Finding the right pumpkin patch farm to visit in 2022 may seem daunting, but there are many options out there. Whether you want to go to a family friendly pumpkin patch, one that hosts fall festivals, or even one that has an educational focus, there is likely a farm that is perfect for you.
In fact in the United States alone, there are over 3 million pumpkin farms, each offering their own unique experience. Some offer hayrides, while others host live music concerts. Many a pumpkin patch farm offers activities such as face painting, petting zoos, corn mazes, and hay rides. Some even offer Halloween themed events throughout the season.
How do you sort through all these farms to know which one is right for your family? How do you even know what characteristics your family should consider in choosing a farm this Fall? The good news is we are about to do a deep dive on what to look for in the perfect pumpkin patch farm as well as some other Fall activities your family might want to consider.
The Perfect Pumpkin Patch Farm for Families
Finding the right type of pumpkin patch farm for families can be tricky. Some almost seem like theme parks whereas some allow you to really get away and enjoy nature. There are a few general types to consider, including those that focus on entertainment, those that focus on education, and those those that setup as produce markets or farm stands. A good pumpkin patch farm for families is more likely to focus on either entertainment or education. These pumpkin patch farms are great if you’re looking to kick back, relax and spend several hours with the whole family.
Educational based pumpkin patches typically allow both kids and adults to participate together in hands-on farm activities. You might find yourself getting a behind the scenes look at what is involved in growing pumpkins, milking cows, making cheese, riding ponies, picking apples and more. Make no mistake, there is a lot of entertainment to be had at these Farms as well, but their focus is on allowing you to experience Farm life in a fun way.
Entertainment based pumpkin patches can be more similar to a Fall Themed carnival. You may find yourself jumping on a pumpkin shaped jump pad, riding rides, eating funnel cakes, joining a pumpkin decorating contest, etc. You might even find a place to get some pumpkin themed face paint done.
Finding the style of pumpkin patch farm you want to take your family to is the first step. The good news is there is no wrong answer, you may even decide to do both!
Locating the Right Pumpkin Farm Near Me
Did you know that one of the most Googled phrases in the Fall is “Pumpkin Farm Near Me”? People all of over the US want to know where they should be going to pick out this year’s jack o’lantern. We obviously can’t make recommendations for every single town in the US. However, what we can do is address some questions you might be asking, or perhaps should be asking to locate the perfect pumpkin farm where you live.
Pumpkin patch with corn maze or without?
One of the questions I often hear is should I find a pumpkin patch farm with a corn maze, and is it worth it? Well here’s the thing, if you are set on taking your family to a corn maze then you absolutely should. However, truthfully they are a very different experience.
Don’t get me wrong, a lot of pumpkin patches also have corn mazes. However, even if they do they are typically still separated, and you pay for them on their own. What you typically run into though, is some farms will include a corn maze, but it’s not really their main attraction. Whereas other farms make this their main attraction, and have less of a focus on their actual pumpkin patch.
For this reason you are typically much better off to dedicate two different days to these activities. Find a farm that has the type of pumpkin patch you really like, then find another one that has a really epic corn maze. It also can take a lot of time to do both of these activities so don’t try to crunch them together if you can help it.
Best Pumpkin patch hours and days to visit
What are the best pumpkin patch hours and days for your family to visit? Well this depends. The good news is it seems like every year farms open earlier and stay open later into the season. Many open in September and sometimes stay open into November. Some have even started doing events for Christmas.
However, October is still the prime time to to take your family to a pumpkin patch farm. As far as the best day to visit, that also depends on what you’re looking for. If you can go through the week, Monday – Thursday especially, you are likely to enjoy a more leisure experience. All of the crowds come out on the weekend, but if that’s your thing absolutely head out on a Saturday.
The best time to arrive in my opinion is late morning. That gives the sun a chance to come out if it’s a cool Fall day, gives you plenty of time to see everything, and even better, allows you to have a picnic while you’re out at the farm.
Pumpkin patch with haunted house or without
Whether to find a pumpkin patch farm with haunted house or not is up for much debate. In my opinion this is a very similar scenario to the corn maze, in that you need to do these two activities separately. In fact, I believe this is even more the case with finding a haunted house. People are very specific in what they are looking for. You may want something that is family friendly or something that is a bit more spooky.
As you most likely know, there are some huge dedicated haunted houses out there. Not to mention night time is almost always the prime time for these activities, which is another reason why you really should split these activities up.
Pumpkin patch and petting zoo
If you are trying to find a pumpkin patch farm and petting zoo together at the same location you’re in luck because this is pretty common. The far majority of pumpkin farms will have some fun animals to check out. This typically includes barnyard animals such as goats, sheep, cows, pigs, chickens, etc. Sometimes you might even find more exotic animals.
Here we do use the term ‘petting zoo’ a bit loosely since not necessarily all of the animals are able, or safe, to be petted. Regardless though, you can almost always get up close and personal with some cute animals you don’t see everyday.
Pumpkin patch near me dog friendly
Are you looking for a nearby pumpkin patch that is dog friendly? Sometimes nothing can be more fun than letting your pup tag along with the rest of the family, however there are just a few things to consider. Whereas some pumpkin patches are dog friendly there are a couple things you should consider before letting your furry friends tag along.
Even if a pumpkin farm allows dogs, or other pets, it may limit some of the activities you can do. For example, often you can’t go around the animal exhibits or the petting zoo with pets as it can cause the animals to get stressed. Yes, as hard as it might be to believe, the little pigs, sheep, and other smaller animals, might not view an unfamiliar dog as being as friendly as we do. Some of the farm animals can be a bit fragile under a lot of stress, and we all want to look out for their safety as well.
There may also be some other areas that pets are not allowed to go into on the farm, like rides you might want to go on etc. For this reason it’s always best to check with the pumpkin patch you are planning to go to beforehand to see if they allow pets.
Pumpkin Patches That Host Fall Festival Events
Many pumpkin patch farms host fall festivals through October. These festivals are a great way to enjoy the outdoors and celebrate the changing seasons. Some farms will provide food vendors, craft booths, hayrides, and other activities during the festival. Some even offer live music performances from local artists.
Often these festivals happen on a specific weekend during October and may have a few additional attractions than what can be found the rest of the month at the farm.
Should your group have their fall festival at a pumpkin farm?
It really depends on what type of fall festival event you want to hold. If you want to host a small gathering, then a pumpkin patch would work perfect. On the other hand, if you want to host a large event, where your group is the only one present then you should make sure to reach out to the pumpkin farm several weeks prior to the event so they can make accommodations for you.
Fall festival games you can play at a pumpkin patch farm
The best part about attending a pumpkin patch is that there are so many different Fall festival games you can play. Whether you choose to build a scarecrow, make a jack o lantern, or go on a hayride, you’ll have plenty of things to do. Here are some fun games you can play at your next pumpkin patch for your group’s Fall Festival:
- Scarecrow building contest – Have each member of your group create a scarecrow using only items found at the pumpkin patch. Once everyone has completed their scarecrow, they must race against one another to see who can finish first.
- Jack O Lantern carving contest – Each member of your group gets to carve a jack o lantern. Then, you get to vote on which one looks the best.
- Hay ride game – Everyone rides around on a hayride and tries to guess how far away from home they are. Whoever guesses closest wins!
- Corn maze game – Similar to the hayride game, this game requires players to find their way through a corn maze. The person who finds his/her way out first wins.
- Pumpkin decorating contest – Each player takes turns painting pumpkins. Take a vote to see who has the crowd favorite.
Pumpkin patch birthday party ideas
If you’re planning a pumpkin patch birthday party this year for someone special, you might be wondering where to go and looking for some inspiring ideas. A pumpkin patch is an excellent choice as it is hard to beat as a backdrop for Fall-themed photos.
You can easily transform a pumpkin patch into a Halloween-themed birthday party venue. Once you arrive at the farm find a picnic table and set it up a with candles, candy, and decorations. Next, invite your guests to help carve their own jack o lanterns that you each picked fresh from the patch. Finally, let them decorate pumpkins and then break out the cake and ice cream, that is if the Fall weather is not too cold for ice cream. Below are a couple other creative ideas you could try out.
- Make a mini haunted house – Create a haunted house using cardboard boxes and construction paper. Place a mirror inside the box to reflect light onto the walls. Add fake spider webs and cobwebs to complete the look.
- Have a ghost story telling contest – Invite everyone to tell scary stories while sitting around a campfire, this is of course if you opt for an evening birthday party.
Fun Fall Activities With Toddlers
You don’t necessarily have to limit your Fall fun to pumpkin patches, especially if you have little ones. Fun fall activities with toddlers can be experienced in several ways, even if it’s just for some great picture opportunities. Our kiddos just look so cute with the Fall decor, even if they don’t remember all the trouble you went to. That’s what all those pictures are for right!
Even though they may be a little young to remember some of the effort you’re putting in, there are some fun fall activities you can do with your toddler that will totally be scrap book worthy. Here are some ideas:
- Buy a huge pumpkin at a local pumpkin stand, carve it out and get pictures of your toddler sitting inside.
- Create Angel Wings, ‘only with fallen leaves’ for your toddler.
- Do a Turkey painting made from your Toddler’s footprint.
- Have a bonfire with S’mores.
Fall Activities With Preschoolers
The famous saying play ‘is’ the work that kids do comes to mind when thinking about fall activities with preschoolers. There are just so many things for them to get into. With the weather being so perfect, most of these activities should involve the outdoors, and maybe pumpkins! Of course, you can take your little one to a nearby pumpkin patch, but here are just a few ideas you could do with them while you’re there, or even at home if you want to.
- Carve a pumpkin, of course!
- Make orange colored slime.
- Make Play Dough that smells like Pumpkin Spice.
- Count spider webs in the early Fall mornings.
- Play hide and seek, this one could be a perfect pumpkin patch adventure!
- Go on a picnic, another one perfect for the pumpkin farm outing.
Fun Fall Activities With Family Of Any Age
If you are searching for some fun fall activities with family members this season, you’re in luck. A family of any age group can typically enjoy at least something that a pumpkin patch has to offer. Although different farms might be preferable based on the age of your group.
There are also just some fun activities your family could do together at home. For older children, you could:
- Make your own pumpkin pie from scratch.
- Go to an apple orchard and pick apples to make cider.
- Visit a corn maze.
- Enjoy a hayride through the woods.
- Go on a hike and watch the leaves turn colors.
Fall festival ideas for Church groups
Coming up with Fall festival ideas for Church groups can sometimes be a chore. Well you can rest easy because we are here to help you out. Church groups often host fall festivals during the month of October. These events are great opportunities to bring people together and fellowship with one another.
A lot of Church groups want to host their fall festival at a pumpkin patch rather than at the Church because all the decorating is done for them already. Some pumpkin farms can even accommodate very large groups. Below are a few ideas that could be perfect for your Church to consider this Fall.
- Have your Sunday morning service out at the Farm one Sunday. Of course, this will need to be coordinated well in advance with the farm owners, but could be a wonderful change of scenery.
- Have a huge old fashioned picnic directly after service out at a pumpkin patch. This is great way to get everyone together outdoors, and then afterwards everyone can enjoy the pumpkin patch activities at their leisure.
- Needing to raise money? How about a pumpkin pie baking contest where you auction off the winning pies. Of course you don’t have to limit it to just pumpkin pies if you don’t want to.
Conclusion
There are plenty of reasons why you should visit a pumpkin patch farm this year. Whether you’re looking for fun family activities or just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, a pumpkin farm will provide you with everything you’re looking for.
However, finding the perfect pumpkin farm can be a bit tricky. There are lots of farms out there, each offering their own unique set of experiences. If you want to get the most out of your visit you probably want to spend time doing a little bit of planning and research about what type of farm will be best for your family.
Steps in planning your pumpkin patch visit
First, decide if in fact a pumpkin farm is what you’re looking for. After planning everything out if you find you are primarily looking for a specific activity like a corn maze or haunted house you might be best served finding locations that primarily only focus on those activities.
Second, decide if your primary objective is to have a fun hands-on learning experience with your kids or if you are looking for more of a carnival style atmosphere. There are some of both styles of pumpkin farms, and they can offer very different options for your family. If you don’t want to choose, then you can of course find time for both.
Lastly, plan some of the individual activities you would like to do once you arrive on the farm. There are so many activity options that you likely will not be able to do all of them. This is why planning out some of your must-do events can be really important. You may even decide you want to get creative and make up some of your own activities. Whatever you decide to do you are in for a really fun time with your family and some truly memorable experiences!
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to start planning your trip!