Adventures at Taves Family Farms Applebarn Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze with video

Taves Family Farms Applebarn never disappoints us as one of our favourite places to visit for family-fun fall activities.

It’s a great place to spend some quality time with the kids and do fun family activities. This year you can also buy a season’s pass so you can visit multiple times.

The kids remembered their visit from last year and said that this year was even better. They are already asking about next year’s visit to Taves.

Taves has expanded several key areas and there is lots of room to ride pedal Karts, explore the corn mazes, mingle with the animals in the petting barn, and get some action on the two jumping pillows. The hayride is always popular with a stop at the pumpkin field.

There is a great selection of pumpkins of all sizes, colours and varieties.

The Magical Pumpkin Garden at Taves Farms. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr

There are plenty of photo ops in the Magical Pumpkin Garden at Taves Family Farms. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr

There are so many beautiful, peaceful spots on the farm at Taves. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr

Hot apple cider and a photo op in the Magical Pumpkin Garden. Photo: Melanie

Delicious fun food options at the concession area of Taves. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr

Follow Melanie on Instagram for more fun-filled kids’ activities.

Be sure to check out our guide to the best fall festivals and events,  2024 Pumpkin Patch Guide for Metro Vancouver , and Halloween Guide.

Taves Family Farms Applebarn

Celebrating 34 years, Taves Family Farms Applebarn is a real family affair.

Loren Taves, his wife Corinne, and their children operate the farms, growing produce on 60 acres, including the 17 acres of orchards at the Applebarn, which welcomes visitors in spring, summer and fall.

Farmer Loren Taves talked to us about how he got his start in farming.

The History of Taves Family Farms

Farming has been a family tradition and it is now going into the fourth generation at Taves Family Farms Applebarn.

It started in the 1930s when Loren Taves’ great-grandfather, Opa John, purchased a plot of land in the southern Fraser Valley.

Loren Taves says, “In 1969, my father John Taves bought the farm on Gladwin Road when I was a one-year-old. I remember when I was growing up that he would clear the stumps with dynamite. My brother and I would pick up all the wood as we cleared the land.”

“We grew raspberries”, Taves continued. “My dad worked during the day as a school teacher and then he would work weekends on the farm. When I graduated from college I took over the farming.”

“We have always believed in having several eggs in our basket,” he explained. “We raised poultry, did some greenhousing, added gooseberries and red currents and then went to apples, pumpkins; and eventually making apple cider.

Even though the Taves’ are farmers, they wanted to make the farm experience a fun thing. They wanted people to be able to run through the corn maze, pick some apples, choose a pumpkin, go on a hayride, walk through the sunflower field and be able to pick up some farm-fresh produce.

The farm continues to grow and evolve and in the spring of 2020, Taves Estate Cidery opened its doors to offer many types of hard cider.

Taves Family Farms Applebarn celebrates 34 years with fun-filled fall activities including a Pumpkin Patch and a Corn Maze. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

Education at Taves Family Farms Applebarn

Corinne Taves, originally a teacher, provides the educational component to children and others visiting the farm.

The Taves family welcome people into the store to watch apples going through a washing machine, the grinder and getting pressed to make into the apple cider.

Fun Fall Adventures at Taves Family Farms Applebarn

Taves Family Farms Applebarn, Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze – 2024

(about 50 minutes from Vancouver)
Activities: Pumpkin Patch, U-Pick apples, slides, zipline, bee hive viewing, cider press demonstrations, petting barn, three corn mazes (Mystery Maze, Corn Quest Maze, and the kiddie maze), pedal carts, hay rides, playground, Jumping Pillow and Pumpkin Pillow, Bunny Town and Farmville. Pick up a locally-grown pumpkin.

Check out our last visit to Taves Family Farms Applebarn.

Be sure to check out Taves Estate Cidery when you visit the farm. Remember to book a tasting.

Hours: The Magical Sunflower Garden is open until September 22, 2024. The entire farm is open starting August 29, 2024. The Corn Maze opens September 10, 2024 and the Pumpkin Patch opens the last weekend in September until October 31, 2024. Check to see which activities are available.
Location: 333 Gladwin Rd, Abbotsford, BC
Website: https://www.tavesfamilyfarms.com/rates/

Pedal Karts

Ride a pedal Kart. Fun fall activities on a visit to Taves Family Farms Applebarn

Petting Barn

Come see the adorable goats at Taves Family Farms petting barn. Remember to wash and sanitize your hands after.

Taves Family Farms family fun fall activities

Tractor Hayride

Riding the tractor through the fields and running through the corn maze at Taves Family Farms. Photo: Melanie

Corn Maze

It is always an adventure to run through the corn maze.

Apple Picking in the Fall

Taves Family Farms grows eight different varieties of apples at two different locations, 270 Gladwin Road and 333 Gladwin Road in Abbotsford.

• September Wonder Fuji is very sweet and not that tart. The apple is crunchy and stores longer.
• Honeycrisp is sweet, crisp, juicy and delicious. We found our 25 lb bag of apples stored well for many weeks without being in the fridge.
• Ambrosia is a softer crunch apple with a sweet, pleasant flavour
• Gala apples have a gentle sweet taste and are crisp. Good for eating, baking or adding to a salad.
• Jonogold is a large apple good for eating or baking with a slight sweetness like honey.
• Spartan apples are small with a sweet flavour.
• Elstar is crunchy but not hard with yellowish flesh. Sweeter and juicier than a Golden Delicious.
• Sunrise is an early season apple. Its flavour is a balance of sharp and sweet while being fairly juicy and crisp. Store for up to one week in the fridge.

U-Pick Apples at the Pumpkin Patch at Taves Family Farms. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

Taves Estate Cidery

The Taves family has been making apple cider since 1991. For more than 11 years, their Apple Barn Cider has been available in local Fraser Valley stores.

Farmer Loren Taves opened the Taves Estate Cidery in 2020. The line of hard ciders he developed uses a blend of apples and berries they grow on the Taves family farm.

The Taves Estate Cidery offers the Barnyard Series and Estate Series. It is open from April through December.

Come in to the tasting room or order online for delivery or curbside pickup.

We picked up a four pack of hard cider on our visit to do an at-home tasting. We highly recommend the black current cider.

Make sure to visit Taves Estate Cidery for a flight of ciders or tasty cocktails. Photo: Stephanie Carr

Sunflower Patch

The Taves Family Farms Sunflower Patch is part of the Fraser Valley Sunflower Trail. Depending on weather conditions, the flowers are in full bloom in August and start to fade in the first weeks of September. Take a peaceful walk through three varieties of giant golden blooms.

Loren Taves discusses his love for his Sunflower Patch.

Farmer Loren Taves relaxes in the sunflower field near the end of the season last fall.