Six of the Best Best Corn Mazes & Fall Festivals in Southern California.  Creating your own unique family adventure makes all the difference. Where can you hunt for pumpkins or ride a pumpkin train? How about sipping fresh apple cider or panning for gold in Julian. Maybe running through a corn maze or jumping in a hay stack in Bakersfield sounds better? 
 
We have heard from readers about the best spots in California to relax and enjoy scree-free fun. Checkout our list and make plans to get in on the action with your kids. 

Pierce College Farm Center Halloween Harvest Festival in Woodlands (late September - October). The focus of this seasonal fall celebration is a six-acre corn maze and a pick-your-own pumpkin patch. You will find a pumpkin kiddy maze, a butterfly house and of so funny duck races. Meet farm animals, ride on hay, and participate in daily organized fun for young children. Best Part: Kids enjoy the entertaining stage show featuring Spookley the Square Pumpkin and his friend Jack the Scarecrow.  Bonus Points: For families seeking thrills and scary happenings there’s Fright Fair Scream Park featuring the "Factory of Nightmares" and "Creatures of the Corn." Here’s the deal. Pierce Farm Center is located at the De Soto metro stop and visitors who arrive by metro and show their MTA ticket will and receive free admission to the festival event area. For Fright Fair use the online discount coupon.  (The Halloween Harvest Festival is located at 20800 Victory Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91367. (818) 999-6300 or www.HalloweenHarvestFestival.com)
 
Irvine Park Irvine Park Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch in Orange (late September - late October). In addition to an awesome family-friendly pumpkin patch and an equally friendly haunted house you’ll find a clever hay bale maze, pumpkin bounce house, and carnival games. Many children enjoy panning for gold and driving a John Deere mini tractor. Best Part: Kids love riding the pumpkin train and the John Deere tractor hay wagon. Bonus Points: About a five-minute walk from the pumpkin patch is the Orange County Zoo home to more than 100 animals native to Southern California and it offers a petting zoo, perfect for young children. Also available within the park – pony rides, bike, surrey, and paddle boat rentals.  Here’s the deal.  Entrance into the pumpkin patch is free and the website offers several discount coupons for additional activities within the park. (Irvine Park Railroad 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, CA 92869. (714) 997-3968 or www.irvineparkrailroad.com)

Murray Family Farms October Fun in Bakersfield (late September - October).  Located at the beginning of the bountiful San Joaquin Valley Murray provides visitors of all ages authentic ways to share the best Mother Nature has to offer. During the fall harvest season you will find plenty of pumpkins and gorgeous gourds plus a spider maze. Enjoy a hay wagon ride around the farm or sample seasonal fruits and vegetable grown “ripe” on the farm and maybe even pick your own. Best Part: Share time with the farms four-legged residents – friendly goats, docile llamas, fancy pigeons, woolly sheep, miniature horses, regal peacocks, and cute ducks. The star of the farmyard - Miss Piggy is everyone’s favorite. Bonus Points: The picnic area offers terrific views of the Tehachapi and Southern Sierra Mountain and a carefree "popcorn pool" for tykes. (Murray Family Farms Hwy. 58 at General Beal Road, 18 miles east of Bakersfield (661) 330-0100  or Murray Family Farms)

Julian Mining Company Fall Celebration in Julian (weekends September through December). This is the spot to wander through a pick-your-own pumpkin field or even pick-your-own apples plus a child-sized hay bale maze, tractor-pulled hay rides, and wagon rides. See apple cider making, and candle dipping. Expect to find a cozy petting zoo with friendly farm animals.  Best Part: Julian Mining Company is open all year long and provides exceptional living history activities meant to be shared. The vintage fun includes tomahawk throwing, archery, square dancing, u-press cider making, fossil digs, gem mining, and gold panning. Bonus Points: If you want to enhance the gold panning experience just ask because premium-grade gold ore is available and can be added to your experience for an additional cost. (Julian Mining Company 4444 Highway 78, Julian, CA 92036. (951)313-0166  orwww.julianminingcompany.com)
  
Big Horse Corn Maze and Fall Festival in Temecula (October). Each year Big Horse provides families with extras reasons to enjoy a day out in the countryside.  The annual fall celebration includes pick-your-own pumpkin as well as selections already gathered from the field. A corn maze provides traditional challenges and the authentic hay bale maze offers its own challenges for tiny tykes. Enjoy a tractor-pulled hay ride, corn cannon, bounce house, pony rides and farm animal encounters. Best Part: Movie buffs will want to walk across a real baseball diamond in the corn stalks, just like the movie Field of Dreams. Bonus Points: Any time of year Big Horse Mercantile is worth a visit. The store inventory spans vintage gifts and comfortable country wear to high end jewelry and fashion with an extensive gift and book selection in the pet and small animal departments. (Big Horse Feed & Mercantile 33320 Temecula Parkway, Temecula, CA 92592. (951) 389-4621 or www.bighorsecornmaze.com)

Boccali Ranch Pumpkin Patch in Ojai (October). Checkout the pumpkin patch populated with pumpkins already gathered from the field and ready to be adopted. Look for the child-sized hay bale maze and on weekends share a (free) tractor-pulled hay ride. Find a wide variety of gourds, squash, Indian corn, and seasonal farm-fresh produce. For extra thrills and frights stick around for the haunted hayride weekend events.  Best Part: Listen to eerie fireside tales by Ventura County’s ghost stalker, Richard Senate. Bonus Points: The pumpkin patch goes haunted on weekends at sunset with a suspenseful tractor-pulled hayride through corn fields.  (Boccali Ranch 3277 Santa Paula Ojai Rd (Hwy 150 at Reeves Rd), Ojai, CA 93023. (805) 646-6116 or www.boccalis.com 

If you have a favorite fall festival or know of an awesome corn maze please "Tell Mom" and we will add it to the list. Our next round up will include family-friendly winter celebrations and enchanting Santa Trains.  We are building the list right now and would love to have your feedback. So just "Tell Mom!" 
 
Content generated from reader’s comments and verified by Nancy Nelson-Duac, Curator of the Good Stuff for the Family Travel Files. Images provided by respective locations. Copyright updated 2015.