As the leaves change color and the air begins to cool, local farms are throwing festivals to celebrate the turning of the season. Pumpkin patches, giant slides and hayrides abound -- here's a look at some of the festivities happening in the D.C. area.
MARYLAND
Homestead Farm (15604 Sugarland Road, Poolesville) -- Homestead Farm's pumpkin patch is open every day, but the farm offers hayrides for $3 per person on Saturdays and Sundays. Pumpkins are available to purchase by the pound.
Butler's Orchard (22200 Davis Mill Road, Germantown) -- The 35th Annual Pumpkin Festival at Butler's Orchard features free hayrides, a corn maze, giant slides, live music and more. Every weekend in October from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., festival-goers can enjoy a day on the farm that's very kid-friendly. Admission is $11 per person, but kids under age 2 are admitted free. Note: The Pumpkin Festival is held weather-permitting, so be sure to check Butler's Orchard's website before you leave the house.
Miller Farms (10140 Piscataway Road, Clinton) -- Miller Farms takes October seriously. Every day, guests can go on a wagon ride through the 267-acre farm, navigate their way through a corn maze, and frolic through a pumpkin patch. The farm is open on weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for $9 per person. Weekdays, the farm is open by reservation only (call 301-399-5442) for $8 per person.
VIRGINIA
Cox Farms (15621 Braddock Road, Centreville) -- The Fall Festival at Cox Farms is one of the largest and longest-running festivals in Northern Virginia. The festival is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with giant slides, hayrides, a pumpkin patch and much more. There's a dark side, too -- on Friday and Saturday nights, you can explore the Fields of Fear.
The Scene
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Ticonderoga Farms (26469 Ticonderoga Road, Chantilly) -- This kid-friendly festival features a pumpkin patch, petting zoos, pedal carts, playgrounds, hay forts and more. Open every day ($9.95 on weekdays, $16.95 on weekends), the farm offers plenty for the kiddos to do at the Pumpkin Festival.
Great Country Farms (18780 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont) -- Pumpkin patches, pick-your-own pumpkins and a brand-new corn maze highlight the farm's Fall Harvest Festival, which is open every day through Halloween ($10 on weekdays, $12 on weekends).
