On Saturday, Jon and I went to Cool Patch Pumpkins. It’s the first time in a few years that we went and I had been insisting that we have to go in October. What I didn’t know was we were going to have another heatwave on the first weekend of October and the temps were in the 90s Fahrenheit (30s Celsius), but oh well. Off we went. Cool Patch Pumpkins is about 30-40 minutes (depending on traffic) from here and best known for its large 2014 Guiness Book World Record corn maze.
After reading Engie’s annual trip to the corn maze, I was a little bit sad that we didn’t do the corn maze. But it was so hot and we were already sweaty just walking around for a bit. We just didn’t feel like getting lost in a maze in the heat. I also might have to take a crash-course in how to navigate a maze from Engie. I don’t know if I ever did a corn maze (or if I just don’t remember much about it).
I really wanted to pick out a pumpkin in the fields, but the foliage was pretty thick and we were not up for digging through that either. I also think they had possibly already picked the prettiest ones and stacked them conveniently on hay bales for easy viewing and purchasing.
Well, it was still a little while until we found “our” pumpkin, because there was a lot of “oh, this one looks nice”, “or how about this one?”, “this one over there has a pretty round shape”, “yeah, but it is flat on the back, keep looking”, etc. Haha. We eventually settled on “the one” that was going to go onto our front porch and keep Rupert (our deco-owl, and the only slightly halloween-ish decoration we own) company.
As to be expected, there were lots of fun activities for kids, including a hay ride, a corn pit, a mini maze, and photo ops. And of course, food and drinks. We didn’t get any food, but I can’t say that I wasn’t tempted. We had a fun afternoon and I am glad that we went.
Have you been to the Pumpkin Patch yet?
Elisabeth
October 11, 2023 at 12:53 pmI haven’t and I am SUCH A SCROOGE about these sorts of fall events. Sigh. We live close to a lot of places that offer wagon rides and corn mazes and it is just not my thing. I think it’s the crowds. Like wall to wall people coming for these fall activities. I do everything possible to avoid even being close to these places this time of year.
But your adventures looks amazing. Love the pumpkin you chose and wow – what a maze. It looks incredible (and exhausting; phew – it would take a hot minute to get through that one).
Lest you think my kids are missing out on a critical piece of childhood, friends invited them to go a few weeks ago to a local maze, so they go and have a blast…and I get to avoid being lost in the middle of a field of corn which is 100% fine by me :)
San
October 13, 2023 at 11:54 amHaha, even though I enjoyed visiting the pumpkin patch, I can totally relate to your feelings. I am not a fan of the crowds and so I am glad we went early (this month) and on a day when it was hot, because I think that kept the crowds at bay. It wasn’t that busy at all when we went. I am sure the next couple of weekends will be different. (I am also honestly glad that I don’t have to do this as a fall activity for my non-existent kids. I think I would feel very different about it.)
Kyria @ Travel Spot
October 12, 2023 at 5:06 amI have not been to the pumpkin patch and in fact have never been to a pumpkin patch! I am with Elisabeth on this one and don’t really love crowds and avoid these places too. However, the corn maze seems like it would be really fun! That thing is huge! Do they give you a map in case you get lost, or what is the rescue plan? It makes me think of the movie Labyrinth and her running back and forth thinking that all of the walls look the same.
San
October 13, 2023 at 11:55 amI do not like the crowds either and I think going early (in October) and on a hot day really was a smart choice, as it wasn’t that busy at all. I do not know what the rescue plan is if you get lost in the maze – ha. I would have definitely found out, if I had been planning to go in.
Jenny
October 12, 2023 at 6:14 amThis reminds me of the trips we used to take to the “pumpkin patch” when my kids were young. It was actually just a huge yard of a church where they had a bunch of hay bales and pumpkins. So, not as elaborate as yours, but the thing that seems familiar is the HEAT. I have many memories of wandering around that pumpkin patch, sweltering. One year it rained earlier in the day, so when we got there it was very muddy and steamy. ARG! Why are we doing this again??
Anyway, yours definitely sounds like much more fun, in spite of the heat. I like the pumpkin you chose!
SHU
October 12, 2023 at 10:03 amhahaha i was going to say the same- that these ‘fall’ events are so unappealing b/c it’s always so hot and sweaty and as a transplanted northerner i find it depressing! i *am* however chaperoning G’s kindergarten field trip to the pumpkin patch next week and will have to deal. Ha!
San
October 13, 2023 at 11:58 amI think I’d feel different if I had to do this with kids LOL
San
October 13, 2023 at 11:56 amI think I would feel very different about pumpkin patches if I had to do this with kids – ha.
Engie
October 12, 2023 at 7:54 amI think what’s sort of interesting is that we didn’t even consider getting a pumpkin when we were at the pumpkin patch! If we get a pumpkin too early, it won’t last until Halloween, so we’re the people buying pumpkins on the 28th or 29th and desperately trying to carve them before the trick or treaters arrive! Will you carve your pumpkin or just leave it?
(This post arrived in both feeds on Feedly. Yay!)
San
October 13, 2023 at 11:57 amJon doesn’t want to carve the pumpkin and although I love carved pumpkins (and you’re right, if we did this now it would probably not last until Halloween), I am not eager to deal with the mess, so we’ll probably just leave it the way it is.
(Yay. Thanks for the feedback. They’re showing up on time in my Feedly now, too.)
Ally Bean
October 12, 2023 at 9:17 amI haven’t visited a pumpkin patch in years. Around here there are a few, but not conveniently located which is no excuse but I guess we’ve fallen out of the habit. I like the owl with spectacles, of course.
San
October 13, 2023 at 11:57 amI love Rupert the owl, too :)
J
October 12, 2023 at 9:21 amI’m not a pumpkin patch person either, and I’m not sure why. I know I am not a maze person. I think it’s just generally too warm in October here and I get cranky. We did a maze at a pineapple plantation in Hawaii once, and I did not love it.
Having said that, your pumpkin looks perfect, and I love that it is next to the owl! Did they have apple cider donuts? They had those at Engie’s maze, and they sound like heaven to me, but I don’t know if they are more of a midwestern thing or not.
San
October 13, 2023 at 11:58 amI don’t think they had apple cider donuts, but I’d love to go to Apple Hill (have you been?) to get one of those :)
Nicole MacPherson
October 13, 2023 at 4:25 pmWell doesn’t that look fun!!! There are so many pumpkins around here, I am loving my little farm market and all the pumpkin displays. There is a haunted farm adventure in the petting zoo there too, which I would love to go to – just need to borrow some small children! Lol!
Lisa’s Yarns
October 14, 2023 at 1:16 pmI have never been to a pumpkin patch! They weren’t really a thing where I grew up. We grew lots of pumpkins in our garden so had lots to choose from. I would like to take my boys to one when Taco is a bit bigger and can walk further. It doesn’t seem like a good place for a stroller and he still really needs a stroller if a lot of walking is involved. But maybe by next year we could go. It’s too bad it was SO hot!!
Stephany
October 16, 2023 at 7:24 amI have never been to a pumpkin patch! I’m sure they have some fun patches around here, but that’s never appealed to me for some reason. Maybe if I had kids?! I’m not much for carving pumpkins but I do love roasting pumpkin seeds!
Tobia | craftaliciousme
October 16, 2023 at 12:07 pmOh my 30 degree and you (have) to pick out pumpkins?! How do you even get into fall vibes. The maze looks amazing and is probably a great experience but not in that kinda weather.
Are you going to carve the pumpkin?
Meike
October 17, 2023 at 9:51 pmWhen I saw your post I thought I totally need to visit a pumpkin patch this year with the family. We have not been yet but then we still have two weekends to make it work. The kids are at that stage where you can still entice them with a corn maze. We will see.
Steffi
October 24, 2023 at 10:31 pmI would love something like that over here. Maybe I have to google if we have a similiar thing somwhere not to faar away.