An organic farm with a weekend fall festival featuring pumpkins, mums, hayrack rides and lawn games, positioned near Palisades-Kepler State Park for a scenic pairing, but 2026 dates and pricing are not published.
Bass Farms sits on Highway 30 west of Mount Vernon, directly across the street from Palisades-Kepler State Park, and operates an organic farm with a weekend fall festival. The festival combines pumpkins, mums, hayrack rides, games, bounce houses, putt-putt golf and slingshots. The farm is small-to-moderate in size—not a massive multi-maze festival, but enough activity to fill an afternoon without being rushed.
The geographic pairing with Palisades-Kepler State Park is the differentiator. A morning visit to the farm and an afternoon walk along the Cedar River bluff with fall color is a natural one-day plan for Cedar Rapids or Iowa City families.
Highway 30 is a scenic route through central Iowa. Palisades-Kepler sits on a bluff above the Cedar River with hiking trails and views; it’s a genuine state park with infrastructure (restrooms, picnic areas) rather than roadside scenery. Families who might drive to Bass Farms anyway often add a park visit because the logistics are convenient.
Bass Farms operates as an organic operation, which appeals to families prioritizing organic produce and sustainable farming. For most visitors, this affects the farm-stand sales and farm practices, not the fall-festival experience of picking pumpkins and playing games. It’s a detail that can matter to some decision-makers.
The 2026 opening date, closing date and admission price were not published. The farm historically runs September-October weekends; confirm the exact dates with a call to (319) 895-6480 or a check of bassfarms.org. Pricing information is not published; ask when you call whether admission is charged per-person or per-vehicle, and what to expect to budget.
Bass Farms operates weekends only, which rules out weekday flexibility. If your family can only go on a particular weekday, this farm is not available. If weekends work, early September or late September weekends will be quieter than peak mid-October.
October weather here is variable—a Saturday morning can be 50 degrees and noon can be 65. Layers are practical. Field parking will be muddy after rain. The riverside park across the street stays open year-round if weather chases you off the festival grounds; that’s a fallback option.
Bass Farms runs a fall festival September-October weekends only (specific 2026 dates not published). The farm is located on Highway 30, approximately four miles west of downtown Mount Vernon, across the street from Palisades-Kepler State Park. Early September weekends (Sep 1-8) offer lower crowds and cooler picking weather; mid-October (Oct 11-19) offers peak fall color along the Cedar River but higher weekend demand. Call (319) 895-6480 or check bassfarms.org to confirm 2026 opening and closing dates.
Two to three hours. With pumpkins, mums, hayrack rides, games, bounce houses, putt-putt golf and slingshots, the property has enough to fill an afternoon without being an all-day commitment like larger festivals.
Weekend-only operation concentrates demand. Saturday and Sunday afternoons will be busy; Saturday morning will be quieter. Early September and late September weekends will have lower crowds than mid-October.
Not specified. Field parking typical of farm festivals; expect unpaved ground muddy after rain.
You need confirmed 2026 dates and pricing before committing. The farm hadn't published specific 2026 opening/closing dates or admission prices when we searched. Also skip if your group has very young toddlers and very elderly adults simultaneously; the lawn games and bounce houses are more elementary-school-oriented.
The farm had not published specific 2026 opening and closing dates when we checked. Historically it operates September-October weekends only. Call (319) 895-6480 or check bassfarms.org to confirm 2026 dates.
Pricing was not published in our research. Call (319) 895-6480 to ask for rates. The farm offers pumpkins, mums, hayrack rides, games, bounce houses, putt-putt golf and slingshots, but the admission cost is not posted publicly.
Yes. Palisades-Kepler State Park is directly across Highway 30. The park offers scenic bluffs along the Cedar River, hiking trails and picnic areas. You can combine a farm visit with a park walk in one day.
Bass Farms operates as an organic farm, meaning it does not use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. For most visitors, this affects the produce sold at a farm stand, not the fall-festival experience. You pick pumpkins and play games the same way at an organic farm as a conventional one.
2026 dates had not been published when we last checked. In past seasons it has run: Sep-Oct weekends. Check with the farm before driving out.
Admission pricing was not published when we last checked.
Highway 30, Mount Vernon, IA, in Cedar County. It is one of 6 patches we track in Cedar Rapids-Iowa City.
We track 6 patches in Cedar Rapids-Iowa City, 1 of which are free to walk into. The farm has not published a gate price, so it cannot be compared on cost — call before you budget.
One caveat worth repeating: this farm had not published its 2026 dates when we last checked, while 0 of the 6 patches we track in Cedar Rapids-Iowa City had. Treat any date you see elsewhere as last year's until the farm confirms it.
There are 2 other patches we track in Cedar County. All Cedar Rapids-Iowa City patches →
Map pin is set to the town centre. Navigate to the street address above, not the pin.
bassfarms.org
Checked August 2026.