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About Twin Cities Harvest Festival
Not every fall tradition should come with a hefty price tag. We’re all about finding cheap and fun ways to enjoy what’s arguably Minnesota’s best season. That’s why we’re posting a complete guide to the Twin Cities Harvest Festival. Unlike some of the other corn mazes and orchard tours in the Metro area, it’s possible to enjoy a fun afternoon without spending a fortune.
Location / Directions
Twin Cities Harvest Festival and Maze is located in Brooklyn Park, MN, about 25 minutes from downtown Minneapolis.
- Address: 8001 109th Avenue North Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
- Website: Twin Cities Harvest Festival and Maze
Hours & Opening
The festival grounds open weekends from mid-September through the last weekend in October. (2022 Dates: September 17th to October 30th) They also open Thursday and Friday of MEA weekend for additional times families can visit on the school vacation days.
The maze is open from 10 AM-6 PM.
History of Twin Cities Harvest Festival
One thing that sets TCHF apart from other local fall festivals and orchards is its charitable giving program. Each year a portion of the proceeds from the themed maze is returned back to a partner organization.
This Ah-MAZE-ing (Cringe…we know. But too easy to pass up!) giving program started in 2010 with a $26,000 donation to the Minnesota Twins Community Fund. Since then, they’ve donated more than $200,000 to local charities.
In 2022, the Harvest Festival teamed up with the Minnesota United FC to donate proceeds to the Children’s Cancer Research Foundation.
Cost & Tickets
Unlike some of the other corn mazes and orchards around the Twin Cities, entrance into the Marketplace, Pumpkin Patch, and Carnival area at Twin Cities Harvest Festival is totally free. So if you’re not sure if your kids are up for a corn maze or not everyone in your group wants to join in the activities, it means they can still enjoy the food trucks, live music, and carnival activities.
In addition, the festival grounds are entirely enclosed in corn. Even if you don’t purchase tickets to the maze, you still experience a world surrounded by corn.
Tickets to the activity area and access to the corn maze can be purchased online for $12 each or in person. Anyone 36″ and taller must buy a ticket to the activity area (kids under 36″ are free). Ticket access includes the giant and mini corn maze, corn pits, hayride, and playground area.
The link to purchase tickets online can be found here. Note that they do charge a 5% credit card fee on all transactions on the festival grounds, so save some money by bringing cash.
A Grown-Up’s Guide to Twin Cities Harvest Festival
Corn Maze & Prizes
The corn maze at TCHF has all the classic features we love about a good corn maze:
- A fun new theme every year.
- Trivia questions scattered throughout the maze to test your navigation and your pop culture knowledge.
- And the chance to win prizes every weekend for completing the entire route.
TCHF also has a free app that allows for smartphone navigation through the corn maze. While we prefer the old-fashioned paper-n-pencil route, it was nice to know that in a pinch, we could check the app and get back on track to our next trivia stop.
Food Trucks
We were especially impressed with the number and variety of food options available at TCHF. Where many of the other local orchards and farms in town have 1 or 2 options, they had nearly a dozen different food vendors to choose from. The selection rotates a bit weekend to weekend during the fall; in general, expect to find a range of entrees, mini-donuts, and ice cream treats, plus fall favorites like hot cider and caramel apples.
Prices matched typical Metro food trucks (with the 5% surcharge for credit cards)
Live Music
Another one of the freebie perks you can enjoy at the Twin Cities Harvest Festival is the live music. Every weekend from 11 AM-5PM, you’ll find local bands and live music on the festival grounds stage. Sometimes orchards like to cater to the younger tots in booking out musical talent, but not here. Watch for cover bands, contemporary rock, and country/folk acts that pair well with a mug of hot chocolate and perusing the pumpkin patch.
Pumpkin Trebuchet
“A treb-u-what?” you ask…
“Trebuchet,” otherwise known as a giant machine with an arm and a counterweight, is used to chuck pumpkins as far as possible through a field of corn. They have demonstrations of pumpkin throwing with said contraptions at 12, 2, & 4 PM on weekends. A big hit with kids and the kids at heart.
A Kid’s Guide to Twin Cities Harvest Festival
It’s no surprise that Twin Cities Harvest Festival has a few more attractions for the 12 and under crowd. After all, it’s one of the more affordable places to go on a fall family excursion. If you’re bringing the kids along, this is what you’ll find for the younger crowd:
Corn Pits
Still not entirely sure what the attraction of climbing into a giant pile of dried corn kernels is, but hey, “It’s corn!” Twin Cities Harvest Festival has both large and tot-sized corn pits. So take your pick and try lounging around in the yellow stuff.
Mini Corn Maze & Straw Bale Maze
For kiddos who may still be growing into the full-sized corn maze, Twin Cities Harvest Festival has a smaller mini-corn maze as well as a straw bale maze set up just outside the full-sized one. Again, we saw lots of kids wandering through these solo without Mom’s and Dad’s having to worry about anyone getting lost.
Toy Tractor Rides & Hay Rides
If a hay ride is at the top of your fall bucket list, the Twin Cities Harvest Festival can also check that off. While it’s not the most scenic route along Highway 169 and a large warehouse construction zone, it gets the job done! There’s also a smaller barrel train tractor ride that circles around the festival area for smaller riders. And finally, outside the corn maze, you’ll also find a kids’ play area with pedal tractors and Big Wheel riders.
Other Attractions
What else will you find at Twin Cities Harvest Festival? Here’s a list of both free and pay options:
FREE
- Farm Market and Pumpkin Patch (good selection and affordably priced)
- Yard Games
- Magic Shows
Paid or Ticketed Items
- Face Painting
- Caricatures
- Inflatables
- Giant Gunny Sack Slide
- Corn Kernel Dunk Tank
- Petting Zoo & Pony Rides
- Rainbow Play System Playground
Some FAQ’s
Can I bring my pet?
Yes, pets are allowed on the grounds of the Twin Cities Harvest Festival. However, they must be on a leash and are not allowed in the petting zoo.
How long does it take to make it to the maze?
The website says it takes around 45 minutes to make it through the maze to all of the stops on the checkpoint map. It took us about 30 minutes to go through each of the checkpoints, but we were on a mission to finish before they closed for the day.
If you don’t have that much time, it’s fun just to wander around the maze and exit out whenever you like.
Do they accept cash and credit cards?
Yes. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate. They accept all major credit cards, including Discover and AMEX. All credit card transactions come with a 5% fee.
What is parking like?
Parking for the maze is plentiful. There’s a large open hay field just outside the gate with ample parking for vehicles.
When is the best time to visit?
While it’s not as busy as some of the other local options, the farther into the fall season it goes, the busier Twin Cities Harvest Festival gets.
To avoid the crowds, we recommend planning a weekend in September or early October and arriving earlier in the morning or after 4 PM. This avoids the biggest rush of strollers and families.
All in all, is Twin Cities Harvest Festival worth a visit?
Absolutely! Last year we reviewed Sever’s, one of the largest corn mazes in Minnesota, so it’s the closest comparison.
Twin Cities Harvest Festival was cheaper (free access to music and lawn games!), offered just as many amenities and activities as Sever’s, and was closer to the downtown Metro.
Plus, we love that a portion of the corn maze proceeds is donated to a Twin Cities charity.
All perks in our book!
