Tampa Bay Fall Festival Season 2026: What's Actually Running Right Now
Fall in Tampa Bay doesn't look like fall anywhere else — no leaves changing color, but plenty of corn mazes, pumpkin patches and beer gardens have popped up around the region anyway. Rather than another generic "50 pumpkin patches" roundup, here's what's actually confirmed and running this season, county by county.
Downtown Tampa Goes German: Oktoberfest at Curtis Hixon Park
Oktoberfest Tampa returns to Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park at 600 N Ashley Dr. from October 9–11, 2026. Hours run Friday 4–11 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.–6 p.m., with German food, beer, live music and the event's signature Mustache Competition. Single-day and weekend passes are both available, and the City of Tampa's event listing has the full schedule alongside the official ticket site.
Busch Gardens' Howl-O-Scream Adds a New Haunted House
Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay runs on select nights from September 11 through November 1, 2026, with event hours from 7 p.m. to midnight. This year's headline addition is an all-new haunted house, Anaconda: Fear Has No Escape, plus two new scare zones and the return of the live show Fiends. Tickets start at $48.99 for a single visit on select nights; an Unlimited Scream ticket is also available for repeat visits through the run of the event.
Corn Mazes and Pumpkin Patches Spread Across the Region
If Oktoberfest and Howl-O-Scream are the region's biggest single events, the farm-based fall festivals are the ones locals tend to return to year after year — and this season there's a real one running in three different counties.
Harvest Holler Corn Maze — Polk City (Polk County)
This family-run farm at 950 Tavares Rd. in Polk City has its 2026 fall season running September 18 through November 8, open Fridays 4–8 p.m., Saturdays noon–8 p.m. and Sundays 1–5 p.m. One ticket covers the corn maze, tractor hayrides, live animal demos and the pumpkin patch — admission is $17 for ages 13–64, $14 for kids and seniors, and free for children under two.
Sweetfields Farm — Masaryktown (Hernando County)
Sweetfields Farm at 17250 Benes Roush Rd. is running its 19th annual Fall Festival from September 26 through November 8. The centerpiece is a five-acre living corn maze with checkpoint clues built in along the way, plus hayrides, fresh-pressed apple cider, a hay play area and the farm's own pumpkin patch — making it the closest full fall-festival option for Hernando County and northern Pasco residents who don't want to drive into Tampa or Polk County for the day. Pasco families looking to turn it into a full day out can also swing by The Shops at Wiregrass, which just added a wave of new stores as part of its 2026 refresh in Wesley Chapel.
DK Farms & Gardens — Largo (Pinellas County)
On the Pinellas side, DK Farms & Gardens at 1750 Lake Ave. SE in Largo is open daily throughout October and the first weekend of November, generally 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (until 6 p.m. on Saturdays), with a pumpkin patch, hayrides, pony rides, mini golf, gem mining and a pumpkin cannon. New for 2026: Capybara Encounters launched September 25, letting visitors hold, feed and photograph the farm's capybaras alongside its existing highland cattle. If a Largo visit turns into a beach afternoon across the causeway, it's also worth a quick read on Tampa Bay's rip current risk before you go — Pinellas lifeguards pulled 35 swimmers from the water in a single three-week stretch this year.
This Fall's Events at a Glance
| Event | County | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Oktoberfest Tampa | Hillsborough | Oct 9–11 |
| Howl-O-Scream | Hillsborough | Sept 11–Nov 1 (select nights) |
| Harvest Holler Corn Maze | Polk | Sept 18–Nov 8 |
| Sweetfields Farm | Hernando | Sept 26–Nov 8 |
| DK Farms & Gardens | Pinellas | Daily in Oct, first weekend of Nov |
The Bottom Line
You don't have to choose just one side of the bay this fall. Downtown Tampa has the beer garden and the haunted house crowd covered, while Polk City, Masaryktown and Largo each have a working farm running its own corn maze through early November. Hours and ticket prices shift as the season goes on, so it's worth checking each event's own page before you drive out — especially for the farm-based events, where Saturday hours often run later than the rest of the week.
More From Around Tampa Bay
The Shops at Wiregrass 2026 Update: What's Open Now and What's Still Coming
Lululemon, Kendra Scott and Bosphorous are now open at The Shops at Wiregrass — here's where the Wesley Chapel refresh actually stands, and what's still ahead.
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Tampa Bay's Rip Currents: What 35 Rescues in 3 Weeks Taught Lifeguards
Rip currents pulled 35 swimmers from Clearwater Beach in three weeks and 136 from Manatee County beaches in three days. Here's what caused it and how to stay safe.
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Two Rivers Expansion Clears Path for a 35-Acre Surf Park in Pasco
Pasco commissioners approved a major Two Rivers expansion and cleared the way for the 35-acre Peak Surf Park in Wesley Chapel. Here's what's coming to eastern Pasco County.
Read more →Sources & Further Reading
- Oktoberfest Tampa — official site
- City of Tampa — Oktoberfest Tampa event listing
- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay — Howl-O-Scream
- Harvest Holler Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch — official site
- Sweetfields Farm — Fall Season Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch
- DK Farms & Gardens — Fall Festival
- Uncovering Florida — DK Farms' new Capybara Encounters
Editorial note: Festival hours, dates and ticket prices are set by each individual venue and can change without notice. Details above reflect each event's official page checked at the time of publication — confirm directly before you go.
← Back to the blogPlanning a fall weekend around Tampa Bay? Bookmark this page — we'll keep it updated as more of the season's events lock in their dates.
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