Fall with kids just hits different. 🍂 Pumpkin patches, corn mazes, Halloween events, bonfires and all the cider donuts you can handle—there’s plenty happening around Kenosha this season. We rounded up the family-friendly fall fun worth putting on your calendar, so you can spend less time searching and more time making plans.

Fall on the Farm at Jerry Smith Farm

📍 Jerry Smith Farm | Sept. 12–Nov. 1 | Free displays + paid activity area

If fall had a headquarters in Kenosha, this might be it. Jerry Smith’s fall season brings the pumpkins, famous hand-painted displays and cider donuts, plus a huge activity area for the kids. Think a 6-acre corn maze, hayrides, petting zoo, giant bounce pads, pedal carts, play structures and plenty more. You can stop by for the free displays and Country Store or make a whole day of it with activity-area tickets.

Good to know: Kids 2 and under are free for the activity area; ages 3+ need a ticket. Current online admission starts at $10.95 on weekdays and $16.95 on weekends, with some activities such as camel/pony rides costing extra.

Thompson Farm Fall Festival

📍 Thompson Farm | Sept. 12–Oct. 25 | Weekends | $14.95 online / $19 at the gate | Ages 2 & under free

This is the one for kids who need more than just picking out a pumpkin. Thompson Farm turns its 4-acre Adventure Farm into a full fall playground with two giant bounce pillows, a huge tube slide, low ropes course, tricycle track, jungle maze, playground, farm animals and more. You can also pick your own pumpkins and raspberries while you’re there, grab some fall treats and make a whole day out of it

Good to know: The Fall Festival runs weekends only from September 12 through October 25, generally 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Pumpkin and raspberry availability can change with weather/picking conditions, so checking their daily update before going is worthwhile

Dinos in the Dark

📍 Dinosaur Discovery Museum | Oct. 2, 9, 16 & 23 | 6–9 p.m. | $8 members / $10 non-members

Dinosaurs after dark? This might be one of the coolest kid-friendly Halloween events in Kenosha. Grab a flashlight and explore the Dinosaur Discovery Museum after hours, when the skeletons look a whole lot different in the dark. There are three entry times each Friday—6, 7 and 8 p.m.—so you can pick what works best for your family.

Good to know: You have to buy tickets ahead of time—the museum specifically says there will be no walk-in tickets.

Friday Beach Bonfire Nights

📍 The Kenosha Beach House on Simmons Island | Fridays through Oct. 9 | 6:30–9:30 p.m. | Free

Trade the pumpkin patch for a night at the beach. Friday Bonfire Nights bring smaller campfires to the sand starting at 6:30 p.m., followed by the big beach bonfire at 8. Grab a s’mores kit, bring a blanket and let the kids hang out by the fire while you get one more Lake Michigan night in before it gets too cold. The Beach House says entertainment varies by week and can include DJs, live music and other activities.

Good to know: It’s weather-dependent, so check for cancellations before heading out. Food, drinks and s’mores kits are available for purchase, but admission itself is free.

Flannel Fest at Petrifying Springs

📍 Petrifying Springs Biergarten | Oct. 3 | 11 a.m.–9 p.m. | Free admission

Break out the flannel for a full-on fall day at Petrifying Springs. Flannel Fest has live music, food trucks, kids’ activities and Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Shows, plus competitions—including a beard contest. It’s an easy one to add to the fall bucket list when you want the fall-festival vibe without another pumpkin patch.

Good to know: Admission is free. Food and drinks are available for purchase; some activities may have an additional cost.

Fall Fun Fest at Pringle Nature Center

📍 Pringle Nature Center at Bristol Woods | Sept. 26 | 11 a.m.–3 p.m. | Free

If you want a fall outing that doesn’t cost $20 a person, put this one on the calendar. Fall Fun Fest takes over Bristol Woods with hayrides, live animal programs, games, crafts, live music, community booths and plenty of nature-themed activities for the kids.

Good to know: Admission and all activities are free. Bring money if you want food from the food trucks, something from the market vendors, or raffle tickets.

Kemper Haunted House

📍 Kemper Center | Saturdays in October | 6–10 p.m. | $5–$10

Got a kid who wants something spooky—but maybe not too spooky? Kemper Center’s annual Haunted House runs throughout October, with a lights-on experience from 6–7 p.m. for younger kids or anyone who wants the Halloween fun without the full scare. After 7, the lights go down and the regular haunted house begins

Good to know: If you’re bringing younger kids, definitely aim for the 6–7 p.m. lights-on hour.

BOOth-or-Treat at Boo & Brew

📍 BB’s Pub | Oct. 31 | 11 a.m.–3 p.m. | Free

Boo & Brew is wrapping up its first fall season with a Halloween finale just for families. Kids can come dressed in costume and trick-or-treat their way through participating vendor booths while you browse local makers, grab some food and check out the other fall activities. Think trunk-or-treat, but with a local market mixed in.

Good to know: The regular Boo & Brew market runs every Saturday from Sept. 12 through Oct. 31, with free weekly children’s activities, but Halloween is the special trick-or-treat finale

Free Halloween Fun at Kenosha Public Library

Halloween Spooktacular

📍 Northside Library | Oct. 28 | 6–7 p.m. | Families with children

Costumes are encouraged for an hour of Halloween fun with a pumpkin-themed storytime, games, activities, crafts and a chance for kids to show off their costumes.

Monster Mash Halloween Bash

📍 Southwest Library | Oct. 29 | 5:30–6:30 p.m. | Families with children

Little monsters can dress up for a Halloween party at the library featuring a costume parade, games and more family activities

The Great Pumpkin Engineering Lab

📍 KPL Northside Neighborhood Library | Oct. 25 | 2–3 p.m.

Calling all little builders! Families can work together to create a pumpkin-themed chain-reaction machine at this hands-on fall STEAM event. Kids get to experiment, problem-solve and see if they can get their creation to work from start to finish—with plenty of trial and error along the way.