After all the excitement of summer, you might think it would take some sleuthing to scare up family-friendly fall entertainment. Turns out that's not the case. Autumn brings corn mazes, haunted houses and celebrations capturing the essence of the season. OMSI gets in on the sleuthing act with the debut of an interactive exhibit that takes armchair detectives into the mind of the great Sherlock Holmes.
The Maize at The Pumpkin Patch: Halloween may be two months away, but it's never too soon to get into the spirit. Sauvie Island's The Pumpkin Patch offers its five-acre cornfield maze, which is kid-friendly and open every day through Halloween. Come October, a second "haunted" maze opens on weekend evenings and is a perfect outing for teens or families with older children. It's open rain or shine, so bring your rubber boots.
Sept. 1-Oct. 31, portlandmaze.com
Mount Angel Oktoberfest: For roughly half a century, this mid-valley town has honored its German heritage with the state's largest folk festival. In addition to four stages offering nonstop music, more than 50 Alpine food chalets serve a variety of dishes and vendors showcase traditional arts and crafts.
Sept. 12-15, oktoberfest.org
Rose City Comic Con: Larger and more diverse than in years past, this ode to all things sci-fi, comic book and fantasy is produced this year by both Emerald City Comicon and Rose City Comic Con. Among the celebrity guests and illustration talent are Avery Brooks (Benjamin Sisko on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"), David Giuntoli (Nick Burckhardt on "Grimm") and contributors from the Oni Press, Marvel Comics, DC Comics and Dark Horse.
Sept. 21-22, rosecitycomiccon.com
"James and the Giant Peach:" Give your little one's imagination a lift with the story of young James Trotter, who escapes his dreary life by taking to the sky on a flying peach. Roald Dahl's beloved book comes to the mainstage at Northwest Children's Theatre.
Sept. 28 - Oct. 27, nwcts.org
Fright Town: Now in its 11th year, this terrifying series of haunted houses fills the exhibition hall at Memorial Coliseum with fun-filled horrors. It's the brainchild of Baron Von Goolo, Fright Town's mayor of scare, whose Museum of Horrors will make you look at dolls and clowns differently. New this year is Contagion 2: Blood Fever and The Madness, an exercise in fear inspired by the macabre creations of writer H.P. Lovecraft.
Oct. 4-Nov. 1, frighttown.com
"The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes:" In this show's world premiere, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry brings new life to Arthur Conan Doyle's enduring character. Along with original manuscripts and other memorabilia, guests can put themselves in Sherlock's shoes, enter a replica of his Baker Street rooms, conduct experiments to test their deductive powers and try their hands at cracking a new Sherlock Holmes case, written exclusively for the exhibition. On the way out, pop culture buffs can check out costumes worn by Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in the current "Sherlock Holmes" movies, alongside costumes and props from the CBS TV show "Elementary," which moves Sherlock and Watson to present-day New York City.
Opens Oct. 10, omsi.edu
"Magic Tree House: A Night in New Orleans:" Oregon Children's Theatre presents the tale of two time-traveling kids who meet a young Louis Armstrong. The story is part of Mary Pope Osborne's wildly popular chapter book series. Plan ahead, OTC insiders say advance ticket sales have been strong.
Oct.19-Nov. 10, octc.org
Oct. 25-27, oregonzoo.com -- Grant Butler and Jillian Cohan Martin
