Located in Benton, Tennessee, just east of the Ocoee River Bridge and about an hour's drive from Downtown Chattanooga is Ocoee Valley Farms, a working row-crop farm that will be ushering in the fall season with its incredible Fall festival and River Maze starting this Saturday, September 26th, spanning until Sunday, November 1st.
The farm is owned and operated by Joe and Dianne Fetzer and the Fetzer family, with long-running roots in their community. In autumn, the farm completely transforms into a fall-themed, community-oriented attraction, featuring pumpkin patches with over thirty varieties of pumpkins to pick from, as well as hayrides, mazes, food and drink vendors, and over 25 activities, games, and attractions.
Currently, their River Maze is in its 22nd season, and it has become one of the signature attractions at the farm. This year, it will be extra special, as Ocoee Valley Farms was chosen as one of only 20 farms in the U.S. and Canada to host a unique Dolly Parton-themed "Get Lost With Dolly" maze experience.
Covering nearly 9 acres, the maze celebrates the enduring legacy of the icon, Dolly Parton, with a maze depicting her image and a theme celebrating her gospel song “Peace Like A River,” with a portion of the proceeds from the stunning maze benefiting the Imagination Library, which is a program that provides free books to children through age 5.
The maze was developed with Dolly’s blessing before she passed, and is more than just your run-of-the-mill maze where getting lost is part of the fun. It also features country music trivia throughout, as well as Dolly-themed photo opps, interactive Dolly Parton clues, and interactive storytelling and Dolly Parton music.
Overall, the entire maze helps further Dolly’s mission and her enduring legacy, and in speaking with co-owner of Ocoee Valley Farms, Dianne Fetzer, about the process for creating this Dolly Parton-themed maze, she mentioned wanting to get Dolly’s permission for a long time, and that in 2025, they got offered the opportunity to feature Dolly and jumped at it.
“We have wanted to get Dolly’s permission for a long time. We just didn’t quite know how to do it. In 2025, The Maize Company had their annual conference in Pigeon Forge. They negotiated with Dolly’s team and agreed to partner with us. So, when they offered the opportunity to feature Dolly, we jumped. She is a true Tennessean and never forgot where she came from. To us, that was truly admirable. Our family loved to read, so it seemed perfect.”
Dianne went on to discuss some of the history of the farm and its legacy, detailing how it has been in Joe’s family since 1861, while also discussing the importance of the school field trips they host, and how those impact children learning more about where their food comes from.
“I think, because it really is a family-owned farm, people keep coming back. We grow our own pumpkins and let people go into the field and cut their own. We constantly strive to be better each year than the previous year. The farm has been in Joe’s family since 1861, with a break in the depression years. Joe’s grandfather had to sell, but his dad bought it back in the middle 1950’s. It is beautiful here.
We love having school field trips. I was a high school math teacher for 40 years. Education has been a major factor in my life. I retired in 2017, and this has been a way to keep active. It is busy but fun. I hope students learn about where their food comes from, and it brings Tennessee agriculture to life with hands-on learning students won't find in any textbook.”
When asked about plans for the future of the farm, Dianne mentioned wanting her children and family to ultimately take over, and that they have big plans for the future of Ocoee Valley Farms.
“We hope our family will become involved and take over the management responsibilities. Joe and I have experience, but we are getting old and tired. They have big plans for this place, but we don’t know if it will come to fruition. Our daughter and son-in-law are remodeling the old farmhouse on the property that was built in 1904. They now have four children, with the youngest being born in June. So only time will tell.”
Ocoee Valley Farms and River Maze Fall Festival
- Saturday, September 26th - Sunday, November 1st.
- Ocoee Valley Farms. 1371 Hwy 64, Benton, TN.
- 5-9 p.m. Fridays; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays; 1-5 p.m. Sundays. $14-$20.
- Open on Saturday and Sunday in September. Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in October.
- Tickets at: ocoeevalleyfarms.com/tickets