Pumpkin spice lattes are back in coffee shops, and you know what that means, fall is just around the corner.
Celebrate the season with friends and family at one of the many fall festivals and events around Sioux Falls.
See something we missed on the Fall Festival lineup, email sgauer@argusleader.com.
Oktoberfest
Germanfest: September 10 at Fawick Park
It’s not exactly Oktoberfest, but it’s pretty close. This free family event and fundraiser is hosted by the Sioux Falls Sister Cities Association and will take place from 1 to 10 p.m. Festivities include sausage dog races, music and dancing, a puppy show for kids and beer tents. At 16:30 the salt dog race will start.
Oktoberfest: Sept. 24 at Remedy Brewing Co.
Celebrate this annual event and Bierfest from noon to 3pm with area breweries. The tavern opens at 11 a.m. and at 1 p.m. a homebrew competition organized by the Big Sioux Brewing Society will begin. A Steinholding contest begins at 5 p.m. There will also be live music and lawn games throughout the night.
Wineries
STOMP Harvest Festival: Sept. 11 at Calico Skies Vineyard and Winery
Travel right over the border between South Dakota and Iowa for the fifth annual STOMP Harvest Festival in Calico Skyes. Admission is $5 and includes still wine tastings. The festival will also feature a grape stomping contest, live music, helicopter rides and art and market vendors.
Straw Cellar: September 24 at Strawbale Winery
Since deciding to retire in January, the owners of Strawbale Winery have scaled back their hours while they waited for a new owner. So instead of a full vintage party like in previous years, the winery will be open from noon to 4 p.m., and a mini event will feature some food vendors and merchants.
Wilde Prairie Winery Harvest Festival: Oct. 1 at Wilde Prairie Winery
Drive to Brandon for a fall day tasting a variety of local wines while listening to live music by Retro Rock Revival. There will also be bounce houses, face painting, pumpkin painting and more activities for the kids.
Apple picking
County Apple Orchard
The Country Apple Orchard holds its Fall Festival Friday through Sunday through the end of October. Each weekend, come out and enjoy apple picking, as well as other festival activities like the hay bale maze, petting zoo, and tractor train rides. Admission to the festival is $14 for people taller than 35 inches, but there is no charge to enter the gardens.
Hort Hoversten
Although the locally owned apple orchard does not have a fall festival, the orchard is open for picking from noon to 5:30 pm Wednesday through Sunday through the end of October. Apples ready for picking right now include Zestars and Red Free apples. The shop, open until 6pm, also sells honey, jellies, ciders and cake.
Pumpkin Patches
Country apple tree
The Country Apple Orchard will begin its pumpkin festival sometime in October, but until then, take a stroll through the Harrisburg Orchard’s pumpkin patch and pick your favorite to take home. The Fall Festival continues every weekend through October. Admission, which includes activities like the hay bale maze, petting zoo and tractor train rides, is $14 for people over 35 inches tall.
Our farm, SD
Our farm, SD, is a new pumpkin patch located at 27253 455th Avenue, about 35 minutes west of Sioux Falls. The family property features a pumpkin patch, corn maze, petting zoo and pumpkin launchers. It is open from Friday to Sunday until the end of October. Admission is $10 for children 2 and older and $5 for adults.
Yogi Bear’s Pumpkin Patch Weekend: September 18-20 at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park
Pick a pumpkin at the Magic Pumpkin Patch and participate in Halloween crafts and games, trick-or-treating and more. Wear a costume or come as you are. The best decorated campsite also wins a $100 gift certificate.
Riverview Pumpkin Festival: September 24-25 and October 1-2, 8-9, 15-16 at Riverview Christmas Tree Farm
Take part in family-friendly activities from pumpkin picking and painting to games, inflatables, train rides, farm animals, food vendors, crafts and live music. Beer and wine are also available for purchase, and the Great Pumpkin Weigh Off will be held on October 1st. Entry is free for everyone.
Floating Pumpkin: Oct. 29 at the Midco Aquatic Center
All ages are invited to jump into the pool at the Midco Aquatic Center and collect their pumpkin, which can then be decorated in the meeting rooms. The event is from 3-4:30pm and costs $10. Attendees will also be entered into a drawing to win a prize.
Corn mazes
Yogi Bear Corn Maze
Yogi Bear’s Corn Maze is open for the season. Tickets for adults and children 12 and older are $8. Children under 12 are $5 and children under 3 are free. Tickets include the Jumping Pillow and unlimited miniature golf at Yogi Bear’s 9-hole course.
The campground and resort will also host a “Muttz in the Maze” where dogs on leashes can come into the corn maze on October 4th. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Sioux Falls Humane Society.
Heartland Country Corn Maze
This year’s 11-acre corn maze design is two groundhogs. Grab your map and a list of questions and go to the 10 checkpoints to find the questions. Find the hidden checkpoint and receive a free gift from the concession barn.
The season started on Labor Day and will run through October 23rd. Admission is $5 for children ages 5-10 and $8 for ages 11 and older. Children from 4 years old are free. Cash or check only.
Our farm, SD
As mentioned above, our farm features a 6 acre corn maze, perfect for kids. The family property it is open from Friday to Sunday until the end of October. Admission is $10 for children 2 and older and $5 for adults.
Other autumn festivals
Festival in Newton Hills: Oct. 1 at Newton Hills State Park
Join the fun festivities at Newton Hills State Park near Canton. From 1 to 5 p.m., enjoy live music, hay rides, crafts and pumpkin catapults, as well as a campsite decorating contest. There will also be a candlelight walk along the trails from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Vehicles require a state park pass to enter.
Fall Harvest Festival: Oct. 1 at Oak Ridge Daycare
The Oak Ridge Nursery Fall Harvest Festival will feature pumpkin painting, a bounce house, a food truck and sales of plants, shrubs and tree seedlings.
Fall Festival in the Park in Yankton: Sept. 24 at Lewis & Clark Recreation Area
Want to go a little further? The Fall in the Park festival in nearby Yankton (about 1 hour 40 minutes away) will feature crafts, games, live music, rides and Dutch oven cooking demonstrations for all ages. The event will take place from 1 to 5 pm. Vehicles require a state park pass to enter.
Homesteader Day at Beaver Creek: Sept. 11 at Beaver Creek Nature Area
Even though it’s not a fall festival, people can go to Valley Springs for a fun throwback experience. From 1 to 4 p.m., you can tour the historic Samuelson Cabin, learn about candle dipping and cookie making, and watch a Civil War re-enactment. There will also be live music and other pioneer farming demonstrations. Vehicles require a state park pass to enter.
