Seven of the Best Corn Mazes, Festivals, and Agri-Adventures in the Southeast. From Georgia and North Carolina to Alabama, Tennessee, and Louisiana corn mazes, pumpkins and fall festivals abound making it easy to share screen free family fun. Disconnect for a day and make time for music, hay wagon rides, apple cider and pumpkin muffins. 

Each corn maze location provides uniquely themed entertainment and the festivals provide opportunities to share time with your kids. See what it takes to be the best.

Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival (mid September - October). The splendid colors of fall in the mountains are the stage for this easy-paced celebration of autumn. This time of year is when the weather's perfect and the activities are endless. Shopping is at its best with pre-season sales and bargains. The Rotary Club Crafts Festival features dozens of talented artists so stroll through craft shows and sidewalk sales or stop by to see the displays set up all over town, where local business owners have pitched in to create unique fall displays. Best Part: Cades Cove has harvest hayrides, really perfect for families.  Bonus Points: Dollywood Harvest Celebration & Southern Gospel Jubilee™ is part of the festival. (800-251-9100 or (865) 429-7350 orwww.smokymountainharvestfestival.com)

Kyker Farms Corn Maze and Fall Celebration in Sevierville (late September - October). Located on a generations old family farm nestled between the beautiful French Broad River & the Great Smoky Mountains, the traditional five-acre corn maze is at the heart of the celebrating and it is framed by plenty of extra activities including a straw crawl, tater tot maze, and meadow maze. Pick pumpkins from a “real” growing pumpkin patch; enjoy a hay ride. Best Part: Stay late for the nightly bonfire.  Bonus Points: The owners are the ones working the maze activities each day and take pride in sharing their farm as well as farming knowledge to "city folk".  The grandson actually designs the mazes and cuts them out without GPS.  It is truly amazing. (Kyker Farms Corn Maze, 938 Alder Branch Rd, Sevierville TN  37876. (865) 679-4848 or www.kykerfarmscornmaze.com)

Stone Mountain Georgia Celebrates Pumpkins and Indians (October and November). The annual Pumpkin Festival includes fun-filled games, shows, life sized telling of The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin, Spookley’s A-MAZE-ING Adventure, and a Dance-A-Long Party Parade. There’s a Trick or Treat Scavenger Hunt and a Beat the clock Pie Eating Contest. The popular Indian Festival & Pow Wow showcases Native American culture highlighting music, dance, music, craft demonstrations, cooking traditions, and storytelling. See intertribal dance and drum competitions and watch crafters demonstrate flint-knapping, bow making, fire starting, open fire cooking and pottery. Best Part: Kids are invited to crawl inside a tipi and other traditional native dwellings and families may participate in encampment activities. Bonus points: Stone Mountain Adventure Pass ticket also includes access to Geyser Towers®, SkyHike®, Summit Skyride, Scenic Railroad, and Mini-Golf. (Stone Mountain Park 1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd. Stone Mountain, GA 3008. (770) 469-1105 www.stonemountainpark.com)

Blowing Rock Ghost Train Halloween Festival in North Carolina (late September - early November) One of the most rewarding activities in the Boone area is a ride on the western-themed steam train operated by Tweetie Railroad. Long before it became a tourist activity it was a working railway connecting North Carolina’s High Country with the world. Today visitors have the chance to ride behind engine #12 listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Bonus Points: Each October the railway adds safe, scary fun to the ride, making the day adventure even more fun for the whole family. In addition to an awesome train ride plan to visit the haunted house, 3-D Maze and Black Hole. Best Part: Kids will especially enjoy the trick-or-treating and Halloween shows. (Tweetsie Railroad is located on US 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock, 28605. (828) 264-9061 or www.tweetsie.com)

Homestead Hollow Harvest Festival in Alabama.  (mid October). The Homestead Hollow Harvest Festival will showcase unique, one-of-a-kind hand-made crafts, pioneer demonstrations of the old time days (such as wood carving, ironwork, blacksmithing, smoke-house cooking, gardening, quilting, whiskey making at an original working still), and tours of historic cabins built by early settlers. Children’s activities will include: pony rides, wagon rides, moon walk, and rock climbing. Best Part: The animal encounters at the petting zoo are simply the best. Bonus Points: The Homestead Hollow General Store is open and has home-made fried pies. (Homestead Hollow, Springville 35146. (205) 467-2002, (205) 467-3681 or www.homesteadhollow.com)

Denham Springs Antique Village Fall Festival in Lousiana (early October). Families are invited to stroll down Range Avenue in Historic Downtown Denham Springs and enjoy food, antiques, music, crafts arts, family entertainment and more. Attractions include the opportunity to see a blacksmith perform his art and the Odyssey Dancer do a youth dance tribute to popular Disney tunes. Best Part: Musical performances will include a local jazz combo and local gospel singers on stage at the Train Depot. (228 N. Ranger Avenue, Denham Springs 70726. www.denhamspringsantiquedistrict.com)

 

For more fall festivals and screen free family fun go to our aMAZEing Fun folder. Our next round up will inlcude  family friendly winter celebrations and Santa Trains. We are building the list right now and would love to have your feedback. So just "Tell Mom!" please. 

Information compiled from our extensive database as of September 2014. Top image courtesy of Hubbs Corn Field. Sometimes things change, so please confirm details before making plans. Copyright 2014.