Fall Fun at Pumpkin Patches & Orchards in Willamette Valley, OR
Stay Local and Enjoy a Harvest Weekend Adventure
This Fall, plan your “nearcation” for a harvest adventure weekend in the Willamette Valley. A drive into Oregon’s Wine Country will have you visiting abundant orchards, colorful pumpkin patches, and farms brimming with nature’s bounty. Make a whole weekend out of it by indulging in a pampered stay at Newberg’s Chehalem Ridge Bed & Breakfast, just 25 miles outside of Portland. The folks at Chehalem Ridge B&B (that’s us – Kristin, Julissa & Ayelet!) would love to host you while you pick pumpkins, get lost in corn mazes and enjoy harvest picnics at these fun nearby farms and orchards.
A Tisket, A Tasket, A Green and Yellow Basket…
In the middle of Willamette Valley’s wine country, right off Scholls Ferry Road, Smith Berry Barn Farm and Garden Market will have you filling basket after basket of fall goodies. Open February through Christmas, this country market supplies a wonderful array of homegrown goods for all seasons. From late Summer through Fall, visit Tuesday through Sunday 10 – 5pm for U-pick apples, pears and winter squash. Check out their website for what is ripe and available to harvest. Besides orchards and gardens, their picture-perfect farm store is also filled with a range of eclectic, must-have home decor items and their culinary selection will have even the most amateur cook heading to check-out with a basket full of spices and adorable, of-the-moment kitchen accessories. If you get a bit hungry while you’re perusing the cookbook section, no worries! They have gourmet popcorn, ice cream, espresso and homemade seasonal milkshakes.
Oh My Gourd! Which Pumpkin to Pick?
In the Fall, it’s pumpkins galore at the Willamette Valley’s Red Berry Barn where you can pick your very own from the 15 different varieties of gourds and squash grown on the farm. This year, from September 19th – October 31st, folks can also enjoy activities ranging from corn mazes to barrel trains and then shop for locally made products like jams, honey and unique home-goods that make great holiday gifts! Plus, for those of you who can’t visit a pumpkin patch without a hot beverage in hand and some apple cider donuts, Red Berry Barn also doubles as a cafe and bakery delivering home-baked pies (savory Chicken Pot Pies or sweet apple and berry pies), freshly-churned ice cream and, yes, glorious donuts! Open daily from 9 to 5pm (til 6 in October), in Sherwood off of 99W.
The Great Pumpkin and Old St. Nick – Under One Roof
Visiting Sleighbells of Sherwood marks the beginning of the holiday season for many folks living in the Portland metropolitan area. From July 1st to December 23rd, people drive from all around Northwestern Oregon to visit this homestead-turned-holiday wonderland in Willamette Valley, Oregon. It’s a magical place children and adults alike can enjoy once the summer draws to a close and the spirit of the holidays inches closer. In the Fall, pumpkins surround the farmhouse and inside you’ll find all sorts of Halloween tricks and treats and decorations (both fun and creepy). Come November, Halloween takes a backseat and the Christmas side of Sleighbells takes over. Head to Sleighbells to find the tree ornament you can’t find anywhere else (they have thousands!), explore the remarkable selection of small decorative Christmas villages, and indulge in homemade fudge and hot cocoa. When it’s time for a tree, there’s a farm for U-cut or pre-cut Douglas, Noble Fir and Grand trees. Located just up the road from Red Berry Barn off of 99W.
A Farm for Fall
Though it has a suburbia address, the sixth-generation family farm Hoffman Farm Store is just beyond the city into wide-open spaces of the country. Starting mid-September, the pumpkin fields (with 50 varieties!) will be open for U-Pick, as will the 10-acre corn maze and small Scholls Valley Railroad. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the Hoffman BBQ food truck is open and Barn Door Brewing has beer, wine, and cider. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10-5 mid-August through mid-November when they transition to a Christmas tree and holiday market.
Celebrate Fall with a Harvest Adventure Weekend
As summer fades from sight in our rear-view mirror, we invite you to look ahead to the fun and exciting adventures an Oregon Fall brings with it. Come visit the Willamette Valley’s orchards and pumpkin patches to kick-start the holidays and all the exciting activities that come along with the fall season. And if you’re also looking to wear snuggly sweaters while enjoying cozy fireplaces and hot, comforting food, look no further than Chehalem Ridge Bed and Breakfast. As a five guest-room mountain-top retreat in the heart of wine country, it’s the ideal location for your harvest adventure weekend. For more ideas of how to enjoy autumn in Wine Country, check out our recent blog post for a great 3-Night Getaway itinerary.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is harvest season at Willamette Valley farms and orchards?
The valley’s harvest-season farms open in four overlapping windows. Smith Berry Barn runs February through Christmas with fall hours Tuesday through Sunday, 10am to 5pm. Hoffman Farm Store opens mid-August through mid-November, with Christmas trees taking over from mid-November on. Red Berry Barn typically runs mid-September through October 31. Sleighbells of Sherwood opens July 1 and runs through December 23, pivoting from Halloween décor in fall to Christmas inventory from November onward.
Which fall farms and orchards are closest to Newberg?
Four farms sit within an easy drive of Newberg. Smith Berry Barn is on Scholls Ferry Road in Hillsboro, offering U-pick apples, pears, and winter squash alongside a farm store. Red Berry Barn and Sleighbells of Sherwood both sit just off 99W near Sherwood (which borders Newberg to the northeast). Hoffman Farm Store is in the Scholls Valley area with 50 pumpkin varieties and a 10-acre corn maze. All four pair well with a Newberg-based weekend.
Can I pick my own pumpkins and apples at Willamette Valley farms?
Yes. Smith Berry Barn offers U-pick apples, pears, and winter squash during fall. Hoffman Farm Store has U-pick pumpkins across 50 varieties alongside its 10-acre corn maze. Red Berry Barn stocks 15 varieties of pumpkins and gourds. If your trip stretches toward the holidays, Sleighbells of Sherwood offers U-cut Christmas trees (Douglas, Noble, and Grand fir) from mid-November through December 23.
What else is there to do at the farms besides picking produce?
Each farm layers on activities beyond the harvest itself. Red Berry Barn runs corn mazes and barrel trains, with a café serving apple cider donuts and homemade pies. Hoffman Farm Store has a 10-acre corn maze, a small railroad, a weekend BBQ food truck, and Barn Door Brewing on-site for beer, wine, and cider. Smith Berry Barn’s farm store carries home décor, cookbooks, gourmet popcorn, ice cream, espresso, and seasonal milkshakes. Sleighbells pairs its ornament aisles and village displays with homemade fudge and hot cocoa.
Can I combine harvest farm visits with wine tasting in the Willamette Valley?
Yes, and fall is one of the best times for both. Harvest at the valley’s wineries overlaps with pumpkin and apple season at the farms, so a single day can hold a corn maze in the morning and a tasting room in the afternoon. Our local wineries guide pairs well with a harvest-weekend itinerary.
When do the farms transition from pumpkins to Christmas trees?
The pivot happens in mid-November for most farms. Hoffman Farm Store transitions to Christmas trees and a holiday market in mid-November. Sleighbells of Sherwood runs through December 23, leaning Halloween in October and Christmas from November onward. Smith Berry Barn stays open through Christmas with its farm store. While the Red Berry Barn’s Harvest Fest closes October 31, it stays open for holiday shopping through December. If you want both late-season pumpkins and early Christmas-tree shopping in the same trip, aim for the second or third week of November.
What should I wear for a harvest farm visit in the Willamette Valley?
Oregon falls run cool and often a little rainy, so plan accordingly. Waterproof boots or sturdy closed-toe shoes handle muddy pumpkin fields and corn-maze paths without complaint. Layer a warm sweater under a waterproof jacket; mornings tend to be chilly, warming through the afternoon. A hat and gloves make a difference if you’re out in the fields early. And bring a tote or canvas bag for everything you want to carry home from the U-pick rows and farm stores.
Where is a good base for a Willamette Valley harvest-adventure weekend?
Newberg sits in easy driving range of the Hillsboro, Sherwood, and Scholls Valley farms, which makes it a natural hub for a multi-farm weekend without doubling back toward Portland each night. A valley base also puts the Willamette’s wineries on your doorstep for an afternoon tasting between farm stops. At Chehalem Ridge Bed & Breakfast, breakfast leans into the season with dishes like apple-topped waffles, which pairs naturally with a harvest-themed stay.
