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Fall will arrive on Monday, Sept. 22, and pumpkin farms are gearing up for visitors.
ADOBE STOCK
Fall for Fun
Corn mazes, pumpkin patches, apple picking and more offer new reasons to revel in autumn.
By Kyle Marra
While many fall road trips focus on chasing colorful foliage, changing leaves aren’t the only reason to hop behind the steering wheel as summer fades. Crisp air, fresh apple cider, bumpy hayrides, pick-your-own pumpkin patches and winding corn mazes define the season’s charm. These traditions draw families and travelers from across the United States for outdoor fun and connection. Check out where to dive into autumn activities.
Guests enjoying a wagon ride at Southern Hill Farms
SOUTHERN HILL FARMS
Florida | Southern Hill Farms
Though Florida is far from the first state that comes to mind when thinking about traditional fall festivities, the small Central Florida town of Clermont offers a lot to those who want to celebrate the idea of changing seasons (even if Florida’s weather still forecasts as summer). Southern Hill Farms’ Fall Festival runs Thursdays through Sundays from late September through mid-November, ensuring you have enough long weekends to enjoy activities including a petting zoo, a kids’ zone, yard games, face painting, u-pick sunflowers and zinnias, wagon rides, a 5-acre corn maze and a pumpkin patch.
Note: All tickets must be purchased online in advance. No tickets will be available for purchase on-site.
The Richardson Express at Richardson Adventure Farm
Richardson Farm
Illinois | Richardson Adventure Farm
This Midwestern gem located in Spring Grove is home to what’s said to be the world’s largest corn maze. The 28-acre maze contains about 10 miles of trails to explore. The maze is divided into four smaller mazes, each with its own way in and out and checkpoints along the way to help you find your bearings on your map. If you get lost, no problem, just locate one of the three lookout bridges to climb above the corn for an aerial view. Along the way, you can participate in a series of mini games for added challenges. These can take anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours to complete.
Beyond the maze, plenty more activities await, such as: a 700-foot-long zipline, a pumpkin patch, train rides, a carousel, pig races, a petting zoo and Zorbing.
Choose a bag and pick your own apples at Tuttle Orchards.
Indiana | Tuttle Orchards
If you’re looking for cider and a bit of apple and pumpkin picking, then this Greenfield-based orchard is the place to be.
Apple Picking: Choose your bag (cost varies based on size) and head into the orchard from August through mid-October to pick your fill of apples. Different apple varieties open as the season progresses.
Gala: Late August
Cortland: Mid- to late September
Jonathan: Late September to early October
Red Delicious: End of September to mid-October
Golden Delicious: Late September to mid-October
Pumpkin Picking: Tuttle’s 20-acre pumpkin patch has something for everyone—carving pumpkins, pie pumpkins, mini pumpkins, and an assortment of other squashes and gourds. You pay only for what you pick, no entry fee required.
U-Cut Flower Garden: Create your own festive fall arrangement from a garden of more than 10,000 plants and 30 types of flowers.
The U-cut garden is open on select Fridays and Saturdays in August, then daily in September and will remain open until the first frost (typically October). Arrangements range from $10–$40, depending on the size.
Iowa | Howell’s Greenhouse and Pumpkin Patch
Located in Cumming, this 800-acre farm bustles with fun activities for the whole family. Fall festivities kick off Sept. 7 and conclude Nov. 2. If you go, be sure to allocate enough time for old-fashioned wagon rides, a pumpkin patch a corn maze, pumpkin cannons and corn cannons, bathtub train rides, goat cuddling, mud pie stations, paintball range, duck races, obstacle courses and slides.
Seeking autumn flavors? Howell’s offers delectable seasonal treats: apple cider mini donuts, apple cider slushies, pumpkin bars, caramel apples and kettle corn.
Nebraska | Roca Berry Farms
Tucked away in Roca, Roca Berry Farms celebrates fall with an annual festival that features 45-plus activities. Delight in the mix of unusual and traditional attractions: tree houses, a ropes course, live entertainment, pedal cars, a giant rocking horse, miniature golf, hayrides, a corn maze and a candy cannon.
If you are looking for something spooky to get into the Halloween spirit, the Roca Scary Farms attractions may be more your vibe. Some of these events are only open during the daytime, but there are a few haunts open at night for the souls brave enough to experience them.
Get ready for the creepy attractions: daytime zombie hunt, haunted manor, haunted hayride, house of illusions and spook coop.
Pumpkin patches will soon be open for visitors.
Wisconsin | Treinen Farm
This farm in Lodi claims the best corn maze in Wisconsin. Considered part art installation—thanks to the yearly maze design—and part puzzle, this maze is more than just a walk among the stalks. You are given a partial map and a bird’s-eye view before entering the labyrinth. To get out, you must locate seven mailboxes holding the additional map fragments to complete the map and escape the maze. Want more of a challenge? Add finding the maze’s secret locations to your to-do list. Only about 2% of visitors have the resolve to find them all.
If those activities aren’t enough, wait until the sun goes down. Nighttime visitors can enter the maze guided only by flashlights and moonlight.
Other fall activities include a pumpkin patch, climbing walls, gem mining and an enchanted woods experience.
Enjoy a family-friendly fall activity near you.
While the promise of colorful leaves offers a magical autumn escape, pretty foliage is only one of the reasons to get away this fall. Corn mazes, pumpkin patches and unique farm activities present more options for the whole family to enjoy.
Corn mazes are popular fall activities.
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