1. Utter cornage
For many Clark County families, fall means it’s time for Bi-Zi Farms Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze, 9504 N.E. 119th St., Vancouver, open 2 to 5:30 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays in October. Admission ($12, $10 for seniors, free for tots under 2) includes all the usual pumpkin-fueled fun, but things get extra spooky from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, when the challenging 6-acre corn maze stays open late and you have to find your way out in the dark. It’s $7 for just the nighttime maze, although daytime admission will get you lost, too. 360-574-9119 or BiZiFarms.com
2. Dance to remember
The Cowlitz Powwow, “Honoring the Spirit of All Cowlitz People,” is a free daylong festival of dancing, drumming, feasting and remembering at the Clark County Event Center, 17402 N.E. Delfel Road, Ridgefield. The public is welcome to attend any time from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Oct. 20, but the spectacular “grand entries” are at 1 and 7 p.m., when spectators will see stunning headdresses and regalia, some of which have been passed down from generation to generation. There also will be a free community salmon dinner at 5 p.m. Cowlitz.org
3. Fright club
The ScareGrounds (a pun on the location — the Clark County Fairgrounds, 17402 N.E. Delfel Road, Ridgefield) features three massive haunted attractions: Sector 13 for sci-fi buffs, the medieval Forbidden Fortress and a “Stranger Things”-themed haunted house. There also are carnival rides and costumed characters who prowl around looking for people to prank. It’s open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 3, plus the entire week of Halloween, with a Trick-or-Treat Kids’ Day from 2 to 5 p.m. Oct. 27. Tickets are $25, $18 for ages 13 and younger, $50 for an all-access pass or $15 for unlimited ride wristbands. ScareGroundsPDX.com
4. Better off undead
Doomsday Brewing Company, 421 C St., Washougal, believes that everything is better with beer, especially a zombie apocalypse. Join the living and the living dead from 4 to 9 p.m. Oct. 19, for the Zombie Brewfest, featuring live music, food, games, more than 25 artisan brews and Clark County’s finest zombie costumes (prizes awarded for the zombie-est). Tickets are $15 and include eight tasting tokens and a souvenir glass; a portion of proceeds benefits the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society. 360-335-9909 DoomsdayBrewing.com