Can you believe there are only two weekends left of spooky season? Here are some ways to celebrate in central Ohio while also staying safe outside:

🎃 Pick a pumpkin, hop on a hayride or explore a corn maze at a family farm:

• Van Buren Acres in Hebron.
• Lehner's Pumpkin Farm in Radnor.
• Leeds Farm in Ostrander.

🌽 The MAiZE at Little Darby Creek has dedicated its corn maze to Jack Nicklaus this year.

• Big fans of the "Golden Bear" can complete the maze using a passport to answer trivia questions that guide you through it.

👻 Survive a haunted forest in Pataskala.

🍁 Go leaf-peeping at some nearby state parks:

• Hocking Hills State Park
• John Bryan State Park
• Mohican State Park

🍺 Sample some pumpkin ales at the outdoor patios of BrewDog and Columbus Brewing Company.

🍎 Pick apples — or launch them out of a cannon — at Lynd Fruit Farm.

🐘 Take your kids to Boo at the Zoo for trick-or-treating alongside the animal exhibits.

🍬 And yes, trick-or-treating is a safe option for kids this year, especially if they're vaccinated, NIAID director Anthony Fauci says.

👇 We want to know your Halloween plans, so keep scrolling.

The new Ohio license plate is full to the brim with imagery.

• You've got rolling hills, a river, a rising sun and a city skyline.
• Gov. Mike DeWine told reporters during the announcement yesterday that the child and dog underneath the tree represents our state's future.

Why it matters: This is Ohio's first new license plate design in eight years, replacing the current plate of faded slogans and facts with a more colorful array of images.

Front and center: The Wright Brothers' plane pulling a banner reading, "Birthplace of Aviation." Take that, North Carolina!

Yes, but: The artist initially messed up the Wright flyer's direction.

• The tail-looking part was actually the front of the early-20th century plane, meaning this plate shows the banner being pushed, not pulled.
• The Ohio BMV quickly issued a redesign with the plane flipped to the correct side.

What's next: This new plate will be available for drivers starting in late December.

Reminder: As of last year, Ohioans only need a back license plate on their vehicles. The front plate is now optional.

💭 Tyler's thought bubble: The new design is a bit too crowded for my taste.

• I get the desire to combine rural and urban themes to not alienate any part of the state, but I'd prefer to see a simpler design with a central color and slogan.
• Maybe the BMV could sell any incorrect plates already printed to novelty hunters and donate the proceeds to charity.

📬 What's your opinion of the new license plate design? Reply to this email and let us know.

💉 Ohio is offering financial incentives to state employees for getting vaccinated. (Columbus Dispatch)

Community Refugee and Immigration Services is providing job placement help and other resources to hundreds of local refugees. (Columbus CEO)

🌱 The newest vendor at the Trolley District East Market is a shop known as The Plant Gays. (614 Magazine)

LGBTQ+ health provider Equitas Health, in the spotlight following reports of racial discrimination, has named an interim CEO. (Columbus Dispatch)

🎥 The Nightmares Film Festival runs through the weekend at Gateway Film Center. (Columbus Underground)

Ohio lawmakers are proposing to ban gender-affirming health care treatment to trans youth. (Ohio Capital Journal)

With Halloween quickly approaching, we want to hear your plans for the spooky holiday.

• What are you doing for pandemic Halloween round two?
• Are your kids trick-or-treating this year? Any special precautions?
• How old is too old for trick-or-treating?
• Which neighborhood has the best holiday decorations?

✉️ Smash that reply button and tell us your thoughts. We also welcome photos of cute costumes, both animal and human included!

👋 Tyler here. Last week, I kicked off a historical marker tour of Franklin County to see all 121 (and counting) sites, from Worthington to Franklinton and everywhere in between.

• This journey recently took me to Italian Village to visit a church built in 1898.

The marker: St. John the Baptist Italian Catholic Church, on 720 Hamlet St., Columbus.

• "(The church) has historically functioned as a hub for Italian speaking immigrants to share ethnic traditions, family ties, and friendship," the marker reads.

The intrigue: Father Alexander Cestelli, the founding pastor, helped to build the church after being appointed by the Diocese of Columbus to oversee Italian immigrants' spiritual needs.

2️⃣ down, 119 to go.

The Ohio State Buckeyes return to action Saturday against Indiana after a week away from the gridiron.

• Kickoff is 7:30pm at the Hoosiers' Memorial Stadium.

State of play: The 5-1 Buckeyes actually gained a spot in the AP Top 25 poll during the bye week thanks to a loss from No. 2 Iowa last weekend.

• OSU is now ranked No. 5, while Indiana is unranked.

👋 Alissa here. The Circleville Pumpkin Show is back after a one-year hiatus, which means I've finally been reunited with the perfect fall treat: a sweet, savory, greasy pumpkin burger.

🍔 That's right. Move over, pumpkin spice latte.

• Nothing compares to this warm, comforting fusion of fall spices and a sloppy joe.

Sure, the recipe is online. I could've made my own when COVID canceled last year's festival.

Yes, but: It's just not the same. You have to enjoy this burger next to a giant pumpkin pyramid while watching the Pumpkin Man cruise around on roller skates.

• Top it off with pumpkin donuts from Lindsey's Bakery for dessert.

If you go: The "Greatest Free Show on Earth" runs through Saturday, 10am-10pm daily.