One busy morning last season, Knaus Berry Farm general manager Joel White looked across the street and saw a couple of entrepreneurs reselling cinnamon rolls they had just bought in his line. The Miami Herald reported the scene. Behind it was a simple problem. A handful of 12-dozen orders at the start of the day could stall a small kitchen for hours.
Knaus's answer to that line is a new set of rules built for repeat visits, and other places around Homestead are following the same calendar this fall. The local high season used to show up around the holidays, as one big rush. In 2026 it opened in mid-October, and it now runs much longer. The places that anchor it are changing their systems so people from nearby can come back two or three times instead of once.
The Knaus season opened in October instead of Christmas week
Knaus opened its 70th season on Oct. 13. In 2025, at its new location along Krome Avenue, the first week of the season fell during Christmas week. "We're very excited to be opening in the middle of October, two months earlier than last year," White told WLRN. "Based on the earlier opening, we anticipate lines will be shorter."
The Herald reported that the farm has also added parking and stretched the season to 30 weeks. The goal is in White's own words. "Knaus Berry Farm is a tradition, but it's a tradition of a lot of people just going once a year," he told the Herald. "I'd love for people to know that they can get in and out quickly, and then have them come twice a year or three times a year." He has also said he wants to get people "in and out in less than an hour."
Here are the new rules that make a quick visit possible, as reported by the Herald and WLRN:
- Four dozen per guest at the main cashier. White told the Herald that 95 percent of customers buy four dozen or fewer, so the cap mostly affects the biggest orders.
- A fourth register and cashier, along with QR code ordering.
- Advance online ordering, starting in November, for orders up to 12 dozen. These are picked up curbside at a separate entrance behind the farm, in morning slots between 7:30 and 10:30 a.m. Pickup days are released one month ahead. These rolls are not hot from the oven.
- Custom requests over 12 dozen go through the Knaus website, starting in November.
Two changes from last year are staying: credit cards and Sunday hours. White told the Herald that 81 percent of orders were paid by card, and he called the switch from cash-only "a grand slam." The rolls themselves haven't changed. Thomas Blocher, who ran the bakery program for 40 years, still consults in the kitchen. White says it's "the same menu, the same ovens, the same recipes."
Knaus is at 16790 SW 177th Ave., just north of Homestead. It's open Tuesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Mondays.
Strawberries push the season further into winter
U-Pick strawberries are the other reason to go back to Knaus more than once. Picking was canceled last season because of the move. This year, Knaus and Accursio Farms are planting 25,000 strawberry plants in the field next to the property. WLRN reports that U-Pick is set to return in December, and the team expects berries to be ready around Christmas. The Herald notes that South Florida weather decides the timing. If it stays too warm, look for berries in January. Once the fields open, U-Pick runs Thursday through Sunday.
Put those together and the Knaus calendar for this season looks like this. The bakery opened in mid-October, advance ordering starts in November, and picking begins in December or January. That's three separate reasons to visit across one season, where last year there was one opening-week rush.
The speedway got its November back, and keeps it next year
Homestead-Miami Speedway brings a second crowd to South Dade this fall. Championship Weekend for 2026 is Nov. 6–8, with all three NASCAR national series. The schedule has the Truck Series championship Friday at 7:30 p.m., the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series championship Saturday at 5 p.m., and the Cup Series championship Sunday at 3 p.m. WSVN reported that it is the track's first championship weekend in six years, and that organizers expected more than 40,000 fans.
The part that matters for next fall is something speedway president Guillermo Santa Cruz told WSVN. "We held it here for 18 years. Now we're going to have it 2026 for the 19th time, and next year, the 20th time that we host championship." So the championship isn't a one-off. Early November in Homestead now has a race weekend on it for 2027 as well.
The speedway's guidance is worth keeping for both years. All parking requires a paid pass, there is no free parking on site, and the speedway strongly recommends buying passes in advance. Lots open at 8 a.m. on Cup Sunday, and the speedway points drivers to Waze, whose routes update in real time with police and FDOT traffic conditions. That Waze guidance is useful for anyone driving through on race weekend, race ticket or not.
Race weekend also overlaps with farm season. The Berry Farm's Harvest Festival schedule lists 9 p.m. closings on both Friday, Nov. 6, and Sunday, Nov. 8.
The Berry Farm closes out its festival Nov. 15
The Berry Farm runs on an earlier calendar than Knaus. Its seventh annual Harvest Festival opened Sept. 16 and ends Nov. 15, 2026. It features a pumpkin patch, sunflower fields, hayrides, and what the farm calls South Florida's only five-acre corn maze.
Closing weekend is "Weekend at Berryhaus," on Nov. 14 and 15, with live music and food. The last two late nights are Friday, Nov. 13, and Sunday, Nov. 15, when the festival stays open until 9 p.m. The farm says late hours don't apply on Saturday nights.
A few practical points from the farm's FAQ: walk-up tickets are always available, but buying online speeds up entry. Every visitor, of any age, has to complete a waiver. The festival runs rain or shine, and tickets are not refunded for weather. The farm says most guests stay four to six hours. Robbie's Feed & Supply is listed as a local supporter of this year's festival.
Once the corn maze closes on the 15th, South Dade's season moves to Knaus's online pickup slots and then to the strawberry fields.
Where the season stands now
| Place | Address | What's next |
|---|---|---|
| The Berry Farm | Redland area | Late hours Fri., Nov. 13; Weekend at Berryhaus Nov. 14–15; festival ends Nov. 15 |
| Knaus Berry Farm | 16790 SW 177th Ave. | Tue.–Sun., 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; advance online ordering rolling out in November |
| Knaus U-Pick, with Accursio Farms | Field next to Knaus | Expected in December, or January if weather delays; Thu.–Sun. once ripe |
| Robert Is Here | 19200 SW 344th St. | Daily, 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day |
| Homestead-Miami Speedway | Homestead | Championship weekend set to return in 2027 for the 20th time |
Robert Is Here is the year-round example
Robert Is Here never needed a reopening date. The fruit stand at 19200 SW 344th St. is open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closes only on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. That schedule shows what Knaus is moving toward. By opening two months earlier, running 30 weeks, and adding ways to skip the line, Knaus is becoming more of a regular stop and less of a one-day holiday trip.
For Thanksgiving week, that matters. Robert Is Here closes on the holiday itself, and Knaus closes every Monday. If the family wants pie or rolls for the table, plan the run for earlier in the week. Or book a Knaus pickup slot once advance ordering opens.
When people visit for the holidays, plenty of them want to see the corn maze, the Cup cars, and the strawberry fields. If you're also thinking about what this busier calendar means for living in South Dade, or what a home near the speedway or the Redland farms looks like right now, The MIA Home Group knows these routes well, in English or Spanish. Let's Connect.
