork, hand-sewn clothing and anything else made by hand, this is your weekend. There are multiple craft fairs happening around Northwest Arkansas. Here are a few to consider.

War Eagle Craft Fair – Set on the beautiful lawn and fields of War Eagle Mill, this is the most scenic of the fairs. War Eagle will have four full days of crafts beginning Thursday, October 15th. It’s so much fun to wander through the tents and vendor booths. As a non-crafter, I’m always amazed at some of the handiwork. You can also cross the one lane bridge, watch the mill’s water wheel spin, and head inside the mill to their gift shop and eat a meal at the Bean Palace restaurant (which is rumored to be haunted).

Ozark Regional Craft Show – If you’d prefer not to travel out to War Eagle, the regional craft show offers an indoor option in three different locations. Opening Friday, you can visit the Northwest Arkansas Convention Center in Springdale, the John Q Hammons Center – Embassy Suites in Rogers and the Washington County Fairgrounds in Fayetteville. If you’re really crafty, you can hit all three.

Rodeo of the Ozarks Craft Fair – The Rodeo of the Ozarks in Springdale is holding its first craft fair this year October 15th-17th. Take the opportunity to check out the rodeo grounds and visit the booths of over forty local craftsmen and women.

3) Dancing in the Streets

Saturday, October 17th, downtown Springdale will be transformed with live music, dancing, food vendors and more for the 3rd annual ArkanSalsa, an event organized by local non-profit OneCommunity to raise money for scholarships and bring the community together in one place for food, fun and celebrating the rich diversity of Northwest Arkansas. There is an event for everyone at ArkanSalsa, including a 5k run and one mile family walk, a car show, a parade, food booths and street dancing. On Sunday, October 18th, ArkanSalsa continues on the A&M Railroad. You can purchase tickets for a 3 hour ride from Springdale to Winslow and enjoy lunch and music on the train. (Check out the NWA Deal Piggy on the ArkanSalsa Train ride) Find out more at the ArkanSalsa Facebook page.

What are you planning for another awesome October weekend?

Awesome October

I recently created a list of things my sisters and I want to do in October to take full advantage of this month. I thought you all might like to share in that list. Note that this list doesn’t encompass all the awesome events happening in Northwest Arkansas this month but the ones I’m especially interested in.

October is a month I look forward to all year long. With cool, sunny days and crisp, flannel perfect nights, and beautiful fall foliage, it’s a great time to be out and about. Throw in fall festivals, sports and Halloween, and October easily vies for the best month of the year.

I hope you find something awesome to do in October and enjoy the fullness of fall as much as I do!