16+ Reasons Magnolia Meadow farms Will Be Your Favorite Fall Festival!
Magnolia Meadow Farms in Thurmont, MD is a newer farm to the fall festival and pumpkin picking fun in Maryland. Well, sort of new. Prior to 2022, Magnolia Meadow Farms was owned and operated as Winterbrook Farms. Those owners sold the farm in 2021 and the new owners are just as fantastic.
This is one of our absolute favorite fall festival locations in Maryland and I think your family would love it too! Read this guide for all the reasons why I think Magnolia Meadow Farms might become your favorite fall festival in Maryland!
Beautiful Location
I mean, how could Magnolia Meadow Farms not be in an absolutely stunning location! It is located off a country road in the middle of upper Frederick County, just a little over 10 minutes from Catoctin Mountain Park.
This fall festival farm is not nestled in the woods though. The farm is wide open and expansive. I love the open feel to the festival. It isn’t crowded and it just feels… peaceful!
Related: The Best Places to See Fall Foliage in Maryland
Unique Structures
But lest you need to remember that you are here to have fun, this fall festival take quirky and irreverent to a whole new level. Fans of the former Winterbrook Farm will be happy to know the giant Transformers are still on site to greet guests. These are seriously cool and make the best photo opportunities!
If you have a Transformers lover in your house they will get very excited to get close to these giants!
But there are other unique structures on site as well! The giant teepee is fantastic! You can actually go inside and check it out! It’s a great area to rest and get out of the sun. Or just hang out and have a snack.. in a teepee. You can chill out in a giant teepee.
Related: Summers Farm in Middletown, MD is a great Frederick County Fall Festival too!
Animals!
As a working farm, Magnolia Meadow Farms has a ton of animals you can visit and interact with! Pick up a cup or two of animal feed for $4 each when you purchase your tickets and you can feed goats, pigs, chickens, a giant rabbit and more!
I think my favorite animals to interact with are these gorgeous horses! They are very friendly with kids and adults. And you can actually pet them which is such a treat!
I love the fact that many of the animals are located under a huge covered barn.
Related: Gaver Farm in Mount Airy, MD has the biggest fall festival in Maryland (probably)
Covered Barn
Oh yeah, the covered barn is actually one of my favorite features of Magnolia Meadow Farms. With all that open space (and very few trees) it can get hot and sunny on the farm! But this barn is such a respite.
It’s huge and very airy. The barn not only houses many of the animals, but has party areas, a covered picnic area, and a Lil’ Farmer Play Area.
Young Kids Play Area
The younger kids play area is at least partially shaded under the barn. The activities probably change every year, but the corn crib and giant sandbox are definitely under the shade!
Related: 24+ Corn Mazes to Get Lost in in Maryland
Corn Maze
Magnolia Meadow Farms boasts the largest corn maze in Maryland! There are over 5 miles of corn maze trails and three different levels of difficulty. So, if you are worried about getting lost, just take the easiest trail! You can get a corn maze map at the ticket window.
The 2023 maze theme is Maryland! It’s in the shape of the state of Maryland, complete with a big can of Old Bay Seasoning and a crab! The crab is actually the kid’s maze this year!
Flower fields!
One of the features the new owners added to the fall festival farm are flower fields! These pick your own flower fields are gorgeous.
Magnolia Meadow Farms plants sunflower fields so that they just start reaching full bloom mid-September when they open for the season. It’s a 3-acre sunflower field and the cost is $2/stem, $15/mason jar, or $25/bucket.
Related: The Best Sunflower Fields in Maryland and the region!
They also offer a cut flower field and you can mix and match the gorgeous cut flowers with the sunflowers. The cut flower field has cosmos, zinnias, daisies, and more!
You can purchase cut flower for $1 a stem or mix and match with sunflowers for the mason jar or bucket (the same pricing applies).
Pumpkins!
The other pick-your-own adventure Magnolia Meadow Farms offers is pumpkin picking. Take the hayride out to the field to pick your own pumpkin for $.79/pound. Or, if you are short on time there is a fantastic variety of pumpkins and gourds available at the farm market!
Cow Train
Younger and older kids will both love taking the cow train. This is an adorable little cow train and the ride is pretty gentle.
Related: The Best Playgrounds in Frederick County, MD
Jumping Pillows
Magnolia Meadow Farms has a huge jumping pillow. They alternate times between older and younger kids so younger kids don’t get trampled (at least they did that when we visited).
Mountain Slides
There are multiple mountain slides. There is the slip-slide one (pictured above), as well as a series of slides made from plastic piping. None of the slides are too big to be super scary. They are all pretty fun though!
Hay Bale Rollers
Hay Bale Rollers are a fall festival feature that kids will love. See how well they can roll the hay bale down the track without falling down!
Mini-Zipline
The mini-ziplines are another attraction that would appeal to a wide age range. Super young kids might not be able to navigate the ziplines. But elementary school-aged kids should be fine. These ziplines are great for older kids and even adults! (I went on it!)
Related: Cherry Crest Adventure Farm in Lancaster County, PA is totally worth the drive!
So many smaller attractions
Some of the other fun attractions at Magnolia Meadow Farms include duck races, pedal karts, a tractor tire mountain, pumpkin bowling, corn hole, and more!
Great Photo Ops
There are so many fun fall photo ops at the farm! Sit on a hay bale on a tractor flatbed. Or, check out some of the other fun and whimsical photo places around the farm!
Apple Cannon
For an extra fee, you can fire the apple cannon. We LOVE this attraction and for 5 shots for $4 or 10 shots for $7 the extra fee is totally worth it!
Related: Best Easy Hikes in Maryland Perfect for Kids!
Great Food!
Come hungry to the farm because the food is really pretty fantastic. 2022 was the first year in operation and the owners were working out the snags. But we totally loved the food they offered. The burger was amazing, and my daughter devoured the chicken tenders and pretzel bites.
In 2023, Magnolia Meadow Farms has partnered with The Farmhouse Exchange for all kinds of delicious treats and food offerings!
And of course you can’t walk away from a fall festival without some fresh apple cider donuts! These were sooo delicious!
Live Music and more!
Magnolia Meadow Farms has an impressive line up of local and regional musical artists ready to entertain on the farm this fall! Each day has two different musical performers or groups.
New for 2023, on September 23 and 30, Magnolia Meadow Farms is holding a guided Butterfly Release!
And for the 2nd year in a row, the farm is also holding a Moonlit Maze on October 7 and 28. During these special events the farm will be open from 6-10pm for flashlight (and glow stick) corn maze fun, live music, more.
You can also rent a private campfire any time during the season where the farm gets everything set up (including starting the fire) and all you have to do is bring your hot dogs and s’mores to grill! How cool is that?
FAQ
Address: 13001 Creagerstown Rd, Thurmont, MD 21788. Google Map Directions here!
The Fall Season runs Saturdays and Sundays from September 23- October 29th. Hours are 10am-7pm on Saturday and 10am-5pm on Sunday. Moonlight Maze hours are 6-10pm on select nights.
Age 2 and under are FREE. Over 2 year old general admission is $15. Seniors and active duty military or veterans are $14.
There are public restrooms in the main building.
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