As the summer swelter fades and the leaves begin their dance into golds, reds and oranges, folks pack up their swimsuits and break out the sweaters.

Once again, the Murfreesboro area has a full lineup of fall-focused, family-friendly festivals, farms and fun. Take a walk through the crisp leaves, hit a local corn maze, deck the halls with pumpkins, snap a fall-colored family photo, check out the scarecrow displays around the Murfreesboro Public Square, grab a spiced-pumpkin something and head out to some of these local fall-themed attractions and events.

Scarecrows Downtown
Every autumn, Murfreesboro’s historic Square comes alive with scarecrows. Local businesses, organizations and artists decorate a variety of fun, colorful, creative and quirky scarecrow installations. The tour is free, walkable, great for photo ops and helps highlight downtown shops, restaurants and culture. Just some of the many business participating in the 2025 project include City Tile, NextHome Realty, Center for the Arts, Brass Horn Coffee, Liquid Smoke and M&J Home. Stroll downtown through Oct. 31 to see the creative scarecrow displays and vote for your favorite by scanning the QR code at each scarecrow. For more information, visit mainstreetmurfreesboro.org/scarecrows-downtown.

Harvest Days at Cannonsburgh
One of Murfreesboro’s longstanding traditions that bridges the area’s pioneer roots with modern fall fun, Harvest Days returns Saturday, Oct. 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Cannonsburgh Village with crafts, music, vendors, food, blacksmith demonstrations, history, clogging and a relaxed autumn atmosphere for all ages. For more information, visit murfreesborotn.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=45986.

Cannonsburgh After Dark
Bring your flashlight to explore the dimly-lit corners of Cannonsburgh pioneer village after dark. Held the evenings of Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17 and 18, the nighttime event also includes sweet treats, hot drinks, fall crafts, music and Bingo. For more information, visit murfreesborotn.gov/calendar.aspx?eid=46399.

Pumpkin Fun Run
Take a one-mile run—in costume . . . while holding a pumpkin!—along the Murfreesboro Greenway at Gateway Island at this year’s Pumpkin Fun Run. Whether you walk or sprint, it’s a lighthearted fall event designed for all ages. The only registration fee is a donation of canned goods for Greenhouse Ministries. All finishers receive medals, as well as cider and snacks following the run. Find an event page for the 1-Mile Pumpkin Fun Run on Facebook.

Black Barn Market
Shoppers looking for handmade goods, home decor, vintage finds, seasonal treats and early holiday gifts will flock to Events at East 96, 9901 Lascassas Pk., Lascassas, for the fall installment of the Black Barn Market. This outdoor marketplace, held Saturday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., highlights local artisans and small businesses. Live music and food vendors add to the festival atmosphere. For more information, visit blackbarnmarkets.com.

Trick or Treat on the Square
On Halloween afternoon, Oct. 31, families pack the Murfreesboro Public Square for Main Street’s Trick or Treat on the Square. Local businesses hand out candy, the streets fill with costumes of all sorts, and the community comes together for this fall tradition. Festivities kick off at 3 p.m. For more information, visit mainstreetmurfreesboro.org.

Discovery Center’s Great Pumpkin Festival
Four Fridays in October from 6–8 p.m., the Discovery Center at Murfree Spring hosts its Great Pumpkin Festival. Those attending can expect costume parades, pumpkin painting, slime making, hands-on experiment stations, costumed character appearances and encounters with the Discovery Center’s animal ambassadors, including snakes, ferrets and reptiles. Each night will highlight a pair of emotions drawn from the museum’s featured traveling exhibit, Emotions at Play with Pixar’s Inside Out. Themes include: Oct. 3–Joy & Wonder; Oct. 10—Fear & Courage; Oct. 17—Disgust & Delight; Oct. 24—Facing Big Feelings.
For more information, visit explorethedc.org.

The Farm at Route 8 Shady Lane
Just north of Murfreesboro off of Lascassas Pike, the Farm at Route 8 Shady Lane offers classic fall farm fun each October: a corn maze, pumpkins for sale, a toddler maze, haunted woods, flashlight maze options and food trucks. The farm is located at 3722 Shady Ln. and is open 4–9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 2–9 p.m. Fridays through Sundays throughout October. For more information, visit facebook.com/route8shadylane.

Walden Pumpkin Farm
Smyrna’s Walden Pumpkin Farm is a longtime favorite for local autumn lovers. Attendees can purchase a wristband for $12 that provides all-day access to hayrides, a corn maze, a hay mountain, a climbing wall, games, animals, swings, a pumpkin train and more. The farm also features a country store full of pumpkins, gourds, mums, seasonal decorations, gifts and concessions like funnel cakes and pumpkin fudge. Walden Farms operates this October from 2–6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturdays, and 12–6 p.m. Sundays. For more information, visit waldenpumpkinfarm.com.

Lucky Ladd Farms
Out in Eagleville, Lucky Ladd Farms is billed as Tennessee’s Largest Petting Zoo & Family Fun Farm. Expect more than 60 acres of activities: pony rides, a sprawling corn maze, pumpkin picking, huge playgrounds, slides and swings; tricycle races, sand and corn play areas, lots of animals and tractors, and all sorts of family-oriented fall events and photo stops. It’s a full-day destination that draws families from across the state. Find tickets and more information online. For more information, visit luckyladdfarms.com.

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