A First-Timer’s Guide to the Goebbert’s Fall Festival
The first visit to a big fall festival is the hard one. You do not know where to park, what a ticket covers, or which line is worth standing in.
The Goebbert’s Fall Festival is open every day from 9am to 6pm and runs through November 1. This guide is what we tell families at the gate, written down so you can plan before you leave the house.
The short version is that one wristband covers almost everything. The rest of the day is about choosing a good order.
What One Wristband Covers
Admission includes more than two dozen activities, which surprises most first-timers. There is no ticket book and nobody pays by the ride. Here is the lineup, grouped the way families actually use it.
The Animals
Animal Land, the giraffe barn and slide, and the Little Farmer’s Play Yard.
The Mazes
The corn stalk maze and the straw town maze, plus pumpkin tunnels and a straw pyramid.
The Shows
Pig racing, the pumpkin-eating dinosaur, Charlotte’s Web and the Duck Derby.
The Rides
The cow train and the wagon ride out to the Haunted Barn, weather permitting.
The Play Spots
The corn box, the playground, Barnyard Basketball, the Kidstruction Zone, corn hole games and the jumping pillow.
New this year are the farm-themed playground and Tumbleweed Junction, a kid-sized western tiny town. Little ones can shop, pretend and explore, from the General Store to the Prairie Dog Pet Clinic.
The full lineup lives on our fall festival attractions page, and the map of the farm shows where everything sits. Weekends add a candy cannon at 1pm and 4pm and a magic show.
Tickets, Hours and Parking
Weekday admission is $20 per person. Weekends and Columbus Day are $27 at the gate, or $24 when you buy online. Those ticket prices are listed before tax, and a 45 cent Village of South Barrington amusement tax is added at checkout.
Everyone age three and older needs a ticket. Tickets are not sold after 5:30pm, and the festival runs rain or shine. Parking is always free.
We recommend buying online. It saves $3 on a weekend and holds your spot if we reach capacity. A weekday season pass is $60 and does not include Columbus Day.
One more thing to know before you leave home: no pets. We have plenty of other animals for your kids to pet.
On weekdays you can visit the cafe and the market without a ticket. On weekends you can shop the market for pumpkins and produce without one. Anyone heading past the market into the activities needs a wristband.
Weekdays or Weekends
Weekdays are usually quieter, which makes them the easier day with small kids. Lines tend to be shorter.
Weekends are the full show. The candy cannon fires at 1pm and 4pm, the magic show is on the main stage, and the weekend-only food stands are open. If you come on a Saturday, arrive early and plan the day around the stands you want most.
A Route That Works
A little structure keeps a big farm manageable. This is the order most first-timers wish they had started with.
Start With the Animals
Park, walk in and see the animals first. They are most active early, and the lines are shortest while you are still fresh.
Do the Big Play Next
Mazes, jumping and climbing belong before lunch. Save the wagon ride and the corn box for later, when everyone wants to slow down.
Eat Before Anyone Is Hungry
Make food part of the route instead of a rescue mission. Lunch first, attractions after, then circle back for kettle corn or ice cream on the way out.
Finish at the Market
Pick your pumpkins last so you are not carrying them all afternoon. Then grab something sweet for the walk to the car.
What Works at Each Age
The best attraction for a two year old is rarely the best one for a ten year old. Here is how we would split the day.
Under three, the farm is mostly looking, touching and riding. Animal Land and the giraffe barn win, along with the corn box and the wagon ride. Tickets start at age three, and nobody under two is allowed on the jumping pillow. Our toddler guide has a longer plan for the smallest visitors.
Three to six is the age of Tumbleweed Junction, the Kidstruction Zone and the Duck Derby. The cow train is a sure thing, and Barnyard Basketball keeps the energetic ones busy. The jumping pillow is open to kids between 32 and 54 inches tall.
Seven and up is when the corn stalk maze and the straw town maze take over. The 10 room haunted house is built for school age children, and it is scary, so walk past it first if you are unsure.
Grown-ups have their own stop too. The Beer Barn pours Goebbert’s Cornfield Gold, made in collaboration with Lucky Monk, along with wine and specialty slushies.
Extras That Are Not Included
A few attractions cost extra and are bought separately from your wristband.
Gem Mining
$10 for a small 3 ounce bag, $15 for a large 6 ounce bag and $25 for an extra large 10 ounce bag.
Pony Rides
$8. Riders must be at least two years old and under 80 pounds, and parents may walk alongside.
Camel Rides
$8, weather permitting. Riders must be over two, and riders two to five ride with a paid adult.
Where to Eat
There are seven food stops across the farm, so nobody has to settle. The Red Barn Cafe is the place for a full meal, with cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, pizza, nachos, chili and a kids Happy Jack Meal that comes with a toy.
Between attractions, the easy stops are kettle corn made in a copper kettle and roasted sweet corn from our own fields. The taco truck sits in the Little Farmer’s Play Yard. Those three, along with the sweets stand, run on weekends only.
New this year is The Creamery, serving Julie Ann’s Custard. The apple cider donut sundae is the one to try. Our apple cider donuts are made fresh daily, and the racing pigs run for them.
The full list of stops is on our fall food page, and the Beer Barn has its own page too.
Take a Pumpkin Home
The market is the best way to end the visit. Pumpkins, corn stalks, straw bales, mums and fall produce are all here, and you do not need a ticket to shop on weekdays.
Not sure which pumpkin to grab? We wrote down our five second check in how to pick a pumpkin, so read it in the car on the way over.
The cafe and activities close for the season after November 1. The Fall Market stays open through November 25.
Planning Questions, Answered
Do We Need to Buy Tickets Online?
You do not have to, but we recommend it. Online tickets save $3 on weekends and hold your spot if we reach capacity.
Does My Toddler Need a Ticket?
Everyone age three and older needs one. Kids under three do not need one, though some attractions, like the jumping pillow and the pony and camel rides, have age minimums.
Can We Bring Our Dog?
No. Please leave pets at home. The farm has plenty of animals for the kids to meet.
What If It Rains?
The festival runs rain or shine. A few attractions, like the wagon ride, the jumping pillow and the pony and camel rides, are weather permitting.
When Is the Last Entry?
Tickets are not sold after 5:30pm, and the farm closes at 6pm. The last wagon ride leaves at 5:30pm.
See You at the Farm
Fall goes quickly in Northern Illinois, and the festival ends on November 1. Pick a day, buy your tickets, and bring layers and a wagon.
Families from South Barrington, Barrington, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, Inverness and Algonquin make this a yearly tradition. Check our Fall Festival page for the latest, then come make a day of it.
Questions? Talk to Goebbert’s
We would rather answer a question now than fix a problem later.
