Family-Friendly Fall Activities

PEKIN, Ill.,–– Fall is finally here! Now's the time to enjoy bonfires, warm cider, changing colors, apple-picking, and more fall fun. While the fall season is known for hayrides and cider mills, there's plenty of fun to be had all around Pekin! Try our list of family-friendly fall activities for unforgettable memories this season. From caramel apples to the farmer's market, the Pekin area is full of fun for everyone this autumn.

Grab a treat at Maurie's

Every fall, Maurie's in Pekin makes homemade caramel apples for everyone to enjoy. For the past 75 years, these amazing apples have been a must for Pekin residents in the fall season. Make sure you call ahead or stop in early because these tasty treats go fast and are only available from August-November. If you're in the mood for other fall necessities, you can get your hands on candy, caramel popcorn, hot chocolate, cider, and other goodies! 

Enjoy a Day at Rader Farms

Rader Family Farms, located in Normal, Illinois, is full of adventure and activities for anyone of any age! Challenge your friends to an apple shooting competition with Apple Blasters, make your way through a corn maze, explore over six acres of U-Pick pumpkins, and much more! Hungry? Rader Farms has five food and drink locations. Grab a bite to eat at Pumpkin Blossom Cafe or sip on a cup of coffee at the Harvest Brew Coffee Shop. You'll want to have a full stomach when you're ready to take on the 10-acre corn maze!

Explore the Spoon River Scenic Drive

The first two weekends of October are full of color at the Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive! Make your way through this beautiful route and discover this breathtaking corner of Fulton County. Enjoy the vibrant fall colors, explore the 50th Annual Fall Festival, and find the perfect place to camp or stay for the night! There are countless sights to see and places to go on the Spoon River Scenic Drive. Don't miss out on the annual fall festival this October!

Enjoy Fall Fun at Tanners Orchard

Tanners Orchard, located in Speer, Illinois, is celebrating over 70 years of service this fall. Get lost in the corn maze, pick your own apples in the orchard, or play a game of Tug O' War! Feeling hungry? Snack on a doughnut, grab a glass of warm apple cider and hitch a ride on a hayride as the sun sets. For an unforgettable orchard experience, look no further than Tanners Orchard!

Stop by the Heritage Farmer's Market

From September to July, the Heritage Farmer's Market provides the Pekin area with locally sourced ingredients and foods that help local families year round! Get to know the people who grow the food for your family, enjoy arts and crafts with your kids, and learn new recipes every Saturday from 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Check in with the farmer's market schedule to find out about special events and fun for the whole family!

This fall, support your local businesses and enjoy some family-friendly fall activities! You can make great memories, help the community around you, and appreciate the fall season. Did you know that owners of Certified Pre-Owned vehicles receive 24/7 roadside assistance? Owning a Ford CPO vehicle comes with a lot of unique perks that can benefit drivers, including extended warranties, a clean vehicle title, and much more. If you're interested in purchasing a CPO vehicle, take a look at our CPO inventory to browse our wide selection of vehicles and get a great deal. A CPO Ford would be the perfect vehicle to take on all your fall adventures!

At Velde Ford, we're committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Stop by the dealership located at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554 or visit our website: VeldeFordPekin.com for more information.

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Scrumptious Fall-Inspired Recipes to Try This Season

PEKIN, Ill. –– In light of the year's most colorful season, we took to Pinterest to find some ways to bring autumn into the kitchen. It's no secret that just about everything contains apples or pumpkins this time of year, but what most people don't realize is there are tons of ways to alter recipes to make them healthier! You can have skinny eats and indulgent treats. We thought we'd save you some time by creating a list of scrumptious fall-inspired recipes to try this season! 

Skinny Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

 Pumpkin Pie Dip

Cinnamon Caramel Apple Energy Balls

Apple Cider Floats

Apple Chips

Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte

5-Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies

Do you have any other scrumptious fall-inspired recipes we should try this season? Share them with us by commenting below! Also, don't forget to head to our Pinterest page here for more fall-spiration! While you're browsing for fall recipes, head over to our Youtube and check out our latest video to see what Velde Ford is really about! We don't think you'll be disappointed!

Located at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554, Velde Ford of Pekin is committed to providing customers outstanding service. We want you to enjoy your car buying experience. If you have any questions or concerns, be sure to stop by the dealership or visit our website at www.VeldeFordPekin.com. You can also reach us at (888) 221-2804. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

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Visit our website: VeldeFordPekin.com

Ohio Corn Maze Designed to Look Like the Latest Ford F-150

PEKIN, Ill. –– Illinois might be the king state of cornfields, but it could be hard for any of our famous fall corn mazes to compete with this Ohio corn maze designed to look like the latest Ford F-150.

The seven-acre corn maze, located at Leaders Farms in Napolean, Ohio, was cut in the image of the latest edition of the Ford F-150. It might not be as tough as the half-ton pickup’s aluminum alloy body, but navigating this maze definitely looks like a challenge––it usually takes at least one hour to complete.

“We are a multi-generation Ford-driving family,” said Kristin Leaders of Leaders Farms. “My husband Brad was reading a magazine last winter and saw the new F-150 design and loved it. We thought it would really stand out as the feature of this year’s corn maze.”

But that idea to create a corn maze designed to look like the latest Ford F-150 wasn’t a simple task. Running a corn maze, let alone a farm with 13 goats and 40 cows, is a year-round duty that requires planning, designing, and plenty of maintenance. When it came to creating the image, the Leaders had to use GPS technology to create a well-cut image of the F-150.

Another Ford-themed experience Leaders Farm offers is seeing Big Jack, a pumpkin cannon mounted to the chassis of a restored Ford F-450, launch massive gourds across the farm fields. If getting lost in a Ford-F-150-themed corn maze and seeing squash shells splatter in the distance sounds like a fun time, heading over to Leaders Farms in Ohio could be a worthwhile autumn road trip for the most fanatical Ford families

You can go get lost in the Ford F-150 corn maze, but there’s nothing like actually getting behind the wheel of a new Ford truck. And remember, there are plenty of Go great fall activities to participate in around our used car dealer near East Peoria, IL, too.

At Velde Ford, we're committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Feel free to visit Velde Ford located at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.

Visit our website: VeldeFordPekin.com

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Boo! 5 Safety Tips to Protect Your Fearless Kids This Halloween

PEKIN, Ill. –– On Halloween, the hysteria cultivated in kids filling bags with free candy until they weigh 20 pounds is enough to override the many rules of trick-or-treating safety you've imbued in them from a young age. But as irritating as it can be when they don't listen to you, it's still your job to keep your kids safe on this ghoulish night, so we've provided you with five tips to protect your fearless kids on Halloween.

1. No Tricks, Just Treats

Unfortunately, we live in a world where you have to keep a constant eye out for bizarre and unpleasant things that may negatively affect your kids. While we aren’t suggesting the majority of people are dangerous individuals roaming the streets to terrorize innocent kids, we believe it's important to keep your kids informed of the reality that some people aren’t very nice and could have crummy intentions, especially on a holiday built around creepiness. You can give some neighbors you're familiar with the benefit of the doubt, but the truth is you don’t know the majority of the people who are passing out candy to your kids. Make sure your kids know to stay polite when they ring doorbells for candy, but remind them not to fall under strangers' incantatory spells.

2. Not Just Any Haunted House

Never should your kids enter a house without your authorization or supervision. If you’re kids are old enough to trick-or-treat alone, make sure they know to stay on porches and out of houses when they collect candy. Again, your kids don’t know the people passing out candy; therefore, they should feel uncomfortable if an adult asks them to come inside. Of course, there are exceptions to this Halloween safety tip. For instance, some Halloween fanatics turn their homes or garages into haunted spaces for kids to walk through before receiving candy. If your kids see other kids and adults participating in this, there’s nothing to worry about. But if no one else is around, make sure your kids are intuitive enough to move on rather than oblige an offer to step inside a seemingly friendly stranger’s home.

3. Resist the Dark Side, Stay in the Light

Let’s be honest, Halloween can be a pretty dark occasion, figuratively and literally. It’s up to you how you choose to raise your kids regarding the more grotesque aspects of costumes and decorations, but when it comes to the real darkness of the holiday––nighttime––we think all parents should make sure their kids follow a set of rules for navigating the dusk hours. Make sure your kids are safe this Halloween when the sun goes down and the moon comes out.; no, not because of werewolves, but because nighttime naturally results in riskier situations. When it’s dark, it’s harder for drivers to see kids going door-to-door or crossing the street, and it also creates a higher risk for shady characters lurking in spooky, unnoticeable places. Keep your kids safe and remind them to stay on well-lit streets and to avoid dark areas.

4. Don’t Be a Zombie, Look Both Ways

When kids get excited about Halloween, the only thing on their mind is sugar and how much they’ll consume before slipping into a coma. That’s why it’s important to remind your kids they aren’t zombies and they should look both ways before crossing the street. Be annoying when communicating this rule to your kids, because we guarantee they won’t be repeating the left-right-left mantra you taught them years ago as they run from one block to another in pursuit of candy without you there to remind them.

5. You’re Not a Real Vampire, so Don’t Expect to Be Out Late

The parameters you emplace for your kids on Halloween are of your own discretion, but we still suggest setting a curfew for them to ensure they get home safely and on time. Find out when other parents expect their kids to come home. This will help you gauge an appropriate curfew time that won’t ruin your kids’ trick-or-treating fun, but also prevents them from being out too late when fewer adults will be present to maintain a safe environment. Be reasonable with your expectations, but don’t be afraid to set a stern check-in time, because ultimately your kids’ safety is primary.

These five tips to protect your fearless kids this Halloween are what we consider to be the major preventative measures you can take to keep your family having fun without risking any danger. Halloween is meant to be an exciting and festive night, so let’s work to keep spirits high by keeping our own and others’ kids with these tips.

At our used car dealer near Peoria Heights, IL, we also think it’s important to drive safe throughout the entire fall season. Follow our tips and visit our service center for all of your autumn maintenance. Velde Ford, located at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554, is committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience.

Visit our website: VeldeFordPekin.com

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