Time has been flying, or dragging depending on your classes, and it’s already October. Time to start planning costumes, chow down on some candy and get into the autumn spirit.
While there’s no patches to pick a pumpkin off the vine in downtown Nashville, if a pile of leafs to jump in or hayrides on the farm are what you’re looking for, check out these fun farms. You can pick the perfect pumpkin or get lost in a corn maze at these farms located less than an hour away from campus.
Honeysuckle Hill Farm:
Honeysuckle Hill Farm encourages visitors to take a ride on their pumpkin train making stops along the way to pick a pumpkin, explore their country music corn maze or cheer on their favorite hog in the hillbilly pig races. For all the runners out there, Honeysuckle Hill Farm will be hosting The Great Pumpkin Run on Nov. 3 where the most stoic runners will take on the “Tough Pumpkin” challenge and race the 5k while holding a 5+ lb pumpkin.
Lucky Ladd Farms:
Lucky Ladd Farms, voted Tennessee’s #1 pumpkin patch, is the place to be for all perfect pumpkin hunters. They also have a Nashville Predators themed corn maze, petting zoo, pumpkin slingshots and corn cannons.
Fiddle Dee Farms:
Fiddle Dee Farms calls their Pumpkin Town “not just another pumpkin patch” filled with a variety of pumpkin types such as peanut pumpkins, a pumpkin patch hayride, pumpkin basketball and skeeball and pumpkin bowling. At night, visitors can roast s’mores over a bonfire or bring their flashlights and dare to venture into the eight-acre corn maze.
If you’re not interested in getting muddy or paying to Uber to a farm there are a variety of fall activities closer to Vanderbilt and downtown Nashville. You may not be able to run around a corn maze or watch little pigs race, but you can still enjoy some spooky Halloween fun.
Nashville Pumpkin Company:
The Nashville Pumpkin Company is the closest thing to a pumpkin patch in downtown Nashville. Located in 12 South they have adorable photo opps, pumpkin bowling, mums and, of course, plenty of pumpkins ready to carve.
The Legend’s Tour:
The Legend’s Tour is perfect if you’re looking for a very Vandy Halloween, as it’s a ghost tour right here on campus. Prepare to be spooked as you join fellow students on Oct. 24 at 5:30 p.m. outside Kirkland to find out which of Vanderbilt’s friendly (or not so friendly) ghosts may be haunting your walk to class. The first 75 students to arrive will receive a free t-shirt and all students can enjoy tasty Halloween treats and GME credit; RSVP on Anchorlink.
The Nightmare Before Christmas at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center:
On Oct. 25 and 26 the Schermerhorn Symphony Center will be screening Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas while the Symphony plays the movie’s soundtrack live.
Cheekwood Harvest:
From now until Oct. 21, the Cheekwood Estate and Gardens will be celebrating their Cheekwood Harvest. Stop and smell the mums (over 5,000 of them) in their autumn gardens, take a selfie with one of their creative scarecrow for the chance to win free tickets to their Holiday LIGHTS winter festival, pick up some pumpkins to decorate your dorm with and make sure to snap a picture with their famous pumpkin house. The pumpkin house is Cheekwood Harvest’s most popular autumn attraction and is made up of over 400 pumpkins and gourds.
Full Moon Pickin’ Party:
A few times throughout the year—only during a full moon—some of the best bluegrass musicians around meet in a barn at Warner Park to perform for the public. The next pickin’ party will be extra spooky so close to Halloween on Oct. 26 from 7 to 11 p.m.
