Where can you go for a safe fall festival near Orlando?

It’s on everyone’s mind these days. The kids have started school, the holidays are approaching, and the sun sets earlier. Autumn is here in all her glorious splendor. And with it, every pumpkin or pumpkin spiced treat imaginable. So, when nostalgia for times past kicks in, where can you go for a safe fall festival near Orlando these days?

Packing up the kids and heading out for those seasonal haunts looks a little different this year. But the tradition continued, without a hiccup, as we discovered a safe fall festival near Orlando revealing itself down a winding dirt road.

Scheduling our time slot online, we head out ready to leave the stale air of home for an open-air market. At our allotted time, on that sun-drenched Saturday morning, my daughter, her friends, and I found our way to Southern Hills Farm.

Getting to this safe fall festival

As we turned off US Hwy 27, the dust kicked up. Cars wove through acres of harvested land.  Leading the way were wafts of apple cider and steaming barbecue luring you in. Patiently, we awaited our turn in the car, to confirm our tickets at the entrance booth. At last, the masked laden greeter waved us onward. And like a bandit in the night, a sudden feeling of escape rushed through my veins. Finally, we were outdoors and free! The anticipation of fun rose higher as a familiar country song galloped over the crowd and hordes of visitors were lured from their cars. Instinctively, people secured their masks as quickly as setting up their strollers. In the distance, the beat picked up.  

A return of old traditions

Hearing the scuttle of children and laughter among friends (spaced six feet apart) the parade of participants in today’s spectacular festival of fall brought a little of the Indian-summer warmth back to my heart. All the while, security officers would weave through the field on four-wheelers, making sure this rowdy crew of tikes and toddlers stayed in line.

Fall festivals are family traditions. And they used to be a time of settling in. After the flutter of summer fun, you’d gather, preparing for the coming winter. But this? No. This feels more like the reawakening of spring. A chance to be among other people and see that they’re ok too! Friends huddled on hayrides, singles taste testing each food truck, lovers sampling spiked ciders. Conjured memories from autumns past flowed over me, and for a moment 2020 felt normal again.

What measures they use to make this a safe fall festival

But then we were stopped at the entrance for a preview of what lies ahead. With new rules in place, they reminded us of precautionary measures taken to ensure everyone’s safety. A sigh of relief came over the socially distanced onlookers. As we all took seriously, and thankfully, the extra effort this family of farmers put out to entertain our weary quarantined hearts. The impressive, length they went to make every station they had, a socially distanced attraction was ingenious. They even went the extra mile converting an old tractor and irrigation system into hand washing stations. Brilliant!

What you’ll do when you’re there

After covering the important stuff, they enticed us in further with a list of the days activities. Our contagiously happy greeter ran down a litany of family friendly attractions awaiting us just beyond the haystacks. There were hayrides, sunflower picking stations, pumpkin picking, food trucks and live entertainment. Bouncie houses for the kids and a petting zoo for everyone.

Making our way first to the hayride, we took a quick spin around the meticulously harvested rows where vegetables will once again grow. Straight from there, we paraded up the sandy path towards a pegboard filled with sanitized scissors. Picking a pair, we wandered the overgrown fields of sunflowers and autumn blooms, clipping the perfect bunch to take home.

Flowers for Grandma

I was particularly touched when one of the friends said he picked them for his grandma who couldn’t be there due to the current pandemic. But the array of colors he chose was enough to fill her vases for a month. I knew once she saw them, she’d feel like she wandered the fields with him.

Fields of flowers and food

After watching my daughter and her best friend race around for the tallest blossom, the Florida sun demanded we make our way to a converted Airstream for our dose of apple cider. They chose a frozen blend and blueberry lemonade.  I went for the good old-fashioned apple cider on ice. They didn’t offer it warm but hinted at the spiked apple cider for an alternative at the next booth.

While waiting in line, you couldn’t help but have all your senses draw you to the counter where warm apple cider donuts were being churned out by the dozens. Snatching our savory treats, we made our way to the top of the barn, overlooking the festivities.

After resting for a while and devouring every sticky morsel of the batch, we followed the little ones into a line, awaiting our turn to pick the perfect pumpkins. I think my favorite purchase that day, though, was a surprise. I grew up across from a farm. Being raised on bushels of corn, green beans, and jersey tomatoes was an everyday event where I came from.

Surprising finds

But hidden in an open door barn turned farmers market were special spa treats made from natural remedies. I gathered my blueberry body lotion, a corn shaped loofah, and some pumpkin & coconut salt scrub, making my way to the counter. I would have stayed hours, shopping their shelves, but I thought it only fair since 8 people at a time were allowed in the store, perhaps I should give someone else a chance.

Loading our finds in a new reusable bag, we made our way out to the parking lot. With full stomachs and satisfied hearts, our dose of fall was fulfilled. Ducking into the car just in time, we avoided the droplets from Florida’s 2 o’clock shower. As we pulled away we noticed the next set of excited home-bodies patiently waiting in line seeking their much needed dose of fall.

How To Get There

To make your appointment you have to go online to purchase tickets because space is limited in the number of visitors that can be there at one time.

Purchase your tickets at: https://southernhillfarms.com/

Click on the button that says “Event Calendar” at the bottom.

This will take you to a page where you can choose the dates you want your tickets for.

The fall festival is being held Thurs-Sun From Sept 26 through Nov 8^th, 2020.

Some days the festival runs from 9am to 4pm, other days it runs from 11am to 7pm,

Tickets range from $7.99 to $11.99 depending on the day you choose.

The farm is located at: 16651 Schofield Rd., Clermont, 34714

 For more information you can reach them at: 407-986-5806

And if by chance you can’t make it to the festival, their wares are sold online for pick-up on Wednesdays.