Westview Orchards' fall weekends wrap up on Halloween weekend, and the farm's page counts down to Nov. 1. Macomb County starts resurfacing 27 Mile Road between Van Dyke Avenue and Jewell Road on Oct. 5 and expects the work to last into November. In Washington Township, that means the last weeks of fall happen during road work. Most of the season's best days fall in a window of about four weekends, and one of the township's main east-west roads will be under construction for all of them.
The rest of the season is packed but short. After Nov. 1, the corn maze is closed and Stony Creek has switched to its quieter November programs. The things you'll miss if you wait are almost all in October.
The Calendar, In Order
Here is what's left on the calendar, in date order:
- Oct. 9 and 10, Night of the Dragon Festival at Stony Creek Metropark. It runs Friday from 5 to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday from 3 to 9:30 p.m. at Ridgewood Campground. Tickets are $10 at the gate, and kids 12 and under get in free.
- Oct. 17, Kids Fall Festival at the Stony Creek Nature Center. This one is free, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with nature activities, games, hikes, wagon rides and crafts.
- Oct. 25, Westview Orchards Haunted Wine Run 5K. The Halloween-themed race starts at 9 a.m. at 65075 Van Dyke.
- Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, Westview's last Fall Fun weekend.
- Nov. 13, Family Owl Hike at Stony Creek. It runs 5 to 6:30 p.m. for kids ages 4 to 10, costs $5 per child with adults free, and you need to preregister.
- Nov. 20, Owl Hike for ages 14 and up. Same hours, $5 per person, preregistration required.
Laid out this way, you can see where the season turns. The October events are big and you can just show up. The two November events are small, cost a few dollars and need a reservation. If you want a crowd and a bonfire, go in October. If you want a guided walk in the dark, sign up early for November.
Westview Sets the Pace
Westview is the event that sets the pace for the rest of the calendar, and its schedule is more precise than "fall at the orchard" makes it sound. For 2026, the farm says Fall Fun weekends started Labor Day weekend and end Halloween weekend. Most activities run on Saturdays and Sundays, with a limited lineup on weekdays. The weekend lineup includes Straw Mountain, Tire Mountain, Rope Mountain, the giant slide, indoor and outdoor animals, a playground, wagon rides, barnyard basketball and a butterfly straw-bale maze. This year's corn maze has an America's 250th theme.
The detail that trips people up is the cutoff. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and depend on the weather. The last ticket sells at 5 p.m., and the last wagon leaves at 5 p.m. sharp. If you're planning a Saturday afternoon stop after a soccer game, give yourself a cushion.
Counting from this weekend, four Saturday-and-Sunday pairs are left: Oct. 10 and 11, Oct. 17 and 18, Oct. 24 and 25, and Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. The last two are also the 5K weekend and Halloween weekend.
Where 27 Mile Fits
The county's work zone listing calls the 27 Mile project "asphalt preservation and resurfacing" between Van Dyke and Jewell, part of the Macomb County Department of Roads' 2026 Pavement Preservation Program. The road stays open and traffic will keep moving. The county still tells drivers to expect delays and look for alternate routes, and says access to all businesses and properties will be maintained.
The start date is what matters for the fall calendar. The work begins Monday, Oct. 5, the week before Night of the Dragon. It's scheduled to run through the rest of Westview's weekends, past Halloween and into November. If your usual route to Van Dyke uses that stretch of 27 Mile, all the October dates above fall inside the work window.
The Van Dyke and 27 Mile intersection has had other work too. A township notice from July described a northbound right-turn lane under construction there, paid for by a developer, with an upgraded pedestrian crossing on the north side of 27 Mile. We didn't find a later notice saying that work is finished, so assume the intersection may still have cones on it.
A third project is coming but hasn't started yet. In an April 30 release, Macomb County laid out plans for the 26 Mile and Hayes intersection: turn lanes on three legs, new pavement and four signal mast arms. The county estimated it would start in late summer or early fall 2026, with signals and restoration done by spring 2027. As of Oct. 4, the county's work zone page still lists it as a planned project rather than an active one. For now, treat that timeline as a forecast.
Van Dyke Picked Up New Stops This Year
While the season is short, the Van Dyke corridor has kept adding places that stay open after the orchard closes for the year.
Proof & Preserve
The newest is Proof & Preserve, a bakery in Frontier Town at 31 Mile and Van Dyke. Township Supervisor Sam Previti posted about the grand opening, which the Northern Macomb Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted. The shop sells sourdough breads, jams, pies, cookies and baklava at 67310 Van Dyke Road, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The township's homepage dates the item Sept. 17. Westview sits at 65075 Van Dyke, a short way south on the same road, so the bakery is an easy stop on the way to or from the orchard.
Brunch & Brew
Farther south, Brunch & Brew held a ribbon cutting at 57336 Van Dyke Ave., next to Tropical Smoothie. The township listed the notice on Aug. 26. On a Westview weekend, it gives you a breakfast stop at the opposite end of Van Dyke from the bakery.
Pizza Nostalgia
Pizza Nostalgia is growing in place. A Sept. 18 township update says the restaurant bought the former greenhouse property just south of it. The lot is being cleared for more parking and possible future expansion, and the vacant house there has been torn down. The restaurant's website lists hours until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and until 8 p.m. on Sunday. That makes it one of the few spots in the area that's open after an evening at Stony Creek.
Friday Nights Without the Romeo Theatre
That late Friday option may count for more this year because a longtime Friday-night spot announced it was closing. In August, the owners of the Romeo Theatre announced it would close in mid-September after 40 years. The building, in a shopping center on Van Dyke south of 31 Mile, has been a theater since 1972. The Northern Macomb Regional Chamber lists that plaza as the Village Shopping Center, at Van Dyke and 30½ Mile.
The family's post, as Macomb Daily reported it, explained the decision:
"Since COVID, moviegoers' habits have shifted toward streaming and premium on-demand options. We have seen this change at the Romeo Theatre, and theatres nationwide have experienced similar attendance declines."
The owners said a new business, not a theater, would take over the space. Supervisor Previti publicly thanked the family for their 40 years. We couldn't find a report confirming the final showing date or naming the incoming tenant. The theater's website still showed a "Popcorn To Go" listing for a Saturday, Sept. 26, without a year. For now, the closure is an announcement, and the space's next use is still unknown.
If the theater has gone dark as announced, a Friday night out in town this month comes down to Night of the Dragon on Oct. 9, which runs until 9:30 p.m., or a late dinner on Van Dyke. Both are on the calendar above.
Getting Into Stony Creek
The Stony Creek events have one cost beyond the ticket. Huron-Clinton Metroparks requires an annual or daily vehicle pass to enter any Metropark, and that applies to Night of the Dragon on top of the $10 admission.
The festival is the biggest event left this fall. The Metroparks listing describes the Torch Fire Trail through the Woods of the Ridge, with bonfires and free activities including axe throwing, a climbing wall, henna and tarot reading. It also promises dueling swordsmen, flame dancers, stilt walkers, live music, a photo spot on an Iron Throne and a dragon tavern. Barbecue, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks are for sale, costumes are encouraged and you don't need to preregister.
A week later, the Kids Fall Festival at the Nature Center is free and wraps up by mid-afternoon. That makes Oct. 17 a good day to pair Stony Creek in the morning with Westview in the afternoon, as long as you reach the orchard before the 5 p.m. last ticket.
Seasonal timing affects home sales here too. If you're thinking about how this fall's slower stretch fits your own plans, Joseph Sinishtaj and the Showtime Realty team can talk through the timing with you. Schedule a consultation.
