When my family arrived at Happy Day Farm in Manalapan, I knew we had come to the right place—this 130-acre farm is filled with farm activities for every age. From climbing onto one of their tractor rides and seeing the animals to getting lost in the giant corn maze or hitting the target with one of the pumpkin blasters, you’ll find a full roster of fall activities here. And then there are those fantastic Insta-worthy photo ops, thanks to the eye-catching and stylish displays around the property. The best part is that Happy Day Farm is run by a family who truly embodies the name. When you spot the owner (he goes by Farmer Tim) out and about smiling at each memory-making moment, you can see why every day here is a happy one. We spent the most glorious fall day visiting this gem—read on to learn more about it, and for more fall fun, check out our guide to family-friendly farms in NJ. (featured photo credit: Happy Day Farm)
Fall Activities For All Ages During The Happy Day Farm Fall Festival Days
Get lost in one of the Top 10 Corn Mazes in the country. Photo Credit: NJ MOM
Get into a fall mood
It’s the prime season at Happy Day Farm, and when we arrived bright and early on a Saturday, we were fortunate enough to have our pick of where to start. The littles made a beeline for the pirate ship, and the big kids were psyched about zipping down the giant fun slide. What we love about Happy Day Fall Harvest Days is they offer something for every age group. My kids were all smiles at the ring toss and giggled as they climbed through the rope-woven spider web. By far, though, our family favorite was the hand-pump rubber duck races, where kids were side-by-side pumping to get their duck across the finish line first.
With all the playing, my kids were hungry, so we headed to the food trucks. We weren’t allowed to bring outside food, but it didn’t matter since there were a ton of options, including pizza, cheesesteaks, burgers and fries, chicken tenders, and gyros, as well as some ‘fair food’ type favorites like zeppoles, fried Oreos, and funnel cakes. We ordered and sat down at a table (there’s ample seating, including some parts with shade). While we were waiting, the kids ran over to hang on the playground, with little swings shaped like horses and a corn tunnel perfect for the pint-sized crowd.
After lunch, we were ready to take on the corn maze, which changes themes each fall. This year, there are two mazes: one is Snoopy (on Saturdays, Sundays, and Fridays in October), and the other is Luke Bryan (on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in October). The Snoopy Maze is the bigger of the two, with a whopping 10 acres, 3 miles of pathways, and a lookout bridge. The maze includes two paths—a shorter one (15 min – 25 min) that’s perfect for smaller kids and a more challenging one (45 min – 60 min) for big kids ready to take on a real test of their maze skills. There are also interactive games to play while making your way through, like Maize-o-poly, and if you’re stumped about which way to go, shoot a ‘corn text’ to the number given at the entrance, and you’ll get a hint to help you out.
Happy Day Farm is full of fall insta-worthy photo-ops. Photo Credit: NJ MOM
Making camera-ready memories
Happy Day’s most instaworthy spots are definitely a must—it’s like being a kid in a candy store filled with a ton of selfies and memory-making moments. There are houses made of pumpkins, acres of sunflower fields, and swings with hand-carved signs. It’s clear the Happy Day team loves what they do, putting in stylish details to make the photos and colors really pop. Our favorites were Pumpkinville, a village of houses made out of pumpkins and swings, where I posed for a snap with my daughter.
Take your pick of pumpkins and sunflowers
My boys couldn’t wait for the tractor ride, and there were big smiles when that big green John Deere pulled up. After you have your fill of the ‘agritainment activities, the tractor ride gives you an overview of the farm grounds and brings you down to the pumpkin patch and sunflower field, where you can pick your own. The sunflower fields are a nice relaxing break to take in all the beauty, and they have unexpected and charming touches that make for some beautiful pictures, like brightly painted doors and cool vintage cars nestled amidst the sea of yellow and green.
Swing into fall fun at Happy Day Farm. Photo Credit: NJ MOM
What to know before you go
Before you go, purchase your tickets online and expect to spend most of the day at the farm. More than 35 activities are included with admission for Fall Festival Days, which are Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and select other dates from September 14-November 3. You need to buy tickets online ahead of time for Fall Festival Days ($27.50 per person), and fair warning—they will sell out. The farm is also open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for pumpkin picking, the Luke Bryan corn maze, tractor rides, sunflowers, zinnias, and Pumpkinville for $21.50 per person. If you would rather pick pumpkins, there is no admission fee; you can just pay for what you pick. The farm is cash only, so remember to bring some for anything you buy on-site. Happy Day Farm added some new board games, a hale bale game, and a new truck photo op to Pumpkinville this year so make sure to check it out.
Because the property has uneven terrain, the farm is not wheelchair accessible, but we didn’t have any issues navigating our strollers. There are porta-potties and hand-washing stations throughout the farm, and we loved seeing the nursing stations for mamas and their babes—truly a family-friendly addition.
Happy Day Farm
Fall Festival: September 14 to November 3
106 Iron Ore Road
Manalapan, NJ 07726
Learn more about Happy Day Farm through their website, Instagram, and Facebook.
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