The largest family-friendly fall festival in Texas is back for its 21st year with more than 15,000 pumpkins. The theme for this year’s Autumn Daze is “Season of Harvest” and will feature a giant pumpkin house, corn husk tepees, a corn display, pumpkin walk and professional carvers. The three-day event, a longstanding tradition for North Texas families, will kick off Friday, October 27 and continue through Sunday, October 29.
Downtown Ennis, brimming with historical charm, will be transformed into a picturesque fall festival with loads of fun for the family and incredible scenery for perfect photos. The star of Autumn Daze is the famous Giant Hay Maze and Pumpkin Patch designed by MESA, an award-winning landscape architecture and urban design firm.
Along with the main attractions, there will be activities for people of all ages. Kids will enjoy pumpkin painting, carnival rides, climbing on the life-size tractor made from haybales, a gigantic harvest moon, and the huge corn pit.
Adults can compete for a cash prize of $1,000 in a corn hole tournament while enjoying delicious food, a beer garden, and unique shopping from an array of vendors.
Guests also will have the opportunity to watch award-winning pumpkin carver Greg Butauski and his team create masterpieces at the festival. They will be carving pumpkins weighing up to 3,000 pounds.
Gates open at 4 pm on Friday, October 27 and admission is free. On Saturday, October 28, the gates open at 10 am and admission is $5 for ages 13 and up. Sunday, October 29 gates open at 11 am and admission is $5 all day for ages 13 and up. Children 12 and under are free. All proceeds go to Ennis Main Street, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, which is committed to providing educational, social and cultural programming in Historic Downtown Ennis.
Autumn Daze will feature live music throughout the weekend with the greatest disco band in the world, Le Freak, taking the stage on Friday night at 8 pm. Texas native Josh Weathers, a soul music powerhouse, will perform Saturday evening at 8 pm. David Lee Garza y los Musicales will entertain the audience at 4 pm on Sunday, October 29. For more event information, check out VisitEnnisTexas.com.
For those who are eager for fall festivities to begin, the Hay Maze and Pumpkin Patch will open October 1, continuing through October 31, and is free except for the weekend of Autumn Daze. Visitors can purchase pumpkins to take home to create their own fall magic at The Shed, which is also a fun stop for guests to grab drinks and snacks including beer (after 5 pm and on weekends).
Lawnchairs, skateboards, bicycles, coolers/ice chests, outside food and drinks, as well as firearms are prohibited at the festival.
For more information about Autumn Daze, contact the Ennis Welcome Center at 972.878.4748 or follow Downtown Ennis, Texas on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. For everything Ennis, download the free Ennis Y’all app or go to VisitEnnis.org for more information.
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