Family-Friendly Harvest Festivals in the Willamette Valley
Everywhere you look, autumn is in the air around the Willamette Valley. Pumpkin patches are dotted with bright, orange gourds; tractors tote hay-covered trailers into fields on harvest tours; kids cackle with delight while trying to navigate corn mazes; and visitors of all ages nosh on apple cider donuts, caramel apples, and other fresh flavors of the season.
Autumn is a beautiful time of year to visit the Willamette Valley—and a number of family-friendly harvest festivals offer an idyllic way to escape the city and enjoy the literal fruits of our labor. Here's a guide to some of our best-loved autumn activities.
Fir Point Farms will hold its annual Harvest Festival Sept. 26-Nov. 1, 2026, in Aurora.
The festival, open Saturdays and Sundays, will feature a variety of classic autumn activities for visitors of all ages—including a u-pick pumpkin patch, corn maze, hayrides, pumpkin painting, children's activities, seasonal food items (including the farm's beloved apple cider donuts), and beer garden.
Between Sept. 18 and Nov. 1, 2026, the Pumpkin Patch at Frog Pond Farm embraces the fall vibes with a u-pick pumpkin patch, yard games, a playground, a corn maze, and (on weekends) a unique llama obstacle course. Visitors can also meet and feed more than 80 animals—including camels, goats, and llamas.
Bauman's Farm & Garden, meanwhile, hosts the annual Bauman's Harvest Festival. The festival runs Sept. 19-Oct. 31, 2026, just outside Woodburn, and a petting zoo (home to goats, alpacas, chickens, and more), a corn maze that measures more than three acres, old-fashion hayrides, cider press demonstrations and samples, a U-pick pumpkin patch, and fresh, seasonal fare (like apple cider donuts). Afterward, visit the farm's on-site store for home-grown produce and small-batch hard cider.
Family fun at Detering Orchards in Harrisburg / Photo by Joni Kabana
Detering Orchards hosts a whole season of fun with its Apple Daze events between Corvallis and Eugene in the heart of the Willamette Valley.
The fun takes place Saturdays and Sundays between September 26 and October 25, 2026. Highlights include tractor rides, a cow train for tiny tykes, a corn maze, caramel apples and hard cider for purchase, an apple blaster cannon, and u-pick pumpkins. The farm is also hosting a pumpkin smash party on Nov. 1—where visitors can bring baseball bats to smash the leftover pumpkins.
Check out the Detering Orchards events calendar for a full breakdown of what to expect each weekend.
In Salem, E.Z. Orchards Farm Market HarvestFest transforms the long-standing farm store into a full-blown harvest fest each year. The fun includes a u-pick pumpkin patch, a corn maze, farm animals (including adorable pigs), children's games, live music on weekends, hayrides, and more. HarvestFest will run daily Sept. 26-Oct. 30, 2026.
Thistledown Farm sits just outside Junction City and hosts Lane County's largest pumpkin patch through October 31, 2025. Every autumn, the farm invites visitors to enjoy a horse-drawn or tractor-drawn wagon ride out to the 400-acre patch to find the perfect pumpkin; the tractor-drawn rides are available on Fridays, with horse-drawn rides taking place Saturdays and Sundays. Back at the barn, visitors can pick up fresh apples, sip apple cider, nosh on donuts, and more.
In Albany, Bose Family Farm hosts a creative corn maze—featuring a different design each fall—as part of its annual Harvest Festival.
Happening Thursdays through Sundays between September 25 and October 31, 2026, the festival also offers u-pick pumpkins, on-site food and drink vendors, hayrides, hot air balloon rides, and other fun activities.
Mt. Hood Territory Harvest Trail passport
Fall is a special time in Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory as local farms unveil corn mazes, hayrides, pumpkin patches, and other rich traditions. This year, the season is extra special with the Mt. Hood Territory Harvest Trail passport!
By visiting two or more participating farms in October—and completing at least five activities along the way—you can redeem your passport for a Harvest Trail-themed trucker hat.
By redeeming your passport, you'll also provide a Thanksgiving meal to a local family in need through the Sandy Community Action Center, a local nonprofit from the Sandy, Oregon, area.