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Take A Road Trip Through Butler County, Pa. on Our
Fall Foliage Routes;
Visit 2007 Festivals and Halloween Events During
Your Scenic Drive
When
the nights get crisp and the leaves show off their
brilliant display of colors, it’s time to take a
drive through Butler County, Pa. Each of our
road trip routes guide leaf peepers and thrill
seekers along some of the area’s most scenic country
roads for optimum fall foliage views. For those who
wish to experience autumn’s glory in the midst of
the outdoors, enjoy a fall foliage cruise on
beautiful Lake Arthur or hit the trails on a guided
horseback ride through Moraine State Park.
Routes also take drivers past the
sites of festivals and haunted houses that celebrate
fall with family-friendly activities and fearsome
frights.
ROUTE 1 -
This tour guides drivers through charming small
towns in southwestern Butler County where three
festivals and the area’s newest haunted
attraction are found. The Evan’s City 19th
Annual Oktoberfest takes place on September
14-16 with craft and food vendors,
entertainment, a parade and more. A pie tasting
contest, farmer’s market and craft displays
highlight the Mars Applefest on October
6. Kids can enjoy the Trick-or-Treat Trail every
Saturday night in October at Fun Fore All
in Cranberry Township. The Country Fall
Festival can be found October 13 and 14 in
the neighboring towns of Zelienople and Harmony
with concerts, arts and crafts and an historic
encampment. You can even enjoy a traditional
German dinner at the Harmony Museum on
October 13. Don’t miss the Northern
Nightmares Halloween Festival with haunted
bus tours and “Chiller Theater” every Friday and
Saturday from Oct. 5-27.
ROUTE
2 -
Slippery Rock's VillageFest
features all the things people love about
small-town festivals. Food, crafts, a farmer's
market, children's games and live music will
bring a lot of extra activity to the town on
September 15-16. Celebrate Rocktoberfest at
North Country Brewing Company in
Slippery Rock. This local brewery will be
serving German fare and providing entertainment
ranging from old German folk games to a German
music choir. The brewery also will celebrate All
Hallow’s Eve on October 31.
Learn about the harvest and farming
operations as you tour farms and related
businesses in the Slippery Rock area as part of
the Butler County Farm Tour on October
6. Drive along Lake Arthur in Moraine State
Park where autumn colors are reflected in
the water of the largest man-made lake in the
state. Take time to stop and enjoy a scenic
foliage cruise on weekends aboard the
Nautical Nature sightseeing boat or rent a
bike and enjoy a ride on the paved bike trail.
Trot through the leaves on horseback as
Moraine Trails, LLC guides you along some of
the park’s most scenic trails.
Step back in time at the Fall Fling/Steam Show
in Portersville, on Oct. 6 and 7. See old gas
and steam engines, apple cider pressing, a saw
mill, train rides and more. Visit Cheeseman’s
Pumpkin Festival with daytime kid-friendly
events and hayrides and Cheeseman’s Fright
Farm with a haunted hayride and haunted
house each Friday, Saturday and Sunday night
through October 28.
ROUTE
3
-
Late September brings people, arts and fun to
Saxonburg. The annual Saxonburg Festival of
the Arts offers a weekend of art
appreciation and education on
September 8-9. The 24th annual
Penn’s Colony Festival Marketplace features
a grand celebration of Early American art by
featuring more than 200 master craftsmen along
with colonial entertainment, living history,
battle reenactments and children’s activities
September 22-23 and 29-30. A wide array of
local ethnic foods along with children’s
activities, entertainment and a classic car show
will be featured during the Butler
Fall/Ethnic Festival on September 15. The
annual Cider & Sauerkraut Festival and Pioneer
Days takes place in Cabot on September 23. Here
you'll see demonstrations of pioneer activities
as well as cider, apple butter and sauerkraut
preparation. Also on September 23, you can
swing by the Alameda Fall Fest in Butler
where a youth fishing tournament and car cruise
are the featured attractions. Wind your way
through a 10-acre corn maze at the Beacon
Hotel beginning October 6 and continuing
every Friday and Saturday night. Sunday
afternoons offer a fright-free, family-friendly
experience. Get spooked on October 20 at the
Alameda Park Haunted Bonfire near
Butler. Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and listen
as the storyteller takes guests on a journey
into the spooky, weird and bizarre. Bring your
own fixins’ and make s’mores by the fire.
Click on the
above Routes for tour details and maps.
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Plan your
trip with our free Butler County Official
Visitors Guide. Click
here to receive one by mail,
along with other requested brochures including
guides to historical sites, bed & breakfasts,
campgrounds, golf
courses or our calendar of events. If
you have a favorite fall foliage drive in Butler
County, let us know so we can share your favorite
leaf-peeping spots with others!
Email us
Reminder:
Keep an eye out for wildlife as you
drive through our county. We have an abundance
of Whitetail Deer, Canadian Geese and Turkeys that
we occasionally share our roads with.
Motorists should watch out for
deer which have a tendency to dart out in front of
vehicles during mating and hunting season, which
begins in October and runs through December.
If you see a dead deer on a state
road report it by calling PennDOT's toll-free
hotline: 800-FIXROAD (800-349-7623). You can
also call county offices directly. The numbers
are: Armstrong: 724-543-1811, Butler: 724-284-8800,
Clarion: 814-226-8200, Indiana: 724-357-6919 and
Jefferson: 814-938-6300.
Removal of carcasses found off the
road should be reported to the state Game Commission
at 877-877-0299.
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Other
Ways to View the Colors
Fall Foliage Cruise on Lake
Arthur
Saturdays in September and October: Fall Foliage
Sightseeing and Dinner Cruises Aboard the Nautical
Nature Our
45-passenger pontoon boat will take passengers for a
pleasant ride around Lake Arthur at Moraine State
Park where guests will be educated about the known
facts of the lake. 1.5 hour cruise. Saturday
sightseeing cruise times are 12 PM and 2 PM. Cost:
Adults $7, Seniors $5.25 and children $3.
(Family of 5 for $20.) Saturday dinner cruises
are held at 5 PM and cost $25 for adults, $13.50 for
children.
Sundays in September and October: Fall Foliage
Brunch and Sightseeing Cruises Aboard the Nautical
Nature
Our pontoon boat will take
passengers for a pleasant ride around the lake where
guests will be educated about the known facts of
Lake Arthur. Rain or Shine (boat is enclosed and
handicapped accessible). Brunch cruise is 12 PM and
takes place every Sunday in September and October 7
and 21. Cost: Senior and Adult $15, $11 for 10 and
under. Sightseeing cruise times are 2 PM and 4 PM
plus 12 PM on October 14 and 28. Reservations
required for brunch, requested for sightseeing
cruises.
McDanel's Launch
at Moraine State Park, 118 North Shore Dr.,
Portersville Pa 16051. For more information call
724- 935-9185.
www.morainepreservationfund.com.
Moraine
State Park on Horseback
Trot through the leaves on horseback as
Moraine Trails, LLC guides you along some of
the park’s most scenic trails.
We offer hour-long trail rides
through the spectacular wooded trails along the
Porter Cover area. Enjoy beautiful views of the
lake, the wildlife and the serenity of the
outdoors. Accommodations for one ride up to ten,
come join us for a ride today! Badger Hill
Road, Portersville, PA 16051. [map]
Phone: 724-679-7644 No
double-ups. Under 18 must wear helmets. |
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