Howell in the Fall: Things to Do When the Leaves Start Turning

Pumpkins start piling up along North Latson Road right about when the maples around Thompson Lake begin to blush. From that first flash of orange, autumn in Howell moves from farm stands to wooded trails to a downtown full of costumes, and something new arrives every few weeks.

For an easy fall Saturday, start north of town at Fawcett Farms and Markillie Orchard, then head toward downtown Howell and Thompson Lake later in the day. Grouping the two Latson Road stops cuts out backtracking, so the whole route fits into a few hours of stop-to-stop driving.

Late September: Pumpkins, Cider, and a Country Road

North of M-59, Latson Road leaves the traffic behind for open farmland, where two family operations sit about 1.5 miles apart and fit on one loop of Howell back roads.

A sea of orange marks Fawcett Farms at 6909 N. Latson Road, open every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. during pumpkin season. Tourism listings describe it as a farm fun center, with U-pick activities, photo spots, and seasonal events at the patch. Most visitors leave with some mix of:

• Carving pumpkins in every size, plus baking pumpkins and mini whites.
• Potted mums in a wide spread of colors.
• Gourds, ornamental corn, and corn stalks for the porch.
• Hay bales to stage the whole display.

Past seasons have also brought Pumpkin Yoga, a Trunk or Treat, and a car and tractor show, so check Fawcett’s social pages for the current lineup.

Just down the road at 5200 N. Latson, the family behind Markillie Orchard planted its first apple trees in 1998 and added a barn for pressing cider in 2006. The shop opens Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from September into late October, and turns out warm donuts in flavors like apple spice and pumpkin spice with vanilla icing. The orchard grows 11 apple varieties, among them Zestar, Gala, Fuji, and Ida Red, and a knotty pine store sells jams, jellies, salsa, and soft serve alongside the fresh-pressed jugs. The cider slush has earned its own following. Picking your own fruit isn’t part of the visit, but a small play area gives kids something to do while the adults finish their coffee.

A bit beyond Howell, a few neighbors widen the options: the Grand River Corn Maze sits just outside town, Schell Family Farm in Pinckney adds hay wagons and apple picking, and Kensington Metropark’s fall festival in Milford brings cider-making demonstrations and pumpkin painting.

Early October: Raptors, Wetlands, and a Lakeside Walk

As color creeps into the treetops, the action moves outdoors. Howell Nature Center, at 1005 Triangle Lake Road, surrounds Pleasant Lake with 230 acres of woods and wetlands. Its Wild Wonders Wildlife Park, the county’s only teaching zoo, welcomes visitors daily and houses roughly 70 animals native to Michigan. Hawks, owls, eagles, and falcons live in the DTE and Bishop raptor centers, and the grounds also run a wildlife rehabilitation clinic.

Admission covers the wildlife park, the hands-on Nature Zone, and a natural play area for kids. Dogs can’t come along, since the property bars pets to protect the animals. Families with young climbers can book the Sky Tykes ropes course, which runs on select Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. and requires advance registration.

Closer to downtown, Scofield Park sits at the corner of Thompson and Barnard streets. Picnic tables, a playground, and restrooms line the shore of Thompson Lake. Every vehicle entering Scofield needs a current annual Park/Boat Launch Pass or a Park Day Pass, no matter the month, so buy a pass before you visit. The annual pass also covers the city ramp on Roosevelt Street, where paddlers can put in a kayak or canoe and take in the foliage from the water.

Mid-October: Costumes Take Over Downtown

One Saturday each October, Howell hosts what organizers call Livingston County’s largest outdoor trick-or-treating event. The Legend of Sleepy Howell began as a local bookstore’s party for each new Harry Potter release and grew so large that Howell Area Parks & Recreation took the reins. Entry is free, and no one has to sign up. Howell Recreation notes that it especially helps kids from rural parts of the county, who gain a safe, walkable place to trick-or-treat. Themes change annually, from monsters one year to Saturday morning cartoons another, and plenty of families dress to match.

This fall’s setup spreads across several downtown blocks:

• Free trick-or-treating runs 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Clinton, Court, and Church Streets, with no sign-up and no cost.
• Halloween and fall-themed activities fill State Street and the Courthouse lawn.
• Early packet pickup runs October 14 to 16 at the Oceola Community Center on North Latson Road, the same road as the morning’s farm stops.
• The parks department’s website carries any updates.

At dusk, costumed participants start the Headless Horseman 5K at State and Clinton, winding past historic homes and through Scofield Park. Strollers, assistive devices, and dogs on six-foot leashes are welcome, and registration fees help pay for the Legend. Mark your calendar: Saturday, October 17, 2026.

One thing to settle before you go: downtown driving patterns shift between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Legend day; parking is banned on State, Thompson, and Lake Streets from 5:30, and organizers ask people to stay off the course entirely. If your group is coming in from out of town, work out the drop-off before the afternoon rather than circling at four o’clock with children in costumes.

Late October: Market Sundays and Downtown Strolls

Sunday mornings belong to the Howell Sunday Farmers’ Market, which fills an L along State and Clinton streets beside the Livingston County Courthouse from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. The market runs from May through October, with dozens of vendors selling seasonal produce, honey, baked goods, and flowers, plus live entertainment most weeks. Vendors there accept SNAP and EBT.

A slow afternoon in town makes a fine follow-up, because the blocks around the Courthouse form a nationally registered historic district, lined with shops, cafés, breweries, a winery, and even a speakeasy. Coffee in hand, it’s an easy walk down to the lake as the light fades.

When the Branches Go Bare

November strips the maples, but Howell hardly slows down. The day after Thanksgiving, which falls on November 27, the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation stages the Fantasy of Lights, a nighttime parade that has opened the holiday season downtown for roughly four decades.

Each float rolling down Grand River Avenue must carry at least 5,000 lights, and runners in costumes and blinking gear warm up the route first with the Fantasy 5K and a family fun walk. Over on State Street, local merchants, holiday performers, and visits with Santa and his reindeer fill the hours leading up to the parade.

The streets that hosted the Legend back in October trade jack-o’-lanterns for twinkling bulbs, while the paths around Thompson Lake go bare and still. Fall here closes the way a small town tends to close anything, with neighbors crowding the curb and nobody in much of a hurry to head home.