Fall is here. The temperatures have dropped enough to make the weather pleasant and the rains have slowed. A Nature Coast fall is not marked by changing leaves as it is in most of the U.S. We celebrate fall with corn mazes, pumpkin patches and haunted houses.

If you like family activities, a corn maze is a great way to spend a weekend day. The maze is usually only a part of the fun that is provided for a nominal fee. These are visits to farms, resplendent with animals to pet and maybe ride, climbing, swinging and sliding activities, and even freshly grown produce. The Maze and More at Harvestmoon Farm has a Peanuts theme this year!

Picking a pumpkin as a family from a pumpkin patch is a little more expensive than getting one on your grocery trip, but the fun of being able to sort through all sizes and shapes, walking children through the bounty is well worth the little extra. We are making memories.

For those who prefer scary activities, you no longer have to drive to Orlando or Tampa to find real – frightening – stuff. A huge venue in Pasco county offers comparable frights without the traffic.

Spooky can be found at the May Stringer Museum’s ghost tours every weekend, but there are a lot more offerings throughout Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties this time of year.

The State Parks are offering activities this weekend and next: Weeki Wachee Springs offers Wild n Wicked Nights and the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park offers Spooky Scenarios and Haunted Tram Rides.

Many local churches have harvest festivals as an alternative to the traditional Halloween activities. Many allow dressing up in costume and candy distribution as part of the fun.

There are fresh vegetables and wine tasting at Upicktopia in Masaryktown, including a pumpkin patch of the locally grown orange gourds. There is freshly made blueberry wine at the new Masaryk Winery on property.

Several pubs and breweries throughout our area offer pumpkin flavored delights, as well as costume contests and live music.

No matter what your style, we’ve got fun for you. Check out our Nature Coast Calendar of Events and pick the ones that appeal to you most. Then get out an enjoy the perfect Florida weather before it’s gone again.

When you choose an event, you can email it to your friends, post it on FB, Twitter, or G+ to help organize an outing!

Oh, and if you know of events we are missing, please add them to the calendar, or tell your friends to do so, with our new Post Your Event Button or in the comments. Share the calendar with your friends with the Share the Calendar button.

When you go to an event, post pics on our Facebook page – we love to see NatureCoasters out having fun!