Fall in San Antonio 2026: Zoo Boo, pumpkin patches, and the season by the numbers

San Antonio's Zoo Boo! is the 40th annual, presented by PNC, and runs September 19 through November 1, 2026, per the San Antonio Zoo. Trick-or-treating along the zoo's candy trail is free every day from 4 to 5 p.m., and the event adds Fiesta de los Muertos decor, themed food, live entertainment, and a DJ every Saturday.

Zoo Boo! is included with regular zoo admission, and the zoo uses flex pricing that varies by date and demand. A limited-time Family Fun Pack runs $99 for four admissions with food and drinks included, but exact per-date prices are set at the time you buy, so grab tickets early if you have your heart set on a specific evening.

The splashiest farm events carry real price tags. Devine Acres Farm runs its Fall CountryFest on weekends, plus Columbus Day, from September 26 through November 1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at $24.95 at the gate with discounted tickets online and ages 2 and under free; the farm says the grounds hold 40-plus acres and 50-plus attractions.

Traders Village on Loop 410 runs its CORNy Maze from September 18 through November 8 on weekends, with a maze wristband at $8.99 for ages 3 and up, plus a big pumpkin patch, petting zoo, and duck races, per Traders Village.

Fall does not have to cost money. The Tower of the Americas puts on a free fall pumpkin patch October 5 through November 15 during Tower operating hours, and several church patches around town give pumpkins away free: Northwest Hills United Methodist on Tezel Road runs October 5 through 31 with evening and weekend hours, and Oxford United Methodist on Huebner Road opens October 1 until its pumpkins sell out.

Add the daily free 4-to-5 p.m. trick-or-treating inside Zoo Boo!, and a family can absolutely do an October weekend in the $20-to-$40 range.

Prices add up fast when a family of four does a full day: gate-style farm festivals run about $25 per person, while a weekend anchored on free patches and the 4 p.m. trick-or-treating can come in far lighter. The richest value this season is probably the day you pick one anchor event and let the free stuff fill the rest of the weekend.

Call ahead before you go. Dates and hours were still being finalized at announcement time, and a quick phone call saves you a long drive to a closed gate.

If you are relocating now, October is a genuinely lovely month to see the city: cooler mornings, festival crowds, and neighborhoods in their best light. When you are ready to talk neighborhoods, schools, and the actual cost of your move, that is where I live. Call or text me at 210-744-5478, or use the contact page, and we will take it neighborhood by neighborhood.