Fall Fun! Your Guide to 2019 Fall Festivities in North Tahoe and Truckee

Both Tahoe City’s and Tahoe Donner’s Fall Festivals are behind us but there are still plenty of options to get your pumpkin patching on this season. There are more pumpkin patches and festivals in the Tahoe/Truckee area as well as some fun family farms to visit in Reno. If you want to add some apple picking to the agenda you’ll need to go down the hill the other direction. Here are some highlights for some family fun this fall:

Truckee Elementary Pumpkin Patch & Fall Carnival- 

Sun Oct 27, 2019, 12 am- 4 pm  11911 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee, CA                                                             Pony rides, a petting zoo, a haunted house, miniature golf, face painting, an obstacle course, a cake walk, lots of great food and games, as well as hundreds of pumpkins for sale. All proceeds fund Truckee Elementary school supplies, enrichment programs, field trips and more for each classroom.

Pumpkin Palooza,

Sat Oct 20, 2019 in Victorian Square, Reno, NV                                                                                  Named a “Top Fall Event” in 2017 by Food Network Magazine. Carnival games, costume parade, pumpkin decorating, pie eating, live entertainment and so much more! Pumpkin Palooza Info

Truckee Halloween Parade & Old Town Trick-Or-Treating

Fri Oct 25, 2019, 4:30 pm-7:00 pm, Truckee’s Historic Old Town                                                    Trick-Or-Treat at all the downtown shops and restaurants before the parade which departs the train station at 6pm sharp. The parade ends at the Community Arts Center where this is also trick-or-treating. Truckee Halloween Parade

Reno Family Farms with Pumpkin Patches and Festivities                       

Andelin Farms Pumpkin Patch Harvest Festival

Pumpkin patch, hayride, corn maze, farm animals, pony and horse rides, barrel rides, games, and more. They also offer special night time events geared more towards pre-teen/teenagers and adults: “Zombie Paintball”, “Scarecrow Paintball”, & “Corn Creeper’s Haunted Attraction” (not sure what that last one is…). Hours are Tue-Th, 10 am-3 pm; Fri & Sat, 10 am – 6pm through Oct 31, 2019. Check website for directions and night activity info Andelin Family Farms

Silver Valley Farm

This is the only farm I know of in Reno where you actually go in the field and pick your pumpkin! All the other “pumpkin patches” I’ve seen are in fact pumpkins that have already been picked and placed on a ‘field’ of hay laid down. It’s cute but not the same as actually going in the field and picking your own pumpkin from the vine. The actual picking of things deeply appeals to the New Englander in me. On top of the authentic pumpkin patch they also offer pre-picked pumpkins,  multiple bounce houses, a corn maze,  and other fun activities. They have a very cool train though I’ve heard it is inoperable at this point in time and will be operational in 2020. Silver Valley Farm Hours are Th-Sun, 9 am- 5 pm and will be open through Oct 27, 2019.

Ferrari Farms

Pumpkin patch, hayrides, and corn maze! With a few animals there to boot! Smaller but open on Sundays so maybe more achievable for families. Ferrari Farms Info Sunday-Th, 9:30 am – 8 pm; Fri & Sat 9:30 am-10 pm

Apple Hill Farms with Apple Picking and/or Pumpkin Picking

Apple Hill is an area in the Foothills close to Placerville. There are many orchards and farms in the area and it is a very popular area Sept-Oct. This area deserves it’s own blog post so for now I am just touching on a few spots that offer pick-your-own apples and/or pumpkins. Many of the larger farms do not offer pick-your-own but do offer other attractions including amazing baked goods, apple milkshakes, hard ciders, wines, and other attractions for kids like bounce houses, hayrides, corn mazes, etc. The larger ones can get very crowded but it is possible to squeeze in more than just one stop on your visit. Mixing up the larger with some of these other pick-your-own farms could be a great way to go. Also I advise you to make calls ahead of time because apparently some of the pick-your-own orchards are by reservation only and farmers are not necessarily the best at keeping their websites up-to-date with details like that.

Delfino Farms

Pick your own pumpkins at Delfino Farms! This place looks awesome but I’ve yet to try it. They have their own bakery & tasting room where they serve their wines and their hard cider! Yes please! Delfino Farms

Sloan Winters Mountain Orchard & Garden

This farm offers apple and pumpkin picking as well as veggies and pears! Plan on going elsewhere after to get the full Apple Hill baked goods experience as they only offer their homemade jams for sale. Sloan Winters

24Carrot Farms

Pumpkin picking open now! Apples are done for the season sadly. This organic farm also has a farm stand and winter and summer CSA’s. They also are open daily. Again, anticipate this as a farm experience only and plan on adding another stop for local vittles.   24Carrot Farms

Goodness Orchard

Apples & pumpkins as well as other seasonal pick-your-own options. Certified organic since 1990! Open daily but advanced reservations required here. Goodness Orchard