Fun Fall Family Festivities, Locally!

Whether it's the leaves changing colors, sweatshirt weather, or pumpkin spice everything, the fall season offers something for everyone. Family-friendly activities abound in the MonDak region, offering fall festivities to suit every family's taste. Be sure to mark the following five activities on your calendar so you don't miss out on all things fall!

September 15th-October 22nd, Cottonwood Forest: If pumpkins make fall complete for you, Cottonwood Forest is your go-to fall spot. Formerly known as Dark Acres Pumpkin Patch, Cottonwood Forest is located at 5101 2nd Ave West, in Williston, and is open from on Fridays from 4PM to 7PM and weekends noon to 7PM. The pumpkin patch boasts a selection of pumpkins and gourds, bale mazes, a corn box, pedal carts, zip lines, an air canon, climbing ropes, slides and so much more! Concessions are available, and admission for ages 3 and up is $5 per person.

September 30, National Public Lands Day: Visit the Theodore Roosevelt National Park on September 30 and enjoy free entrance in celebration of National Public Lands Day. The dai is set aside each year for people to enjoy all that public lands have to offer, as well as promote conservation of these lands through volunteerism. Put on your hiking boots, grab a few friends, and help clean up the park, or simply take advantage of the last hint of nice weather before the snow hits.

October 7th, Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day: An international initiative, Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day encourages families to ride mountain bikes with kids. The initiative will be celebrated in Watford City on Saturday, October 7th, on the beautiful Maah Daah Hey Trail. Beginning at 5PM Central time, free registration will take place at the CCC Campground, with age-group races and a trail ride on the Sunset Trail beginning at 6PM. Awards are at 7, followed by s'mores and hotdogs by the fire. The event is free and open to all.

October 13-15th, Sidney High School Drama Club Production of Sherlock Holmes: Looking to get out of the cold? Follow the thrilling adventures of detective Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Watson as they attempt to solve the case of the missing love letters. This family-friendly version of the classic stars talented Sidney High School students. The curtain opens at 7PM MST on Friday and Saturday, and 2PM on Sunday. The cost is $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors. The show will be at the Sidney Middle School Auditorium.

October 27-28th, Wild West Fright Fest: The musical may have closed for the season, but Medora is still full of life! Enjoy free hay rides around Medora and a kid-friendly haunted house from 4PM to 6PM each day, and trick-or-treating around Medora until 7PM. Scariness comes out in full swing for a $10 entrance fee for older kids and adults at the haunted house at 7PM. Stay out late to enjoy live music each night beginning at 8PM at Boots Bar & Grill or the Little Missouri Saloon. On Saturday only, a community dinner of Badlands BBQ and scary desserts begins at the Rough Riders Hotel at 5, and costs $15 for adults and $8 for students at the door. Between 7PM and 9PM, local author Rolf Sletten will tell ghost stores in Demores Park.