👋 Hiya, Gerber Puff Keepers—

Parenting is a little like Oktoberfest: it’s loud, messy, and someone always spills something—but you wouldn’t trade it for the world. This week we’ve got creekside adventures, fall festivals, and food you can hold in one hand while wrangling a toddler with the other.

Here’s what’s in store

• One Place to Play — Pioneer Park!

• 4 Events to Check Out — Oktoberfest, Fall Fest, and Used Book Sale!

• One Place to Eat — The Empanada’s Box!

• One at Home Activity — Tape Town!

• One thoughtful moment — Language of Discovery!

🌳 Pioneer Park
📍 3952 Turkeyfoot Rd, Erlanger, KY

If you’re looking for a park with a little bit of everything, Pioneer Park has you covered—ballfields, courts, trails, playgrounds, and even a creek for rock-skipping. It’s 43 acres of open space where kids can run wild and parents can (hopefully) snag a shady bench.

✨ What Families Love:
– Playgrounds for All Ages – A recently updated playground is the big draw, and there’s even a shaded toddler area so the littles don’t get lost in the shuffle.
– Room to Roam – Big open fields = endless games of tag, soccer scrimmages, or “who can roll down the hill fastest.”
– Creek Time – On warmer days, kids love wading, splashing, and spotting ducks along Banklick Creek. (Parent note: It’s shallow, but you’ll want to keep an eye out for water quality.)
– Plenty of Extras – Basketball, tennis, baseball, soccer—you name it, there’s probably a space for it here.

⚠️ Things to Know Before You Go:
– Flood Watch – Because of its location by the creek, parts of the park (especially trails and fields) can flood after heavy rain. Check conditions before packing up the car.
– Seasonal Bathrooms – Restrooms are available, but may be locked during the colder months.
– Highway Hum – The nearby road means you might hear traffic over the sound of the creek.

🧡 Parent Tip: Bring a picnic blanket and make a day of it—the playgrounds and walking trail are the highlights, but the wide-open spaces are just as good for a family frisbee game or letting the kids run until they’re good and tired.

🔥Events to Check Out:

🍂 Covington Oktoberfest: Brats, Brews & a Bit of Family Fun
📅 Friday, Sept 12 – Sunday, Sept 14 - FREE
📍 Goebel Park + 6th & Main Streets, Covington

The steins are clinking and the pretzels are calling—Covington Oktoberfest is back, and bigger than ever! This year, the festival spills out of Goebel Park and onto the streets for a full weekend of music, food, and family-friendly fun.

🌟 What You’ll Find:
🥨 Local food + craft vendors galore
🎶 Live music + competitions to cheer on
🍺 Plenty of Oktoberfest brews for the grownups

🐐 New This Year – Family Area Fun:
Stop by the Braxton Union Family Area near the clock tower to visit the Hillview Farm Mobile Petting Zoo—open Friday evening and both weekend afternoons. Your littles can pet goats, sheep, and more while you soak in the festival vibes.

👧 Kid Power Spotlight:
On Saturday (11 AM–3 PM), don’t miss the Children’s Entrepreneur Market—a farmers’ market run entirely by kids! It’s the perfect chance to support pint-sized makers and maybe pick up a handmade treasure.

🧡 Parent Tip: Even though Oktoberfest is famous for the beer, Covington makes space for families, too. Come early in the day for lower crowds, and head to the Family Area when your kiddos need a break from the bustle.

⏰ Event Hours:
– Fri, Sept 12 | 12–11 PM
– Sat, Sept 13 | 11 AM–11 PM
– Sun, Sept 14 | 11 AM–8 PM

🍂 Kinman Farm Market Fall Fest + Craft Fair
📅 Saturday, September 13 | ⏰ 10 AM–6 PM
📍 Kinman Farm Market (4175 Burlington Pike, Burlington, KY)
💵 $10/person (includes BOTH Fall Fest + Craft Fair)

Ready to kick off sweater season? 🍁 Kinman Farm Market is pulling out all the stops with a day full of fall fun—and your ticket gets you double the activities.

🎃 Included with Admission:
– Fall Fest favorites (think bounce pad, swings, kids’ play area + more!)
– Over 70 vendors + crafters for a little “treat yourself” shopping
– Tasty eats, sweet treats, and plenty of cozy fall flavors

🧡 Parent Tip: This is a full-day event, so pack water bottles and maybe a stroller for little legs. At $10 a person for both the festival and the craft fair, it’s basically two events for the price of one!

📚 Friends of KCPL Used Book Sale: Stories for Pocket Change
📅 Sunday, Sept 7 – Saturday, Sept 13
📍 Erlanger Branch Library (401 Kenton Lands Rd)

If your family bookshelves are looking a little bare—or your kids keep rereading the same bedtime story until you’ve got it memorized—this is your chance to stock up without breaking the piggy bank.

🌟 What You’ll Find:
– Nearly-new and gently-loved books (kids’, teens’, and grown-up reads)
– Movies + music to refresh family movie night
– Prices as low as 50¢ and up to $5 (yep, you read that right!)

💡 Why It Matters: Every purchase helps support library programs and services that make Northern Kentucky such a wonderful place to raise readers.

🕒 Sale Hours:
– Sun, Sept 7 | 1–4:30 PM
– Mon–Thu | 9 AM–8:30 PM
– Fri | 9 AM–5:30 PM
– Sat | 10 AM–4:30 PM

🧡 Parent Tip: Let your kiddo bring their own dollar or two to shop for books—it makes the treasure hunt even more exciting.

 🥟 The Empanada’s Box
📍 212 W Pike St, Covington, KY
⏰ Open Tues–Sun (closed Mondays) $

Looking for the perfect family meal that’s handheld, mess-friendly, and packed with flavor? The Empanada’s Box has you covered. Run by Diego Nunez (who grew up in Argentina helping his family run pizzerias and bakeries), this spot is all about empanadas—little pastry pockets that can be meaty, veggie, sweet, or even vegan.

✨ Why Families Love It:
– Handheld & Kid-Friendly – No utensils needed! Great for car snacks, picnics, or a dinner win for when nobody agrees on what to eat.
– Variety of Flavors – From classic beef to veggie-packed fillings and even dessert options.
– Frozen Packs to Go – Keep a stash in the freezer for quick meals that taste way fancier than chicken nuggets.
– Chimichurri Magic – Every empanada comes with Diego’s homemade chimichurri sauce (aka Argentina’s answer to ketchup, but way better).

🧡 Parent Tip: Empanadas are a fun way to introduce picky eaters to new flavors. Start with cheese or chicken, then let them “graduate” to more adventurous fillings. And if you’ve got teens? The sweet empanadas might just win them over.

🚗 This Week’s Craft: Build-Your-Own Tape Town

Got a roll of painter’s tape? Congratulations—you’ve basically got a whole city waiting to happen. This activity grows with your kiddo’s age and imagination, from a single road for toddlers to a full-blown cityscape for older kids. Bonus: it peels up easily when playtime’s done (just test a corner of your floor first).

🍼 For Tiny Drivers (Toddlers)

Lay down two strips of tape side by side on the floor = instant road. Add a curve or an intersection if you’re feeling fancy, hand over the toy car, and watch them zoom.

🚦 For Preschool Planners

Kick it up a notch:
– Use wider/narrower tape for “big roads” and “side streets.”
– Add parking spaces or crosswalks with a marker.
– Build “town features” out of blocks or boxes (a car wash, a bridge, or a ferry terminal).
– Toss in toy people, signs, or even animals for extra storytelling.

🏙️ For Big Kids (Elementary +)

Turn the living room into a mega-city:
– Tape roads that weave through rooms, under chairs, or up ramps.
– Make tunnels from cardboard tubes or bridges out of cereal boxes.
– Cut out parks, rivers, and buildings from construction paper for a true city vibe.
– Craft mini stoplights and road signs for traffic control (because someone’s always speeding).

🧡 Parent Tip

The fun is in the building as much as the playing. Invite your kid to help plan where roads go—it sparks creativity, problem-solving, and maybe even some teamwork if siblings are involved.

🧡 Horizontal Parenting Tip

Instead of the floor, have them tape a road on the back of one of your shirts! Playtime for them massage for you! Win win!

The Language of Discovery

At fifteen months, my son is discovering that he has a voice, and he's using it in the most delightfully unexpected ways.

His latest favorite game involves running full speed toward my legs, diving between them, while chanting "Buddle buddle da!" with pure joy. I have no idea what "buddle buddle da" means in his world, but the enthusiasm behind it is unmistakable. It's become our secret language – his announcement that playtime has officially begun.

I've started noticing him having quiet conversations with his books, too. He'll grab a board book, settle into his little reading corner, and flip through the pages – usually upside down – while murmuring seriously to himself. Sometimes I catch fragments: "ba ba ba" or "mmm hmm" in the most thoughtful tones. He's absorbed in whatever story he's telling himself, completely content in his own literary world.

But perhaps the most significant development is his growing understanding of "no." And with that understanding has come the discovery of his own opinions – expressed through what I can only describe as the wailful woes of his people. When I tell him he can't play with the lightswitch, or that we need to change his diaper again, he lets out these dramatic cries that seem to say, "Father, you have wounded my very soul!"

These protests are actually milestones in disguise. He's learning that he's a separate person with his own wants and that sometimes those wants conflict with the world around him. It's exhausting and beautiful all at once.

Watching him navigate language – from his joyful "buddle buddle da" to his indignant protests – reminds me that communication is so much more than words. It's connection, expression, and the brave act of making yourself known to the world.

~ Otto

Until Next Week…
May your weekend bring fewer “Are we there yet?”s and more “Can we do that again?”s. Pass this newsletter to another tired parent—because sharing is caring (unless it’s the last empanada).

With laughter echoing down the slide,
Otto Neff
Creator of Hopscotch Highlights and human gymnasium