Feeling fall festive? Visit a local you-pick pumpkin or apple farm! Our family albums have years and years of apple and pumpkin-picking portraits, and it’s always a fun game to try to remember where and when we roamed the fields. Photo captions, who needs ’em? Us. These were taken three-ish years ago, and even I had a hard time remembering the name of this epic pumpkin farm outside of Boulder, but lucky for me, the name is in the photos. Katie and the kids have already made their annual pilgrimage this year, but I was too embarrassed to ask Katie the name because that would remind her that I still haven’t published this years-in-the-making post.

This is where I implore you to take a trip to Anderson Farms. Anderson Farms is located about 25 minutes northeast of Boulder, Colorado, 15 minutes from Longmont, and about 20 minutes from Lafayette. Anderson Farms is basically a festive fall wonderland. Anderson Farms is open for another three weeks – every day except Tuesday.

We liked Anderson Farms because there are a bunch of activities included in the general admission price, plenty of photo-taking opportunities, and lots of room for your kids to roam and run. We especially loved the corn maze, the wagon ride to the pumpkin patch, and taking breaks to play on the play structures. Even though Anderson Farms draws a large crowd, there is plenty of space to spread out, eat a snack, and gear up for more fun.

The corn maze is a true adventure for all ages! Before entering the maze, you’re given a photo and map of the maze. There are also several exits if you’re ready to leave the corn and head back to pumpkin land.

Anderson Farm does a good job of making it interactive for younger kids with activities called Farm Scene Tracks and Farm Scene Investigation – work together to find clues and solve the mystery to help Farmer Joe as you move through the maze. Gamifying the maze holds the little one’s attention and helps you keep the whole crew moving along.

A tip or two for the corn maze:

Katie and I wore closed-toe shoes, and I remember us being grateful for them. It can be dusty in the maze and depending on when you visit, I’m sure that dust will turn to mud. It was plenty sunny during our Anderson Farms visit. We wore hats, and sunscreen, and refilled our water bottles several times. Pee before you enter the maze, there are no bathrooms inside. Pro tip: look to the mountains and the large pumpkin silo to orient yourself on the map.

After wearing ourselves out in the maze, we headed to the Wagon Ride. This offered a nice break to sit back and look at the beautiful farm scenery. The wagon is set up for safety and was quite delightful. Once we made it to the pumpkin patch we all spread out in different directions to find the perfect pumpkin. The hard part is choosing only what you need. Don’t fret if you can’t carry all your beloved pumpkins, there are hundreds more waiting at the farm store near the parking lot. I recommend finding a special one or two in the field and then waiting until reaching the store to grab a wagon to really load up.   

Bonus points if you dress up! I put on a traditional Schu family Halloween costumer (can you find me among the pumpkins in the second image?), while Katie went for the cutsie scarecrow look. I can’t remember if we realized her scarecrow resemblance before leaving the house or not..

Need some more pumpkin inspiration? Here are a few favorite posts:

• Pumpkins were one of our first Ingredients of the Season
• Try Katie’s simple Pumpkin Face Mask
• Usher the kids into the kitchen and make these Pumpkin Cookies
• Impress your pals (and yourself) with this Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte