As of press time, many were planning to come celebrate fall at Slide Rock State Park's Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The event planners have been suggesting that visitors pack a picnic and spend the day enjoying harvest and homestead demonstrations, live music, kids' activities, face painting, fly wheelers, games and activities for the whole family.

Slide Rock State Park's history began as a working Apple orchard. Today, this agricultural legacy continues. The orchard is still a working commercial apple ranch that features an original vintage 30-foot-long apple-sorting machine reconstructed by volunteers, still in the historic Pendley apple shed.

Unfortunately, they didn't produce any apples this year due to a late spring frost, but that won't dampen the Fall Celebration.

Frank L. Pendley arrived in Oak Creek Canyon in 1907 and acquired the land title as part of the Homestead Act in 1910. He put in the irrigation system and planted the firstapple orchard in 1912. In 1933 he built the rustic cabins seen in the park today. It was sold to the Arizona Parklands Foundation in 1984 and then became a State Park.

For more information visit AZStateParks.com/parks/SLRO or call the park at (928) 282-3034. The Park Entrance Fee for this event will be $10 per vehicle for up to 4 adults or $3 per person or bicycle.

Slide Rock State Park is located just 7 miles north of Sedona on State Route 89A in Oak Creek Canyon. To get to the park from Phoenix go north on I-17 to Hwy 179, west through Sedona to Hwy 89A north, and then seven miles up Oak Creek Canyon. From Flagstaff, follow Hwy 89A south for 20 miles.