Haunted houses, crop mazes and Pride Fest: Top 5 things to do this weekend in Jacksonville

Tom Szaroleta, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union
·3 min read

It's no coincidence that four out of our five recommendations for fun things to do this weekend take place in the great outdoors. October is the time of year when you can actually go outside in Florida, and the weekends can be glorious. That makes it the perfect time to go attend a golf tournament, get lost in a corn field, attend a festival or watch a parade.

Haunted houses

13th Floor and Haunt Nights are open for the Halloween season in Jacksonville.
13th Floor and Haunt Nights are open for the Halloween season in Jacksonville.

Jacksonville's two biggest "haunted" Halloween attractions are now up and running. 13th Floor Haunted House at 9230 Arlington Expressway has four new haunts this season: The Deadlands, the Rot Shop, Depths of Darkness and Blackthorne Manor: Book of Lost Souls, plus escape games and axe-throwing ($27.99-$47.99). Haunt Nights is at Adventure Landing in Jacksonville Beach and has two haunts this year: Coven and The Sideshow in 3-D ($24.99-$34.99).

October fun: Blue Angels, Fla-Ga, Skynyrd, 'Fluffy' and other fun things to do in Jacksonville this month

Fall fun: Crop mazes, haunted houses and other autumn-themed things to do in Jacksonville

Crop mazes

Several area crop mazes are now open for the fall season.
Several area crop mazes are now open for the fall season.

If you're looking for a taste of fall that doesn't involve screaming maniacs with chainsaws, skip the haunted houses and head for one of the area's family-friendly crop mazes. Amazing Grace Family Farms in Green Cove Springs opens for the fall season on Friday and Saturday with a Dreams Come True-themed crop maze, pumpkin patch, corn crib, cow train and farm animals ($11.95-$24.95). The Sykes Family Farm in Elkton opens Saturday with a nine-acre corn maze featuring country singer Reba McEntire, plus hayrides, cow milking station, duck races, cow train and farm animals ($17.49). Conner's A-Maize-Ing Acres in Hilliard opens Friday with a teddy bear-themed corn maze, farm games, duck races and storytimes ($19.95).

Furyk & Friends

Longing for the good old days of golf, when players didn't look like NFL tight ends? The Constellation Furyk & Friends tournament that's going on this weekend at Timuquana Country Club is a PGA Tour Champions event, which means it draws senior players. This year's field tentatively includes Jim Furyk, Davis Love III, John Daly, Vijay Singh and David Duval. They play Friday, Saturday and Sunday and grounds tickets are just $25.

Beaches Oktoberfest

Beaches Oktoberfest returns to Seawalk Pavilion this weekend.
Beaches Oktoberfest returns to Seawalk Pavilion this weekend.

If the calendar says October, the Beaches throws an Oktoberfest, even if the leaves aren't likely to change color until some time after Thanksgiving. The Beaches Oktoberfest runs from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday at Seawalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach. Live music Friday is from Niko Moon, Jon Langston and Cumberland; Saturday's entertainment is X Ambassadors, American Authors, Trash Panda, Coyboi, Of Good Nature, Liza Attic and Airtight.

River City Pride

The River City Pride Parade runs through Riverside Sunday afternoon.
The River City Pride Parade runs through Riverside Sunday afternoon.

It's a big weekend for Jacksonville's LGBTQIA+ community. On Saturday, the River City Pride Festival is at Riverside Park from noon to 10 p.m. with live entertainment from country singer Chris Housman. The Jax River City Pride Parade starts at 2 p.m. Sunday at Willow Branch Park and travels down Park, King, Post, Stockton and Margaret Streets on its way to Riverside Park.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Fun things to do this weekend in Jacksonville, Florida