Local Pumpkin Patches, Mazes and Festivals to Visit This Fall

By Reagan Poland

Fall is here and we can’t wait to see Facebook full with pictures of your little ones taking part in all the fall festivities! Here are local Gainesville pumpkin patches, mazes and fall festivals opening soon so you can get a head start on your fall bucket-list.

44rd Annual Downtown Festival and Art Show

Dates: Saturday, Nov. 15 – Sunday, Nov. 16
Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Address: Bo Diddley Plaza
Website: gainesvilledowntownartfest.net

Come out to Bo Diddly Plaza for the largest free celebration of art and culture in north Florida! From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the streets of historic downtown Gainesville will be lined with over 200 artists, live music, performing arts and food!

Abiding Savior Lutheran Preschool Pumpkin Patch

Dates: Monday, Sept. 22 – Friday, Oct. 31
Hours: Sunday – Thursday, Noon – 8 p.m.; Friday, Noon – 9 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Address: 9700 W Newberry Rd Gainesville, FL 32606
Website: abidingsavior.info

Beginning Monday, Sept. 22 and running through Friday, Oct. 31, this pumpkin patch will be open daily! Weekends include activities like train rides, fall photo stations and a bounce house. Oktoberfest is Sep. 28 so come out and celebrate!

4th Annual Almost Fall Craft & Vendor Festival

Dates: Saturday, Sept. 27
Hours: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Address: 6747 Womans Club Dr, Keystone Heights, FL 32656
Website: facebook.com/events

Get an early start to the fall season at the annual Almost Fall Craft & Vendor Festival! There will be over 60 vendors, food trucks and more. 

Annual Florida Bat Festival at Lubee Bat Conservancy

Dates: Saturday, Oct. 25
Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Address: 1309 NW 192nd Ave, Gainesville, FL 32609, Lubee Bat Conservancy
Website: lubee.org

At the 21st Annual Florida Bat Festival, celebrate these winged nocturnal animals with activities and exhibits! You can also see the world’s largest bats and explore the beer garden.

Annual Kanapaha Fall Plant Sale and Orchid Show

Dates: Saturday, Oct. 25
Hours: 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Address: 4700 SW 58th Dr, Gainesville, FL 32608, Kanapaha Botanical Gardens
Website: kanapaha.org/fall-plant-sale

Kanapaha Botanical Gardens and the Gainesville Orchid Society welcome you to browse 50 booths selling all kinds of plants. There will also be an orchid show.

50th Annual Micanopy Fall Festival

Dates: Saturday, Nov. 1 – Sunday, Nov. 2
Hours: Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Address: Downtown Micanopy
Website: micanopyfallfestival.org

Explore over 200 booths set up by artists and crafters, enjoy live music and celebrate autumn at the 50th Annual Micanopy Fall Festival!

Annual Newberry Fall Festival

Dates: Saturday, Nov. 15
Hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Address: Historic Downtown Newberry
Website: newberrymainst.com

At this fall festival, bring your whole family and enjoy a fun zone, vendors, a petting zoo, food trucks, live music and more all day long!

Amazing Grace Family Farms Pumpkin Patch

Dates: Friday, Oct. 3 – Saturday, Nov. 1
Hours: Fridays, 4 – 9 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Address: 4251 SR 21, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
Website: agcropmaze.com

Opens Friday, October 3 and will run until Saturday, November 1. Enjoy a pumpkin patch, corn maze, family attractions and more!

The Bryer Patch 

Dates: Weekends, Saturday, Oct. 11 – Thursday, Nov. 25
Hours: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Address: 5700 SW 250th Street Newberry, FL 32669
Website: thebryerpatchfarm.com

The Bryer Patch will be open every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning with its 3rd annual Pumpkin Festival Saturday, Oct. 11 and Sunday, Oct. 12! Enjoy the pumpkin patch, crop maze, live music, u-pick flowers, vendors and more! In addition to their weekly pumpkin patch, they are hosting a Dog Days event Nov. 22 with everyone’s furry friends and Fall Break Day on Thursday, Nov. 25.

Buy A Pumpkin Feed a Child

Dates: Monday, Sept. 27 – Friday, Oct. 31
Hours: Monday – Friday, 1 – 8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sunday, Noon – 8 p.m.
Address: 7003 NW 39th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32606
Website: facebook.com

This patch opens Monday, Sept. 27 and runs until Halloween. There will be train rides, inflatables and more for you and your family to enjoy! “Every pumpkin you buy and every dollar you donate feeds hungry children. Buy A Pumpkin Feed A Child gives 100% of the proceeds directly to children and families in our local community of Gainesville and in Guatemala,” according to the event website.

Red House Ranch Fall Festival

Dates: Weekends, Friday, Oct. 3 – Sunday, Nov. 9
Hours: Friday, 4 – 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Sunday, Noon – 7 p.m.
Address: 22480 N US Hwy 441, Micanopy, FL 32667
Website: redhouseranch.org

Celebrate fall at the Red House Ranch, formerly the Coon Hollo Fall Festival! There will be pumpkins, a crop maze, pony rides, pig races, concessions, shopping and more!

Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale

Dates: Saturday, Oct. 25 – Wednesday, Oct. 29
Hours: Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sunday – Wednesday, Noon – 6 p.m.
Address: 430-B N Main St, Gainesville, FL 32601, Friends of the Library Alachua County
Website: visitgainesville.com/event

This is the largest Friends of the Library sale in Florida! Shop for books, art, comics, manga, CDs, DVDs, records and more. All proceeds support the Alachua County Library District and area literacy projects.

Historic Micanopy Ghost Tour

Dates: Saturday, Oct. 11, 18, 25
Hours: 4 – 7 p.m.
Address: Town of Micanopy
Website: facebook.com

Explore Historic Micanopy and its haunted past on this ghost tour! Hear chilling tales of paranormal activities, learn historical tidbits and encounter supernatural occurrences.

Hollow Oaks Corn Maze

Dates: Opens Friday, Sept. 27 – Sunday, Nov. 9
Hours: Friday, 6 – 11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sunday, 2 – 6 p.m.
Address: Off 441 between Alachua and High Springs
Website: hollowoakscornmaze.com

Enjoy a spooky corn maze and hay ride at Hollow Oaks! The children’s area will include a mini maze, pumpkin bowling, a slide, a jumping pad and more.

Newberry Cornfield Maze

Dates: Friday, Sept. 19 – Saturday, Oct. 25
Hours: Friday and Saturday, 5 – 11 p.m.
Address: 20015 West Newberry Road Newberry, FL 32669
Website: newberrycornfieldmaze.com

Starting Friday, Sept. 19, the Newberry Cornfield Maze will be open Fridays and Saturdays! It will have attractions ranging from family-friendly to not-for-the-faint-of-heart. Family-friendly attractions include human hamster balls, the haunted hayride and mechanical bull while the haunted maze and haunted house are for older guests.

McIntosh 1890s Festival

Dates: Saturday, Oct. 8
Hours: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Address: McIntosh Historic District east side of US 441
Website: mcintosh1890sfestival.com

Enjoy a day on the tree-lined streets of Victorian McIntosh and browse arts, crafts, jewelry, plants, decor, treats and more! There will also be children’s activities.

Peanut Patch & Corn Maze

Dates: Friday, Sept. 26 – Saturday, Nov. 1
Hours: 5 – 11 p.m.
Address: 8656 SW 75th St, Gainesville, FL 32608
Website: peanutpatchandcornmaze.com

This event is family friendly until dusk with a kids play area, photo booth and campfire. At night, it becomes haunted! There is a haunted house, haunted hayride, and haunted corn maze. Bring your running shoes and be prepared to be scared!

Sunflower Festival at The Bryer Patch 

Dates: Saturday, Nov. 8 and Saturday, Nov. 15
Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Address: 5700 SW 250th Street Newberry, FL 32669
Website: thebryerpatchfarm.com

Fall on the Farm with The Bryer Patch will conclude with its annual fall Sunflower Festival! Enjoy live music, u-pick sunflowers, vendors, hayrides, a crop maze and more.

40th Annual Thornebrook Fall Arts Festival

Dates: Saturday, Oct. 11 – Sunday, Oct. 12
Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Address: Shoppes At Thornebrook
Website: shoppesatthornebrook.com

Celebrate the arts and the talent of local artists at the 40th annual Thornebrook Fall Arts Festival! There will be diverse artistic creations, including sculptures, paintings woodwork, jewelry and more. You can also stroll through the shops and enjoy bites from food trucks and restaurants.

Tioga Movie Night: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Dates: Friday, Oct. 25
Hours: 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Address: Tioga Town Center
Website: facebook.com/events

Get outside with your friends and family by enjoying “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” a spooky outdoor Halloween movie. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs!

Tioga Town Center Oktoberfest

Dates: Saturday, Oct. 11
Hours: 2 – 8 p.m.
Address: Tioga Town Center
Website: facebook.com/events

WOB Tioga is the only bar in Florida offering brews from Munich and other beers from the official German Oktoberfest breweries! Come out to the Tioga Town Center Oktoberfest for drinks and fun!

Trick or Treat Spooktacular Night

Dates: Friday, Oct. 31
Hours: 6 – 8 p.m.
Address: Main Street, Alachua
Website: facebook.com/events

Join Alachua Chamber of Commerce for a fun night of trick-or-treating on Main Street!

Trunk or Treat – Monster Mash Bash

Dates: Friday, Oct. 24
Hours: 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Address: 2621 SE Hawthorne Rd, Gainesville, FL, United States, Florida 32641, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office
Website: facebook.com/events

Alachua County Sheriff’s Office hosts its Monster Mash Bash, a night filled with candy, monster music and a chance to check out Special Team vehicles! No ticket required and costumes are encouraged.

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