SEASONAL ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS The Salem area is brimming with opportunities to get outside and play, but you don’t need to be a hardcore outdoors enthusiast — or even a kid — to have fun. n SPRING OREGON AG FEST, APRIL 26-27, 2025 This annual event aims to help families understand where their food, fiber and flora come from, with loads of free and hands-on activities that make learning about Oregon’s agricultural industry educational and fun. SILVERTON PET PARADE, MAY 17, 2025 Animal lovers from near and far flock to Silverton to see this quirky pet parade each year. The event celebrates pets of all varieties — from pups to snails to llamas — and features marching bands, floats and clowns. Bring your pet and join the fun. n SUMMER ST. PAUL RODEO, JULY 1-5, 2025 Bring your crew to St. Paul for a good oldfashioned rodeo. Cowboys, cowgirls and fans pour into the small Oregon town every year to watch professional bull-riding and roping events. A fireworks display and rides will wow your pickiest kiddos. MARION COUNTY FAIR, JULY 10-13, 2025 The barns are full, the rides are fast and the food is fabulous at this fun fair held at Salem’s Oregon State Fairgrounds. Let your kids pet baby chicks, learn about agriculture, go on rides and eat funnel cakes. POLK COUNTY FAIR, AUGUST 5-9, 2025 This fair located in Rickreall has five summer days filled with animals and 4-H activities for the entire family. Kids can watch horse jumping and goat shows, plus see cupcake-decorating contests and STEM exhibits. OREGON STATE FAIR, AUGUST 22-SEPTEMBER 1, 2025 Rides, petting zoos and daredevil performances? Yes, please! Oregon’s official state fair takes place at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem, as it has almost every year since 1862. Parents will love the topnotch food and entertainment. n FALL E.Z. ORCHARDS HARVESTFEST, OCTOBER An autumn tradition, this monthlong celebration brings the best of the season to all with an epic corn maze, a colorful pumpkin patch, and apple cider and doughnuts for snacking. On most weekends during the fest, kiddos can take hayrides, ride a horse and visit a wonderful farmanimal petting zoo. BAUMAN’S HARVEST FESTIVAL, OCTOBER At this fourth-generation family farm, there are more than 30 activities for kids of all ages from a corn maze and hayrides to a giant hay slide and apple cannon. One of the largest harvest festivals in the Pacific Northwest, the farm also grows some of the most enormous pumpkins (over 1,000 pounds!) in the country and celebrates each year with an annual giant pumpkin drop. n WINTER HOLIDAYS AT THE SALEM CAROUSEL, NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 23, 2025 This monthlong event kicks off when Santa arrives aboard the Carousel Express Train. In addition to riding the classic carousel, kids can get their photos taken with Santa and drink hot cocoa while you shop the artsand-crafts market for gifts. GILBERT HOUSE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM “NOON” YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION, DECEMBER 31, 2025 Looking for a family New Year’s Eve event in the Willamette Valley? This celebration welcomes kids of all ages for fun crafts, face painting and an exciting balloon drop at the strike of 12 — 12 noon, that is. PLAY Let your kids scale to new heights at the popular Rock Boxx climbing gym. This indoor bouldering hub offers youth programs, classes and party-room rentals for all levels. The Salvation Army Kroc Center is a vibrant community spot, offering an aquatic center complete with a kid-friendly splash pool and a slide fashioned to look like a lighthouse. There’s also a rock-climbing wall, along with an arcade and sports courts. Bauman’s Harvest Festival Aim for a hole in one and perfect your swing at another seasonal favorite, PuttSkee’s Mini-Golf in the charming community of Monmouth, an 18-hole mini-golf course that draws putters of all ages. From PuttSkee’s, it’s only about a 15-minute drive to the Dallas Aquatic Center, an indoor pool complex offering plenty for kids and adults alike, including a six-lane lap pool, a warm-therapy pool and a special wading pool for little ones. Like elsewhere in the Willamette Valley, Salem gets plenty of rain, but that doesn’t stop Salem kids from swinging off monkey bars or zipping down slides. Athletic Edge Adventure Park is a great place to play, offering nine-hole mini-golf, oversize games (massive Jenga and a giant Connect 4) and table games ranging from foosball to shuffleboard. However, the star attraction at this lively indoor park is the three-story play structure, complete with a ball pit, slides and even a zip line. 23 TravelSalem.com
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