Fall in California may not always mean chilly weather and changing leaves, but the state still knows how to celebrate the season. From giant pumpkin weigh-offs and sprawling corn mazes to glowing jack-o’-lantern trails and family-friendly Halloween festivals, there are so many ways to enjoy fall in California.
Some of the best pumpkin patches in California are full-day destinations with rides, farm animals, food, games, and acres of pumpkins. Others offer something completely different, like riding a train through the redwoods to a pumpkin patch or walking through a botanical garden filled with glowing pumpkins.
These are 25 of the best Halloween festivals and pumpkin patches in California to visit in 2026.
Note: Because hours, tickets, and activities can change during the season, check the linked website for each attraction before visiting.
Best Halloween Festivals and Pumpkin Patches in Northern California
1. Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm – Wheatland
If you’re looking for a pumpkin patch that can fill most of a day, Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland is one of the best choices in Northern California.
You’ll find train rides, corn mazes, farm animals, play areas, seasonal food, and several attractions spread across the property. There are also plenty of fall-themed photo spots.
Because there is so much to do, Bishop’s is great for families who want to turn a pumpkin-patch visit into a full fall outing instead of making a quick stop.
2026 season: September 4–November 15.
2. Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival – Elk Grove
The Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival is one of the most unique fall festivals near Sacramento.
One of its biggest attractions is the giant pumpkin weigh-off, where growers bring in enormous pumpkins to compete for prizes. You can also watch the popular Pumpkin Regatta, where competitors climb inside giant hollowed-out pumpkins and race them across the lake.
The festival also includes carnival rides, food, crafts, entertainment, contests, and plenty of pumpkins.
Admission to the festival is free, although there’s a fee for parking and some activities.
2026 dates: October 3–4.
3. Fog Willow Farms – Wilton
For a more traditional farm experience near Sacramento, head to Fog Willow Farms in Wilton.
This nine-acre farm has thousands of pumpkins along with hayrides, play areas, farm animals, slides, a maze, pig races, food, fall treats, and other family activities.
Fog Willow is good for families with younger kids because the experience focuses on farm fun instead of scary Halloween attractions. The farm describes itself as an “edu-tainment” farm where kids can have fun while also learning about agriculture.
It’s about 20 minutes from downtown Sacramento.
2026 opening day: September 26 – November 1.
4. Cool Patch Pumpkins – Dixon
Cool Patch Pumpkins in Dixon is best known for something much bigger than its pumpkins: having the world’s largest corn maze!
The farm has become famous for creating massive, detailed corn mazes that can turn a simple pumpkin-patch trip into an adventure. If you enjoy puzzles and don’t mind getting a little lost, this is one of the most interesting fall activities in Northern California.
There is also a pumpkin patch where you can search for pumpkins of different sizes and shapes.
Bring comfortable shoes and allow more time than you think you’ll need if you plan to tackle the maze.
2026 season: September 19 – October 31.
5. Petaluma Pumpkin Patch & Amazing Corn Maze – Petaluma
Another great choice for corn-maze fans is the Petaluma Pumpkin Patch & Amazing Corn Maze.
The attraction combines a large pumpkin patch with an elaborate corn maze, giving you more to do than simply shop for pumpkins. You can walk through the field, take fall photos, and search for their favorite pumpkin before attempting the maze.
2026 opening: September 25.
6. Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival – Half Moon Bay
If you’re going to visit only one major pumpkin festival in California, the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival deserves a spot near the top of your list.
Half Moon Bay is known for its pumpkin farms, and every October its downtown turns into a huge celebration of fall.
The festival includes giant pumpkins, pumpkin carving, live entertainment, food and drinks, arts and crafts, contests, and the Great Pumpkin Parade. The famous World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off also takes place before festival weekend and attracts growers with pumpkins weighing well over 1,000 pounds.
The festival is held along Main Street, so arrive early and expect large crowds.
2026 dates: October 17–18.
7. Lemos Farm – Half Moon Bay
If you’re visiting Half Moon Bay with kids, add Lemos Farm to your fall itinerary.
This family-focused farm offers a pumpkin patch along with pony rides, train rides, hayrides, a petting zoo, slides, and other attractions. There is even a haunted house for visitors who want a little Halloween fun.
Lemos Farm works well if you want to combine pumpkin picking with the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival or spend a full day exploring the area’s farms.
Advance tickets are a good idea on popular October weekends because the farm can reach capacity.
2026 season: September 5–November 15.
8. Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch – Morgan Hill
Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch in Morgan Hill is one of the more elaborate pumpkin patches in the Bay Area.
In addition to a large selection of pumpkins, the farm has rides, trains, seasonal displays, and plenty of places to take fall photos.
One feature that makes Spina Farms stand out from other pumpkin patches is its dinosaur theme. Giant dinosaur displays give kids another reason to explore the farm and make this a fun option for families who want more than a basic pumpkin patch.
2026 season: September 17–November 2.
9. The Great Big BOO! at Gilroy Gardens – Gilroy
For a Halloween celebration rather than a traditional pumpkin patch, visit The Great Big BOO! at Gilroy Gardens.
Gilroy Gardens transforms for the season with Halloween decorations, characters, live entertainment, trick-or-treating, and themed activities.
The event is designed to be fun rather than frightening, so it’s a good choice for families with younger kids who want to celebrate Halloween without haunted houses or intense scares.
You can also enjoy many of the park’s regular family rides while you’re there.
2026 season: Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays through November 1. (closed on Sat, Oct 10 for a private event).
10. Skunk Train Pumpkin Express – Willits
The Skunk Train Pumpkin Express offers one of the most unusual pumpkin-picking experiences in California.
Instead of driving directly to a farm, you’ll board the historic Skunk Train in Willits and travel through the Mendocino County redwoods.
The train takes passengers to a fall wonderland where you can explore the redwoods, take photos, walk through the pumpkin patch, and choose a pumpkin to bring back with you.
Seasonal treats are available on the train, and adult beverages are available for parents.
Best Halloween Festivals and Pumpkin Patches on California’s Central Coast
11. Cambria Scarecrow Festival – Cambria & San Simeon
The Cambria Scarecrow Festival is one of the most creative fall events on the California Central Coast.
Instead of taking place on a single weekend, the festival fills Cambria and nearby San Simeon with handmade scarecrows throughout October.
You’ll spot funny, spooky, clever, and surprisingly detailed creations outside businesses and around town. Walking through Cambria and searching for your favorites becomes part of the experience.
Since there isn’t just one festival area, combine the scarecrows with restaurants, shops, beaches, and other things to do around Cambria.
2026 season: Throughout October.
12. Solvang Farmer Pumpkin Patch – Solvang
The Solvang Farmer Pumpkin Patch is offers pumpkins along with a corn maze, giving you a classic fall activity just outside one of California’s most charming small towns.
You could spend part of your day at the pumpkin patch and the rest exploring Solvang’s Danish-style buildings, bakeries, restaurants, and shops.
Select dates may also offer nighttime corn-maze experiences, so check the current schedule before visiting.
2026 season: September 25–October 31.
13. Underwood Family Farms Fall Harvest Festival – Moorpark
The Underwood Family Farms Fall Harvest Festival has a gigantic pumpkin patch, corn maze, tractor-drawn wagon rides, farm animals, photo displays, play areas, and pick-your-own fields.
Weekends add even more activities, including live entertainment, animal shows, pig races, demonstrations, and changing themes such as Farm Country Weekend, Antique Tractor Weekend, Wild West Weekend, and All About Pumpkins Weekend.
Weekend tickets are sold online and popular dates can fill up, so plan ahead if you’re visiting on a Saturday or Sunday.
2026 season: September 26–October 31.
Best Halloween Festivals and Pumpkin Patches in Los Angeles & Orange County
14. Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Farm – Irvine
Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Farm brings a true farm experience to the middle of Orange County.
The working farm is known for its seasonal produce, and fall brings pumpkins, farm activities, photo opportunities, and special experiences.
Tanaka Farms can get busy during October weekends, so check the available experiences and ticket requirements before you go.
2026 season: September 12–November 1. Reservations are required.
15. Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch – Orange
The Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch is another excellent Orange County choice, especially with younger children.
The pumpkin patch is located inside Irvine Regional Park and adds train rides, wagon rides, games, bounce houses, and other seasonal activities to the traditional pumpkin-picking experience.
Some attractions require individual tickets, so it helps to look at the activity list before arriving and decide which ones your family wants to do.
Reservations may also be required for certain activities on popular weekends.
2026 season: September 12–October 31. Reservations required on select weekends.
16. Cal Poly Pomona PumpkinFest – Pomona
The Cal Poly Pomona PumpkinFest has one major feature you won’t find at most Southern California pumpkin patches: tens of thousands of pumpkins grown by the university itself.
You can walk through the huge pumpkin field and choose a pumpkin while also enjoying a corn maze, hayrides, petting farm, sunflower patch, food and craft vendors, and children’s activities.
Cal Poly Pomona students help plan and operate the festival, making it a fun way to support the university’s agricultural programs while celebrating fall.
The 2026 festival also features different themed weekends. Tickets are required, and the university warns that some days can sell out.
2026 dates: Weekends from October 10–31.
17. Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch – Culver City
Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch brings the pumpkin-patch experience directly into Los Angeles.
The colorful setup includes pumpkins, Halloween decorations, activities, entertainment, and plenty of places for fall photos.
Mr. Bones has also become known for celebrity sightings over the years, but families are still the main focus of the experience.
2026 season: October 2-4 & 7–31.
18. Live Oak Canyon Pumpkin Farm – Redlands
If you’re looking for a pumpkin patch with a huge amount to do, Live Oak Canyon Pumpkin Farm in Redlands is worth the drive.
This fall attraction has pumpkins, a corn maze, farm animals, gardens, games, rides, food, and large seasonal displays – it feels closer to a fall amusement park than a simple pumpkin farm.
With so many attractions, costs can add up depending on what you choose to do, so check admission and activity pricing before your visit.
2026 season: September 17-November 2 with select closed dates.
19. Peltzer Pumpkin Farm – Temecula
Peltzer Pumpkin Farm offers pumpkins along with family-friendly activities such as a petting farm, train rides, games, and seasonal attractions.
Its location is one of the biggest reasons to consider visiting. You can pair the farm with other things to do around Temecula and turn a pumpkin-patch trip into a full weekend away.
2026 season: September 19–October 31.
20. Night of the Jack – Calabasas
For something completely different from a daytime pumpkin farm, visit Night of the Jack in Calabasas.
This nighttime Halloween experience features a roughly one-mile walking trail filled with glowing jack-o’-lanterns, lights, themed installations, and large displays. Rather than picking pumpkins, you’re there to walk through an immersive Halloween world after dark.
Timed tickets are generally required, so reserve ahead for popular October nights.
2026 season: September 25–November 1.
21. Carved at Descanso Gardens – La Cañada Flintridge
Carved at Descanso Gardens mixes Halloween with one of Southern California’s most beautiful botanical gardens.
After dark, you follow a walking route filled with carved pumpkins, glowing displays, light installations, and fall-themed artwork.
Because the focus is on atmosphere rather than scares, Carved works well for families, couples, and anyone who wants a more relaxed Halloween night. The setting also makes it feel very different from a typical pumpkin patch or amusement-park Halloween event.
2026 season: October 2–November 1.
22. Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort – Anaheim
Few places go as big for the season as Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort.
Disneyland and Disney California Adventure receive a Halloween makeover with large seasonal decorations, costumed characters, themed attractions, Halloween merchandise, and limited-time food. Even familiar rides and areas of the parks take on a different atmosphere during fall.
This is obviously a much bigger and more expensive outing than visiting a pumpkin farm, but it belongs on the list if you’re looking for a full Halloween destination in California.
2026 season: August 21–October 31.
Best Halloween Festivals and Pumpkin Patches in San Diego
23. Bates Nut Farm Pumpkin Patch – Valley Center
The Bates Nut Farm Pumpkin Patch has been a fall tradition in San Diego County for decades.
You can search through a large selection of pumpkins while also enjoying hayrides, farm animals, a straw maze, food, and additional activities on select weekends.
The rural setting makes this feel like a real fall farm trip even though you’re still within reach of San Diego.
If choosing the perfect pumpkin is your main goal, Bates Nut Farm is worth considering because of the variety available.
2026 season: September 17–October 31.
24. Carlsbad Strawberry Company Pumpkin Patch – Carlsbad
The Carlsbad Strawberry Company Pumpkin Patch offers much more than pumpkins.
During fall, the farm has a corn maze, seasonal activities, photo opportunities, and other family attractions. On Friday and Saturday nights in October, you can also take on the Haunted Corn Maze for a scarier experience after dark.
Families can visit during the day for classic fall fun, while teens and adults looking for something spooky can visit the Haunted Corn Maze at night.
2026 season: September 14–November 8.
25. LEGOLAND Brick-or-Treat – Carlsbad
Families with younger kids should also consider LEGOLAND Brick-or-Treat.
The theme park adds trick-or-treat stations, LEGO Monster characters, live shows, costume contests, Halloween decorations, seasonal food, and special activities on select fall dates.
Unlike many Halloween theme-park events, Brick-or-Treat is intentionally “not too scary,” making it a good option for younger children.
New for 2026 is Brick or Treat Street, where families can visit life-sized LEGO Monster homes as part of an interactive trick-or-treat experience. Brick-or-Treat is included with valid park admission on eligible event dates, although passholder rules can vary.
2026 dates: Select dates from September 19–November 1.
Tips for Visiting California Pumpkin Patches and Halloween Festivals
October weekends are usually the busiest time for California’s pumpkin patches and Halloween events. If your schedule allows, visit on a weekday or earlier in the season for smaller crowds.
For ticketed festivals, nighttime events, and theme parks, buy tickets before you leave home. Popular October dates can sell out, especially closer to Halloween.
If you’re visiting a working farm, wear shoes you don’t mind getting dusty or muddy. Farms can have uneven dirt paths, and corn mazes can involve much more walking than expected.
California can also stay surprisingly warm in September and October. Bring water, sunscreen, and layers rather than assuming you’ll need cold-weather clothing.
And don’t wait until October 31 to buy your pumpkin. You’ll usually find a larger selection earlier in the month, while Halloween weekend is better if your main goal is enjoying events and entertainment.
Which California Pumpkin Patch Should You Visit?
The best choice depends on the type of fall experience you’re looking for.
For a classic farm day with lots of activities, Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm, Underwood Family Farms, and Live Oak Canyon are some of the most complete options.
If you prefer giant pumpkins and festival atmosphere, plan around the Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival or Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival.
For something more unusual, ride the Skunk Train Pumpkin Express through the redwoods or visit California’s glowing pumpkin trails at Night of the Jack and Carved.
Families with younger kids may enjoy Fog Willow Farms, Lemos Farm, Gilroy Gardens’ Great Big BOO!, Irvine Park Railroad, or LEGOLAND Brick-or-Treat.
Just remember to check the official event website before heading out since dates, hours, tickets, and activities can change throughout the season.
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