It’s finally sweater weather season, where the 80-degree heat has finally cooled down in South Dakota. Whether you’re looking for a scare or wanting to frolick in a pumpkin patch or apple orchard, there’s something happening all over the state. Bring on more carbs, hot drinks, and fall fun!
Mazing Acres
In 2019, a trip to a Nebraska pumpkin patch sparked the idea to bring a similar experience to Yankton for Mazing Acres owners Molly and Scott Nedved.
“We opened in the fall of 2020, and we were hoping to create a place where families and friends could come spend a fall day together, while making the best memories,” said Molly.
With over 30 attractions, Molly says they try to add something new every year. The Goat Plex, a playground for the goats, and a themed playhouse area with an old schoolhouse and hardware store, are both new to the 2026 season.
The five-acre corn maze, six-acre pumpkin patch, and flower field are accompanied by the popular 150-foot Mega Slide, corn pit, Mega Bounce pillow, and the paintball shooting gallery. Molly says there’s also a plethora of places for photo opps.
“We see families from throughout South Dakota, as well as Nebraska and Iowa, and we love hearing that Mazing Acres has become part of their family’s fall tradition,” added Molly. “We want Mazing Acres to be a place where everyone—all ages—can spend a day together.”
There are also plenty of interactive games and activities for families to participate in, like the Rolling Races, Tether Ball, Tug of War, Zip Lines, and more.
“The best part of the year for us is opening the gates mid-September and finally watching people enjoy everything we’ve spent the year working on,” she said.
From planting and caring for pumpkins and corn, maintaining and improving attractions, mowing, painting, building, decorating, and about 100 other things most guests never see, Molly says there’s months of preparation before opening day on September 19.
“Once we’re open it takes a lot of people every weekend to keep everything running,” revealed Molly. “We couldn’t do it without our ‘mazing’ staff and the people in our community who help us along the way.”
Periodically on the weekends, Mazing Acres hosts live music and face painting, as well as field trips and corporate parties during the week.
Molly also heads Mazing Porches—a front porch decorating business that can customize outdoor entryways for autumn.
By the time fall rolls around, there are thousands and thousands of pumpkins around the farm.
“Our phrase is, “harvest the happy,” and that really sums up what we want Mazing Acres to be,” said Molly. “We hope we have created a place where people can enjoy time together while making the best memories. We hope they leave happier than when they came.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT MAZINGACRES.COM+
Adele’s Cat Pumpkin Patch
Adele’s Cat Pumpkin Patch in Jefferson originated from siblings having a vision of turning an old farmstead into a local pumpkin patch for the community and surrounding area to enjoy.
“Our goal was to be family friendly at a low cost,” said co-owner Kathy Geary. “A place where you can come relish in the fall weather, let the kids enjoy themselves, and parents can relax as well.”
Local lore says the land situated between the Big Sioux River and the Missouri River attracted early settlers in 1859, and what is now Jefferson was originally dubbed “Adele’s Cat.” The story goes that a pioneer family stopped in the area for the night, and the young girl—Adele—lost her cat. After much lamenting over the situation, they decided to stay indefinitely, and named the area after their beloved pet.
Named after the popular tale, the attraction at 33031 482nd Avenue brings in people from all over, offering a wide range of family-friendly activities for all ages. The pumpkin patch is open Saturdays 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sundays noon to 6 p.m. through November.
“You can visit our farm animals, including goats, chickens, and of course, our friendly cats,” said Kathy. “Kids can ride the barrel train, play in the corn pit, zoom down our many slides, dig in the sand in our tire playground, shoot hoops in our basketball gravity wagon, and try out our slingshots.”
Guests can pick their own pumpkins, build a scarecrow, or pump water with old-fashioned pitcher pumps. In true fall tradition, people can also be found exploring the corn maze.
“GROWING NEW TYPES IS PART OF THE FUN, AND DECORATIVE PUMPKINS ARE ALWAYS A CROWD FAVORITE. PERSONALLY, I HAVE A SOFT SPOT FOR THE WARTY ONES.”
Kathy Geary
Each year the owners host a Pumpkin Drop, where they release one of their giant pumpkins from high in the air.
“It’s a crowd favorite for both the young and the young-at-heart,” said Kathy.
The event makes new additions to the pumpkin patch every year, usually in the form of a new activity.
“This year we added the PVC slide and several pieces of playground equipment out in our shelter belt,” said Kathy. “It’s always exciting to brainstorm what we want to introduce for the following season.”
Adele’s Cat Pumpkin Patch is a family affair, with Kathy and her husband Travis, and sister Erin Hammitt and her husband Nick operating it all together. They all handle prep work, starting with planting the pumpkins in the spring.
“The guys take charge of building new additions and keeping everything maintained, while my sister and I plan for the next season, create photo opportunities, decorate the porches, and manage field trips and the snack shop,” said Kathy.
Food like popcorn and hot dogs are available for purchase, as well as a plethora of beverages like hot chocolate, apple cider floats, specialty drinks, craft and domestic beer, and wine and wine slushies are available.
The attraction collaborated with local brewery Jefferson Beer Supply this year, picking and roasting pumpkins in their pumpkin patch this fall to create Adele’s Patch Cat Ale.
“It’s a lightly-spiced roasted pumpkin ale that can be found at our pumpkin patch or on tap at Jefferson Beer Supply,” said Kathy. “We love to support each other locally.”
The family business also strives to keep costs down so every child has the opportunity to experience the fall fun.
“As we continue to grow, our goal is to maintain the charm and warmth of a small family farm,” said Kathy.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT ADELESCATPUMPKINPATCH.COM+
Fear Asylum
What originally was designed as a small walkthrough attraction in Brookings has turned into 8,000 square feet of action, immersion, and high-level special effects.
Fear Asylum began in 2009, and is now South Dakota’s premier haunted house.
“This is a professional event that has been developing for over a decade,” said owner and designer Buck Burdick. “We not only build our haunted house, we build things for some of the largest attractions in the world. Not many people can say that.”
Burdick and his team have movie-quality sets, costumes, and makeup, along with special effects and lighting “that are top notch.”
The doors to the abandoned Brookend Asylum at 216 West 6th Street have been opened for the 16th season, and it’s been “overturned by restless patients.” Doctors have ulterior motives, and patients have been taken by the facility to a newly unearthed government-funded Covert Experimentation Center. The C.E.C. is filled with “the most vile, disturbing, mutilated creatures.”
How has this all gone unnoticed? The avaricious caretaker of the Asylum’s graveyard has been hiding the failed experiments amongst the numerous headstones.
Burdick and his team change about 20 percent of the attraction every year, working year round on it. Because of the details and theatrics of the experience, people keep coming back for more.
“We have realized our attraction is part of thousands of people’s fall calendar,” said Burdick. “It’s a family tradition. We have parents that show up with older kids, and they tell us they have been coming since their children were little. That is an honor.”
Enter the Asylum
OPEN THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS, AND SATURDAYS THROUGHOUT OCTOBER FROM 7-10 P.M.
Fear Asylum has become much more than a haunted house. There are also three mini escape rooms, photo ops, Halloween snacks, and a gift shop.
Escape rooms include The CRYPT, DEFUSED, and the motion simulator, The Last Ride.
The Last Ride is a five-minute solo experience where guests are taken in a hearse and “hear the sounds, feel the movements, and smell the roses, dirt, and decay while being buried alive.”
Burdick’s favorite part of Fear Asylum is the creative team behind the scares.
“I love our staff and what this place has become to them,” he said. “I can look back at the hundreds of team members we have had over the years. They grow up and move on, but they still stay in contact.”
Burdick says it’s been a stepping stone for people to come out of their shell, gain confidence, and be whoever they want to be.
“Building something together that is adored by so many is a true gift,” he said.
Preparation for the next season begins while the current season is running. The crew sees what works and what doesn’t. Burdick flies in specialists from around the country to help curate the scenes.
“For example, last March I flew a lighting engineer in to program and light three scenes,” said Burdick. “I have scenic artists, computer programmers, and prop makers that all help out.”
His main goal is not to scare people, but to give them a good show.
“We can’t scare everyone, but we can entertain everyone,” said Burdick. “All I care about is that everyone who attends has a safe and memorable experience. As long as they leave saying ‘wow, that was cool,’ we have succeeded.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT FEAR-ASYLUM.COM+
Big Stone Pumpkin Patch
Mark and Emily Mueller started Big Stone Pumpkin Patch as a small field of pumpkins with a card table and a pop-up tent in 2012.
The fall attraction at 48587 148th Street in Big Stone City now has 12 acres of pumpkins and also sells corn shocks, straw bales, squash, and flint corn. It also has around 25 activities for all ages, including a corn maze, hay rides, jumping pillow and jump pad, paintball, corn dig, bale climb, and yard games.
The pick-your-own pumpkin patch runs until October 25 on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pre-picked pumpkins of all sizes are also available, along with gourds and specialty pumpkins.
Guests can also enjoy warm drinks like hot cocoa, apple cider, and cappuccinos, and treats like their Minu Donuts, Caramel Apples, nachos, pretzels, Sno Cones, and cotton candy.
“At concessions, the most popular item is mini donuts,” said Emily. “Our kids are always trying to come up with new creations for the concessions to serve.”
Beware of Billy Bones
Stay tuned for the fake skeleton, Billy Bones, to appear on Big Stone Pumpkin Patch’s social media.
“Some of the workers love coming up with fun things for Billy Bones to do, and some think I’m going crazy,” said Emily. “Pumpkin Patch Pat might also make some appearances in some posts this year.”
Each year there is a new corn maze design, and this year’s creation is America250 to celebrate the United State’s birthday.
“We work with GK Technology—a precision mapping company—to design the corn maze,” said Emily. “This year we wanted to incorporate America’s 250th, which turned out great.”
The Muellers have four children who help with planning, setup, and work the event, along with high schoolers looking for a job on the weekends.
“We started this when our daughter was 3, and now she’s a senior in high school,” said Emily. “This will be her last season helping us. We have had so many fun staff members over the years—it’s been amazing to get to know them and watch them grow up.”
Emily says they like seeing all of the excitement of the kids who come to the pumpkin patch. The couple often has families of all ages and generations spending time with each other, which is the attraction’s true intention.
“We just want to provide something different for the community to do,” said Emily. “We have the space and ability to share a unique experience for many people, so why not?”
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT BIGSTONEPUMPKINPATCH.COM+
Haunting of Keystone
The creative adventure of bringing the Haunting of Keystone alive began in 2009 with locals Gideon Oakes, Patty and Rich Songstad, and Sandi McLain.
The inaugural haunting took place at the Keystone Victorian Schoolhouse Museum with the experience later expanding into three locations, including the museum, Big Thunder Gold Mine, and Rushmore Cave at Rush Mountain.
Themes are chosen annually for each venue with different levels of haunt. This year, themes include Down the Rabbit Hole at Rushmore Cave, Through the Veil: Your Nightmares Await at Big Thunder, and Macabre Masquerade at the Schoolhouse Museum.
The themes direct the changing displays, and according to McLain, have escalated in popularity throughout the years.
“In 2025 we had over 6,000 people attend by reservation over a 14 day period. It is so amazing how we all play it off,” added McLain. “I marvel at each location and its professionalism.”
The owner of the gold mine, McLain, says due to the experience the Songstads have with the film industry through their daughter, Sydney Songstad, who worked on the 2025 Netflix series Pulse, they try to attain the level of their professionalism. Over 150 volunteers and staff members work to put the haunting on spread out between each location.
“When we are done, it’s not the money, but the quality of experience our guests have,” added McLain. “We love our customers and enjoy the screams that echo through the valley of Keystone.”
Three months of preparation goes into building the team, the set, and rehearsals. New ideas begin in December as they end the final days of the haunting, and McLain says they hope to continue providing the most haunted experience possible.
“Our teams make all the decisions, not the owners,” she added. “It’s a true picture of art, the cohesiveness of all three teams. We have cast parties and treat all of our actors with respect, and they always want to return.”
According to McLain, ghosts have been documented in many businesses and older structures in the town of Keystone. The deaths that occurred in town during the 1880s and 1990s created tales that are still hard to understand.
“Our Keystone Cemetery is on the 100 Most Haunted Cemeteries in the US,” she added.
The Haunting has won two significant awards for efforts through the State Department of Tourism and Black Hills Badlands and Lakes Association, including the Peter Norbeck Excellence in Tourism Award in 2023, and the Special Achievement Award in 2018.
“We usually take 15% of the gross profits to preserve our town’s 1899 Victorian Schoolhouse building and other church and organizational support,” clarified McLain.
McLain and the ownership group believe the Haunting of Keystone is one of the most unforgettable experiences in the state.
“Our partners all work together like a clock,” she said. “The community depends on us and we depend on them.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT HAUNTINGOFKEYSTONE.COM+
Mortimer’s Monstrous Halloween
When district park supervisor Becky Graff started at Oakwood Lakes State Park in 2015, she was impressed by the number of successful annual events they were putting on. One type that was missing, though, was a Halloween celebration in October.
“I’ve started Halloween events at both the Big Sioux Recreation Area near Brandon and Richmond Lake Recreation Area near Aberdeen, and felt Oakwood Lakes State Park near Bruce would be a great place to start another one,” she recalled.
In 2016 they held the inaugural Mortimer’s Monstrous Halloween, which kicked off with a ribbon cutting for a new playground that had been donated by a local family. The day was a hit, and has continued to grow and change throughout the years.
Did You Know?
OAKWOOD LAKES STATE PARK IS OPEN YEAR ROUND.
This year’s come-and-go event is October 31 from 2-5 p.m.
Some of the fun activities guests can take part in include trick-or-treat tables sponsored by area businesses, a Skeleton Scavenger Hunt, spooky crafts, and face painting.
Surrounding community members and families come time and again to get festive with park staff. The team tries to come up with something new “every year or two,” and recently added trolley rides through the park and an apple slingshot, which were hits.
The Skeleton Scavenger Hunt is one of Graff ’s favorites.
“We dress life-sized skeletons up as if they’re participating in the different activities you can do in the park and set them up along a trail,” she explained. “For example, we put a skeleton in a kayak with a life jacket on and a paddle in its hands. The activities are more fun than scary, so parents with young children really like to come and participate.”
Surrounding communities really embrace the event, says Graff, like the nearby Preston Christian Church getting youth group members involved by helping with the face painting and hosting a trick-or-treat table. The park has participants who attend every single year, and also draw in new faces each time.
“Whether they’re new to Oakwood Lakes State Park or to the event, they all seem to have fun,” said Graff. “This event gives community members another activity to do for Halloween and brings people out to the park.”
South Dakota Game, Fish, & Parks’s mission is to “serve and connect people and families to the outdoors through effective management of our state’s parks, fisheries, and wildlife resources.”
“Our vision is to conserve our state’s outdoor heritage to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations,” said Graff. “Our goals are to foster partnerships, cultivate stewardship, and safely connect people with the outdoors.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT GFP.SD.GOV+
