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USA: Southeast, Best Corn Mazes and Fall Festivals for Family fun. From North and South Carolina to Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Louisiana great weekend activities abound. Disconnect for a day and make time with your family - the laundry can wait.
Each corn maze location provides uniquely themed entertainment and the festivals provide opportunities to share time with your kids. See what it takes to be the best.
Tennessee: Pigeon Forge, Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival (9/15/2011-10/31/2011). The splendid colors of fall in the mountains are the stage for this easy-paced celebration of autumn. This time of year is when the weather's perfect and the activities are endless. Shopping is at its best with pre-season sales and bargains. The Rotary Club Crafts Festival features dozens of talented artists so stroll through craft shows and sidewalk sales or stop by to see the displays set up all over town, where local business owners have pitched in to create unique fall displays. Best part: Cades Cove has harvest hayrides, really perfect for families. Bonus points: Dollywood Harvest Celebration & Southern Gospel Jubilee™ is part of the festival. (800-251-9100 or (865) 429-7350 or www.smokymountainharvestfestival.com)
Tennessee: Sevierville, Kyker Farms Corn Maze and Fall Celebration (09/23/2011 – 10/29/2011). Located on a nine generation family farm nestled between the beautiful French Broad River & the Great Smoky Mountains, the traditional five-acre corn maze is at the heart of the celebrating and it is framed by plenty of extra activities including a straw crawl, tater tot maze, and meadow maze. Pick pumpkins from a “real” growing pumpkin patch; enjoy a hay ride. Best part: Stay late for the nightly bonfire. Bonus points: The owners are the ones working the maze activities each day and take pride in sharing their farm as well as farming knowledge to "city folk". The grandson actually designs the mazes and cuts them out without GPS. It is truly amazing. (Kyker Farms Corn Maze, 938 Alder Branch Rd, Sevierville TN 37876. (865) 679-4848 or www.kykerfarmscornmaze.com)
Georgia: Stone Mountain, Georgia Mountain Fall Festival (10/07/2011 – 10/15/2011). Enjoy all-American fun for the whole family in Georgia’s “country music capital” Hiawassee. The opening day of the festival features a flower festival with subsequent days of craft displays, exhibits, and rides for the children. Every night the air will be replete with country and gospel music and the sounds of cloggers dancing will keep everyone’s feet a-tapping. Best part: At the same time it is also possible to attend the Georgia’s Offical State Fiddler’s Convention. (Mountain music Festival 1311 Music Hall Road, Hiawassee. (706) 896-4191 or www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com)
Georgia: Atlanta, Annu al Tour of Southern Ghosts (10/13/2011 - 10/30/2011). Listen closely to the grand tradition of storytelling at Stone Mountain. Visitors are invited to join six professional storytellers, in 19th century costumes, spinning their tales of famous (and not-so-famous) Southern ghosts along candle-and lantern-lit paths on the Antebellum Plantation grounds at Stone Mountain Park. The Tour of Southern Ghosts is a storytelling festival celebrating the spirit, folklore and merriment of the Halloween season. Relive the romance, horror and humor of the 18th century during the 45-minute, family-oriented tours. Best part: The stories are not too scary for young children. (Stone Mountain Park. (770) 469-1105 www.stonemountainpark.com) South Carolina: Myrtle Beach, Brookgreen's Harvest Home Weekend Festival. (10/15/2011 – 10/16/2011) Two day festival now in its eighth year, Brookgreen's Harvest Home Weekend Festival tops the fall season with entertainment and activities the whole family will enjoy. It includes a scarecrow building contest, and pumpkin painting. Best part: Be prepared to laugh and enjoy the live entertainment. (1931 Brookgreen Drive, Murrells Inlet. 1-800-849-1931 or www.brookgreen.org)
North Carolina: Blowing Rock, Ghost Train Halloween Festival (09/30/2011 – 10/29/2011). One of the most rewarding activities in the Boone area is a ride on the western-themed steam train operated by Tweetie Railroad. Long before it became a tourist activity it was a working railway connecting North Carolina’s High Country with the world. Today visitors have the chance to ride behind engine # 12 listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Bonus points: Each October the railway adds safe, scary fun to the ride, making the day adventure even more fun for the whole family. In addition to an awesoe train ride plan to visit the new haunted house, 3-D Maze and Black Hole. Best part: Kids will enjoy the trick-or-treating and Halloween shows. (Tweetsie Railroad is located on US 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock, 28605. (828) 264-9061 or www.tweetsie.com)
Alabama: Springville, Homestead Hollow Harvest Festival (10/7/2011 – 10/9/2011).  The Homestead Hollow Harvest Festival will showcase unique, one-of-a-kind hand-made crafts, pioneer demonstrations of the old time days (such as wood carving, ironwork, blacksmithing, smoke-house cooking, gardening, quilting, whiskey making at an original working still), and tours of historic cabins built by early settlers. Children’s activities will include: pony rides, wagon rides, moon walk, and rock climbing. Best part: The animal encounters at the petting zoo are simply the best. Bonus points: The Homestead Hollow General Store is open and has home-made fried pies. (Homestead Hollow, Springville 35146. (205) 467-2002, (205) 467-3681 or www.homesteadhollow.com) Louisiana: Denham Springs, Antique Village Fall Festival (10/01/2011). Families are invited to stroll down Range Avenue in Historic Downtown Denham Springs and enjoy food, antiques, music, crafts arts, family entertainment and more. Attractions include the opportunity to see a blacksmith perform his art and the Odyssey Dancer do a youth dance tribute to popular Disney tunes. Best part: Musical performances will include a local jazz combo and local gospel singers on stage at the Train Depot. (228 N. Ranger Avenue, Denham Springs 70726. www.denhamspringsantiquedistrict.com)
 We want to expand the list and need your help. If you have a favorite fall festivial or know of an awesome corn maze please "Tell Mom" and we will add it to the list. Make sure to include the name of the festival or event and its location on the planet as well as why you like it or what makes it worth the trip. Our next round up will inlcude family friendly winter celebrations and Santa Trains. We are building the list right now and would love to have your feedback. So just "Tell Mom!".
Information compiled from our extensive database as of August 2011. Sometimes things change, so please confirm details before making plans. Updated by Scott Kamps-Duac, Copyright 2011.
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