Festive and Frightful Family Fun in Warren County, Ohio, By: Josh (Ash) Schubert: Spend the day out with Thomas at the Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad on the weekends in September! This is an exciting way for children and grown-ups to enter into the world of Thomas and Friends.

Take a train ride led by Thomas the Tank Engine, have a photo taken with Sir Topham Hat, and enjoy the live music and Imagination Station, featuring arts & crafts. The Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad also host the Pumpkin Patch Express where families can enjoy a peaceful train ride through scenic Warren County to a local farm. Everyone will have fun at the Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad selecting a pumpkin, petting farm animals, and winding through a corn maze.

In Early October antique lovers gather for the Lebanon Antique Show, which is known for its high quality selections, and is a favorite with serious antique collectors searching for that special item. The show features jewelry, silver, advertising, pottery, pattern and cut glass, civil war memorabilia, paintings, and more rare items of interest to collectors.

Gather your little prince and princess, and their friends for a delightful time at the Annual Ohio Renaissance Festival that starts in Early September and runs through Mid October. During the festivities you'll take a step back into 16^th Century England at this 30-acre re-created village. Join Good Queen Bess, her royal subjects, jousting events, great food and drink, plus fine crafts from the Elizabethan period.

In Mid October thousands gather for the Annual Ohio Sauerkraut Festival where they celebrate the humble cabbage with traditional sauerkraut dishes and crazy concoctions such as sauerkraut pizza, sundaes and brownies. This is a wonderful place to find unique gifts offered by over 400 juried crafters from across the U.S.

Halloween is an exciting time to get out and face your fears. As a artist who loves special effects I enjoy visiting local haunted houses. One of my favorite destinations is Kings Island for their Annual Halloween Haunt. Sure, you've rose the roller coasters, and those can be pretty scary. Then comes the really test of facing your fears in Late September through Late October at the Halloween Haunt. Kings Island’s new bone-chilling Halloween event has double the number of monsters this year. They've created new highly intense and terrifying attractions, and now let guests stay longer during this haunting event; 7 p.m. until 1 a.m. every Friday and Saturday night until Late October 28.

Bring your little ghouls and goblins to Kings Island to enjoy the hayrides, pumpkin patches, and kid-friendly mazes by day. For those seeking a few chills, be prepared for once the sun has set, the park transforms into one of the scariest Halloween attractions around. Haunted rides, blood curdling mazes, and dreaded wooded trails are a part of the Midwest’s “Largest Haunted Playground." Parents be warned, the Halloween Haunt at Kings Island may rather frightening for the little goblins because it features extreme graphic scenes, suggestive themes, intense imagery. Ready For A Chilling Time At Kings Island?

Credits: Journalist & Photographer, Nick Worley