Beltway Bambinos

It’s that time of year when the weather is beginning to cool, cute fall outfits await, PSL’s are back and kids are hoping to start jumping in leaves soon. It also means making memories at local apple orchards, fall festivals and picking pumpkins. Have a favorite place to add to our list? Let us know in the comments!

Larriland (2415 Woodbine Rd., Woodbine, MD 21797)
Open – November 6
Gaze across the fields dotted with thousands of orange pumpkins, each one waiting to become a jack-o-lantern for your porch. The farm is decorated for Halloween with ghosts and goblins to delight and scare you. The fields are laden with crisp, succulent vegetables. The orchards are bent down with apples. It’s the last harvest to reap before the cold winter sets in. And fall is the perfect time to enjoy a tall glass of freshly squeezed sweet apple cider. Reservations required for pumpkin and evening hayrides. The Straw Maze, built in a confusing pattern with large round bales of straw, is a delightful place to get lost. The Straw Maze is open every day the farm is open in late September and October. The Boo Barn is for children ages 4 – 6. It is a dark passage in the bottom of the Red Barn and is filled with animated, not too scary ghosts and goblins. The Boo Barn is open every day the farm is open in late September and October. Apple fritters and Food trucks on Saturdays and Sundays in October.

Great Country Farms (18780 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont, VA 20135)
September 1 – November 7
Open daily for apple picking and corn maze from Sept 1-30. They also have flashlight family nights through the corn maze September 10, 17, 24, 2022. On Saturdays & Sundays, they add in live music, marshmallow roasting, pig races & cider pressing demonstrations. Check out the Zurschmeide Family’s antique 1865 Cider press. Sample freshly pressed cider and see how it used to be produced! Fall Pumpkin Harvest Festival is from October  1-31 & Pumpkin Chunkin taking place November 5-6. Purchase tickets online.

Gaver Farm (5501 Detrick Rd., Mount Airy, MD 21771)
September 2 – October 31
Enjoy fall on the farm by conquering the twists and turns of the corn maze, bouncing on the jumping pillows, petting and feeding the farm animals and cruising down the giant slides. There are over 60 attractions, appropriate for any age including 2 jumping pillows, Chicken Show, farm animals, mini mazes, playgrounds, duck races, ball games, photo centers and so much more! Purchase tickets online.

Clark’s Elioak Farm (10500 State Rte 108 Ellicott City, MD 21042)
Open – November 6
Petting farm animals, hayrides, cow train rides, pony rides, birthday parties, educational tours, enchanted pine tree forest, special weekend events, enchanted forest attractions (from an old theme park) and fall season pumpkin patch. You can purchase tickets when you arrive.  

Homestead Farm (15604 Sugarland Rd., Poolesville, MD 20837)
Open 7 days a week
Pick your own apples and pumpkins, live animals to see and browse market goodies such as apple cider, mums and honey.

Summers Farm (5620 Butterfly Ln. Frederick, MD 21703)
September 17 – October 31
Admission includes 45+ fall fun activities. For a full schedule of special events, visit the Entertainment page. For a complete listing of activities available at Summers Farm, visit the Attractions page.

Leesburg Animal Park (19270 James Monroe Hwy., Leesburg, VA 20175)
September 17 – November 6
Enjoy the giant hill slides, hay wagon rides, pet and feed animals, free apple and cider snack with admission, free mini-pumpkin, kids maze and live entertainment, pedal carts, bounce pillow and live music. Specials on weekends include camel rides and Entertainment.

Cox Farms (15621 Braddock Rd., Centreville, VA 20120)
September 17 – 18 & then the Fall Festival will be open Thursday through Monday from Sept. 24 through Nov. 7, plus Tuesday, Nov. 8.
The Fall Festival is filled with family-friendly entertainment and TONS of attractions including slides, swings, animals, hayrides and more.

Butlers Orchard (22200 Davis Mill Rd., Germantown, MD 20876)
September 24 – October 30
Admission to pick your own pumpkins, hayrides, hilltop hop jump pads, tractor pull, jump in the hayloft, visit barnyard buddies, twisted corn maze, live music on weekends, playground, spiderweb, play in the corn box, straw maze, swoop down the giant slides, corn hole games & pedal tractors. Open Wednesday-Sundays, reservations are highly recommended.

Wayside Farm (5273 Harry Byrd Hwy., Berryville, VA 22611)
September 24 and then open Thursday – Sunday & Columbus Day (Oct 10)
September 24 – October 30, 2022
Watch the pig races, get lost in the maze or sit under the tree, head to the playground or animals and play pumpkin checkers. There is a hay mountain and hayrides too. Get lost in the 10-acre corn maze. This year the maze pays homage to our amazing medical professionals who work to keep us all healthy and safe.  

Loudoun Fall Farm Tour
October 15 and 16
Over two dozen locations are part of this exciting tour through rural Virginia. 

Readers also recommend:
Montpellier Farm
Weber’s Cider Mill
Pumpkin Playground at Burke Nursery

Fall festivals:
Maryland Renaissance Festival: August 27 – October 23
Oktoberfest at The Boro: September 17
H Street Festival: September 17
Oktoberfest at the Wharf: September 30 – October 2
PIKEtoberfest: October 2
Volta Park Fall Festival: October 15
Fall for Fairfax KidFest: TBD
Frederick Oktoberfest: TBD
Barracks Row OctROWberfest: TBD

Adults only:
Markoff’s Haunted Forest
Field of Screams
Ebe Haunts Trail of Terror
Fields of Fear
Six Flags Fright Fest
Shocktober

Food:
Order seasonal treats from Milk Bar. Taking the classic fall favorite,  apple cider doughnuts, and remixing it with a uniquely Milk Bar spin, a brand new cake and truffle combo is meant to transport you to your favorite fall memory.