It’s at Fall Wonderland at Belluz Farm
Amanda Bay
September 16, 2026
There’s a specific kind of quiet that happens the moment you turn off the highway and onto the gravel road at Belluz Farms. The city noise disappears, the air smells like cut straw, and somewhere out past the barn, a two-acre corn maze is waiting to make you question your sense of direction. This is Fall Wonderland, and there’s a decent chance you’ve already made a memory here.
Back in the early 80’s, Don and Claire Belluz were growing pumpkins and opening the farm on weekends so people could buy them, along with whatever gourds and squash happened to be ready that season.
Then when Jodi and Kevin took over the farm in 2001, they started adding little pieces, one at a time. A game here, an activity there, and everything else grew.
Two decades later, Fall Wonderland has become a Thunder Bay tradition, and this year it will be even bigger, with a handful of new things to do, plus a couple of fresh photo spots tucked into the farm for people to stumble upon.
So what can you expect? Somewhere between the parking lot and the pumpkin patch, you’ll meet a straw bale man built to towering proportions, a corn maze that swallows you whole for twenty minutes (which is also a fun scavenger hunt), wagon rides that haul you out past a formation the farm has nicknamed “Straw Henge,” with pumpkin bowling, the prettiest view of the mountains and Slate River Valley, and further along, a set of giant letters spelling out L-O-V-E (the perfect family photo opp!)
Littles tend to gravitate toward the hidden pumpkin hunt, which is tucked inside a mini corn maze that is the perfect size just for them. You also can’t miss the petting zoo, courtesy of Ruth Wolsiffer and her Barnyard Friends, with fuzzy little bunnies, pigs, a chicken or two, and if you want to go one step further, pony rides are available on-site for a separate fee.
All of it is covered by one Activity Pass, and this year Jodi recommends that people grab theirs ahead of time. Demand has climbed steadily over the past few seasons, and walk-in spots at the gate are no longer a guarantee.
“There’s something just magical about pumpkins, isn’t there? When a small toddler sees a pumpkin for the first time, they are just mesmerized. And we continue to love them well into our adulthood.”
Jodi explained that she thinks the love for pumpkins might trace back further than trend cycles or Pinterest boards, to a time when people had a direct hand in growing their own food, and the arrival of pumpkins and root vegetables meant the harvest was in and rest was close. That instinct, she says, “hasn’t really left us”.
“I wonder if this whole ‘cozy fall vibe’ thing we all love taps into that. Today, I think the celebration of the fall harvest gives us a chance to stop. To head outside, to get into the country and spend time with friends and family.”
It’s a good reminder that the appeal of a place like this was never really about the maze or the photo backdrop…it’s about the excuse to slow down.
Now, when it comes to choosing the right pumpkin? Jodi’s advice sounds a lot less like farm wisdom and a lot more like something worth carrying with you year round. “Local pumpkins are hand-picked by local people, filled with local love. After that, it’s up to you. Big or small, bumpy or smooth, long-handled or short, round or tall — every pumpkin is perfect in its own special way. Just like we all are.”
Before you leave, don’t skip the Farm Store. It’s stocked with fall vegetables straight off the farm — carrots, beets, potatoes, garlic, onions, winter squash — along with Claire’s Preserves and a shelf of other locally made goods. Next door, the Harvest Café will be open, serving soups, stews, chilli, and warm drinks, which is really the only correct way to end a day in October.
Fall Wonderland opens on Saturday, September 26th, timed with the Thunder Bay & District Giant Pumpkin Growers’ annual Weigh-Off and Giant Pumpkin Drop (definitely something you have to see with your own eyes). From there, it runs on weekends and Thanksgiving Monday, 11 am to 5 pm, through the last weekend before Halloween.
