Discover Something New October 2026

October 13, 2026

Pick a Peck

At Hickory Ridge Orchard in Mexico, Missouri, Brandt and Kelsey Schisler grow 26 varieties of apples on 4,000 trees. Visitors can pick apples and pumpkins and enjoy a glass of fresh-pressed cider. “We are, I would say, quaint. It gives the public a chance to actually get connected with agriculture, get connected with the farm,” Brandt says.
• 24688 Audrain Road 820, Mexico • HickoryRidgeOrchards.com

Catpuccinos Galore

Mochas and Meows in Branson offers a cafe and cat lounge. It also provides behavioral rehabilitation for the cats it takes in, preparing them for interactions with visitors and for adoption. Enjoy a Calico Catpuccino and Purrnini at the cafe before heading over to the lounge to cuddle with the cats. —Emma Zawacki
• 3265 Falls Parkway, Branson • MochasAndMeows.com

An orange tabby cat crouches low on a wooden floor, appearing ready to pounce. — *• Most of the cats at Mochas and Meows can be adopted through the Branson Humane Society.*
*• Mochas and Meows*

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Mystery Theatre

Actor Kevin O’Brien performs murder mystery theater across Missouri. “I try to find characters that are interesting that I can play, things in pop culture that people know, so they are parodies of that,” Kevin says. In October, he will be performing We’re Off to Kill the Wizard in Columbia and Murder at the Haunted Hollows in Eureka.
—Kristina Light
UpstageProductions.blogspot.com

A person in a tuxedo wearing a balding wig with frizzy hair and prosthetic yellow teeth leans forward with a wide-eyed expression. — *• Kevin O’Brien played Jeeves in* Murder on the Disoriented Express. • Upstage Productions

Jump Into Fall

Bloomsdale Fun Farm in Bloomsdale features a corn maze, a giant slide, photo-op stations, a jumping pillow, apple cannons, and miniature golf. Owner Carla Fischer says, “The beauty of the smaller farms is people get to know you. They see us year after year. They know who the owners are because we are hands on.” —Emma Zawacki
• 11803 Carron Road, Bloomsdale • BloomsdaleFunFarm.com

Three children slide down a large red slide while sitting on burlap sacks. — *• At Bloomsdale Fun Farm, kids can enjoy a giant slide. • Bloomsdale Fun Farm*

Sweet, Sweet Art

Creative Culture in Kansas City was inspired by owner Dell Ann Upp’s daughter, Annie Upp, who envisioned a DIY art studio that serves milkshakes. Visitors choose an area to work in, such as paint-your-own pottery, a planting bar, or painting. “We also offer these awesome over-the-top milkshakes, which people just love,” Dell Ann says.
• 207 Westport Road, Kansas City • CreativeCultureDIY.com

A milkshake in a jar labeled “Creative Studio Culture,” topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cupcake. — *• One of the milkshakes Creative Culture offers is The Life of the Party, a birthday cake-flavored milkshake. • Creative Culture*

Sporty Portraits

Watercolor is artist Jon Mueller’s medium of choice, and his focus is painting portraits. “People are just interesting to me. Their features, expressions, and all the little details tell a story,” Jon says. A sports affcionado, Jon, who is based in Columbia, also enjoys incorporating sports themes into his paintings.
Jon-Mueller.com