Big Springs Farm leans into pickles for 2026 fall festival

Big Springs Farm in Lanesboro, Minnesota is turning its 2026 Fall Festival into a pickle-themed attraction, led by a 10-acre corn maze, a 10-foot sculpture and 10 pickle-inspired foods. The farm opens Sept. 12 and says the new 21+ Sip & Maze event and expanded seasonal lineup are designed to draw families and adults through Nov. 1.

Why it matters: - Big Springs Farm is using a pickle theme to refresh its sixth Fall Festival and stand out in a crowded fall agritourism market. - The new attractions add another reason for visitors to spend time, and money, on the farm beyond pumpkins and traditional fall activities. - The festival also expands the farm’s appeal to adults with a first-time 21+ night event.

What happened: - Big Springs Farm in Lanesboro, Minnesota is centering its 2026 Fall Festival on pickles. - The farm’s main feature is a 10-acre pickle-themed corn maze with more than five miles of walking paths. - A 10-foot-tall pickle sculpture called The Big Dill joins the maze this year. - The farm added 10 pickle-inspired concession items, including Pickle Roll-Ups On-A-Stick, Pickle Lemonade Slushies and the Double Dill Double Cheese Grilled Cheese. - Big Springs Farm opens Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 12 through Nov. 1, 2026. - The farm also opens on Thursday and Friday of MEA, Oct. 15 and 16. - Hours for all listed days are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Big Springs After Dark runs Oct. 16, 17 and 24 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. - Day pass tickets are available online or at the farm. - Season passes and special event tickets are available only online. - Tickets, event details and updates are available at bigspringsfarmmn.com.

The details: - Sip & Maze is Big Springs Farm’s first 21+ event. - Beverage vendors will be stationed throughout the 10-acre corn maze during Sip & Maze. - The evening event includes food, pickle beer, festival attractions and live music from the band UnHinged. - The farm is also keeping its standard fall offerings in place, including pick-your-own pumpkins from two patches with more than 150 varieties. - The pumpkin selection ranges from classic orange pumpkins to specialty varieties. - Visitors can walk among sunflowers in September. - The farm’s fall flower field lets guests cut their own blooms through the first freeze. - Other attractions include a lookout tower inside the corn maze, a barn made of pumpkins, farm animals, hayrides, a 100-foot giant slide, a giant tunnel slide, a zipline swing, a jump pad, a corn pit, duck races, the Twisted Tamarack fence maze, the Waterway Paintball Range, the Harvest Hideout hand-crank grain auger and gravity box basketball.

Between the lines: - The pickle theme is a clear attempt to create a new signature identity for the festival rather than rely on a generic fall lineup. - The addition of Sip & Maze suggests Big Springs Farm sees room to grow beyond family traffic and into older evening audiences. - The farm’s mix of food, photo ops and interactive attractions points to an experience-driven business model, not just a produce stop.

What's next: - Big Springs Farm will run the festival through Nov. 1, with peak activity likely tied to the new maze, food lineup and evening events. - The farm’s social channels will likely carry updates and event promotions throughout the season. - The festival will continue building on the farm’s first Fall Festival, which opened in 2021.

The bottom line: - Big Springs Farm is betting that pickles, not pumpkins, will define its 2026 fall season and give visitors a new reason to return.