Corn Mazes, Hayrides & Fall Festivals Within an Hour of Dallas

Why Fall Festival Season Is Worth the Drive

Once the State Fair of Texas wraps up its run at Fair Park and temperatures finally start to drop below 85 degrees, DFW families start looking for the next fall fix, and that means corn mazes, hayrides, and small-town harvest festivals. The good news is you don't have to drive to the Hill Country to find them. Within about an hour of downtown Dallas, there's a ring of working farms, historic homesteads, and small-city festivals that turn every fall weekend into a road-trip-worthy outing. This guide breaks down where to go, how far you'll actually drive, and what to expect once you get there.

Corn Mazes Close to Dallas: Rockwall and Collin County

Boyd's Fun Farm, Josephine/Rockwall Area

About 40–45 minutes northeast of downtown Dallas, near Rockwall, Boyd's Fun Farm is one of the most established corn maze operations in North Texas. Fall weekends typically bring a multi-acre corn maze, tractor-pulled hayrides out to the pumpkin patch, and a barnyard area for younger kids who aren't ready for the full maze experience. Because it's a working farm rather than a pop-up lot, expect gravel and dirt paths, closed-toe shoes are non-negotiable if you're bringing toddlers in a wagon.

Log Cabin Pumpkin Farm, Lucas

North of Dallas near Lucas, tucked between Allen and McKinney, Log Cabin Pumpkin Farm draws Collin County families for its pumpkin patch photo ops, hay bale mazes, and weekend hayrides. It's a smaller-scale stop than some of the bigger farms, which makes it a good option if you're trying to avoid the two-hour parking lines that hit the more famous patches on Saturday afternoons in October.

Head North to Van Alstyne: Sweet Eats Fruit Farm

If you're willing to push closer to the one-hour mark, Sweet Eats Fruit Farm in Van Alstyne, north of McKinney along the US-75 corridor, runs a full fall lineup that includes a corn maze, hayrides, and u-pick pumpkin fields on the same property where they grow peaches and blackberries in summer. Because it's farther out than the Collin County options, weekday afternoons and Sunday mornings tend to be far less crowded than Saturday. If you're already making a day of it in that direction, pair the visit with a stop in McKinney's historic downtown for lunch before heading back south on 75.

South of Dallas: Screams Halloween Theme Park in Waxahachie

For families and teens chasing something spookier than a hay bale maze, Screams Halloween Theme Park in Waxahachie is about 40 minutes south of downtown Dallas via I-35E. It's less "pumpkin patch" and more full-scale haunted attraction, with multiple haunted houses and outdoor scare zones that run on weekend nights throughout October. It's a different vibe than the farm-style mazes further north, plan for a nighttime visit, expect lines, and know that this one skews toward older kids and adults rather than toddlers.

Grapevine's Lake Country Fall Loop

Grapevine turns its entire historic Main Street into a fall destination once the weather cools, and it's an easy stop if you're already exploring the area. The city's harvest-season programming pairs well with everything else Grapevine has going on, wine tastings, the Grapevine Vintage Railroad, and its dinosaur-themed downtown events. If you're building a fall weekend around the Lake Grapevine area, our Things to Do in Grapevine, Texas guide covers the train excursions and Main Street attractions that run alongside the seasonal festival programming, and it's worth checking before you go since Grapevine's calendar changes by the week.

Grand Prairie: Traders Village Fall Weekends

Traders Village in Grand Prairie is one of the largest flea markets in the country, and every fall it leans into the season with themed weekend market days, food vendors, and family activities that give it a festival feel without being a dedicated farm. It's about 30 minutes from downtown Dallas via I-30, making it one of the closer options on this list. For a full breakdown of what else Grand Prairie has going on this time of year, including Epic Waters and Lone Star Park, check our Grand Prairie Events Guide.

Urban Farms Doing Double Duty: Bonton Farms and Russell Farm Art Center

Not every fall farm experience requires a highway drive. Bonton Farms, the nonprofit urban farm operating out of the Bonton neighborhood in southeast Dallas, hosts community volunteer days at its Extension Farm site in Plano and regularly opens its grounds for harvest-season programming that supports its mission of job training and food access. It's a meaningful alternative if you want your fall outing to double as a way to support a local cause rather than just buy a pumpkin.

Further south, Russell Farm Art Center in Burleson, about 35 minutes from downtown Dallas via I-35W, hosts family-friendly outdoor events throughout the year, from summer foam parties to seasonal gatherings that make use of its farm and art studio grounds. It's a smaller, community-feel option if the big commercial corn mazes aren't your speed.

Don't Skip the State Fair of Texas

No conversation about fall in DFW is complete without mentioning the State Fair of Texas at Fair Park in Dallas. While it's not a corn maze or hayride, it's the anchor event of the entire season and runs for weeks every fall, complete with Big Tex, the Midway, and enough fried food to make the drive worthwhile on its own. Our Ultimate Guide to the State Fair of Texas 2026 covers tickets, parking, and the must-see food booths if you're planning a visit alongside your corn maze circuit. And once fall wraps into the holiday stretch, our Thanksgiving Week 2026 in DFW guide picks up right where the pumpkin patches leave off.

Planning Your Fall Farm Day: Practical Tips

Go Early or Go on a Weekday

Corn maze farms like Boyd's Fun Farm and Log Cabin Pumpkin Farm see their heaviest traffic on Saturday afternoons in October, especially the two weekends before Halloween. If your schedule allows it, a Friday afternoon or Sunday morning visit will save you significant time in both the parking lot and the maze itself.

Dress for Dirt, Not for Photos

Hayrides and corn mazes mean gravel, hay dust, and uneven ground. Closed-toe shoes are essential, and if you're bringing a stroller, check ahead, some mazes are stroller-friendly and others are not built for wheels at all.

Bring Cash for Smaller Farms

Bigger operations near the highways generally take cards, but some of the smaller family farms further out, particularly in the Van Alstyne and Lucas areas, still run on a cash-or-Venmo system for extras like kettle corn and cider, so it's worth having some cash on hand.

Combine It With a Bigger Day Trip

Because most of these farms and festivals sit 30 to 60 minutes outside Dallas, it's worth pairing your visit with another stop in the same direction, Grapevine's Main Street if you're heading northwest, McKinney's downtown square if you're going north, or Waxahachie's historic courthouse square if you're heading south to Screams. That turns a single-stop errand into a genuine day trip without adding much extra drive time.

If you'd like to stay up to date on events around DFW, bookmark DFWPulse and check back often, we keep the calendar fresh so you never miss what's happening in your city.