Our Annual Trip to the Pumpkin Patch + A List of Local Pumpkin Patches!

This is by far my favorite time of the year! The weather starts to get cooler (in theory), football season is in full swing and Halloween is just two weeks away. Halloween is a close second behind Christmas for my favorite holiday of the year. I love the thrill of Halloween, the costumes and carving pumpkins. We made our annual trek to the pumpkin patch this week. We like the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch — its different from the Flower Mound Pumpkin Village right next door.  The “Patch” has a huge selection of pumpkins and the kids love the jump houses, the hay ride and posing for pictures with all of their favorite characters. And you only pay a $5 parking fee to get in (you will of course pay for your pumpkins). And this year we realized going during the week pays off greatly(fewer crowds). So pack a lunch or a few snacks and head out to your favorite pumpkin patch. Here’s a list to get you started: Canton Christmas Tree Farm I-20 @ FM 17, Canton, TX Phone 214-808-6467 Website  www.CantonChristmasTreeFarm.com or  www.yesterlandfarm.com Pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, Fall festival, train rides, straw or hay bale maze, corn cannon, horse-drawn hay rides, tractor-pulled hay rides, wagon rides, Bounce house or pillow, haunted trail, Pumpkin Weigh-Off, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, face painting, Bouncy castle or moon bounce, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, events at your location Open: Pumpkin Festival September 22nd – November 11th; Weekends: Saturdays from 10:00am to 6:00pm; Sundays from 12:00pm to 6:00pm. Green Meadow Petting Farm 5700 Lake Ridge Parkway, Grand Prairie Phone 1-800-799-1166 Website  www.greenmeadowsevents.com. Pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, tractor-pulled hay rides, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours. Open: See our website for dates and hours of operations. Payment: Cash, only. Fun for the whole family also includes cow milking, animal feeding and pig races. Flower Mound Pumpkin Village 4908 Cross Timbers, Flower Mound Phone 214-498-8300 Website  www.flowermoundpumpkinvillage.com Pumpkins, hay rides, pony rides, petting zoo. Open: October 1 to 31, from 9 am to Dark. Free Admission & Free Hay Rides, Food and Drinks available. Group rates. Schools Welcome, Birthday Parties Available. All Profits go to Charity, Free Admission, Free Parking, Free Hayrides, Petting Zoo, Pony Rides, Ferris Wheel, Carousel, Barrel Tran, Bounce Houses, Punkin Chunkin, Refreshments. Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch Double Oak Ranch, Flower Mound Phone 817-430-4536 Website  www.flowermoundpumpkinpatch.com You will find hundreds of pumpkins to choose from, cornstalks, hay bales, baked goods, and refreshments. Picnic tables are provided for individual use, however use of tables by any large groups or parties must be reserved and confirmed. There is a $5 charge for parking, however ALL ACTIVITIES ARE FREE. Purchases are optional. Each season we feature cutouts and bounce houses for the kids. In addition a number of local vendors provide food for purchase. Open from October 1, 2011 through October 31, 2012 from 9am to 7pm. Pumpkins on the Prairie 3521 Main Street, Frisco Phone 972-335-2882 Website  www.pumpkinsontheprairie.org Pumpkins, gourds, mini-corn available. Hay rides, bounce house and many other activities available including pumpkin carving demonstrations, face painting, classic car display, fall festival. Visit website for details. Payment: Cash, only. Open: Monday to Friday 1pm to dark, Saturday and Sunday 9am to dark. Patch opens September 30th through October 31st 2012, Sat/Sun 9am-dark, Monday to Friday from 1pm-dark. Country Critters Farm 3709 County Road 617, Alvarado Phone 817-477-3060 Website  www.countrycrittersfarm.com Activities include: bounce house, train and tractor playground, a pony ride, petting zoo, train ride, hay ride, the maze, and the storyteller. At the storyteller kids get a cookie and apple juice and adults get a slice of home made pumpkin bread. Children get a pie size pumpkin, and can decorate it with markers, each family will receive a jack-o-lantern pumpkin with admission! Open: Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, Sunday from 1 to 5 pm, gates close at 4 pm each day, Opens September 29th through November 11th; Open weekdays by reservation only. Bring the family out to Country Critters Farm for our annual Pumpkin Patch. Admission is $9 per person. Mainstay Farm 1004 West Bethesda Road, Cleburne Phone: 817-295-6772 Website  www.mainstayfarm.com Bring your camera. For your FALL DECORATIONS, we have orange and exotic pumpkins, hay bales, corn stalks and gourds of all kinds to buy. You’ll love our gift shop, which was once a milking parlor. Hay rides are included in admission (we’ve added an additional tractor and wagon to our fleet to keep the line moving), and you ™ll get to play in the 3-story tree house, wooden maze and other playground activities. We have 3 mazes, face and pumpkin painting, a hay-play and jump barn, 100 ft. super chute slide, pedal kart race track, GOAT SCAPE MOUNTAIN, picnic pavilion, and indoor restrooms. Come hungry to the Mainstay Grill where we serve: gourmet hot dogs, hamburgers, turkey legs, sausage-on-a-stick, caramel apple chips, pumpkin ice cream, and pumpkin pie. We also have a snack stand on the back of the farm. Bring your family and enjoy our farm. Mainstay Farm and Haymarket holds its annual “Family Pumpkin Days” on Saturdays October 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th and November 3rd from 11am until 5pm. Admission $11 adults, $9 children 12 and under, $9 seniors 65 and older and children 2 and under are free. Blasé Family Farm 1232 East Fork Drive, Rockwall Phone: 972-772-3645 Website  www.blasefamilyfarm.com Pumpkins for sale in the shop or farmstand, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, cow train rides, tractor-pulled hay rides, concessions / refreshment stand, porta-potties, picnic area, petting zoo, birthday parties, school tours.  Open through October 30th. Monday – Friday 9:00am – 6:00pm Saturday 10:00 am – 6:00pm Sunday 12:00pm – 6:00pm Gnismer Farms 3010 South Bowen Road, Arlington Phone: 817-469-8704 Website  www.gnismer.com Open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 3PM to 6PM Saturday & Sunday Noon to 6PM The Hall's Pumpkin Farm Hall Johnson Road, Grapevine Phone 817-991-1052 Website  www.hallspumpkinfarm.net Pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, corn maze, child-sized haybale maze, tractor-pulled hay rides, farm animals Open: Through October 31; Monday -Thursday  3pm-8pm Friday 3pm-10pm Saturday 10am-10pm Sunday 1pm-8pm Henrietta Creek Orchard 14255 Old Denton Rd, Roanoke Phone 817-439-3202 Website  www.henriettacreekorchard.com Pumpkin patch, Pick your own apples (10 varieties), peaches (6 varieties), black-eyed peas, squash, and okra, Plums, tomatoes, Seasonal Vegetables . Open: Daily, from July to October 9am to 4 pm. We have over 700 hybrid dwarf apple trees and about 200 peach trees. Autumn at the Arboretum “ Dallas 8525 Garland Road, Dallas Website  www.dallasarboretum.org Autumn at the Arboretum, Featuring the Nationally Acclaimed Pumpkin Village runs September 22 – November 21. The Pumpkin Village displays four houses decorated with pumpkins, gourds and squash in the theme of Cinderella's Ballroom, Cinderella's Fairy Godmother's tiny house, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Dr. Pompo's Nose. Creekwood United Methodist ChurchBig Orange Pumpkin Farm 5518 County Road 126, Celina Phone 972-382-4995 Website  www.bigorangepumpkinfarm.com Pumpkin patch-pick in the field, train rides, tractor-pulled hay rides, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours. Open: September 17 through November 6 to the public; Private party rental available year – round.; Monday – Friday 9am to 6pm; Saturday 10am to 6pm; Sunday noon to 6pm. Lavender Ridge Farms 2391 County Road 178, Gainsville Phone 940-665-6938 Website  www.lavenderridgefarms.com Pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, Fall festival, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals Open: Farm hours are Friday through Sunday 9:00am until 5:00pm; Cafe hours are Friday through Sunday 11:00am until 3:00pm. Elves Farm 601 Harvey Ln. Denison Phone 903-463-7260 Website  www.elvesfarm.com Cost: Pumpkin Tour $8 per person (includes all activities and a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch), Ride Along Tour $3 per person (includes all activities but does not include a pumpkin). Visit the Farmers Market setup to purchase all your fall decorating needs including pumpkins, gourds, indian corn and more. Your family will enjoy activities including the Farm Zoo – visit with Chickens, Goats, Pot Belly Pig (Hamlet), and the new rabbit Blue, The Maze; Hay Ride, Dress the Scarecrow, Hay Jump, Visit to the Patch, Sack Races, Duck Races, and Corn Cannon available for additional charge. Open Saturdays 10:00am – 5:00pm and Sundays 1:00pm – 5:00pm First Christian Church Pumpkin Patch 2109 W. Highway 377, Granbury Website  www.fccgranbury.org The Pumpkin Patch Open daily from October 15th to October 31st Hours of Operation (weather permitting): Monday – Friday, Noon to dark Saturday – Sunday, 10 am to dark The Pumpkin Patch includes a free pumpkin painting station (with purchase of a pumpkin), lawn games, a photo booth, and the biggest selection of pumpkins and gourds in town. 100% of proceeds from the Pumpkin Patch offset the cost of the youth mission trips