Raprager Family Farms in Odessa has opened its annual fall festival, rolling out pumpkin patches, hayrides, farm animals and a new giant dragon display for visitors through select dates in November.
The festival itself runs Fridays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, which spoke with the farm about its lineup this year. Kendall Rickert, the farm's operations manager, and owner Justin Raprager are both cited in that report as the faces behind the operation, which stays open year-round and charges free admission outside its major seasonal festivals. Reporter Heather Healy's account describes hayrides, live entertainment, campfire seating, and a farm market stocked with fresh apple cider donuts, farm-fresh eggs, pickles, brisket mac and cheese, pancakes and breakfast burritos.
Daytime Fun Gives Way to Nighttime Scares
Beyond the family-friendly daytime offerings, the farm transitions after 6 p.m. into a haunted attraction during its fall run, per Fun 4 Nature Coast Kids. That after-dark version includes a 17,000-square-foot haunted maze, haunted hayrides, and evening Bog Monster hunts, staffed by seasonally hired scare actors. FarmZenda's rundown of the property notes additional interactive installations that go well beyond a typical pumpkin lot, including a bounce pillow, a hay chute slide, a maze, axe throwing, and gem mining. The farm also offers animal encounters and a petting zoo.
A $6.5 Million Listing Behind the Scenes
State corporate records identify Raprager Family Farms LLC. The farm's commercial agritourism operations are on Boy Scout Road.
State Law Shields Farm Festivals From Local Zoning Fights
Operations like Raprager's benefit from a legal framework that keeps municipalities from restricting agritourism on agricultural land. Under Florida Statute § 570.85, known as the Florida Agritourism Act, local governments are generally barred from enacting zoning regulations that limit agritourism activity, though they retain authority over offsite traffic and emergency management, according to the law firm Dean Mead. Separate statutes, Florida Statutes § 570.88 and § 570.89, grant agritourism operators limited civil liability protection against claims stemming from the inherent risks of farm activities — including unpredictable animal behavior and uneven terrain — as long as operators post statutory warning signs at site entrances.
Raprager Family Farms isn't the only option for fall-festival seekers in the region. Other seasonal attractions include the Fox Squirrel Corn Maze in Plant City and HarvestMoon Farm in Masaryktown, according to Coldwell Banker AquaTerra Realty, which lists local fall festivals. Whether Raprager's new dragon display and haunted-farm offerings are enough to set it apart remains to be seen as the 2026 season continues through November.
Raprager Family Farms isn't the only option for fall-festival seekers in the region. The farm competes within a crowded Tampa Bay seasonal market that includes the Fox Squirrel Corn Maze in Plant City and HarvestMoon Farm in Masaryktown, according to Coldwell Banker AquaTerra Realty, which notes that seasonal farm festivals have become major autumn draws spanning Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties. Whether Raprager's new dragon display and expanded haunted-farm offerings are enough to set it apart amid a potential ownership change remains to be seen as the 2026 season continues through November.
