Huge corn maze at Anderson Farms in Colorado.
1/50 Alabama
Nearly synonymous with Alabama, football is one of the most essential elements to the state’s fall season. Whether you bleed crimson and white for the University of Alabama or cheer for the Auburn Tigers, attending a college football game will engulf you in a long-standing Alabama tradition that is unlike any other.
2/50 Alaska
Autumn gives way to plenty of opportunities for wildlife sightings. Many of Alaska’s large mammals are in full-time gorge mode as they prepare for the winter months. These animals make their way toward lower elevations seeking berries, fish and other bits of food. If you love viewing animals, fall means terrific sightings in just about all of Alaska’s habitats.
3/50 Arizona
Cities such as Phoenix, Tucson, Scottsdale, Mesa and so forth are known for their cultural fests, animal fairs, and rich heritage. Try the annual Navajo Nation Fair, Apache County Fair or Yavapai County Fair to learn more about the rich history and tradition of Arizona and munch on the local cuisine.
4/50 Arkansas
Russellville, Arkansas’s Downtown Fall Festival and Chili Cookoff has been rockin’ the town’s historic district since 1992. Come hungry, and expect some seriously delicious samples from the chili cookoff, as well as the pie and cake contests. There will be a bike ride, live entertainment, a car and truck show, games and crafts for the kids and a children’s costume contest.
5/50 California
Make the Halloween season extra spook-tacular at Knott’s Spooky Farm, a family-friendly Halloween celebration geared for kids ages 3 to 11. Children can trick-or-treat through Ghost Town to collect sweet treats. Treat bags containing event maps and other goodies will be distributed, and fun Halloween-themed shows are in store. Camp Snoopy Theater plays host to the “Monsters are Coming” show where children are encouraged to participate in the daily costume contest. The Halloween Hootenanny returns as The Timber Mountain Log Ride transforms with spooky but family-friendly surprises.
6/50 Colorado
What’s fall without visiting a pumpkin patch or running through a corn maze? While there are lots of places to do both in Colorado, the longest-running corn maze is Anderson Farms in Erie. It features a 25-acre corn maze and pumpkin patch in addition to a wealth of other activities like hayrides, gem mining, gourd launching, pedal karts and more. There’s also some spooky attractions for Halloween, like the ghost town, Zombie Paintball Hunt and Terror in the Corn.
7/50 Connecticut
At Beardsley’s Cider Mill & Orchard, the Farm store offers apples, pies, cider donuts, scones, and fruit bread. Pick your apples on September weekends, and come in on weekends after 11 a.m. to get a fermenting container filled with fresh-pressed untreated cider to make your own hard cider.
8/50 Delaware
See the famous Sea Witch on parade alongside her costume-clad cronies at Rehoboth Beach’s for the annual Sea Witch Festival. This one-of-a-kind maritime favorite offers all sorts of family fun, including live bands, horse shows, competitions and games. A wide variety of tasty foods are also available.
9/50 Florida
While most fall food and wine festivals are held over a weekend, the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival in Orlando lasts for weeks. With more than 25 global marketplaces, you can can sip and taste your way around the world just by walking around EPCOT’s World Showcase. Be sure to look for special events, including culinary demonstrations by celebrity chefs.
10/50 Georgia
Kinsey Family Farm offers family fun in Gainesville. The farm is open to the public from mid-September through October—with free admission. This is a great place to find pumpkins and gourds of various colors and sizes. Hayrides are also offered, with rides running continuously all day on weekends. Kids will also enjoy the barn animals and fish feeding, and there’s a scenic picnic area that overlooks a pond to enjoy a packed lunch.
Get hands-on with furry friends at a petting zoo this season in Indiana.
11/50 Hawaii
Aloun Farms is hosting its 19th annual Pumpkin Festival in Kapolei for a month-long extravaganza. The largest pumpkin festival in the state features pick-your-own corn, string beans, sunflowers—and pumpkins, of course. The farm grows 90% of Hawaii’s pumpkin harvest.
12/50 Idaho
As sheep herding is a major part of Idaho’s identity, the Trailing of the Sheep festival keeps the tradition alive. The festival takes place over several days each fall through the towns of Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley. You’ll discover workshops, wool classes, lamb-showcased cooking classes, sheepdog trials, picnics and more. For the main event, the Big Sheep Parade, 1,500 sheep are herded down Main Street in Ketchum.
13/50 Illinois
The corn maze at Richardson Adventure Farm isn’t just big. It’s more than 21 football fields big! Even the most seasoned corn maze navigators will be challenged by its nearly 10-mile-long tangled trails. To make it even trickier, the design changes every year. Once you complete the maze, or you get tired of trekking through the corn stalks, you can go on a hayride, gather around a campfire or ride a 100-foot slide.
14/50 Indiana
Elephants smashing pumpkins? You heard that right. Head to Halloween ZooBoo at the Indianapolis Zoo to see for yourself. Little ones (and grown-ups) line up to see the elephants smashing, stomping or beating the pumpkins in an effort to get to their favorite snack. Guests can also watch the brown bear bobbing for apples and enjoy Halloween music at the Dolphin exhibit. Costumes are encouraged!
15/50 Iowa
Can you survive creepers, zombies, clowns and four different haunted attractions? Scream Acres Scream Park at Bloomsbury Farm in Atkins will have your bones quaking in fear. Enter if you dare.
16/50 Kansas
Celebrate fall at the Woodbine Fall Festival, which features German food, a pumpkin dessert contest, kettle corn treats and old-fashioned games for both children and adults to enjoy. It’s free to attend, and you can even participate in pony rides or hay and buckboard rides.
17/50 Kentucky
At Devine’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch in Harrodsburg, you’re sure to go home with a pumpkin or two. Before or after your pumpkin picking, take a hayride, eat a treat, or snap a family photo with hay bales in the background. For those looking for a bit more action, there’s paintball in the corn stalks and a zip line that takes you 600 feet in the air.
18/50 Louisiana
Every year, Voodoo Music & Art Experience hosts one of the biggest festivals of the region where local and regional acts share the spotlight for a weekend in late October. New Orleans City Park hosts this festival where food, music and art unite. Some of the finest cuisine of New Orleans is right inside the park, all while people parade around in full costume to celebrate Halloween.
19/50 Maine
Maine fairs are among the best in the world with the prime event being The Fryeburg Fair—now in its 167th year. This agricultural, carnival, farm, food, craft and music festival is early October, just in time for peak foliage. Don’t miss the hilarious Pig Scramble, Harness Racing, Tractor Pulls and Skillet Throw.
20/50 Maryland
Do you have animal lovers in your family? Make a bee-line for Ijamsville, Maryland’s Green Meadows Petting Farm on weekends in October. Make new friends with the 200 farm animals at Green Meadows, and feed the resident sheep and goats. Other fun at the farm includes wagon rides, pig races and pumpkins.
Get in the Halloween spirit exploring the history of infamous Salem witch trials in Massachusetts.
21/50 Massachusetts
Just a short ride from Boston, Salem is the home of the infamous 17th-century witch trials. Today, it’s the hotspot for all sorts of haunted happenings in October. Head to Salem to take in witch museums, haunted tours of the city, the House of Seven Gables, the Peabody Essex Museum and to observe the spookiness that grips the city this time of year.
22/50 Michigan
Although Mackinac Island is best known as a summertime destination with tours, quaint shops, and sweet treats, it also has a fascinating history that comes alive during the fall. Mackinaw Manor is a haunted house filled with special effects that are sure to spook. The Grand Hotel hosts a Murder Mystery Weekend where you can actually dress the part and be fully immersed in this interactive experience with meals, receptions, and live entertainment. Also, in the area you’ll find costume contests and trick-or-treating.
23/50 Minnesota
Home to the exceptionally juicy Honeycrisp apples, Minnesota is one of the best places to get these fresh apples straight from the tree. After all, it’s the state fruit! Pick your own at orchards like Afton Apple Orchard in Hastings, Emma Krumbees in Belle Plaine or Apple Jack Orchards in Delano.
24/50 Mississippi
The live music, kid-friendly play zone, arts and crafts, and fantastic food should be enough to entice you to the Gautier Mullet Festival, but if not, maybe the famous Mullet Toss will do the trick. Laugh, cheer, and compete to see who can throw a fish the farthest. There’s also a car show and free parking and admission.
25/50 Missouri
Did someone say “bacon”?! In honor of the food that no one can turn down, Springfield’s annual Ozarks Bacon Fest is just as delicious as it sounds. Not only is this a tribute to bacon, it also celebrates bourbon and beer. Sample all three for a truly enjoyable time. Enjoy live music and a bacon eating contest, as well.
26/50 Montana
In early October, birders and nature fans gather at the Bridger Raptor Festival in Bozeman—to celebrate one of the largest known Golden Eagle migrations in North America. In addition to raptor viewing, the festival includes nature walks and talks, entertainment and educational programs and activities for all ages.
27/50 Nebraska
Every year, the Harvest Moon Fall Festival occurs in Hemingford and features a 5K walk/run event, local artists, live entertainment, chili contest, haunted maze and fantastic foods to enjoy.
28/50 Nevada
If you’re looking for a major festival to be a part of, this is it. On the grounds of the Age of Chivalry Renaissance Festival in Las Vegas, you’ll find attractions such as a dinner theater, guilds, live music and much more. Vendors can be found around the grounds selling handmade crafts. This is a great event to don your best Ren-fest costume.
29/50 New Hampshire
Experience one of the most famous attractions in New Hampshire, the Conway Scenic Railroad, in the center of North Conway Village and only 5 minutes from Cranmore Mountain Lodge. The historic Victorian Station has served as a regional landmark since its completion in 1974. Take a jaunt along the mountainside for breathtaking views this fall.
30/50 New Jersey
Learn how to make apple cider this season at Hacklebarney Farm Cider Mill in Chester. The historic cider mill built in 1860, is the centerpiece of a farm of 23 varieties of apples. Fall activities on October weekends include pick-your-own pumpkins, a twisty corn maze, and cider pressing demonstrations.
Over 5,000 intricately-carved pumpkins at the Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular in Rhode Island.
31/50 New Mexico
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a world-renowned attraction and destination for kids of all ages. For over four decades, the first week in October has brought the smells of roasting chiles and the magical show of hot air balloons sailing through the crisp fall air. Hundreds of balloons will be taking flight from the Balloon Fiesta Park this year.
32/50 New York
With an infamous name that appeals to the Halloween in everyone, the town of Sleepy Hollow is a great weekend getaway destination during the entire fall season. As the birthplace of the Headless Horseman, and with neighboring Tarrytown being the former home of Legend of Sleepy Hollow author Washington Irving, the village goes all out for Halloween. Get in the spirit with weekly festivals, hayrides and parades.
33/50 North Carolina
The 42nd Annual Woolly Worm Festival takes place the third weekend of October this year in the quaint mountain town of Banner Elk, North Carolina. Woolly worms have the reputation of being able to forecast the coming winter weather based on their coloring. The Woolly Worm races begin in the morning and continue all day until the grand finale in the late afternoon. The winning worm on Saturday is declared the official winter forecasting agent. In addition to the races, the festival features crafts, food vendors, live entertainment and much more.
34/50 North Dakota
Every November, the small town of Garrison, North Dakota, transforms itself into a Victorian-style community from the era of Charles Dickens. The town is known as the official Christmas capital of North Dakota and has hosted this beloved festival for over 20 years. Take a ride on Queen Elizabus, a cherry red double-decker 1960 English bus. Or enjoy Treats with Tiny Tim, English High Tea, carriage rides, the Dickens Wine & Cheese Tour, live stage performances, a lighted parade and, of course, plenty of delicious food and drink options.
35/50 Ohio
This October, Gorman Heritage Farm is hosting the Sunflower Festival in Cincinnati, which is way more than just a flower fest. Yes, you can pick your own sunflowers, but the whole family will also enjoy live music, hay rides, a corn maze and farm animals.
36/50 Oklahoma
The Patch at Silver Wind Farm in Edmond features farm games, story time in the farmyard, real tortoise and hare races, inflatables, pony rides, costume contests for people (and pets!), as well as pumpkin painting and carving contests.
37/50 Oregon
If you ever wanted to watch people dress up in elaborate costumes and race down a river in giant pumpkin boats, here’s your chance. The West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta takes place in Tualatin each October and promises great family entertainment.
38/50 Pennsylvania
In Hershey, The Sweetest Place On Earth, the park specializes in making Halloween even happier! Visit three weekends of Hersheypark In The Dark event to enjoy 13 coasters, a sweet trick-or-treat trail and more. Extend your adventure with an overnight stay at The Official Resorts Of Hersheypark to experience all of the fall happenings around town.
39/50 Rhode Island
Each fall, a gallery of 5,000 intricately-carved pumpkins takes over the paths lining Providence’s Roger Williams Park Zoo for the Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular. As you walk amongst the illuminated lanterns, the zoo projects special lighting effects, transforming the space into an eerie Halloween scene.
40/50 South Carolina
Zombies haven’t lost their popularity, especially in Rock Hill, South Carolina. This fall, visit Paintball Central for Zombie Attack! Hop on a hay ride into the zombie apocalypse to defend the city and put an end to the living dead madness. Using glow-in-the-dark, zombie-certified rounds, it’s on your shoulders to save the town from destruction.
Explore Vermont’s fall foliage from above by gondola.
41/50 South Dakota
At Newton Hills State Park in Canton, South Dakota, the scenic prairie welcomes visitors to the FestiFall and Candlelight Walk. The festival includes events like arts, crafts, kids games, hay rides, live music, pumpkin decorating contest, pumpkin carving demonstrations, and pumpkin catapult. Two miles of trails are lit by candlelight—follow the lights and glowing pumpkins around the woods.
42/50 Tennessee
The Mid-South BBQ Festival takes place the third weekend of October in Mount Pleasant. The barbecue competition showcases local smokers and plenty of samples, plus a classic car show, entertainment, and art and crafts vendors. Kids are encouraged to participate in the Halloween costume contest and enjoy endless play at the Kids’ Zone.
43/50 Texas
The State Fair of Texas, which runs for 24 days, is the largest fair in the state, making it a must-attend event during late September through early October. Texans (and visitors) flock to Dallas for the livestock exhibits, carnival rides and fried food.
44/50 Utah
Gardner Village Witches is a free scavenger hunt for children to locate funny witches throughout the village. Once they’ve found them all, they can go to the bakery for a discounted treat. Witches are on display from September 15–October 31 this year.
45/50 Vermont
The gondola at Stowe Mountain is a quick and easy way to explore Vermont’s highest peak. Once you’re up there, hike up to the chin of Mount Mansfield or take a more leisurely walk along the ski trails to soak up the views during peak foliage season.
46/50 Virginia
The Hampton Roads Grilled Cheese festival in Chesapeake, Virginia, is in its early stages of existence, but it’s already making a name for itself. Contests run all day, with prizes for Most Ridiculous, Most Cheesiest, Best Tomato Soup, Fan Favorite and Grand Champ. Participants hand out samples that visitors will vote on to choose a Fan Favorite. You’ll definitely want to arrive hungry for this one.
47/50 Washington
Washington’s Snohomish Valley is the “pumpkin capital of the Northwest,” and seven family farms in the area have teamed up for two months of pumpkin fun. You’ll get a kick out of the pumpkin hurling, jousting, costume competitions, corn mazes and spooky after-dark festivities.
48/50 West Virginia
The Mountain Heritage Arts & Crafts Fall Festival is held in the beautiful rolling hills of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, which is perfectly situated for admiring and appreciating the rich cultural history of Appalachia. Crafters and artisans display their goods, and live music and food vendors give you a taste of the state’s heritage. Adults will love the Sit and Sip Tent to sample local wineries and breweries from around West Virginia.
49/50 Wisconsin
Highway 18 Drive-In Theater in Jefferson is great for a family night out. Fall nights in Wisconsin can be relatively cool, so make sure to pack some snuggly blankets—and don’t forget the movie snacks! Most movies screened are recent flicks. Generally, a kids’ movie is screened earlier in the night followed by the main headliner.
50/50 Wyoming
Calling all budding scientists! The WILD Festival is an annual October event in Jackson Hole. The festival celebrates science and nature and the ways in which they interact with our everyday lives. The festival includes tasty food vendors, hands-on science booths, a family science fair and activities such as stargazing, fossil digging, robotics and even forensics.