Pumpkins, beekeeping & more in store for October at Agriplex

Published 6:00 am Thursday, September 30, 2021

There’s no time of year like fall for getting in touch with the outdoors, and the October event lineup at the North Alabama Agriplex is all about autumn — especially if you’re a kid (or just want to be one for a day). 

Leading off the Agriplex’s events lineup for October is the nonprofit’s children’s outing at 9 a.m. on Oct. 2. That’s the day for the Farm Kids Club Pumpkin Patch, when kids can come and pick their very own pumpkin while joining in for some fun fall-themed games. 

If your preschooler misses out on the Oct. 2 pumpkin patch, no worries: another orange activity is only a few days away. Beginning at 10 a.m. on Oct. 8, head to the Agriplex for the Little Farmers Pumpkins event, where there’ll be pumpkin treats, more pumpkins to pick, and other fun pumpkin happenings for children ages 3-5 (with a parent).

There’s plenty to do for grown-ups in October as well. On Oct. join the Living Landscapes program at 6 p.m. to learn about rain barrels, the backyard water-harvesting device that you install yourself. Learn the basics of collecting rain and make a rain barrel to take home — a perfect way to put Alabama’s wet weather to good use. The cost for this activity, which includes materials, is $45.00 per barrel.

Aspiring apiarists won’t want to miss the Agriplex’s Heritage Skills class for the month of October: It’s all about beekeeping. At 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 14, show up to learn about the introductory basics of raising your own hive from Alabama Beekeeping Association President Phillip Garrison. Attendees will even get to watch as a complete beehive is constructed on-site, while learning all the basics of backyard bees.

The next installment in the nonprofit’s Learn to Sew series happens on Oct. 18, when the class will cover binding and bias tape. Learn the essentials while making a self-binding lap, baby blanket or table runner. The evening class kicks off at 6 p.m.

Kids get one more Agriplex activity before the month is over, with an Oct. 28 introduction to leatherwork. Participants in the Heritage Homeschool program can join in at 9 a.m. for a session that covers the basics of leather crafting, while making their own leather project to take home. 

For a complete listing of everything that’s happening at the Agriplex next month, including advance registration and costs, visit the North Alabama Agriplex website at www.agriplex.org.