/ AGRITOURISM / VALA’S PUMPKIN PATCH, GRETNA FALL FARM EVENTS There’s no better place to revel in crisp air, autumn colors and all-ages fun than on a Nebraska farm. Boo on the Farm at Wessels Living History Farm, York livinghistoryfarm.org Who said Halloween has to be scary? This October festival is designed with children in mind. Expect games, prizes, treats and plenty of costumes (encouraged, but not required)—all set on Wessels Living History Farm. Here, 19th-and early 20th-century farm buildings, antique tractors and a bountiful harvest give a glimpse into Nebraska’s agricultural history. Fall Festival Season at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, Gretna valaspumpkinpatch.com Nothing says fall like a pumpkin patch. At Vala’s, pumpkins fill the field and decorate more than 50 attractions. After picking your pumpkin, walk through the Lost Pumpkin Mine, corn maze and, if you’re feeling brave, the Haunted Trail and Graveyard. For traditional fall fun, dress a scarecrow, take a hayrack ride and zip down a giant slide. Harvest Celebration at Arbor Day Farm, Nebraska City arbordayfarm.org There’s an adventure for everyone during this nearly two-month-long celebration. Embrace the fall season with hayrides, pumpkin patches and a corn maze; for gorgeous views of autumn colors, travel the Tree House Trail to the top of a 50-foot-tall tree house. And don’t leave without sampling the apples—this farm grows a rare collection of antique varieties that visitors can sample on select weekends. Grandpa’s Punkinberry Patch, Holdrege gpapunkinberry.com You’ll find seemingly infinite ways to play here: Load up the pumpkin chucker and watch your pumpkin fly. Clamber over hay bales. Test your sense of direction in mazes made of towering cornstalks. Challenge yourself to take on the 150-foot slide. Then, take it easy on a hayrack ride. Actual, Factual Nebraska Cox’s Pumpkin Patch, Champion Family-owned Cox’s Pumpkin Patch goes back to the basics, offering a plentiful pumpkin patch, classic corn maze, breezy hayrack rides and a picture-perfect selection of gourds to inspire autumn decorating. Visit with the family by day, and keep an eye out for adults-only nights. During the six-week fall season, Vala’s Pumpkin Patch in Gretna attracts 200,000 to 300,000 visitors from around the state . . . all in search of the perfect pumpkin! VisitNebraska.com 17
Nebraska Official State Travel Guide The Official 2019 Not-At-All What You Thought State Travel Guide: Page 21
