October Family Fun in Winston-Salem: Fall Festivals & Activities

As the air gets crisp and the leaves turn brilliant shades of orange, yellow, and red, Winston-Salem comes alive with a unique charm. This is the perfect time of year to explore the city and its surroundings with your family. From sprawling pumpkin patches to lively fall festivals, there’s no shortage of fun to be had.

As your local real estate team, we at The Ginther Group don’t just help families find their perfect house; we help them find a community to call home. We love what we do, and we’re excited to share some of our favorite local fall activities to help you make the most of this beautiful season. Whether you’re a long-time resident or just visiting, this guide will help you discover the best family fun Winston-Salem has to offer.

Find the Perfect Pumpkin

A trip to a pumpkin patch is a classic fall tradition. It’s a chance to enjoy the outdoors, take memorable photos, and find the perfect pumpkin for carving. Plus, a few well-placed pumpkins offer the perfect fall curb appeal for your front porch! Luckily, the Winston-Salem area is surrounded by fantastic farms offering much more than just pumpkins.

Here are some of the best Winston-Salem area pumpkin patches and farms to visit:

- Apple Family Farm: Just a 20-minute drive to Kernersville, this farm offers free admission. You’ll find a pumpkin patch, hayrides, and kid-friendly activities. On Fridays and Saturdays in October, they also host pumpkin painting and carving.
- Fryes Creek Family Farm: A 20-minute trip to Clemmons gets you to this spot with free admission. Activities include a pumpkin patch, hayrides, a corn maze, and an apple cannon.
- Hawks Pumpkin Patch: For a location right in Winston-Salem, Hawks is only about 15 minutes away and offers a classic pumpkin patch experience with no admission fee. They open in late September.
- Maple Springs United Methodist Church: Right in Winston-Salem and only 10 minutes away, this church hosts a lovely pumpkin patch starting in early October with no admission fee.
- Red Hound Farms: Located in Clemmons, about 20 minutes away at 3239 Frye Bridge Rd, this farm opens Saturday, September 27th. Enjoy a pumpkin patch, wagon rides, a petting zoo, and Red’s Country Store. General admission is $10.
- Smith Hollow Farm: Just 20 minutes to Kernersville at 5920 Smith Hollow Rd, this farm is already open! Attractions include horse rides, a corn maze, pumpkin patch, animals, an apple cannon, and more. Open Sat & Sun, 11 AM – 6 PM. General admission is $17 with card, $15 with cash.
- Tanglewood Park: Find this gem in Clemmons, about 15 minutes away at 4061 Clemmons Rd. Starting Saturday, October 4th, you can enjoy pumpkin patch hayrides (reservations required). Open Sat & Sun, 9 AM – 4 PM. Cost is $11 per person.
- Zane’s Clodbuster Farms: Located about 15 minutes away in Kernersville at 5500 Leonard Farms Rd, this farm is already open and offers no admission fees. Explore the corn maze, hayride, pumpkin patch, animals, bonfires, and a flashlight maze. Hours are Mon-Thurs, 3-7 PM; Fri, 3-10 PM; Sat, 10 AM – 10 PM; Sun, 1-6 PM.

More Fall Fun for the Whole Family

Beyond the pumpkin patches, Winston-Salem and the surrounding Triad area are bursting with other autumn adventures. Whether you’re looking for thrilling corn mazes, festive hayrides, or the sweet taste of freshly picked apples, there’s an activity for every family.

Get Lost in a Corn Maze

Many local farms feature intricate corn mazes that are fun for all ages. Places like Alpha and Omega, Armstrong Artisan Farm, and Zane’s Clodbuster Farms offer challenging mazes that will have your family working together to find the exit. For a spookier experience, check out the flashlight maze at Zane’s Clodbuster Farms on Friday and Saturday nights.

Pick Your Own Apples

Fall is apple season, and there’s nothing quite like picking your own right from the tree. Several orchards within an hour’s drive offer a fantastic picking experience:

- Perry Lowe Orchard (Moravian Falls, ~1 hour): Besides apple picking, enjoy a tractor playground, jump pad, and apple cannon. Don’t leave without trying their apple cider donuts!
- Millstone Creek Orchard (Ramseur, ~1 hour): Experience an orchard hayride and cider demonstration along with your apple picking.
- Carrigan Farms (Mooresville, ~1 hour): This farm offers apple picking, hayrides, a petting zoo, and even open swimming on certain days.
- Blueberry Thrill Farm (Gibsonville, ~50 minutes): Head to 6938 Eaglesfield Rd for apple picking on select Saturdays from 8 AM – 12 PM. There’s no admission fee, and apples are $20 for half peck bags.

Enjoy a Hayride

What’s fall without a hayride? You can find festive hayrides at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, where reservations are required for their popular pumpkin patch hayride. Many other farms, including Apple Family Farm and Fryes Creek Family Farm, also offer scenic rides through their properties.

Mark Your Calendar for These Fall Festivals

Winston-Salem truly shines with its lineup of fall festivals and events. Here are a few highlights your family won’t want to miss in 2025:

- Carolina Classic Fair (October 3–12): Held at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds, this is a can’t-miss event with classic carnival rides, delicious fair food, and live entertainment.
- Carolina BalloonFest (October 17–19): In Statesville, enjoy the 2nd-oldest hot air balloon festival in the country. Featuring balloon competitions, mass ascensions, evening glows, live music, tethered rides, an Artisan Village, Kids Zone, NC wine garden, and festival foods. Tickets required.
- Yadkin Valley Grape Festival (October 18): This free festival in downtown Yadkinville features a Kids Zone, a North Carolina wine garden, and plenty of tasty festival food.
- Boo At The North Carolina Zoo (October 18 & 19, 25 & 26): Head to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro for two weekends of family-friendly Halloween fun. Enjoy sweet treats, costume contests, trick-or-treating, and festive games. Additional cost applies. Costumes must be family-friendly.
- Ghoul Times at Kaleideum (October 25): Head to Kaleideum Downtown for a family-friendly Halloween event with costume contests, trick-or-treating, wacky science experiments, and a rooftop dance party.
- Boo at Bethabara (October 25): This event at historic Bethabara Park offers a gentler spooky experience with haunted tours, hayrides, and games perfect for younger children.
- Salem Saturdays in Autumn (Through November): Visit Old Salem Museum and Gardens to see history come to life. Interact with costumed interpreters, watch trade demonstrations, and learn about seasonal life in the historic village.