Intricately cut, glowing orange orbs lighting up crisp autumn starlit nights create the eerie Halloween atmosphere heralding the celebration of the harvest season. As summer turns to fall and the trees break out in gorgeous colorful displays, pumpkin festivals across Massachusetts reign supreme.
Hayrides, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, apple cider, and other wonderful down home, family farm fun brings locals and visitors together to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Whether you are looking for the perfect jack-o’-lantern pumpkin or simply want to enjoy some fresh country air, fall events are a wonderful weekend activity.
Pack the gang into the vehicle and visit one of these slightly haunted, totally entertaining fall pumpkin festivals. Our list is published for your pumpkin festival enjoyment and is presented in no particular order.
1. Hallowed Harvest: Wicked Labyrinth, Salem
The Hallowed Harvest: Wicked Labyrinth is an indoor event that is fun for the entire family. Showcasing over 1,000 intricately carved jack-o’-lanterns, you will be in awe of the carving expertise slashed across the surface of huge orange balls.
The Wicked Labyrinth opens Friday, September 17th, and runs through Sunday, October 31st. There are two admission options. The general admission is for a specific time and date; adults are $20, children are $16, and munchkins three years old and under are free. The VIP admission allows you to attend at a time that is convenient during its hours of operation; adults $25, children $20, and munchkins three and under are free.
2. Hanson’s Farm Corn Maze, Framingham
Hanson’s Farm Corn Maze will challenge your navigation abilities as you wander through a classic New England towering corn stalk maze. The maze is open for exploration in September and October. It is the perfect way to enjoy a crisp autumn afternoon. Grab a seat on the hayride for a tour around the farm. Don’t forget to grab a pumpkin from the patch before you leave.
The farm’s “Moo Bus” has great ice cream in classic flavors and some fun options. The Purple Cow, Cookie Monster, and Moose Tracks flavors are always a big hit with ice cream lovers both young and young at heart. You can confirm hours of operation here.
The cost for the Corn Maze and Hayride is $15 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under, and free for children five years old and under.
3. Krochmal Farms Annual Pumpkin Festival, Tewksbury
The Krochmal Farms Annual Pumpkin Festival is a traditional fall pumpkin-focused great time. You can wander through its pumpkin patch and pick your own perfect jack-o’-lantern canvas or select any perfectly shaped pumpkin already harvested for you.
At Krochmal Farms, the festival is loaded with traditional down-on-the-farm family fun. Enjoy the horse-drawn hayride around the grounds. Munchkin pony rides around the corral are a little cow poke’s picture-perfect moment. The corn maze will challenge your internal direction intuition and your ability to calculate your next right turn, or is it left? The petting zoo where kiddos can feed and interact with the farm goats and kids is always a hit.
Take a break from all the fun on the farm and enjoy some hot apple cider and a sweet fried dough for the perfect pumpkin-picking afternoon snack.
The Pumpkin Festival runs from September 18th through October 24th on Saturdays, Sundays, and Columbus Day. Cost is per person based on activity, hayrides are $5, the corn maze is $5, petting zoo is $1, pony rides are $5, The pony rides are free between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
4. Chris’ Farm Stand Pumpkin Festival, Haverhill
The pumpkin events at Chris’ Farm Stand Pumpkin Festival are perfect for a fabulous family fall outing to get you in the Halloween spirit. Your visit should begin with a fun hayride around the farm then you are off to explore. Stroll through the pumpkin patch to hunt down the perfect orange fruits for your front door display. The kiddos will love the cow train, hay castle, farm animals, tractor viewing, and haunted house. Adults will love the old-time country barbecue and the selection of beautiful fall decorations including the hard-to-find white luminary pumpkins.
The activities begin Columbus Day weekend and run Saturdays and Sundays between noon and 4 p.m., until November.
5. Pumpkin People In The Park, Chatham
The quaint town of Chatham showcases local artists, community groups, and individuals with seasonal displays in the central city park. The Pumpkin People In The Park is a collection of quirky and adorable pumpkin-headed people gracing the walkways and green space of Kate Gould Park and the bandstand area.
Tongue-in-cheek displays, artistic tableaus, and Halloween mini-scenes draw you in for a closer inspection. The creativity in these artistic arrangements may inspire you to recreate one in your own front yard. The displays are a great backdrop for taking your weird, Halloween photo; a perfect post for your social media channel.
Running from October 15th through the 31st, the Pumpkin People In The Park is a fun stop when you find yourself on Cape Cod in the fall. If you plan to visit the Chatham area, you can read more about where to eat, stay, and play in this beautiful Cape Cod city here.
6. Pumpkin Float At Frog Pond, Boston
The interactive Pumpkin Float At Frog Pond is a one-of-a-kind pumpkin festival experience. Participants can bring an 8 inch in diameter or smaller, hollowed out jack-o’-lantern to one of the specified dropoff locations at the Frog Pond. Volunteers will illuminate your carved jack-o’-lantern artwork and set it afloat in the pond. Watch the Frog Pond fill with twinkling lights peaking through the carved pumpkin designs as they gracefully bob and float across the water.
In addition to the floating pumpkins, local groups showcase their expert pumpkin carving skills for a beautiful seasonal jack-o’-lantern display. There are lots of tricks and treats awaiting Halloween youngsters and the young at heart.
This free event is sponsored by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and The Skating Club of Boston. The Pumpkin Float At Frog Pond is scheduled for Friday, October 15th from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
7. West End Creamery Fall Festival, Whitinsville
The West End Creamery Fall Festival is a family fun, down-on-the-farm celebration of all things fall in New England. Its corn maze theme this year is a nod to the new home of the Red Sox farm team, the Worcester Red Sox. The newly relocated WooSox team is exciting for local baseball fans and a Sox-themed maze challenge followed by a WooSox game would be a home run for any local baseball lover.
Other fun activities at West End Creamery include a wagon ride around the farm, barnyard pedal cars, a tractor tire mountain, the cow train, barnyard jump, and many more youngster-focused experiences. The creamery also serves great ice cream to top off your visit.
Take your corn maze experience and amp it up Halloween style with the creamery’s Friday Nights Flashlight Maze. Corn mazes can be tricky to navigate and escape, when you add eerie darkness and flashlight-led exploration, you are in for a spooktacular adventure.
The Fall Festival is open Friday nights and weekends beginning September 18th and runs through October 31st. General Admission is required to enter, however children under 36 inches tall are free. There is an additional $5 fee for pony rides and an additional $5 for the Battle Zone admission.
8. Sauchuk’s Corn Maze And Pumpkin Patch, Plympton
When you visit Sauchuk’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch you will experience a classic maze venue offering an amazing time! Explore the corn stalk maze, hayrides, fun games, moo train, and other family-focused fun.
After exploring the maze, stop at the food shack for an on-the-spot festival snack.
September 18th through October 31st with extended hours Columbus Day weekend. General admission for ages 3 to 59 is $18.95, 60+ is $15.95, munchkins 2 and under are free. Online tickets are available at a discount. There are additional fees for some activities. Reservations are required.
Pumpkin Patches Across Massachusetts
In addition to all the wonderful fall pumpkin festivals across Massachusetts, there are a slew of pumpkin patches where you can find the perfect jack-o’-lantern pumpkins. Creating fall outdoor decorations with cornstalks, hay bales, mums, and copious amounts of pretty pumpkins to grace doorsteps and lawns is an age-old tradition across the commonwealth.
Salem
New Englanders and visitors from far-flung places flock to Salem, Massachusetts, every October for a month long, eerie lead up to All Hallows’ Eve. The historic city with a witch-hunting past is a coveted destination as Halloween draws near. Salem is an interesting spot to visit any time of year, but it takes on an extra special aura during October. If you are planning on visiting during the witching month, check out our primer on Why October Is The Best Time Of Year To Visit.
Jack-O’-Lantern Time
Celebrating a bountiful harvest with friends, family, and neighbors is all about being thankful for the gifts from the garden. Get out and enjoy fall at a local pumpkin festival in Massachusetts. Take home a pumpkin or two and carve your jack-o’-lantern masterpiece.
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