Is Vala's Pumpkin Patch the best pumpkin patch in the Midwest?

It's no secret that I love pumpkin patches! I've reviewed several in the past, and I have an ultimate guide to every pumpkin patch within 2 hours of Sioux City.

But until now, I had never been to Vala's, which most people agree is one of the biggest and best pumpkin patches in the Midwest (maybe one of the best anywhere!) Clearly, I needed to fix this. 

So, I reached out to Vala's, and they provided free admission so that I could visit and tell you all about it. Based on my research online and on visiting in person with my family, here is what families should know about Vala's Pumpkin Patch: 

Where is Vala's Pumpkin Patch? 

The official address for Vala's is 12102 South 180th Street in Gretna, Nebraska, about an hour and 45 minutes southwest of Sioux City or about 3 hours north of Kansas City. It's just off of Interstate 80 a few minutes west of Omaha. 

Vala's Pumpkin Patch has several huge, free parking lots, and when I went, they had a several employees directing incoming visitors to the next section to be filled. It was very efficient and helpful!

They had cute names for the lots and signs on each row (if you're forgetful like I am, take a quick pic on your phone of the sign on your row to refer to at the end of the day!) 

What is Vala's Pumpkin Patch?

Vala's is a pumpkin patch owned by a local family, the Valas. In 1984, Tim and Jan Vala bought a bit of land outside Omaha in Gretna to start their own pick-your-own strawberry patch. They planted some veggies too, and discovered the pumpkins were an even bigger hit than strawberries! After that, they kept adding to their farm every year, and the rest is history! Today, the farm is co-owned by Tim and Jan's three daughters Kirsten, Kyla, and Kelsey. 

2024 is Vala's Pumpkin Patch's 40th birthday, and it's grown over time into almost a pumpkin patch theme park. Amidst the 400 acres of Vala's Pumpkin Patch, there are 55 acres of pumpkins plus an extensive apple orchard. But there are also rides, slides, food, music, and lots of fun all throughout the fall season. (Lots more details on all of this below!) I got to go with my family on a weekend in September, when they celebrated "Cider + Sunflower Festival", and it was so fun. I'm excited to be able to give you a firsthand look at what it's really like there.

Pumpkins and Apples at Vala's

For starters, Vala's is still a working farm where you can buy pumpkins! Apples and pumpkins are the main crops at Vala's. Each has a separate growing area at Vala's, and a highlight for many families is the ride to the pumpkin patch or apple orchard. They also make cider out of their own apples at the Vala's cider mill! And there is also a beautiful you-pick flower area if picking a decorative bouquet is more your speed than something edible. 

Visitors like us who want to pick apples start by loading up to ride in a big wagon pulled by a tractor up the hill to the section of the orchard ready to pick. We were super lucky and honeycrisps were ripe and ready on the day we were there.

We had so much fun picking apples, but I do regret doing it so early in the day, because it tired us out so much and then we had to transport apples the rest of the day. Next visit, we will do this last!

We had so much fun picking apples and they tasted great! We love them for snacking and I'm excited to bake a pie with them soon (I'll update with a pic once I do!) They definitely taste much better than apples from the grocery store. 

Rides at Vala's Pumpkin Patch

One of the things that sets Vala's apart from most other pumpkin patches in the area is that there are several carnival or amusement park caliber rides at Vala's, and they are included with admission, so you can ride them as many times as you'd like during the day. 

• New for 2024 is Freya's Egg Spin. It is reminiscent of a teacup type ride, but the little cars look like you're riding inside of an egg, which I think is very cute and funny. 
• The Pumpkin Creek Railroad, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024!
• Cousin Lauren's Racing Pigs, which is little cars that look like cute pink pigs "flying" around a central tower. 
• Tim's Runaway Grain Cars, a small roller coaster
• Stefan's Country Drive, featuring antique-looking cars that big kids (and kids at heart) can drive and younger kids can ride along in. There is a nice long track for them to drive along. 
• Jan's Carousel, a classic carousel with charming horses. This was my younger kids' favorite thing at Vala's honestly. The classic carousel horses going around with the old-fashioned music is such a cool experience that I know they'll remember forever.

Haunted Houses, Corn Mazes, Play Areas, and other Attractions at Vala's

Okay that's already a huge amount of fun, but there's way more to come at Vala's.  For one thing, they have a huge corn maze and a pirate maze. They also have several really cute play areas for kids including a mud kitchen area, Prairie Hill Town, the Applewood Play Area and the Orchard Play Yard.

But some of the best are the walk-through attractions. There are a few spooky haunted houses, but also "The Lost Pumpkin Mine" which has a sign proclaiming it non-scary.

The lost pumpkin mine was really fun and pretty tame, but one of my kids was quite frightened and disagreed with the sign's assessment so I would probably recommend it for ages 8+ unless you have an especially brave child. 

But the walkthrough attraction at Vala's that was the biggest hit with my family was the Storybook Barn & Garden. It was beyond adorable and definitely one of my younger kids' favorite parts. For those who have been to Storybook Island in Rapid City, I would say this section of Vala's had a similar vibe in all the best ways. 

My teen checked out the Spook Shed for us and said it featured similar animatronics to the lost pumpkin mine but in more dire circumstances and that it was not scary to him but would for sure have been to the other kids. 

Music and Performers at Vala's

When we were at Vala's, we saw two different live musicians who sounded really good, but we were even more enchanted by the performers near the cider mill area. First, there was a mermaid in the pond below the cider mill! My little girls were beyond thrilled. There was also woman who juggled flaming pins and hoops and an aerial gymnast! I think all of these performers were there especially for the cider + sunflower festival, but there are many festival weekends at Vala's, so be sure to check the calendar for the day you're going to see what special plans are happening that day!

The animatronic bands around Vala's were also a big hit with my kids, and those are always at Vala's! There were several different groupings, and my kids' absolute favorite was this band of pirates. We watched them perform while eating loaded nachos from Pirates' Cove Tacos and having that diversion right there by the tables definitely helped made my kids more willing to sit and eat rather than immediately run off to the next fun thing. 

Bonus fun at Vala's with an additional cost

While most of the rides and attractions at Vala's are already included in your admission cost, there are a few things that are not. Those are:

• Apple Blasters
• Zombie Paintball: 
• Pony rides
• Gem mining 
• Any apples, pumpkins, or flowers you choose

These add-ons are all totally optional but look really fun. The ponies especially looked so sweet to me.

Food and Drink at Vala's

Vala's has more than 2 dozen places to buy food or drink! This astonishing number of eateries comes in handy as you trek through the patch with hungry kids, and it means that all throughout the park there are amazing smells of pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, chocolate, caramel, and more. 

One of the fun options available from Vala's is a "Tasting Passport" which is a punch card that lets you choose five options from amongst dozens available in the park. There's everything from an icee in a souvenir cup to a fried chicken meal. I thought it was a great deal; for a family you could get one entire meal plus a snack from one tasting card, or for a couple you could easily do a meal and a drink each plus share a snack, or one person you could have apple cider donuts for breakfast, fried chicken for lunch, an icee in a refillable souvenir cup to drink, a cone of cookies for a snack, and a pulled pork slider with fries for dinner! 

We tried a few different treats including pulled pork sliders from Ethan's Applewood Smokehouse, loaded nachos from Pirates' Cove Tacos, and apple cider donuts from Harvest Barn Donuts. They were all so good! 

I also think it's worth noting that outside food and drink is allowed at Vala's. If you want to pack a PB & J from home, you totally can. I definitely recommend the food from Vala's because it's delicious, but if your entertainment budget for the day or your family's food preferences or allergies aren't a good fit with buying your meals and snacks and drinks from Vala's, bring your own! And I definitely recommend bringing some water with you even if you plan on buying your meals, snacks, and fun drinks because there is a lot of walking, and you don't want to end up too dehydrated to enjoy everything there.  

Bathrooms and Diapering at Vala's

As a mom of four kids including a toddler, good bathrooms can make a big difference in my day. Vala's does have porta-potties, but they also have 4 "real" bathrooms, including one by the admissions barn. They were rustic (which was in keeping with the theming around that area of the patch, with the pumpkin mine and pony rides nearby) but they were clean and had plenty of soap and paper towels when I used them. 

photo cutout near the bathrooms at Vala's

I also loved that they have a nursing mothers' room. Sometimes you want somewhere a bit more private, with less distractions for a baby or toddler, where you can put up your feet and rest for a minute while you take care of your little one. And Vala's thoughtfully made a cute little nursing room for exactly that purpose. 

What to bring with you to Vala's

Based on our visit with four kids from toddler to teen, I'd recommend bringing: 

• Sunscreen and hats for sunny days
• Comfy shoes that can get dirty (most of the paths are gravel) like sneakers, and socks if you'd like to be able to go on the jumping pillows. 
• A baby carrier, wagon, or stroller. We brought a wagon and did not have trouble with it on any of the paths. 
• A phone or camera because you're definitely going to want to take lots of pictures!
• A card you can pay with, like a credit card, debit card, or Visa giftcard, because the majority of the park is cash free
• Grandparents. Ok, this one seems a little silly, but some of the best stuff has a height limit or is only fun for certain age groups, and we were outnumbered. It would have been awesome to let grandparents help us some that some adults could take older kids on the big rides while someone else took the toddler to the pedal trikes. 

Hours and admission at Vala's Pumpkin Patch

For the 2024 fall season, Vala's is open on weekends as of Labor Day weekend for Cider + Sunflowers Festival and then officially opens for the season on September 13th. They will then remain open until the weekend after Halloween, when they have "Pumpkin Destruction" activities planned.

From Sunday through Thursday, they are open from 9am to 9pm, and on Fridays and Saturdays they are open until 10pm. Next time I visit Vala's Pumpkin Patch I will plan to be there at 8:45, because it is definitely the kind of place you can't see all in one day, but that will help make sure I see as much as I can!

Admission varies by day from $19.79 for weekdays and the Cider and Sunflowers Festival weekends to $35.99 on the weekends before Halloween. There are also special days for a variety of groups including Scouts, 4H members, Awanas, Homeschoolers, First Responders + Healthcare Heroes, Teachers, and more. Admission is discounted on Halloween too, and a brand-new Pumpkin Destruction Weekend the weekend after Halloween, which should be pretty entertaining. 

Vala's Pumpkin Patch is currently priced sort of in between typical Midwest pumpkin patch prices and Midwest theme park prices at places like Adventureland and Worlds of Fun, which makes sense to me with there being several big fun rides at Vala's including a small rollercoaster.

So is Vala's Pumpkin Patch the best pumpkin patch in the Midwest?

This is subjective and depends on what type of pumpkin patch experience you prefer of course. But if we look at the category of pumpkin patches that include things like train rides, jumping pillows, slides, eateries and live entertainment, I definitely say yes! 

I would also argue that in terms of the fun offered and when you match up with other pumpkin patches of the same category feature for feature, Vala's might just be the best pumpkin patch in the world! I know that sounds like a wild claim, but while I can find other pumpkin patches that offer a larger corn maze or larger actual pumpkin growth acreage, I have looked through lists from around the nation and literally cannot find a single place anywhere that that offers the expansive breadth of fresh produce, food, rides, haunted houses, mazes, play areas, cute photo opps, live entertainment, and other fall fun you find at Vala's Pumpkin Patch.  

You should probably go visit it yourself to decide for sure and then let me know in the comments! 

To find out more about Vala's, visit the Vala's Pumpkin Patch website or connect with Vala's Pumpkin Patch on Facebook or Instagram.