events

While Texas may not have what others around the country call true “seasons,” there is no doubt that Fall is in the air around these parts. Temperatures dip into Texas cold territory (below 75 degrees), ragweed pollen permeates nasal cavities, and hay bales are in their peak selling season. But if there’s one thing we do share with people around the country, it’s our love of good pumpkin patches!

So, just in time for Fall, we’ve rounded up some of the area’s top pumpkin patches and Fall festivals:

Northwest

Fiesta Farm Pumpkin Patch – Admission $7 for those 2 and up, it includes pumpkins, pumpkin painting, a haunted house, and free pony and hay rides for the kids! 8497 FM 1560N, San Antonio TX 78254. Open 7 days a week.

New Braunfels/Gruene

Gruene Pumpkin Patch – Just a short trek north of San Antonio and you’ll find yourself in pumpkin heaven. Boasting over 10,000 pumpkins in their selection piles, this gigantic gala of gourds is one of the best around. The patch is open 7 days a week, but features special kid-friendly activities (bounce houses, food, and crafts) on Saturdays. Plus, once you’re finished there, you can stroll the streets of downtown Gruene, visiting a plethora of craft and antique stores.

Hill Country

Great Hill Country Pumpkin Patch – Love Creek Orchards may be known for their apples, but oh boy do they know how to put out a pumpkin patch! Celebrated as one of the best pumpkin patches in Texas for over 20 years, this celebration has got it all! With everything from a petting zoo to unlimited hay rides and hay bale mazes, all of the staple activities are there for the low admission price of $6. For a bit extra, you can engage in face painting, pony rides, barrel train rides, and numerous craft projects. It’s well worth the trek out to Medina (13558 State Hwy16 North, Medina TX 78055) with all that it’s got to offer. Open every Saturday, Sunday, and Monday in October.

Devine

Devine Acres Farm – For just $8, you can head on down to Devine (an easy drive out I-35 West) and take part in the biggest batch of fall fun activities around: farm hayride, catch-n-release fishing, duck races, scarecrow dressin’, pumpkin painting, playground, mazes, tin bucket golf, animal barnyard, hippity hops, horseshoe and washer toss, bean bag forest, hippity hops, sack races, barnyard bowling, volleyball, and trike track. Wowza! Open to the public on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays – it’s a chance to get into the season, have a ton of fun, and check out a real working farm!

San Antonio

Classics Elite Soccer Academy Pumpkin Patch – A little closer to home, you’ll be thrilled to find the Classics Elite Soccer Academy Pumpkin Patch. Located behind the Blossom Athletic Complex at the corner of Jones Maltzberger and Bitters, this patch will feature over 1,500 giant gourds for you to pick from. Pumpkins are being delivered on October 13th!

Fall Festivals

Circle Fest – Saturday, October 27, 4PM to 8PM. Come enjoy a unique evening of great food, live music, kids activities, world storytelling and more! This unique family run co-operative school is located just north of downtown, near the Witte Museum, and holds this festival annually as a fundraiser for its diverse students. Most famous is its annual Pumpkin Path, in which visitors are led through a candlelit trail of mystery and world cultures.

Baketoberfest – Saturday, October 20, 4:30PM to 11PM at AT&T Center. In partnership with the St. Mary’s University Alumni Association, creators of the Fiesta Oyster Bake Heritage Festival, the AT&T Center is hosting the first annual Baketoberfest at the Bud Light Courtyard on October 20th. The Baketoberfest fall festival will feature all your favorite Oyster Bake foods, plus a stellar country music lineup including Roger Creager, Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights, Texas Tornados, and Jack Ingram.

BOOtanical Fall Festival October 28th at the San Antonio Botanical Garden from 9AM to 4PM. Features kids costume parades, gak slime wars, face painting, and botanical crafts. For the adults in the bunch, there will be a massive plant sale (the last one for the year) with plants ranging from $3 to $5, depending on quantity purchased. All activities are free with paid admission to the Botanical Garden. San Antonio Botanical Society members enjoy free admission year round.

Milberger’s Nursery Fall Extravaganza – This local nursery at 3920 North Loop 1604 in San Antonio features a monster maze! Come and join them on Saturdays and Sundays from 10AM to 2PM for train rides! They also have elaborate decor and a large pumpkin patch open with all sizes of pumpkins available. The nursery is open to the public 7 days a week.

image courtesy of RichardBowen