October is full in west Blount County. Here’s what’s on the calendar, with a few events just outside the area listed below.
Saturday, Oct. 3: Hayden Day, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the park by Hayden Town Hall. The Town of Hayden hosts it, with a car show and merchandise, arts and crafts, and food vendors. Questions: Hayden Town Hall, 205-543-6881.
The West Blount Corn Maze also opens for the season on Oct. 3 with opening-day hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. After that it’s open Fridays 4 to 10 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays 1 to 6 p.m., and closed Monday through Thursday, through Oct. 31.
Friday, Oct. 9: Hayden football at Guntersville. It’s also the end of the first nine weeks for Blount County Schools.
Saturday, Oct. 10: The Smoke Rise Community Yard Sale. The third annual Market at the Maze runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the West Blount Corn Maze, and again on Oct. 24.
Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 12 and 13: No school for Blount County Schools. See the district calendar.
Friday, Oct. 16: Hayden football hosts Sardis at Robert W. Reid Stadium.
Saturday, Oct. 17: The Smoke Rise HOA Chili and Soup Cook-Off at the Smoke Rise Pool, 1195 Mountain Trail. Contestant setup begins at 9:30 a.m. and serving at 11 a.m., with Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice awards. Contestants register by Oct. 10 at smokerise@smokerisehoa.org, $15 entry for chili or soup. Details are on our calendar listing.
Friday, Oct. 23: Hayden football at Good Hope.
Saturday, Oct. 24: Market at the Maze returns, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 30: The HMS Color Run, and Hayden football hosts Crossville.
Saturday, Oct. 31: Last day of the corn maze season.
The Great Pumpkin Patch is open through Nov. 1 at 288 Hwy 45 in Hayden. Tickets are sold online.
Every Monday: Yoga at the Hayden Community Center, with chair yoga at 10 a.m. and mat yoga at 6:30 p.m. Details are on our calendar listing.
The Hayden Food Truck Park on AL-160 has a rotating lineup of local food trucks. Watch its Facebook group to see which trucks will be there and when.
Events nearby
A few events just outside west Blount County.
Saturday, Oct. 3, 10 a.m. to noon: Native raptors and turtles at the Blount County Multipurpose Center Arena, 6700 County Road 1 in Cleveland. Friends of the Locust Fork River and Blount County Tourism bring live raptors from the Alabama 4-H Center and turtles from the Locust Fork watershed. Native plants will be for sale.
Saturday, Oct. 10: The Blount County Covered Bridge Festival runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Oneonta, free to attend. It has an arts and crafts show, a car cruise-in, live music, a food court, and a free Kids Zone. A free bus tour of the county’s three historic covered bridges (Swann, Horton Mill, and Easley) leaves the public library at 1 p.m., and reservations are required at ramona@blountoneontachamber.org. The Quilt Show runs Oct. 9 and 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Quilters Cottage, 1225 Palisades Parkway in Oneonta, $10 admission.
Earlier that day, Friends of the Locust Fork River leads a fall hike at Swann Covered Bridge at 9:30 a.m. Want the story behind that bridge? Read how the Joy Bridge became the Swann Bridge.
Saturday, Oct. 17, 4 to 7 p.m.: Trunk or Treat at Cleveland Park, hosted by the Cleveland Volunteer Fire Department. There’s a best-decorated-trunk prize, a bounce house, face painting, food, and fire trucks. Questions: message the Cleveland Volunteer Fire Department on Facebook.
Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:30 a.m.: The Mountain Goat Endurance 5K Run and Walk at First Baptist Church Oneonta, 361 4th Street North. Registration is $45 and includes a long-sleeve race shirt. Proceeds benefit the Blount-Oneonta Chamber of Commerce scholarship fund.
Saturday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: The Town of Snead Fall Festival in the park, with arts, crafts, baked goods, and antiques vendors and the All American Cruisers car show.
Know about something that’s not on this list? Send it in at westblount.com/submit and we’ll add it to the calendar. The full list is always at westblount.com/category/events.
Top photo: Town of Hayden.
Nearby event details are from the Blount-Oneonta Chamber of Commerce’s Friday Flyers, Sept. 25.