The piles of leaves outside the doorstep and the fun-size candy bars lining the shelves at Wal-Mart have left many students at the College longing for the days of pumpkin picking and hayrides. These five locales let you enjoy the fall festivities without venturing more than an hour from campus. So what are you waiting for? Get in the car and treat yourself to some old-fashioned Halloween fun and still make it back in time for your afternoon chemistry lab.

Pumpkins at Bacon Farm

Only a 20-minute drive from campus, Bacon Farm is the place to stock up on Halloween pumpkins. They also have a large selection of maple products, such as traditional Maine maple syrup, as well as other items including squash. While customers can't pick the pumpkins themselves, they can choose from a large variety of pre-picked pumpkins to take home. Stock up on a few and bring them back to campus for some old-fashioned, pumpkin-carving fun.

415 Goodhue Rd., Sidney

When: Thursdays and Fridays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Apple picking at Chick's Orchards

Hoping to impress a professor with a crisp McIntosh? Stop by Chick's Orchard in Monmouth for over 800 acres of apple picking. Everyone will find his or her favorites among the McIntosh, Cortland, Macoun, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples that the farm has to offer.

155 Norris Hill Rd., Monmouth

When: Every day Sept. through Oct. from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekdays thereafter from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Main Street's Midnight Masquerade

Do the Halloween costumes in store windows make you want to dress up in something out of the ordinary? Put on something funky and come to the Main Street Midnight Masquerade in downtown Waterville for a night of food, prizes and fun, while raising money for community programs.

2 Silver St., Waterville

When: Thursday, Oct. 29, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Haunted House in Augusta

Remember the feeling of touching spaghetti strands and peeled grapes at haunted houses as a kid? Stop by the United Volunteers of Maine's haunted house in Augusta for 13 days of spooky fall fun. Support the community while showing your Halloween spirit--the $10 admission fee benefits the Monmouth Academy class of 2010 and the Erskine Academy class of 2010, as well as the South End Teen Center in Waterville.

Marketplace, Augusta

When: Oct. 28, 29, 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Oct. 31 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.  

Corn Maze at the County Fair Farm

Although this farm is about an hour from campus, the wide variety of fun fall activities makes the trek worthwhile. Get lost in the corn maze and surprise your friends back on campus with freshly picked pumpkins from the orchard. Stop by the farm on a Saturday or Sunday and top off your day with a relaxing wagon-ride.

423 Augusta Rd., Jefferson

When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily