Pumpkin Patches & Fall Things to Do in Waco, TX (2026 Guide)

📆 Fall 2026 at a Glance

Sep 26 – Nov 8: Western Belle Farm Pumpkin Festival
Sep 26 – Nov 1: Robinson Family Farm Pumpkin Fest
Sep 27 – Oct 31: Central Christian Church Pumpkin Patch
Oct 8 – 18: Heart O' Texas Fair & Rodeo
Oct 18: Great Waco Duck Race + Paper Airplane Championship
Oct 22 – 25: Silobration
Oct 31: Día de los Muertos Parade & Festival
Nov 7: Baylor Homecoming Parade

Waco's "Pumpkin Patch Church" has turned its front lawn orange every fall since 2006, and this is year 20. Volunteers unload the semi-trucks by hand, and every dollar supports the church's youth programs and local missions.

No rides, no ticket, no maze. Just thousands of pumpkins and a bench in the middle of the patch where some Waco families have taken the same photo every year for over a decade. Pumpkins run from $0.75 to $50, and they take cash and cards.

📅 Daily, Sep 27 – Oct 31, 11 AM – 7 PM  ·  📍 4901 Lake Shore Dr  ·  💵 Free admission

Photo: Western Belle Farm

The big one, just 10 minutes north in West. Thirty-plus activities: a 4-acre maze, hayrides, apple cannons, a pumpkin jump pillow, barrel train rides, mini zip lines, farm animals, and live music. This year's theme celebrates America's 250th.

This summer was rough on them. The heat and drought killed their pumpkin patch and nearly drained a 3/4-acre tank trying to keep the maze alive. So they bought an extra tractor-trailer load of pumpkins to keep the pumpkin tent full. The U-pick patch is "while supplies last," so go early in the season if that's your thing.

Two pro tips: the apple cider slushie and the apple cider donuts. And bring the dog. A $5 Pup Pass gets them in, and 100% of it goes to Fuzzy Friends Rescue.

📅 Sat & Sun Sep 26 – Nov 8, Fridays in October, and Columbus Day (Oct 12), 10 AM – 6 PM  ·  📍 7929 Heritage Pkwy, West  ·  💵 $16 ages 3+ ($14 military, first responders, nurses & seniors)

Photo: Robinson Family Farm

About 40 minutes down I-35 in Temple (construction cones permitting). This one leans more theme park than pumpkin patch: a super mega slide, zip line, pig races, axe throwing, archery, mini golf, longhorns, and a dog park.

If your kids have energy to burn, this is where they burn it. Tickets are online only, and pumpkins, food, and a few extras are sold separately. They're doing fireworks on Halloween night.

📅 Weekends, Sep 26 – Nov 1  ·  📍 2651 Bob White Rd, Temple  ·  💵 $21.95 online, ages 3+

🪴 Just need a porch pumpkin?

Bonnie's Greenhouse (5198 Orchard Ln) usually has a good pumpkin selection in the fall. It's a solid stop if you'd rather pick from a nursery than a patch. Call ahead for current hours.

Eleven days of rodeo, carnival rides, livestock shows, concerts, and fair food you'll regret in the best way. The HOT Fair has been Waco's unofficial start to fall for generations, and it doubles as a scholarship engine for Texas kids.

📅 Oct 8 – 18  ·  📍 Extraco Events Center, 4601 Bosque Blvd

Twenty thousand rubber ducks, one Brazos River. Adopt a duck, and if yours crosses the finish line first, you win a prize. You don't even have to be there. Every dollar goes to Imagination Library of Waco, which mails free books to local kids.

📅 Sunday, Oct 18, ducks launch around 2 PM  ·  📍 Indian Spring Park

This one's ours. Build a paper airplane with help from the Mayborn Museum, then throw it from McLane Stadium and try to land it closest to the trophy. Unlimited throws. The winner takes home a full year's supply of Joyride Candy: 52 bags.

Every ticket includes dinner from The Baylor Club. Presented by L3Harris. Hit the Duck Race at 2, then head over for airplanes at 4. That's a Sunday.

📅 Sunday, Oct 18, 4 – 6 PM (come and go)  ·  📍 The Baylor Club at McLane Stadium  ·  💵 Tickets start at $12

Photo: Magnolia

Magnolia's birthday party at the Silos goes four days for the first time ever, with 90+ vendors. Last year drew more than 30,000 people, so plan on company.

The music lineup: Mt. Joy kicks it off at Foster Pavilion on Thursday, The Fray plays the Silos Friday, Dylan Gossett on Saturday, and Cory Asbury leads a Sunday morning gathering. Concerts are ticketed.

📅 Oct 22 – 25  ·  📍 Magnolia Market at the Silos, 601 Webster Ave

Creative Waco's parade winds along the river, then the party moves into Indian Spring Park: live music, an artisan market, food trucks, the Alebrije Garden, and free calavera face painting for the kids. One of the most beautiful nights of the year downtown.

📅 Saturday, Oct 31, 4 – 10 PM  ·  📍 Indian Spring Park  ·  💵 Free

Photo: Baylor University

Baylor threw the first collegiate homecoming in the country back in 1909, and the parade down Austin Avenue is still the oldest and largest of its kind. Giant balloons, student floats, marching bands, and a lot of candy. Bring a lawn chair and get there early. The Bears play Iowa State at McLane that same day.

📅 Homecoming week Nov 2 – 7, parade Saturday, Nov 7 (start time TBA)  ·  📍 Downtown Waco to campus

Food & Wine once named Pinewood one of the best coffee shops in America, and it's still the best courtyard in Waco on a cool morning. Their house-made fig and honey syrup is behind the bar for fall. Put it in a latte and grab a table outside while it lasts.

📍 2223 Austin Ave  ·  📅 Mon – Fri 7 AM – 7 PM, Sat & Sun 8 AM – 7 PM

For Keeps roasts every bean in house and runs an on-site bakery, so a fall drink here comes with a pastry problem. Two locations: the Bosque Blvd flagship and a second shop on South 4th Street near Baylor.

The roasting facility sits a few doors down from the flagship, and they invite you to peek through the garage door. Ask what's new on the seasonal menu.

📍 3619 Bosque Blvd (7 AM – 5 PM daily) & 1815 S 4th St

Coffee only now, in a 100-year-old building on Austin Ave. Their drinks lean on house-made vanilla syrup and local milk, and the seasonal menu rotates, so ask what's new. If you want something that only exists in Waco, order The 1885: espresso and Dr Pepper over ice.

📍 508 Austin Ave, downtown

The Baylor classic isn't just across from campus anymore. Common Grounds now has three shops around Waco, so there's probably one on your way.

The original on South 8th stays open until 11 PM, which makes it the post-game pick-me-up. If you've never had the Cowboy Coffee with their secret sauce, fall is a good time to fix that.

📍 1123 S 8th St  ·  3401 Franklin Ave  ·  7608 Woodway Dr

⭐ Sam's Pick: The Pumpkin Chai Tea Latte at Common Grounds

My favorite fall drink in Waco is the pumpkin chai tea latte at Common Grounds. Grab one at whichever of their three shops is closest to you.

🥾 Wild Wednesday Hikes in Cameron Park

Two park rangers lead a free guided hike every Wednesday at 5:45 PM from the Redwood Shelter. About an hour, no signup. In October, you'll catch the tail end of sunset through the trees.

🧺 Waco Downtown Farmers Market

Saturdays at 9 AM on Bridge Street Plaza. Fall is the best month to go: cooler mornings, live music, and local produce. Grab a coffee and walk it.

Know a spot I missed? A corn maze, a fall drink worth crossing town for, a neighborhood that goes all out for Halloween. Reply to any Waco Buzz email and I'll add it.

More Waco guides

Where to Meet People in Waco →
25 Ways to Make Waco Better (Volunteer Guide) →

This guide lives at thewacobuzz.com and gets updated as fall rolls on.

Sam Harper