12 Things You Should Experience This Fall in Central Florida
Pumpkin Patches & Fall Festivals
Fall Festival at Southern Hill Farms
16651 Schofield Rd, Clermont, FL 34714
Held Thursdays through Sundays til November 7th, the Fall Festival at Southern Hill Farms offers jolly Jumbo Jack carving pumpkins, S’mores around the fire pit, live music, food trucks and tasty apple cider donuts.
Tickets for this event must be purchased online in advance.
A Lot of Pumpkins at Santa’s Farm & Christmas Tree Forest
35317 Huff Rd, Eustis, FL 32736
Weekends October 2nd through Halloween and select weekdays, A Lot of Pumpkins at Santa’s Farm in Eustis is a fun event for the entire family.
Pumpkins are fresh picked and then displayed in a shaded lot to preserve their freshness.
Trick or Treat stations are set up throughout the farm and family-friendly costumes are welcome.
Pumpkin Ponderosa at Showcase of Citrus
5010 US-27, Clermont, FL 34714
A daily event with free admission and free parking is the Pumpkin Ponderosa at Showcase of Citrus in Clermont.
Families can pick their perfect pumpkin, make arts and crafts, play outdoor games, and go on hayrides.
There are even spooky fall adult beverages at two open-air bars.
Club Lake Fall Festival & Pumpkin Patch
3403 Rock Springs Rd, Apopka, FL 32712
Open four days a week Thursday through Sunday, the Club Lake Fall Festival and Pumpkin Patch in Apopka features hay rides, corn mazes, play areas, a country store and a pumpkin patch.
Pricing
THURSDAY – FRIDAY is $6.95 per person
SATURDAY – SUNDAY is $13.95 per person (Hayrides Included)
Infants are FREE
Corn Mazes
Long and Scott Farms
26216 County Rd 448A, Mt Dora, FL 32757
The oldest corn maze in the area can be found at Long and Scott Farms in Mount Dora. Year after year, the 6.5-acre corn maze has a unique themed design that is both fun and educational for the entire family.
There’s also a playground, market and cafe on-site.
Online ticket purchases are strongly encouraged.
Lake Catherine Farms
5849 Lake Catherine Road, Groveland, Florida 34736
Prices:
Corn maze $6 per person Friday through Sunday September 24- October 30
Fridays from 6pm-10pm, Saturdays from 10am-10pm and Sundays from 10am-5pm
Children 3 and under free
Fox Squirrel Corn Maze
3002 Charlie Taylor Rd N, Plant City, FL 33565
October 9th-24th, 10am til 5pm (Saturday and Sunday only)
18 AND OLDER: $11+TAX
3 TO 17: $10+TAX
2 AND UNDER: FREE
* Admission price includes unlimited maze, hayride games and more.
* NO PETS ALLOWED (except service animals)
* FREE Parking
* Pumpkins for sale* (Come get them while they last)
* Closed toed shoes advised
Phantasmagoria
Did you know Central Florida has its very own Victorian/Steampunk storytelling troupe?
Phantasmagoria draws you into their dark carnival of dance, explosive stage combat and danger arts for a visually addictive experience.
Renninger’s Marketplace Special Events
Renninger's Florida Twin Markets
20651 US 441, Mount Dora, FL 32757
Fall in the Field
Saturday, Oct 2, 2021 & Sunday, October 3, 2021
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
This annual event is filled with an amazing array of “fall finery” displayed by some of the best primitive dealers in the Southeast. Dealers filling both pavilions and all the tents across the antique center with fall treasures, wonderful primitives and antiques.
FREE ADMISSION
FREE PARKING
Rain or Shine
Florida Military Collectors’ Show
October 9, 2021
The Florida Military Collectors’ show is a one-day event on Saturday, from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM. It is one of the largest all-military collectibles shows in the South East and averages over 100 tables. The show features military antiques, relics, and memorabilia from historic conflicts to modern fighting forces.
FREE ADMISSION
FREE PARKING
Steampunk & Industrial Show
October 16 & 17, 2021
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Music, food, vendors, bands, camping, costume contest, interactive play and more.
FREE ADMISSION
FREE PARKING
Fall Country Jamboree at Barberville Pioneer Settlement
1776 Lightfoot Ln, Barberville, FL 32105
November 6th & 7th
9 am — 5 pm Saturday
9 am — 4 pm Sunday
Step back in time to the pioneer days at the Fall Country Jamboree.
Held the first weekend of November at the Barberville Pioneer Settlement, more than a hundred folk, bluegrass, and Gospel performers play and sing on several stages around the property.
There are also handmade arts and crafts along with a number of living history demonstrations.
This is a wholesome event for the entire family that’s very affordable.
Adults - $10
Children 6-12 - $5
Watch our video on the top things to do in Central Florida during fall.
Biketoberfest
Daytona Beach area
Thursday, October 14 - 17, 2021
daytonabeach.com/biketoberfest/
DeLand Indie Market Fall Edition
113 W Georgia Ave, DeLand, FL 32720
Sunday, October 3, 2021
11 AM - 5 PM
The DeLand Indie Market is a curated show held four times a year in downtown’s Artisan Alley. You’ll find vintage, boutique, art and handcrafted items from talented individuals who come from all over Florida just to be showcased at this event.
facebook.com/DelandIndieMarketatArtisanAlley/
Gatorland’s GATORS, GHOSTS AND GOBLINS
14501 S Orange Blossom Trl, Orlando, FL 32837
Looking for a safe, fun Halloween event for the entire family?
Gators, Ghosts and Goblins at Gatorland is my favorite Halloween event of all the major attractions in the area.
This special event is included with your regular park admission to Gatorland on weekends during October starting October 9th.
Children and adults are allowed to wear family-friendly costumes as long as they’re not scary or gory.
You can meet Gatorland’s Skunk Ape, participate in Frank & Stein’s Ooky Kooky Octoberfest featuring an undead polka band and go through the Swamp Ghost Monster Museum.
There’s also multiple themed haunt zones, interactive characters and a Children’s Halloween Costume Parade.
Best of all, Florida residents receive half-off single day admissions through October 31st.
Cassadaga, “The Psychic Capital of the World”
Is there any better place to spend a day in October than the one that claims to be the psychic capital of the world?
At the Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp, guided tours of this small Victorian-era community are offered, educating visitors about its mysterious beginnings.
There’s also a “Find the Spirits” Tour after dark when you can learn how manifestations of Spirit are investigated. Digital cameras and paranormal equipment are encouraged.
A third tour called “Encounter Spirit Night Tour” walks visitors through energy “hot spots” where orbs are often said to be captured on digital cameras.
Ticket prices range from $15 to $25 per adult. Check out the camp’s official website for tour information.
Eco Tours and Airboat Rides
Almost any day is a good day to go for a boat ride in Florida.
But there’s something about the autumn air that makes a boat ride extra special.
We recommend learning more about the history and ecology of one of the state’s longest rivers by booking a St. Johns River Eco Tour out of DeBary.
This experienced company offers a variety of excursions at different price levels and time out on the water.
*Editor’s Note:
During this video’s production, St. Johns River Eco Tour announced on its website that it will be temporarily closed for maintenance September 26 - October 17, 2021.
Mount Dora Craft Fair
October 23 & 24, 2021
9 AM - 5 PM
Often referred to as Central Florida’s biggest and best annual craft festival, the Mount Dora Craft Fair is held the fourth weekend of October. More than 400 artisans from around the nation participate in this free event held on the streets of historic Mount Dora.
If you enjoy crafts, this is the festival for you. Visit the official event website for more information.
Watch a Rocket Launch
(dates subject to change)
If you’re lucky, you might be able to catch a rocket launch at Kennedy Space Center.
As of this video’s production, there are two launches scheduled at the Cape in October, the second one slated for October 31st.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission will launch four astronauts to the International Space Station.
Details on launch viewing packages have not been released and launch information is subject to change.
Go to the KSC website for the latest information.
No Earlier Than: October 16, 2021
Mission: Lucy Mission
Description: Launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Lucy will be the first space mission to study the Trojan asteroids associated with the planet Jupiter. Lucy will complete a 12-year journey to eight different asteroids which hold vital clues to deciphering the history of the solar system.
Targeted Date: October 31, 2021
Mission: NASA's SpaceX Crew-3 Mission to the International Space Station
Description: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission will launch four astronauts aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station. Assigned to the mission are NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron, and European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer.