Pick your fun at Green Bluff Apple Festival
It’s not unusual for children raised in the city to have a fuzzy idea of how exactly food gets to their kitchen table. The annual Apple Festival at Green Bluff is an opportunity to show kids that apples don’t grow on grocery store shelves. There’s nothing better than spending a gorgeous fall day picking apples off the tree. And if you pick a bit too much (since it’s so much fun it’s hard to stop), you can always make cider, applesauce, or – my personal favorite – apple pie.
There are more than two dozen orchards and farms offering picked or U-pick apples. Some even have U-pick pumpkins and other vegetables. The growers are loosely organized, so each orchard has something different and is open different hours. Some locations have live music, food, games, mazes and lots more, so it’s easy to pack up the family and make a day of it (make sure to sample the fresh hot apple cider). Most locations are open during the week, but the majority of special events take place on the weekends.
The festival will continue through Oct. 28. For a complete list of locations, directions and more information, check out www.greenbluffgrowers.com. Or head north on U.S. Highway 2, take a right on Day-Mount Spokane Road and follow the signs.
Yucky
Most kids know the frowning green face of Mr. Yuk, used to mark dangerous chemicals and products. Now students in grades 3 to 5 are invited to make a “Mr. Yuk Keeps Me Safe” poster for a contest run by the Washington Poison Center.
The poster should include Mr. Yuk and the number of the Poison Help Hotline – (800) 222-1222. Complete contest rules are available at www.wapc.org or call (800) 572-4104 extension 2359. The deadline is Oct. 31.
Family Series
If you and the little ones enjoy stage dramas, check out the lineup announced by the Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum in Pullman for its sixth annual Family Series starting this fall.
The first program is “Jack and the Beanstalk” by the Missoula Children’s Theatre, with shows at 3 and 7 p.m. on Sept. 29. The next program is “The Reluctant Dragon” by the Tears of Joy Puppet Theatre on Nov. 4 (time TBA). The last program is the American Family Theater’s “Babes in Toyland” at 7 p.m. on Dec. 12.
Season ticket prices are $18.50 for adults and $10.50 for children under 13. Season tickets sell two-for-one and each child’s ticket comes with a free ice cream cone. Regular tickets are $6 for adults per show and $4 for children. For more information call (509) 335-3525 or go to http://beasley.wsu.edu.