There’s a lot to love about October. If you’re a sports parent, your kids are likely running track or playing field hockey, football and fall baseball. My 15-year-old wanted to try something new this fall—an axe throwing league.

If you haven’t thrown axes, I’d like to encourage you to try it. It’s exhilarating. You position yourself in front of the target and then either chuck the axe with a single hand or use an over the head two-handed toss. My son prefers the former while I choose the later. One of the cool things, especially for teenagers, is that it allows them to compete with adults. I’ve loved every minute of watching my son face off against men and women and then afterwards, give them fist bumps or high fives. One of the best parts for me as a parent is watching one of the players take him under their wing and teach them deeper technique or work with him on this throwing between matches. My son is very introverted, so for him to open up to them is remarkable.

Years ago, I had him in team sports—soccer and baseball. While he played them both, I could tell early on that he would probably excel at individual sports. We looked at other sports he might want to try, and nothing stood out to him. It wasn’t until last year for his birthday that axe throwing became a possibility. After doing it for consecutive birthdays, I discovered that we had an axe league available. The rest is history.

While I love being s sports dad, we’re also in the season of pumpkin patches and fall festivals, to which my younger two continually remind me. I love going to patches with them and watching them hop about in the bounce houses, take the hayrides, and choose pumpkins. Fall is a different in all the best ways.

Fall is also a fantastic time for camping. On page 26, we give you a run-down of some of the best places in and outside of Fredericksburg for camping and glamping (one with a jacuzzi!). They’re all perfect for a weekend escape over the next month or two to enjoy the outdoors, upcoming meteor showers, and for roaming and fishing.

I hope you a fun a festive October. Next month, we’ll be talking gratitude and ideas for young entrepreneurs. Happy fall!

P.S. Be sure to check out our pumpkin patch locator. There, you’ll find all the best patches in and around Fredericksburg. A peek on our events calendar will lead you to more fun fall activities for your family to enjoy.