It’s fall in Austin, which means it’s time for all the pumpkins (even if it’s not even close to cold yet!). One of our favorite annual traditions in the autumn is to go to Pumpkin Nights and see all the carved pumpkin displays.
I’ve rounded up all the information (and answered the frequently asked questions) below, so you can decide if Pumpkin Nights is your new fall tradition.
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What is Pumpkin Nights?
Pumpkin Nights is a walk through lots of big carved pumpkin displays. It happens every year from mid-September through the end of October. There’s a market area with professional pumpkin carvers, shows with people like fire dancers after dark, and food and drink vendors.
The main event is the trail. It’s about a half mile long, and goes through a handful of different themed worlds, including Harry Potter, pirates, Day of the Dead, and under the sea. Each world is made up of carved (artificial) pumpkins.
There’s a play area with seesaws and games about halfway through. You can also dig in the sand in the pirate world (a couple of years, there has been treasure to find, but not last year, so don’t make any promises).
Where is Pumpkin Nights?
Pumpkin Nights take place at Pioneer Farms in Northeast Austin. The address is 10621 Pioneer Farms Dr., Austin, Texas, 78754.
Because it’s on a farm, it can get really dusty or muddy. Wear appropriate shoes or a mask to keep dust out. The outdoor location also means you need to keep an eye on the weather. Dates will get canceled if there are storms.
Is Pumpkin Nights worth the price?
The downside of Pumpkin Nights is that it’s a bit pricey. I definitely think it’s worth going once and seeing what you personally think of it. You might decide once is enough for you or you might want to do it every year. For us, it’s worthwhile to go every year with the kids, because they remember it and look forward to it.
Tickets range from $16 to $32 for adults, and $12 to $22 for kids.
Things to consider:
Tickets on weekdays and earlier in the season (like September dates) are less expensive than weekends and later dates (as it gets closer to Halloween).
They don’t change it much year to year. It’s the same themed pumpkins, just sometimes in a slightly different order or location.
You can go through more than once. Once you arrive for your time slot, you can go through as many times as you like. We like to book an early time slot and go through once, more slowly, while it’s light out and less crowded. Then we go through again once it’s gotten dark.
What ages is Pumpkin Nights good for?
Pumpkin Nights is good for all ages. Plenty of people bring their babies and lots of people come without kids and have a good time.
There is a lot of walking, so if your little one can’t reliably walk very far, you may want to bring an all-terrain stroller or wagon. (The path is dirt, so it’s bumpy.) The trail itself is about a half mile long, but you have to walk from the parking lot, then to the trail from the pumpkin village area at the beginning, and then back to the parking lot. It adds up for little legs.
Is Pumpkin Nights scary?
No, it’s not made to be scary. There are no jump-scares or gore. It does get dark once the sun goes down, so if your kid is afraid of the dark, I’d recommend bringing glow sticks or buying light-up accessories at Pumpkin Nights. (It also will help you keep track of them!)
I’m trying to think of anything that a sensitive child might find scary — there are pumpkin spiders, and some of the pirates (again, made out of pumpkins so not realistic) have knives in them like they died in a brawl.
Can I bring my dog to Pumpkin Nights?
Only service animals are allowed.
Where do I park for Pumpkin Nights?
Parking for Pumpkin Nights is in a big field parking lot at the farm. It costs $10 per car.
Is there food and drink at Pumpkin Nights?
Yes, in the village area before you go to the trail, you can find food and drink vendors. There is food like hamburgers and turkey legs, and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. There is also sometimes a bar about halfway through the trail.
Looking for more fall fun? Check out these events around the area.