15+ Family Things to Do Around Mt. Juliet This Week (Oct. 8-14)
Fall break season is here, the mornings finally have a little bite, and Wilson County is full of easy wins for families this week. Here are fifteen things to do from Thursday, Oct. 8 through Wednesday, Oct. 14: farm story times and an outdoor movie, ranger-led history hikes at Cedars of Lebanon, a train museum open house, stargazing, and a full slate of library programs. Most of it is free.
Meet a Marine Biologist at the Mt. Juliet Library
Thursday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m. · Mt. Juliet-Wilson County Public Library. A real marine biologist drops by the library for an all-ages visit in the lower-level activity room. Landlocked Wilson County kids rarely get to quiz someone who studies the ocean for a living, so bring the questions.
Lapsit Baby Program at the Lebanon-Wilson County Library
Thursday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m. · Lebanon-Wilson County Library. Stories, songs and bounce-on-the-knee rhymes made for babies and their grown-ups. Low pressure, short and sweet.
Local Author & Illustrator Book Signing at the Lebanon-Wilson County Library
Thursday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m. · Lebanon-Wilson County Library. Two local creators sign their books, including a picture book about kindness. Seeing a hometown name on a book cover is a quiet nudge for young readers.
Jigsaw Puzzle Swap at the Mt. Juliet Library
Thursday, Oct. 8 (all day) · Mt. Juliet-Wilson County Public Library. Bring a puzzle to trade. Drop off a complete, gently used jigsaw puzzle and leave with a different one. Rainy-weekend insurance for the price of a puzzle you were done with anyway.
Pizza Night at Breeden’s Orchard
Thursday, Oct. 8, 4:30 p.m. · Breeden's Orchard. Pay as you go. Pizza on the farm from 4:30 p.m., and an easy answer to the Thursday dinner question. Let the kids run the grass while you wait on a pie.
Story Time at Breeden's Orchard (Friday)
Friday, Oct. 9, 10 a.m. · Breeden's Orchard. A morning hour of read-aloud stories and outdoor play for little ones. Nobody minds a wandering toddler here.
Story Time at Breeden's Orchard (Saturday)
Saturday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. · Breeden's Orchard. Missed Friday? The Saturday-morning edition runs the same easy hour, and it pairs nicely with a pumpkin run.
Guided Sellars Farm Archaeology Hike
Saturday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. · Sellars Farm State Archaeological Area. Free; register with the park. A guide walks families along a flat trail under two miles and explains the ancient village and ceremonial mound that once stood here. History homework, but outdoors.
Sadie Ford Heritage Farm Trail Hike
Saturday, Oct. 10, 2 p.m. · Sadie Ford Heritage Farm, Cedars of Lebanon State Park. Free; register with the park. An hour-long guided walk across the old farm with stories about the families who worked it. A gentle fall hike with a little history mixed in.
N.C. Hibbett Hall Train & History Museum Open House with Conductor Keith
Saturday, Oct. 10, 2 p.m. · Hibbett Hall, Charlie Daniels Park. Free. The model railroad recreates early-1900s Mt. Juliet, and the resident train expert is on hand for every question a small conductor can think of. Planet Playground is right next door for the wiggles afterward.
Astronomy Night Under the Stars at Cedars of Lebanon
Saturday, Oct. 10, 6:30 p.m. · Cedars of Lebanon State Park Nature Center. Free; donations welcome. A night-sky talk followed by telescope time if the clouds cooperate. Pack lawn chairs and cover a flashlight with red cellophane so everyone keeps their night vision.
Movie Night at Breeden’s Orchard
Saturday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m. · Breeden's Orchard. An outdoor movie on the farm on Saturday evening. Bring chairs or a blanket and an extra layer for the kids, since October nights cool off fast. Check the orchard's page for the start time.
Sadie Ford Farmhouse Tour
Sunday, Oct. 11, 11 a.m. · Sadie Ford Heritage Farm, Cedars of Lebanon State Park. Free; register with the park. Staff lead a walk through a 1920s farmhouse and its outbuildings, showing how a family lived a century ago. Older kids tend to love the “no electricity?” moments.
Preschool Storytime at the Mt. Juliet Library
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 10 a.m. · Mt. Juliet-Wilson County Public Library. Stories, songs and puppets for ages 3 to 5, with a new letter each week.
Lifelong Learning & Homeschool History Lecture at the Mt. Juliet Library
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1 p.m. · Mt. Juliet-Wilson County Public Library. A lecture-style history class for homeschoolers in fourth grade and up. Bring a notebook, because note-taking is part of the point.
Coming up
- Halloween in the Park — Sat., Oct. 24
- Trunk or Treat at Breeden's Orchard — Sat., Oct. 24
- Community Fall Festival at Highland Heights Church of Christ — Sat., Oct. 24, Lebanon
- The Glade Church Trunk or Treat — Sun., Oct. 25
- Watertown Halloween on the Square — Sat., Oct. 31
Times and details can shift, so tap through to each event page before you load up the car. Know about a family event we missed? Send it our way and we will add it to the calendar.
