Worth the Trip: Shades of Autumn Festival at Stade’s Farm {McHenry}

Shades of Autumn is a Fall Festival at Stade’s Farm and Market in McHenry that our family has gone to every year since the kids have been old enough to enjoy it. On the weekends, the farm is open for the whole family to enjoy all of the great activities. The main reason to visit is to take a hayride out to the pumpkin patch, pick your own pumpkins, and come back to the main area. The ride is included in the price, but the pumpkins are extra. It’s a fun place to take a picture of your little ones sitting on some big pumpkins in the field. You can also purchase pre-picked pumpkins.

Admission includes all sorts of fun activities for $10, which is a much better price than having to pay for each activity, as in years past. The main attractions include veggie cars, climbing web, giant jumping pillow, duck races, pedal cars, observation bridge, petting zoo, pumpkin cannon, corn maze, corn cannons, barrel train, bovine befuddlement maze, inflatables, tractor-tire pyramid, tractor tire swings, and (our favorite), the corn bins. A 20 minute ride on Frank the Combine is an extra fee of $5.

Another plus is the yummy food! You can get lunch or snack there in the barn. Don’t miss the apple cider donuts, which are our favorite. You can also purchase fresh-picked produce from the farm market.

Strollers are OK to bring, although it is a bit hard pushing them around the grassy area. Just a side note, there will be a lot of standing, and walking around, as everything is spread out. Two years ago, when we went with the family, I was pretty pregnant, and ended up having my daughter the very next day! I attribute it to all the exercise- might have been a fluke!

Shades of Autumn is located at Stade’s Farm and Market, which is in McHenry County, but worth the scenic drive. You can find them at:

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Becky Honaker has written 23 post in this blog.

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