More Than Pumpkins
To be clear, you don’t have to drive an hour plus out of New Braunfels to find pumpkins. There are several options for pumpkins locally like Stalman’s, First Methodist Church, or Bracken UMC Pumpkin Patch. But we were looking for that farm experience and for something to do on a lazy Sunday. So, my mother in law and I loaded up our two and 4-year-old boys and headed north on Highway 281. Another point of clarification. Farmer Dan doesn’t grow pumpkins at Sweet Berry Farm. The pumpkins come from other pumpkin growing pros elsewhere in Texas.
Getting to Sweet Berry Farm
You’ll find Sweet Berry Farm about 5 minutes west of Marble Falls, off FM 1980. It’s about a 50-minute drive from south Austin or a 90-minute drive from San Antonio International Airport. Make sure to check the website for directions. They warn drivers not to trust their GPS directions due to changes in road names. We used Google Maps and got there just fine. The physical address of the farm is 1801 FM 1980 Marble Falls, Texas 78654.
We arrived on a Sunday just a little after 11, or during “opening hour.” The weekends are the busiest days. So, if you go on a weekend, make sure to get there as close to opening time as possible. The friendly staff guided us to a parking spot, and it was just a short walk to the entrance. The boys were instantly excited with all there was to see.
What to Expect at Sweet Berry Farm
There is no charge for parking or entrance fee at Sweet Berry Farm. Instead, you pay for what you harvest and the activities in which you participate. Here are the things to do you have to choose from*:
- Scarecrow Island Hay Ride – $4 per person
- Candy Corn Kid Maze – $2.75 per person
- Pumpkin Painting – $5.25 per pumpkin
- Scarecrow Stuffing – $17.99 per “crow” (you get to take him home)
- You Pick Flowers – $4 per vase
- Sand Art – $3.25 for fun-shaped necklace
- The Sweet Berry Express Barrel Train – $3.75 per small child
- The Berry Bounce – $2.75 for 8-10 minutes of “jumping joy”
- The “Texas” Maze – $8 ($6 in November) per person age 6+
- Goat and Horses – $0.25 for goat food, horses are for petting only
- Pumpkins and gourds for sale – priced individually ($1.25 minis to $75 big macs)
- Weekends only: Pony Rides ($5), Face Painting ($5-10)
*Kids 2 and under are free for many, but not all, of the activities. Cash, cards, and checks are accepted, and there is an ATM on-site.
The farm is separated into two halves by Farm Road 1980. After coming in through the main entrance, you can walk to the other side through an over-sized drain pipe. Crossing through this “tunnel to the other side” might have been Will’s favorite part of the whole visit. I had to chase him down and then walk through the tunnel over and over with him. In other words, you’ve been warned!
Berry Bounce
After purchasing our tickets, we started at the Berry Bounce. I loved that they had one bounce for smaller children and one for older kids. Both our boys thoroughly enjoyed their 8 minutes on the giant blob.
Candy Corn Kid Maze
Next up was the corn maze. This kid maze is smaller than the Texas maze located across the street. But, the corn was plenty tall enough for us to all get lost and have some fun getting found again.
Sand Art
The sand art station is a crafty kid’s dream. I don’t have pictures of this one. But, each child chooses a fun shaped necklace and fills it full of layers of colored sand. Our boys did hearts, stars, and boots, and they even had dinosaurs and butterflies to fill with sand of all the colors of the rainbow.
Photo Ops
There are great photo opportunities all over Sweet Berry Farm. You’ll see cut-out boards as well as cute trucks and trackers staged with pumpkins and other props. The boys loved them all. Many cut-outs line the walkway to the other side of the farm and are even double-sided.
Goats
You’ll find goats on both sides of the farm and can purchase feed from anywhere you can buy tickets. There were a lot of goats, and they were big! Will loved petting the goats. RJ however, was not the least bit interested in the goats.
The Sweet Berry Express Barrel Train
The barrel train was probably the activity both boys enjoyed the most at Sweet Berry Farm. They both fit into one of the larger barrels and travel by themselves on a tractor-pulled ride through the “track” decorated with spools painted like all kinds of animals. They were both proudly carrying their sand art creations by this point.
Mission Accomplished
After that, the boys were tired and hungry. Nonetheless, each said they had a great time and couldn’t wait to come back with Dad. Success! On the way, I had noticed a McDonald’s with a two-story outdoor playground. So, we stopped there on the ride home to fill their stomachs and wear them out some more. That resulted in a very quiet ride home! So naturally, I highly recommend you do this too.
In conclusion, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Sweet Berry Farm with our young boys and plan on going back for the Thanksgiving Celebration in late November and berry picking in the spring. We didn’t make time for a few activities like the hayride, pumpkin painting, scarecrow stuffing, or pony rides. However, we’ll do that on our next visit.
Have you been to Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls, Texas? If so, comment below and tell me what you loved about it. Planning a trip? Don’t hesitate to reach out, and I’ll give you some tips to ensure a fun visit.
