Fall has finally arrived. The weather is getting chilly and the amount of time you want to spend outside is slim to none. If this is your first year on campus, you might be wondering what there is to do to celebrate this new season. Below is a list of great places in or near Albion that make for fun Fall activities. If you’re a returning student, some of these might be exciting new ways to stay busy with your friends on the weekend without traveling far.
On Campus:
1. The Whitehouse Nature Center
Did you know the Nature Center has over 6 miles of trails? Walking any of them is a great opportunity to get fresh air, clear your head of stress about an upcoming exam, and see the variety of leaf colors before they fall for Winter.
2. Movies
There is nothing like relaxing inside on a chilly day and watching a movie. If you are tired of the selection of TV shows and movies on Netflix, stop by the Bohm Theatre in downtown Albion. It reopened last year and plays new movies every week. There is also a free shuttle that will take you to the Bogar Theatre in Marshall every Saturday night. The theatres tend to play different movies, so check out both schedules if there is a particular movie you want to see. Movie tickets at both theaters are free to students.
If you like art but don’t want to make it, check out the art on display in Bobbitt. The exhibits are always free and change throughout the year. The current one, Vintage Playthings: Toys from the Collection of Georgia Wilson Marsh,’65, will only be up through Oct. 19, so check it out while you still can!
4. Reading
You may feel like you do enough reading, but assigned textbooks and books you pick out are very different! Stop by the local library and pick out a book to read for fun.
Nothing says Fall like cheering on your favorite football team. The Briton football team is currently 4-0! Tailgates are held behind Ferguson before every home game, so why not bundle up, grab a hot chocolate and get ready to cheer on a winning team? The next home game is the Homecoming game Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. against the Adrian College Bulldogs.
6. Bonfire Pit
Are you looking to spend an evening making s’mores by a warm fire? Check out the fire pit between Baldwin and Twin. It was installed last year and requires an Albion OneCard to use. If you don’t want a gas powered fire, there is a pit by the Dow, but it requires a permit and the ability to make your own fire.
If you’re lucky enough to have a car on campus or know someone that does, your list of activities has just expanded. All of the activities listed below are a thirty minute drive or less and have a bunch of great restaurants in the area you can stop at too.
Off Campus:
Concord, Mich., where Sweet Seasons Orchard is located, is only a quick drive from Albion. It is a small family owned farm that grows peaches, plums, and of course—apples! They hand press them into apple cider, which is available for purchase. You can also take tours and watch the pressing process.
2. Pumpkin Picking and Hayrides
Check out Cornwell Turkeyville’s Haunted Adventure in Marshall. Cornwell Turkeyville has a dinner that serves everything turkey, but during the fall on select days you can come experience a hayride, haunted barn and pick out a pumpkin for yourself while enjoying apply cider and donuts. They also have a comedy night and dinner theatre if you are interested in those.
Also located in Marshall is the Marshall Carriage Co and Ghost Tours. Not only can you experience either a walking or horse drawn historical tour of Marshall, but this time of year you can receive a ghost tour through the town and cemetery. You can also have your fortune told, visit their petting zoo or enjoy a bonfire.
4. Corn Mazes
The Olivet FFA Corn Maze is a bit outside of Marshall but offers the chance to find your way through a corn maze or haunted corn maze until Oct. 31. The farm participates in an online mystery game that you begin online, then solve by going to the corn maze. Check out their website to play the game and for a coupon to the maze.
5. Schuler Arts
Schuler Arts is a creative retreat center located in Albion. You and your friends can sign-up for a workshop or class and learn how to work with raku or ceramics, including trying a potter’s wheel, as well as many other class options. There is a cost, depending on the class, but you will get to keep all the art pieces you make.
Of course this list of Fall activities would not be complete without a haunted house. Located in Jackson, Jackson’s Underworld Extreme Haunted House was named Click on 4 Detroit News Station’s best haunted house of 2014. It is over 115,000 square feet and multiple floors of creepiness! If scary movies aren’t scary enough for you, this would be a great way to test out how fearless you really are. Coupons are also available on their website.
Now that The Pleiad had given you ideas, grab some friends and start checking off these fun activities!
Photo by Alex Carey
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