Priscilla Yun / The Fourth Estate

Cox Farms is the Perfect Fall Outing

BY BEN DEALEY STAFF WRITER

For more than 45 years, Cox Farms has served as one of the region’s must-visit spots during the fall season. Located in Centreville, the family-owned farm offers fun for the whole family and is the perfect weekend activity.

After taking a brief hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cox Farms is back this year for the Halloween season.

During the day, the Fall Festival is in full swing at Cox Farms. The festival offers a variety of activities, including a corn maze, hayride and six large slides. The farm is also full of animals: cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, ducks and more can be found around the grounds. There is even an area where you can interact and feed some goats.

Food vendors and live music surround festival goers as they peruse the farm’s spacious grounds. Cox Farms may seem too crowded at times but the employees are a well-oiled machine, working behind the scenes to make the festivities run smoothly.

Cox Farms also boasts Foamhenge, a full-scale replica of Stonehenge made entirely of foam. Make sure to stop by the Corner Market where you can purchase fall essentials such as pumpkins, apple cider and Cox Farm’s famous apple cider doughnuts. 

Tickets are available online only. The Fall Festival runs Friday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, starting at 7:30 p.m., the family friendly oriented Cox Farms turns dark as Fields of Fear opens. Fields of Fear offers many of the same attractions as the Fall Festival but with a sinister twist.

Cox Farms has been a NoVa landmark for decades. The farm was established in 1972 and the very first Fall Festival was held in 1985. Since then, the Fall Festival and Fields of Fear have been mainstays in many family’s fall traditions. There is something there for everyone.

For Fields of Fear, the corn maze, hayride and forest walk turn haunted as actors don spooky costumes and makeup and bring out the scary side of the farm. 

The Fall Festival will run until Nov. 7 while Fields of Fear will end one day earlier, on Nov. 6. The Corner Market is open everyday of the week until Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.