Best Fall Fests Around Nebraska
What’s better than spending a fall day with family and friends? Spending it with them picking the perfect pumpkin or wandering through golden sunflower fields! From scarecrow contests to apple everything, we rounded up the best fall festivals and farms two hours or less from Lincoln to help you make the most of autumn. Let the festivities begin!
Fall Festivals
Sunflower Fest
August 15-31, Nelson Produce Farms, Valley
Drive time: 1 hour
Walk into a sea of sunflowers at Nelson Produce Farm’s biggest event of the year! Over four acres of 300,000 sunflowers make for the perfect sendoff celebration for summer—filled with U-Pick sunflowers, butterfly release ceremonies, a sunflower maze, and more. The Sunflower Fest is an experience you don’t want to miss!
Bluegrass & BBQ Festival
September 20-21, Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, Gretna
Drive time: 45 minutes
Get ready to groove and grub at Vala’s Bluegrass & BBQ Festival! Catch the twang of live bluegrass bands and aroma of applewood smoked barbecue. Grab some fall-inspired food specials like beef brisket and blueberry streusel, then enjoy plenty of farm fun.
AppleJack Festival
September 19-21 & 26-28, Nebraska City
Drive time: 1 hour
Apple pie, apple cider, apple donuts, candy apples—you name it, Nebraska City will be apple-solutely celebrating it! Not only are the apples rich with flavor, but so is the history when you visit the 57th annual AppleJack Festival. From Kimmel Orchard and Vineyards to Arbor Day Farms, this city will be filled with U-Pick apples and craft markets dedicated to the festivities.
Oktoberfest Family Festival
September 19-20, Downtown Norfolk
Drive time: 2 hours
Celebrate Northeast Nebraska’s German heritage and the fall harvest with live music, German food, a beer garden, and family entertainment!
Scarecrow Festival
September 27-October 11, Kimmel Orchard & Vineyards, Nebraska City
Drive time: 1 hour
Start a fall tradition, show off your creativity, and create your own scarecrow at Kimmel Orchard and Vineyards Scarecrow Festival! After designing your original scarecrow, enjoy a tour of the orchard and vote on your favorite on a hayrack ride. Other special events will be held each weekend of the festival!
Pumpkin Patches and Apple Picking
Vala’s Pumpkin Patch
August 30 - November 2, Gretna
Drive time ~45 minutes
Bellevue Berry Farm
September 13 - October 31, Papillion
Drive time ~50 minutes
Harvest Moon Pumpkin Patch
September 19 - October, Oakland
Drive time ~1.5 hours
Poppy's Pumpkin Patch
September 13 - October 30, Norfolk
Drive time ~2 hours
Roca Berry Farm
September 14 - October 31, Roca
Drive time ~20 minutes
Martin’s Hillside Orchard
Late August - October, Ceresco
Drive time ~25 minutes
Crete’s Great Pumpkin Festival
First weekend of October, Crete
Drive time ~35 minutes
Bloom Farm & Pumpkin Patch
September 20 - October 28, Avoca
Drive time ~45 minutes