Fall Festivities

Fall, the favorite season of many Americans, has always enchanted us with it’s brilliant reds, golds, and oranges which grace the trees across our country.

It is beloved for its crisp Autumn smell, the holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving, and the ever present forms of bright orange pumpkins on porches.

This season is also filled with outdoor activities as people enjoy the cool weather, but what is there to do in Omaha during these Fall months?

Other than the ever-popular Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, which most native Omaha-ins have grown up going to each year, the city boasts other fine places as well.

The first we will visit is Wenninghoff’s Farm; just a fifteen minute drive away from MN. The farm loves to help kids have good old-fashioned “playin’-in-the-dirt” kind of fun, and offer all kinds of activities for kids.

They are also an excellent alternative to Valla’s for those looking to save money. Their tickets run for $7 on the weekends, and $6 on weekdays.

The next stop, just within a half hour drive of MN, is Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch. The farm not only allows you the option of picking your own fresh berries and fruits, but they have many other activities to offer for an admission of $6.50 to $8.50.

Along with hosting various festivals and events throughout the year, they have hay rack rides, pumpkins, a corn maze, train rides, petting zoo, themed areas such as the Wild West, Pirates, and The Ranch of Terror, and many other attractions throughout the farm.

If you travel the same distance away, in the opposite direction you will run into another farm in Blair called Skinny Bones Pumpkin Patch.
Skinny Bones will remind you of Vala’s with its 10 acre corn maze, giant jump pillow, pedal karts, hayrack rides, Mad Cow Ride, Nerf Gun War Zone, Eerie Trail, and much more. Monday thru Thursday entrance is $10, and Friday thru Sunday it is $13.

However, if you are looking for something a little off the beaten path and a little more relaxed, take a half hour drive across the river to Ditmars Orchard & Vineyard in Council Bluffs. They are open Tuesday thru Sunday for only $3 during the week and $5 during the weekend.

At Ditmars you’ll find apples of all different varieties—surely one that will appeal to you. And if you’re hungry as you walk among the trees in the Loess Hills, feel free to stop in to their restaurant and have some of their mouth-watering foods.

So this fall whether you are looking for a classic pumpkin patch experience or an apple orchard adventure, Omaha, Nebraska has something to offer you.