Keweenaw Fall Farm Experiences

Crisp autumn air, corn mazes, and pumpkins galore. Fall is not only the season of harvest, but it is also time to get outside for some family-friendly fall activities. Learn to make fresh apple cider, visit a farmers market, or pick out the perfect pumpkin from our local pumpkin patches. Here are some Keweenaw fall farm experiences that you won’t want to miss!  

Our local farms offer many fun fall activities, such as this corn maze at the Palosaari Farm. 

7th Annual Keweenaw Farm Tour

September 17 | 12PM-5PM

Hosted by the Keweenaw Co+Op Market & Deli, the Keweenaw Farm Tour allows you the opportunity to visit the local farms that grow our food! Grab a map of participating farm locations and enjoy an afternoon touring the Keweenaw Peninsula. This year's tour will include eight different farms that will offer farm stands, demonstrations, greenhouse tours, and more. Visit as many as you can September 17th between 12 and 5PM to learn how our local farmers grow and provide healthy food for our community.  

Farmers Markets

The Keweenaw Peninsula is home to several farms that grow a wide variety of fresh produce throughout the summer season. Our local farmers take advantage of the Keweenaw’s long summer days and use innovative techniques to harvest as much produce as possible during the short growing season. Houghton, Hancock, Calumet, Lake Linden, and Chassell all host weekly Farmers Markets that continue through mid-October. Some communities host indoor “Cool Season” markets thereafter.  

Fall is a great time to visit one of our local Farmers Markets. 

Head to one of our local Farmers Markets and you will find everything from fresh veggies and farm-raised meats to homemade breads, maple syrup, vinegars, jams, and locally grown mushrooms. When you visit our regional Farmers Markets, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the bounty of the Keweenaw and meet the friendly faces that feed our local community. 

Palosaari Corn Maze

Saturdays & Sundays from Sep 23 to Oct 15 | 11AM-5PM

Haunted Maze: Oct 20 & 21 | 8PM-10:30PM

Get lost in the Palosaari Corn Maze! Located just south of Chassell, the Palosaari farm offers 5-acres of fun (and a little frustration) that the whole family will enjoy.  Navigate the corn maze during the day or come during the evening and experience the thrill of a haunted corn maze (1 weekend only). Please note that while the spooky corn maze is not recommended for little ones, the pathways are suitable for stroller use during the family-friendly daytime maze. 

Aerial view of last year's corn maze at Palosaari Farm. This year's will be even more challenging. 

The corn maze isn’t the only thing to look forward to! The farm also offers wagon rides, a farm-themed kids play area, pumpkins, and animals to pet. Your children will also love playing in the corn box! What’s a corn box? It’s like a sand box, but full of dry corn kernels. Enjoy food from the food truck (most days), take some adorable family photos with the sunflowers, and create lasting memories when you visit the Palosaari Corn Maze this fall.  Visit their Facebook page for updates!

Hulkkonen Farm

Saturdays & Sundays from Sep 23 to Oct 29 | Opens at 10AM

Weekdays by Appointment

Take a scenic drive out to the Hulkkonen Farm in Nisula, MI and enjoy tons of fun fall activities! Think you’re a sharpshooter? Then try your arm at apple sling shot, axe throwing, or at the paintball shooting gallery. Or challenge your friends and family to a classic game of mini golf. If you stick around until the evening, you can even enjoy a game of glowing mini-golf! 

Decorative pumpkins and gourds, corn stalks, hay bales, and more.... the Hulkkonen Farm is full of adorable photo opportunities. There will also be hayrides, animals to feed, and corn and hay mazes. Scoot down the inflatable slide, play outside, and munch on some snacks from the concession stand.  

Hulkkonen Farm has sweet animals that you can meet while you visit. 

But watch out! When the lights go out, the zombies come out! Rain or shine, once it is dark outside, there will be a zombie hunt! Get ready to hunt down hordes of zombies with glowing gelblasters. Either ride along on the zombie hunting trailer or assemble your squad and blast zombies as you walk through ground zero. On the Hulkkonen Farm...there is truly no shortage of spooky season fun!  Visit their Facebook page for farm updates!

Cider Making at Central Mine

September 30 | 10AM-3PM

The Keweenaw Peninsula is home to an incredible variety of apples, and many of the best apples can be found in our old mining communities. As mines started popping up throughout the region, many immigrant families came to our area in search of work. Many of these immigrants were subsistence farmers and would plant gardens and fruit trees to grow food for their families. While you may come across an occasional plum or cherry tree, the most popular fruit tree planted was the apple tree.  

Central Mine District has a wide variety of apple. Use apples from several different trees to make the best cider.

Central Mine opened in 1854, and many of the miners working at Central were Cornish immigrants. They brought with them farming traditions and seeds, including apple seeds. While the population of Central is now much smaller than during its mining heydays, the Cornish heritage lives on in the plentiful multicolored apples found throughout the Central Mining District.  

Apple Cider Making is a tradition that lives on in Central. Visitors are welcome to join the Keweenaw County Historical Society for this annual event at the end of September.  Seasoned cider experts will agree that the best cider is made using a variety of apples from several different trees. Make sure to arrive early and bring a basket or bucket for picking apples from Central’s fruitful trees.  

Once you have your apples picked, it’s time to make some fresh cider! The first step is to wash your apples in the water bath. Then, you will pour your apples through the hopper of the press and turn the wheel to rotate the grinding cylinder. A press will be set atop the ground apples, and you will hand crank the press to create cider. The cider will collect in a bucket below. Make sure to bring containers so that you can bring your cider home with you!  

Stowaway Farm Pumpkin Patch

Saturdays & Sundays from Sep 30 to Oct 29 | 11AM-4PM

Stowaway Farm is a family-owned farm in the Houghton area. The original owners of this farmland were Jacob and Antonia Knaus who immigrated to the area from Yugoslavia during the mining-era. Jacob was a stowaway on a boat shipping to Canada from Europe and made his way to Houghton to work in the mines. He and his family later moved to Paradise and became dairy suppliers for the City of Houghton. The new owners of the farm named it Stowaway to honor this history.  

Stowaway Farm is located in the Houghton area and offers many family-friendly activities.

The Stowaway Farm pumpkin patch first opened to the public in 2022. It’s the perfect place to bring the family for an afternoon of fall-themed fun. Pick out your very own pumpkins and gourds, take a “spooky” forest walk, and let the little ones play in the kids play area. Stowaway Farm added a small playground to the play area and will have a self-face painting station set up for families to use. There will also be many great spots to take some fall family photos. 

The farm has coin-operated machines that dispense animal feed so that you can feed some of the farm animals. 

The farm also has sweet cows and other friendly farm animals that families are welcome to meet. Want to feed some of the animals? Be sure to bring some coins for the coin-operated animal feed dispensers. Follow along with their Facebook page for updates, and keep your eyes peeled for even more special surprises at Stowaway Farm!  

DesRochers Corn Maze

October 7, 14, and 21 | 8PM-10:30PM

Ready for a terrifyingly good time?! Head on out to DesRochers Corn Maze and get ready to explore the Field of Terror! 2023 will mark the 11th year of this exciting (and scary event), which is made possible by the support of a great group of folks with a passion for terrorizing!  

Head to the Field of Terror for a terrifyingly good time. Flashlights included with the price of admission. 

Be warned... the experience is not for the faint of heart! The Field of Terror is a "pay to get in, pray to get out" type of place. Those who are "really surprised" will be added to the "pee pole" tracker. Reports are on the honor system but are great fun for both the hosts and attendees. Admission includes a flashlight, which you get to keep.  Check out their Facebook page for more!