Well, I sometimes hate to say it, but the fall season has arrived in the upper Midwest. How do I know? The nights are getting cooler (some are downright cold), leaves are starting to turn color, and the grocery store has exploded with pumpkin spice flavored everything. Since snow will be on the ground before we know it, it’s time to get outside and celebrate the fall season. Some of the best ways to celebrate fall (besides football) are to get your family to some of the pumpkin patches, apple orchards, corn mazes or train rides that are located across Wisconsin. This is a guide to some of the top spots for fall fun in northern Wisconsin.
Pumpkin Patches, Apple Orchards, and Corn Mazes in Wisconsin
Mommsen’s Harvest Hills
This popular pumpkin patch, located in Rice Lake, is known for it’s pumpkin chuckin’. Mommsen’s has two pumpkin catapults and a pumpkin cannon, all of which are used for chucking pumpkins as far as they can go. This unique event happens every Saturday and Sunday. Besides the pumpkin chuckin’, there are two corn mazes to challenge your family, a petting zoo that will have your littlest ones begging for a kitten, a corn pit full of kernels that will somehow make there way back to your home, bounce houses, and weekend hayrides.
Pumpkins for everyone!
Don’t forget to stock up on your fall produce while you are there. Besides selling every size of pumpkin, you can purchase squash, gourds, apples, decorative corn, and baked goods. Most importantly, do not leave without a caramel apple, they are delicious!
Related Post – 20 Fall Activities for Family Fun
Mommsen’s Harvest Hills is oven every day from 10:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m. They are open for business from September 1 thru October 31. There is no general fee to visit the pumpkin patch, but they do charge for the various activities. Prices vary, and are listed on their website.
The Burch Barn
The Burch Barn, located in Spooner, is home to a corn maze, giant gunny sack slides, a corn pit, grain train rides, and much more. A $5 general admission gets you in on all of the fun, and $2 more gets you a ride on the grain train. The grain train is a series of wagons pulled behind a tractor thru the property of the Burch Barn. You’ll ride past pumpkin and corn fields and see some brilliant fall color, plus past years train rides have included a scavenger hunt.
Race your kids on the double slides…over and over again!
There is a gift shop and a food stand with delicious homemade goodies available for sale. Check their Facebook page for events held throughout the season.
The Burch Barn opens for the 2019 season on September 14. They are open on Friday and Saturdays from 10:00 – 5:30 and Sundays from 11:00 – 5:30. $5 per person and kiddos under age two are free.
Valley Pasture Farm
Fall fun means a family visit to Valley Pasture Farm’s pumpkin patch. This farm is located in Elk Mound, not far from I-94. Their huge pumpkin patch is waiting for your kids with it’s perfect pumpkins ready to be carved.
This pumpkin patch has a spooky theme and they are known for their Spooky Ridge Trail and spook-tacular 80 foot slide. Wander through the four acre corn maze and then take a wagon ride. Or start with digging in the corn pit and then do some gemstone mining. Take a break and visit with the farm animals, or get a treat from the food stand (like a caramel apple sundae or homemade pretzel…yum!).
The pumpkin patch is open Friday – Sundays from 10:00 – 6:00 and their season starts on September 14 and ends October 26. Admission is $9 per person, and the littlest of kids (under age two) are free.
Apple Orchards of Bayfield, Wisconsin
If you want to visit some apple orchards, well, Bayfield is your town. There are countless apple orchards in the area, and each one is unique. Some offer pick your own apples and berries, some are known for their apple flavored baked goods, and some are a one of a kind experience that you need to see to believe.
This is Hauser’s Apple Farm, one of many fun apple orchards in Bayfield.
The majority of the apple orchards are located along country roads known as the fruit loop. I’ve written an article that highlights the top apple orchards along the fruit loop that you can read here.
This years famous Bayfield Apple Festival takes place from October 4 – 6, but most orchards are already open for the season.
Bushel and a Peck Market
Bushel and a Peck Market, located in Chippewa Falls, is an apple orchard, country store, pumpkin patch, and bakery all rolled into one fun stop. They offer pick your own apples, which you access on the free wagon ride. I’ve heard that there are sheep and goats to visit with while you are at the orchard.
Don’t miss the free three acre corn maze when you are done picking those juicy apples. This orchard grows 30 varieties of apples, and if you are early enough in the season, you can pick your own raspberries too.
Bushel and a Peck opens in early September for the fall season and you can check their website for their current hours. They will close on November 3, this year.
Which pumpkin will you choose?
Autumn Harvest Winery and Orchard
Autumn Harvest Winery and Orchard is located in Chippewa Falls and grows 15 varieties of apples, but the Honeycrisp apples just might be the best. You can pick your own apples, or purchase them fresh picked in their country store and tasting room. Try not to get distracted by their fantastic wine while you are there…just kidding! Pick up a bottle of one of their 13 wines or homemade hard cider to enjoy after the kids go to bed. They’ll be super tired after all that apple picking right?
Autumn Harvest Winery offers free wagon rides on weekends in September, but they were unable to plant their corn maze for 2019.
They are open on Wednesdays thru Sundays from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. They are open until 7:00 pm on Fridays. Check out their website for their schedule of live music and Fall Fest celebration.
Smith Apple Farm
Their 24 variety of apples always taste juicy and delicious, but honestly we come here just for the baked goods. Smith Apple Farm, located near Spooner and Shell Lake, is where you go for fresh apple cider donuts (there are samples, unless my kids were there and emptied the plate) and for their popular Honeycrisp apples. Besides the apple cider donuts, they sell turnovers, apple bars, pies, pumpkin cookies, shortbread cookies, and more! There store is stocked full of apple flavored food items, honey, syrup, and gifts.
The fresh apple cider donuts can’t be missed!
You are able to pick your own apples on the weekends from late September to mid October, otherwise they always have plenty of just picked apples in their shop. Pumpkins are also grown and sold here, and are pick your own on certain weekends in September and October.
Their 2019 season starts August 17 and will close on November 17. They are open every single day from 10:00 – 5:00.
Now you have no excuses for not doing something fun every single weekend this fall. We’ll still get a few warm days this year that will be perfect for picking apples and pumpkins or for getting lost in a corn maze. Then. It. Will. Snow.
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