Ruby Creek Family Farm Fall Festival

Ruby Creek Family Farm in Aurora has been in the same family since the 1930s, named for a family matriarch who came from Oklahoma territory in a covered wagon and fished this creek. One admission covers 20-plus attractions about 30 minutes northwest of Fort Worth: a pumpkin patch, a corn maze, a two-story sand pile, human hamster wheels, a catch-and-release fishing pond, and live music. The signature add-on is a covered hayride out to hand-feed Texas longhorns. Fergus the Highland and Leroy Brown the llama hold court in the barnyard, and the food runs from caramel apples and funnel cakes to angus smashburgers and fresh lemonade. Look for the big red entrance flag on Oates Creek Road.

Our take: Ride the longhorn hayride early, since it is first come, first served, then let kids hit the sand pile before the smashburgers.