Provo, UT

Get ready for Halloween fun at Thanksgiving Point! From traditional pumpkin picking to the only-in-Utah David Archuletta corn maze, there are tricks and treats for kids (and adults) of all ages.

We had a blast when we went two years ago, but there were a few new attractions this year that we really wanted to see. My daughter’s priority, of course, was the Pumpkin Princess Playland. This enchanting play area has a Disney Princess jumping castle, a dress-up corner with princess costumes and wigs where you can dress a princess scarecrow, and a small castle for playing, climbing, and sliding. It’s also home to the Pumpkin Princess, who was on hand to read stories and chat with little ones in the very horse-drawn carriage* used at the NYC movie premier of Cinderella. In spite of my daughter being a little grouchy (having just woken up from a nap), the Pumpkin Princess was very sweet…and probably freezing in her pretty pumpkin ball gown!

It was really cold the day we went, but if that’s the case when you go just dress accordingly, grab some hot chocolate to warm your bones, and keep moving. There are vendors serving delicious treats and a bunch of fun activities such as a jumping pillow (plus a smaller one for pint-size jumpers), Cornbelly Mountain (a giant hay stack with slides–super fun), Kiddie Corral (another play area), a cow train, a hay ride, go carts, and a haunted dinosaur (for daddies, according to my daughter). There are little shows throughout the day; we were there for the pig races, which are just adorable (no need to call PETA!) There’s also a very cool jack-o-lantern tree with hundreds of boo-tifully hand-carved pumpkins.

If you’re looking for that perfect pumpkin, you have two options. You can wander through the pumpkin patch and pick your own, or you can sort through piles of pumpkins already picked for you. There are also three different mazes to wander through: a simple-to-navigate Kiddie Maze where little ones can search for easy-to-find Halloween eggs filled with treats; the creepy Cornophobia Haunted Maze with spooky surprises lurking around every turn; and the 12-acre David Archuletta corn maze where you can get lost inside his head searching for the one and only exit!

Cornbelly’s Maze and Pumpkin Fest at Thanksgiving Point is open from September 26 to November 1, 2008:
Monday-Thursday: 4-10 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday: closed
Also open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Oct. 16-20 for the UEA weekend
Parking is free

Admission: A Cornbelly’s bargain pass costs $10.50 for ages 3 to adult (kids under 2 are free). A combo pass, which also includes the price of haunted attractions, costs $16. Check the Cornbelly’s website for details. You can also register to receive a coupon good for $1 off one admission.

*Princess Carraige Rides cost $3, and are available on Saturdays only from 3-6 p.m.

The pumkin fest is held on the grounds of Thanksgiving Point, west of the Village Shops. When you get off I-15, head toward the shopping and farms, rather than the gardens. For a map and directions, click here.

Cornbelly’s weather hotline: 801-794-3276