20 Harvest Festival Ideas for Farms, Churches and Communities

A harvest festival is the fall event without the fright. No haunted maze, no scare actor, just a field, a few hay bales, cider from the host and a lineup of games and attractions that work for a three year old and a grandparent at the same time. Farms run them to bring families to the stand, churches run them as the family-friendly alternative to Halloween, and towns run them because the whole community shows up.

Here are 20 harvest festival ideas organized by the part of the day they serve: the harvest games, the farm kid zone, the hayfield attractions and the warm-up and wind-down stations. Every idea comes with a rental from the fall rentals collection at Perfect Parties USA and a planning tip on space, staffing or timing, whether your festival is on a farm in Connecticut or a church lawn in New Hampshire.

Harvest Game Ideas

Quick games with a harvest theme, easy for volunteers to run and easy for kids to win.

1. Apple Toss

Fall Carnival Stall- Apple Toss: A striped fall booth with apple themed targets, three throws per turn and a candy for a hit. Planning Tip: Put it first in the loop so the smallest kids get an early win. Rent the Apple Toss booth.

2. Ring A Corn

Fall Carnival Stall- Ring A Corn: A ring toss over ears of corn, gentle enough for preschoolers and quick enough that nobody waits. Planning Tip: Pair it with Apple Toss as a two-booth corner run by one volunteer. Rent the Ring A Corn booth.

3. Crow Knock Down

Fall Carnival Stall- Crow Knock Down: Knock the crows off the rail with bean bags before the scarecrow does, the knockdown that fits a farm festival better than any other. Planning Tip: Set an easy row for little kids and the full rail for the teenagers. Rent the Crow Knock Down booth.

4. Scarecrow Tooth Knock Down

Fall Carnival Stall- Scarecrow Tooth Knock Down: Knock the teeth out of a grinning scarecrow one throw at a time. Planning Tip: Post the prize tiers on the booth, one tooth for a small prize and a full mouth for the big one. Rent the Scarecrow Tooth Knock Down booth.

5. Pumpkin Toss

Pumpkin Toss: Toss bean bags into the pumpkin targets for points, with rounds under a minute. Planning Tip: Give three tosses per turn and let the youngest players throw from a closer line. Rent the Pumpkin Toss.

6. Bobbing for Apples, Supersized

Bobbing for Apples: Two contestants in bungee harnesses sprint against the tension to fill their buckets with foam apples, and the cord pulls them back just as they reach the next one. It is the harvest classic at festival scale, with about 60 players an hour and a crowd of spectators built in. Planning Tip: Give it a 40 by 10 foot lane beside the cider table, where the crowd will buy a cup while they wait. Rent Bobbing for Apples.

Farm Kid Zone Ideas

The youngest guests need their own corner, with a hay bale fence around it and stroller parking beside it.

7. The Cowbelly Bouncer

Cowbelly Bouncer: A cow themed bounce for preschoolers that looks like it belongs on a farm because it does. Planning Tip: Give it its own line and its own age rule so the big kids stay on the pumpkin bounces. Rent the Cowbelly Bouncer.

8. The Jumpin Pumpkin

Jumpin Pumpkin: A 40 by 60 foot pumpkin jumping pillow that becomes the centerpiece of the kid zone and the most photographed thing on the field. Planning Tip: It is the piece to put on the flyer, and the piece to book first. Rent the Jumpin Pumpkin.

9. The Pumpkin Bounce

Pumpkin Bounce: A smaller pumpkin bounce sized for toddlers. Planning Tip: Run it next to the Jumpin Pumpkin with an age split, and the older siblings stop cutting in. Rent the Pumpkin Bounce.

10. Human Pig Racer

Human Pig Racer: Guests in inflatable pig suits race a short course while the crowd cheers, the sack race for a farm festival. Planning Tip: Run kid heats in the afternoon and parent heats before the sun goes down. Rent the Human Pig Racer.

11. A Pumpkin Painting Station

Pumpkin Painting: A staffed station where every child paints a pumpkin to carry home. Planning Tip: Hand out a numbered ticket at the gate, one per child, so the pumpkins last until closing. Rent the Pumpkin Painting station.

12. A Pumpkin Carving Station

Pumpkin Carving Station: For older kids and parents, a supervised carving station with tools and templates. Planning Tip: Set it near the sculptor so the carving corner has a headliner and a place to try it yourself. Rent the Pumpkin Carving Station.

Hayfield Attractions

The big pieces that give a field a shape and give families a reason to walk the whole thing.

13. The Corn Maze Inflatable

Corn Maze Inflatable: A 35 by 40 foot inflatable corn maze with an 11 foot 3D corn entrance, which runs more than 150 people an hour and needs no field to cut. Planning Tip: Set it at the far end of the grounds so the walk to it passes every booth. Rent the Corn Maze Inflatable.

14. The Cob-stacle Course

Cob-stacle Course: A corn themed inflatable obstacle course, timed by grade for the kids who need to burn energy. Planning Tip: Post the best time for each grade next to it; the rematches keep the line full. Rent the Cob-stacle Course.

15. The Scarecrow Slide

Scarecrow Slide: A scarecrow themed inflatable slide tall enough to work as the landmark of the field. Planning Tip: Slides need a clear landing zone, so rope the exit and keep foot traffic on one side. Rent the Scarecrow Slide.

16. A Train Around the Field

Trackless Train: A trackless train carries up to 18 passengers per trip around the field on any flat surface, grass or gravel, and it is the ride most kids remember. Planning Tip: A loop with a stop at the farm stand and a stop at the kid zone sends families past both. Rent the Trackless Train.

17. A Pumpkin Carved in Front of the Crowd

Live Pumpkin Sculptor: A sculptor carving an oversized pumpkin in real time draws a crowd all afternoon, and the finished piece becomes the photo backdrop at dusk. Planning Tip: Place the sculptor near the entrance so the carving builds where everyone passes it. Book the Live Pumpkin Sculptor.

Warm-Up and Wind-Down Stations

October evenings get cold fast, and the stations that warm people up are the ones that keep them on the field.

18. A Hot Chocolate Station

Hot Chocolate: A staffed hot chocolate station beside the cider table is the reason families stay past dusk. Planning Tip: Put it between the kid zone and the movie screen so the line forms where you want the crowd. Rent the Hot Chocolate.

19. A Treat Shop by the Exit

Carnival Treat Shop: An inflatable treat shop that turns the concession table into part of the festival. Planning Tip: Place it on the path to the parking lot, where the last purchase of the night gets made. Rent the Carnival Treat Shop.

20. A Movie on the Lawn

Drive-In-Movie: An inflatable drive-in movie screen turns the last hour into a family movie night, with blankets on the grass and the hot chocolate line still open. Planning Tip: Start the movie 20 minutes after sunset and announce it from the stage all afternoon. Rent the Drive-In-Movie.

How to Choose Harvest Festival Attractions for Your Event

Start with your crowd. A farm festival draws families who came for the stand, so the kid zone and the harvest games carry the day and the Corn Maze Inflatable gives them a reason to stay. A church harvest festival is often a Halloween alternative, so this list works as it stands, with nothing to edit for the youngest members; the Halloween festival ideas guide covers the spookier version if you want it. A community harvest festival on a town field can add the rides and the midway from the fall carnival ideas guide.

As a rule of thumb, plan for one game booth per 25 to 50 guests and one anchor attraction per 150 to 200 guests, and give the kid zone its own budget line. Farms and churches across Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island book October weekends early, so reserve the Jumpin Pumpkin and the Corn Maze Inflatable first. If you are on the North Shore, the carnival game rentals in Peabody, MA page shows what is available locally, the carnival game ideas for school fairs and carnivals guide has the booths that fill out a midway, and the fall attractions roundup lists the rest of the harvest inventory.

Rent Harvest Festival Attractions From Perfect Parties USA

Perfect Parties USA is based in Peabody, Massachusetts and owns hundreds of attractions, including every rentable item on this list, so the games you book are the games that arrive, maintained and ready to play. Every rental includes delivery, professional setup, trained attendants and prizes for staffed games, and complete teardown. We are fully insured, with a certificate of insurance available for venues and schools, and we have produced events of every size across New England and the Northeast for decades, from Massachusetts, Boston, Connecticut and Rhode Island to New Hampshire and New York.

Ready to get this party started? Contact Perfect Parties USA to talk to one of our Party Pros. Request a Quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best harvest festival ideas for a church?

The best church harvest festival ideas are the fall carnival booths such as Apple Toss and Crow Knock Down, a pumpkin painting station, the Jumpin Pumpkin and the Cowbelly Bouncer for young kids, the Corn Maze Inflatable as the headline attraction and a hot chocolate station after dark. Perfect Parties USA runs that lineup for parishes across New England.

What harvest festival activities work for toddlers and young kids?

Toddlers do best with the Cowbelly Bouncer, the small Pumpkin Bounce, Apple Toss and Ring A Corn from a short line, a pumpkin painting station and the train ride around the field. Keep those inside a hay bale fence with stroller parking beside it, and the youngest guests will stay happy for an hour or more.

How many attractions do you need for a harvest festival?

Plan for one game booth per 25 to 50 guests and one anchor attraction per 150 to 200 guests. A festival of 300 people runs well on five harvest booths, two bounces, the Corn Maze Inflatable, the train and a painting station. Perfect Parties USA sizes lineups for farms, churches and towns across New England.

Can you rent harvest festival games and inflatables?

Yes, every attraction in this guide is available to rent, from the fall carnival booths and Bobbing for Apples to the Corn Maze Inflatable, the Trackless Train and the pumpkin bounces. Each rental from Perfect Parties USA includes delivery, professional setup, trained attendants for staffed pieces and complete teardown.

Does Perfect Parties USA deliver harvest festival rentals in Massachusetts and New England?

Yes, Perfect Parties USA delivers harvest festival rentals across Massachusetts, including Boston and the North Shore, and throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and New York. The company is based in Peabody, Massachusetts, owns its inventory and staffs the attractions that need an attendant.

Is a harvest festival a good farm or church fundraiser?

A harvest festival is a dependable fall fundraiser for a farm or a church because families come for the season and stay for the games. Sell punch cards for the booths, charge per ride on the train and per pumpkin at the painting station, and let the host’s cider and food carry the rest of the revenue.

How far in advance should you book harvest festival rentals?

Book harvest festival rentals six to eight weeks before your date, and earlier for the Jumpin Pumpkin and the Corn Maze Inflatable, which are reserved first for October weekends. Booking early with Perfect Parties USA also leaves time to plan the field layout with a Party Pro.