Mount Lemmon Ski Valley's Oktoberfest

Jeremy Broadbent swings his 3-year old daughter, Alli, to the polka tunes performed by The Musikmeister at the beginning of Mount Lemmon Ski Valley’s Oktoberfest.

With many of Tucson's kids starting fall break, Oct. 7, you might be wondering what the heck you're gonna do with them.

Here's a day-by-day list of things to do every day of their break. Bonus: Most of them are cheap or free. 

Oct. 7: Go to the Fall Festival at Patagonia Town Park, which is at Fourth and Naugle in Patagonia. There will be music, art, food and entertainment. It's from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's free to go, but you'll need money for food and swag. 

Patagonia is a good getaway any time of the year, but this weekend's Fall Festival adds plenty of arts, music and food extras for visitors. And maybe, there'll be some fall color.

Oct. 8: See if your family really does belong in the circus. The Circus Academy of Tucson will have Family Circus class at 5 p.m. It's located at 400 W. Speedway.  The cost is $5 each $20 for families of four or more.

Oct. 9: Go to Oktoberfest at Ski Valley, which is at 10300 Ski Run Road on Mount Lemmon. There will be food, live music and dancing and beer, of course. It's free to go, but you'll need money for food. 

Zophia Zamora, 5, joins in a dance during the annual Oktoberfest at Ski Valley on Mount Lemmon. The festival will continue on Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 10 from noon-5 p.m. The festival is free, but there's a $4 parking charge.

Oct. 10: Go to the Marana Pumpkin Patch and Farm Festival. You'll get to ride a wagon to the pumpkin patch, solve two corn mazes, pet animals, watch pig races, play on the jumping pillow, go on a train and more. Admission is $10 each. Pumpkins are $0.50 per pound. The farm is located at 14901 N. Wentz Road and is open from 3-7 p.m.

Oct. 11: Tuesdays are cheap days at Cinemark's movie theaters. You can see new movies for $5.25 each or go to the discount theater (Century Gateway on Kolb) for $1.50 each. 

Oct. 12: The kids can read to dogs at Murphy-Wilmot Public Library, which is located at 530 N. Wilmot Road, at 3 p.m. It's a fun way for them to practice reading without feeling like they're in school. While you're there, check out new books or DVDs. 

Eva Harness, 4, gets a sticker for reading with Chi Chi during the read-to-a-dog program at the Murphy-Wilmot Library.

Oct. 13: Take them to Story Tunes Time at Bookmans at 3733 W. Ina Road. There will be stories, song and movement activities and coloring. Plus, there will be snacks. It's free to go and it starts at 10 a.m.

• Disney on Ice: Worlds of Enchantment, which includes characters from Cars, Toy Story 3, The Little Mermaid and Frozen is at 7 p.m. at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave. Prices range from $15-$40. (You can also catch a show Oct. 14 or 15.)

Oct. 14: Go see a puppet show at Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr. Public Library, which is at 7800 N. Schisler Drive. "Crumpled" is about a girl who discovers her true worth when she gets down to the nitty-gritty of conquering a dragon and an old way of thinking about being a princess. It will be presented by Puppets Amongus. The show starts at 2 p.m. and it's free. 

• You can also go see "The Case of Sleepy Hollow" at Valley of the Moon, which is located at 2544 E. Allen Road. It's an all ages theatrical walking adventure. It starts every 15 minutes between 6 and 8:30 p.m. The cost is $10 for anyone 7 and up.

Oct. 15: Get rid of old and get new Halloween costumes at the Kid's Costume Swap at the Oro Valley Public Library, which is at 1305 W. Naranja Drive. Make sure you take the old stuff in between Oct. 10 and 14 to get a swap ticket. The event is free and takes place at 9:30 a.m.

• Also at Oro Valley Public Library that day is the Newspaper Fort Building Challenge. You'll build a fort with only newspaper and tape. It's from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

• There's a Classics Car Show at The Gregory School, 3231 N. Craycroft Road from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's $5 to get in, and that includes 400 classic cars, antique motorcycles, vendor booths, beer garden, food cart and children's reading activities. 

The Tucson Classics Car Show at St. Gregory College Preparatory School will benefit Reading Seed and other local charities that promote literacy for children and adults.

Oct. 16: Take your little kids, ages three to five to the Itty Bitty Open at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E. River Road. Participants will get a set of plastic golf clubs and a professional to conduct a clinic covering basic golf terms and etiquette. There's a best dressed golfer and caddy contest. An adult must caddy for each child. The event is from 9 a.m. to noon. The cost is $5. You have to pre-register. Call 299-3000.

• You can go to the Pumpkin Festival and Corn Maze at Buckelew Farm, 17000 W. Ajo Way. You'll be able to take a wagon ride to the pumpkin patch, pick a pumpkin, go through the corn maze, play zombie paintball, ride the mechanical bull, play in the kids zone, pet animals in the petting zoo and more. It's from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and costs $10 per person. 

The annual Buckelew Farm Pumpkin Festival & Corn Maze, 17000 W. Ajo Way near Three Points.

• Take the kids to see the classic 1959 animated classic "The Sleeping Beauty" at the Loft, 3233 E. Speedway. They'll even get to meet the princess before the movie.  The show starts at noon. The princess will be there at 11 a.m. The cost is $8 for adults and $6 for kids ages 12 and under. 


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Angela Pittenger | This Is Tucson