Pumpkin pie, pumpkin-spiced coffee, pumpkin cookies… do we really need to say any more? It’s that time of year again: Grab your favorite sweater, your comfy walking shoes and your family because there are pumpkins out there just waiting to be picked.
There’s nothing quite like heading to a pumpkin farm where you can walk a corn maze, take a hayride and pick your own pumpkins — except maybe indulging in all the pumpkin-flavored goodies you can make later. (Personally, we’re thinking about pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie, but we wouldn’t turn down some home-baked pumpkin seeds, either.)
Ready to get started? Here are the top pick-your-own pumpkin patches in the area:
Anderson Orchard – Mooresville
Anderson Orchard is one of the best places to go for u-pick pumpkins, but once you’re there stick around and investigate everything else this farm has to offer, including more than 20 varieties of apples, red raspberries and chestnuts spread out over more than 100 acres of farmland.
While you’re there, you don’t want to overlook their famous concession stand. The whole family can indulge in caramel apples, elephant ears and fried biscuits with apple butter — which makes this a worthwhile trip no matter what the season.
Tuttle Orchards – Greenfield
Located just east of Indy, the pumpkin patches at Tuttle Orchard have been open to visitors since Sept. 26. There are more than 20 acres of pumpkins ready to be picked, and you can even borrow a little red wagon to cart your haul around in.
Tuttle is famous for many things, not the least of which is the sheer variety of its offerings. This year, you can find the perfect pumpkin for your Halloween jack-o-lantern, but you can also find mini pumpkins, white pumpkins, apple gourds, butternut squash, spaghetti squash and other fall favorites. The weekdays can be busy, but the weekends are particularly packed with visitors, which means you need to call ahead for reservations.
Stuckey Farm – Sheridan
For 50 years, Stuckey Farm has been an Indiana tradition with its apple orchard, cider mill and (of course) pumpkins. Their annual Harvest Festival runs from Sept. 12 through Oct. 25 this year, and each weekend has a special theme.
Your admission includes not only the chance to pick some gorgeous gourds but unlimited wagon rides around the farm, an 8-acre corn maze, a barrel train and pig races. You can even reserve a picnic and sit under the trees with your family for some much-needed downtime. (Just don’t forget to pick up some warm apple cider donuts before you leave.)
Spencer Berry Farm – Noblesville
When you head to Spencer Berry Farm, make sure that you clear plenty of space in the trunk of the car for everything you’re going to want to bring home. They have a fantastic pumpkin patch, naturally, but you can also find gorgeous Indian corn, all kinds of gourds, stunning fall mums in a variety of colors, straw bales and other autumn favorites.
On the weekends, you can even get a free hayride out to the pumpkin patch — but you don’t want to overlook their Amish-style market with fresh meat, hand-crafted cheeses, sweet homemade fudge, fruit preserves and other seasonal goodies.
Farm Life – Lanesville
Billed as the biggest corn maze and pumpkin patch in Southern Indiana, Farm Life has a 20-acre pumpkin patch where you can find mini pumpkins, pie pumpkins, blue pumpkins, white pumpkins and the perfect pumpkin for you jack-o-lantern.
You can take a hayride to the pumpkin patch, play a game or two of corn hole, walk a corn maze, and indulge in pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies among the other treats at the concession stand. (If you’re really hungry, check out their butterfly pork chops and scrumptious burgers!)
Goebel Farms – Evansville
For more than 40 years, the folks at Goebel Farms have been growing pumpkins and creating family-friendly experiences for their guests, and this year will be no exception (even though they’ve had to limit the number of people on their hayrides for safety).
There are over 100 varieties of gourds to pick, plus mums, corn stalks and Indian corn available. There’s also a corn maze you and your family can wander, a petting zoo for the little ones and a complete playground inside the old barn where the whole family can kick back.
Lark Ranch – Loogootee, Greenfield
Lark Ranch has two locations, for double the family fun — and they boast that their pumpkin patches have the best-looking gourds in the state, just begging to be picked by you and your family.
Tickets are required, so call ahead, but your admission includes access to the treehouse village, hayrides, pony rides, a petting zoo, barrel train rides, a climbing wall and more. There’s even a “corn cannon” you can fire and gem mining available, so make plenty of time for your trip. There’s a lot to see and do, and you won’t want to miss any of it.
By no means are these the only pumpkin patches around — and we have no idea where the Great Pumpkin is hiding this year, so check out as many as you can. Heading out to a farm and a pick-your-own pumpkin patch is a cheap, fun way to spend time with your kids this fall, so don’t miss this opportunity. After all, it only comes around once a year!
