Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Pumpkin patches

54 replies

Jasmineblossom24 · 20/10/2022 08:20

Are pumpkin patches actually worth it? I’m in the south west of UK and there is one near us and DH would like to take the children. Are they actually any good, or is it best just to get a supermarket one? I’ve never been to a pumpkin patch (I’ve seen American pics of them) but I guess it could add to the halloween festivities?

OP posts:
Sirpatrickdelaneypodmore · 20/10/2022 09:37

I think it’s a lovely couple of hours out. I have a photo each year of the kids in a wheelbarrow with the pumpkins. Ours has a little cafe next door and a spooky maze. The kids look forward to pumpkin picking day as much as Halloween itself. I really don’t think going down to the local Tesco and picking up some pumpkins compares at all.

CallMeBubbleDarling · 20/10/2022 09:41

Our local one is lovely. They grow the pumpkins themselves and are much cheaper than the supermarket. Free to get in and they have farm equipment around for the children to see, tractors and what not. Each year as it has got more popular that add more bits like stalls and face painting, coffee and cakes. Shop around and look at the reviews. We grow our own pumpkins in the garden but the children still love going to the patch to choose their own

Snowdrops3 · 20/10/2022 09:44

I love them. We have three(!) near us. One is notoriously expensive so we haven't bothered with that one, but the other two are lovely. One has lots of decorated vintage farm vehicles which you're allowed to sit in/on and make for lovely photos. Plus several food and drink trailers with big marquees to sit in, again beautifully decorated.T
he other one has lots of farm animals to see

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Events & celebrations
Snowdrops3 · 20/10/2022 09:46

Oops hit Post too soon. Anyway, the thing I like best about the two patches we visit is that the pumpkins are grown where you pick them. They have been ready cut so you don't need your own knife, but otherwise right next to the vine they grew on. I love autumn and find pumpkin patches a really lovely seasonal thing to do :)

PolkaDotMankini · 20/10/2022 09:53

I took the kids one year. I made the mistake of challenging them to find the biggest pumpkin in the field while DH and I chose some mini ones. £52. Fifty two flipping quid. And we'd already cut the things, so couldn't just put them back.

We got some nice photos sitting of hay bales while I recovered. The DC now choose which £1 pumpkins they like best from the supermarket.

mavismorpoth · 20/10/2022 09:55

Yes they are. I went to one on a bus with three children and carried three pumpkins back on two buses which was hell but it was still worth it because I think the kids will remember it and we got some lovely pictures. Cost me upwards of £60 but yes, worth it. It's about the experience.

QuietYou · 20/10/2022 09:56

We used to go to the one at our local farm shop, not so much for the overpriced pumpkins as we pick those from FILs allotment but they had a maize maze which was fun, usually a craft activity and a lovely cafe and shop.
Unfortunately it's got a bit too big and instagrammy. It's full of people posing for photographs, there are stall of overpriced crap, fairground rides with tokens where it's cheaper to buy bundles of them but they never seem to be quite enough so you either have some which get wasted or have to buy a couple more which are really expensive compared to the bundle.
They don't even sell much of their own fruit and veg now as they've given the land over to PYO and the pumpkin patch because they make more money that way. They used to sell the best potatoes in huge sacks but the field is used for tasteless pumpkins.

Losethename · 20/10/2022 10:03

We have a few near us as we live by some farms, all grow their own and have food trucks and lots of farm props, hay bales to climb on etc. It's a lovely tradition if you have one nearby.

The kids love it every year and some of my favourite memories of the last few years are them running through the mazes and racing to climb the bales, sitting in the tractors, chatting walking along the spooky lakeside and getting caught in the spider webs and coming home to carve the pumpkins. A car pass and two pumpkins is probably £30 all in near us. Wear wellies! I think the atmosphere is what you make it, just take it for what it is and see how the DC get on.

Fundays12 · 20/10/2022 10:05

I went the last couple of years but the place I normally go to this year wanted £28 for us just to park there and get in. On top it would be about another £20 for pumpkins. Definitely not worth that.

JenniferBarkley · 20/10/2022 10:05

Don't think of it in terms of the pumpkin, think of it in terms of a morning/day out. Our local open farm does a lovely one, it doesn't cost much more than going to the farm on a normal day, but the kids get a pumpkin, a wheelbarrow (the best bit to preschoolers) and a treasure hunt. All good.

Just going to a field wouldn't appeal to me but it depends what else is going on.

Snowdrops3 · 20/10/2022 10:07

Wow some of these prices 😱

One of "our" patches is free to get in and the other is £2 each. The most expensive pumpkins are £5 or £6, and those are the really huge ones!

PlntLady · 20/10/2022 10:09

We have one need us. It's great! The pumpkins are much more expensive but it's more about the day out than the pumpkin.

MrsMontyD · 20/10/2022 10:18

We're going, it's a nice afternoon out, I'll get a selection of pumpkins and squashes for eating once they've served aa decorations.

MarmiRae · 20/10/2022 10:25

@PolkaDotMankini that did make me laugh! You must’ve lived off pumpkin for weeks!! £52!! I think my DH would’ve burst into tears lol

Mylittlesandwich · 20/10/2022 10:30

We went yesterday to a farm, pumpkins definitely grown there the vines were all over the shop. They also had an apple orchard where we picked our own apples that are absolutely delicious. Nothing hugely elaborate but DS loved it and we had a lovely day out together. Depends on your expectations really.

Hibye23289 · 20/10/2022 10:36

@MarmiRae yes we don't eat them, they get carved make soo much mess, then watch them go mouldy after 3 days 😅 but it is good to go for the photo opportunities etc just don't pick the big ones 🤣

PinkButtercups · 20/10/2022 10:50

We love pumpkin picking at our local one. They grow them themselves. I wouldn't get one from the supermarket as it's our little tradition now!

PinkButtercups · 20/10/2022 10:52

PolkaDotMankini · 20/10/2022 09:53

I took the kids one year. I made the mistake of challenging them to find the biggest pumpkin in the field while DH and I chose some mini ones. £52. Fifty two flipping quid. And we'd already cut the things, so couldn't just put them back.

We got some nice photos sitting of hay bales while I recovered. The DC now choose which £1 pumpkins they like best from the supermarket.

£52?! That's crazy! On our one you get to pick any 3 for £10 doesn't matter if the size either.

mmmflakycrust81 · 20/10/2022 11:00

We took DD2 this year as part of a morning out (they had softplay etc).

We forget what's maybe a bit boring to us is actually brilliant for kids. DD loved walking round picking up and examining pumpkins and they had lots of spooky decorations.

whatsdiswhatsdat · 20/10/2022 11:11

Some things are just a nice fun experience for kids.

You get kitted out in wellies and cosy jumpers and have fun choosing a pumpkin or two to carve at home for Halloween. The one we go to has hot food and drink stalls and lots of nice photo opportunities and fun activities for kids.

It's a nice day out 🤷🏻‍♀️ Beats buying a pumpkin in the supermarket.

Tumbleweed101 · 20/10/2022 11:13

We have a local one. They grow a range of interesting varieties of pumpkins. The first year we went we bought loads (not expensive). Many are good eating ones as well as the traditional carving ones. We found it worth a visit. Free unless you buy a pumpkin or go into the corn mazes.

Dammitthisisshit · 20/10/2022 11:21

The one near us definitely grows it’s own pumpkins. but they are really expensive so I’ve never bought any!
but we go, have a climb on the hay bales, have a go on the corn maze, pay for a few rides and buy some pumpkin oriented food. It’s a fun but wholesome day out and worth what we spend on activities etc.

Season0fTheWitch · 20/10/2022 11:23

DDs, DH and I are going to one at the weekend, DD1 loved it last year and we took some lovely photos there. I'm going mainly for the 'gram

Devo1818 · 20/10/2022 12:10

We had a lovely morning out at one last weekend. Some lovely pictures, a pile of lovely unusual varieties of squash as well as our Halloween pumpkins, and more fun than a trip to the supermarket.

mogtheexcellent · 20/10/2022 12:16

We have several locally and they are all grown on site. They do sunflowers in the summer so geared up for eventing (teas, cakes and loos etc).

Was fun and no charge to go in, just pay (twice the supermarket price) for a pumpin.

Swipe left for the next trending thread