By Paul Bonnette
Summer has officially come to an end, even if it doesn’t feel like it just yet. Sunscreen and lemonade have been replaced with backpacks, pencils, and pumpkin spice. School may be back in session, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some fun fall activities. Of course, there is no better way to welcome in the spookiest season than with a trip to one of the many farms in the Panhandle. Corn mazes, pumpkin picking, family fall photos, and tractor hayrides are just a few of the fun activities on offer nearby. Here are some of our top picks.
Aplin Farms, located near Dothan, Alabama, is perhaps one of the most popular farms in the area. Known for its fresh produce market, market, and numerous activities such as wagon rides, pumpkin picking, corn maze, pumpkin bowling, photo ops, animal petting zoo, and even live music, Aplin Farms is a family-pleaser. Aplin Farms opened September 30 and operates Wednesday through Sunday. They are located at 2729 North County Road 49, Dothan, AL, 36305. For more information visit them on Facebook at Aplin Farms.
Sweet Season Farm located in Milton, FL is another family favorite, home to a wide variety of kid-friendly activities such as their sunflower speedway, cow train, hayrides, corn silo, mini golf, pony rides, and of course pumpkin picking. Those up for a challenge can tackle the farm’s specialty corn maze. This 10-acre maze offers new designs every year with this year’s design honoring Country Music Legend Reba McEntire with a special “Country Music Corn Maze.” Sweet Season Farm is open through November 5 on Saturdays and Sundays as well as select Fridays. The farm is located at 2260 Horn Road, Milton, FL 32570. For more information visit their website at www.sweetseasonfarms.com.
Holland Farms is also located in Milton and offers a wide variety of fall family fun with new activities for 2023 including a mega slide, ziplines, hayrides, photo ops, petting zoo, train rides, pony rides, and of course their famous corn maze and pumpkin patch. Visitors can also enjoy local honey, fresh boiled peanuts, jams, jellies, toys, and ice cream. Holland Farms will be open all week throughout the month of October until 6 p.m. They are located at 2055 Homer Holland Rd, Milton, FL 32570. For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.hollandfarmsonline.com.
Camp Helen Pumpkin Patch, nestled underneath beautiful oak trees, invites families to tour the farm at the beach. Starting in October, Friends of Camp Helen State Park will be opening their pumpkin patch with pumpkins in all sizes (cash only). Photo spots will also be available, and the pumpkin patch will be available 7 days a week until 4 p.m., with special events on Saturdays. Camp Helen is located at 23937 Panama City Beach Parkway, Panama City Beach, FL, just west of the Phillips Inlet bridge.
Not to be overcooked, Fright Nights Haunted House is back! For those who are looking for a spookier experience this fall, Fright Nights, located at the Center for the Arts in Downtown Panama City, will once again open its doors to all brave souls who dare cross the threshold into the realm of mystery and darkness. This frightening and fun immersive experience returns as the Center for the Arts gets transformed into the creatively captivating world of the Raven Queen. Fright Nights opens on Friday, October 13, and will be open Fridays and Saturdays until Halloween. For more information visit www.frightnightspanamacity.com.
As the leaves chill and the summer breeze becomes an autumn chill, there is no better way to celebrate the spookiest time of year than getting lost in a corn maze, relaxing on a hayride, picking out your favorite pumpkin, or for those brave enough, stepping through the doors of a haunted house. Adventure is waiting!
