5 Day Trip-Worthy Pumpkin Patches In and Around Southern Virginia

Southern Virginia has a deep rooted history of agriculture, and many working farms provide local foods, beverages, and other agricultural items. It’s hard to drive through any county in this region without seeing fields of crops by the roadside. Not everyone in the area farms or grows things from the ground up, but something about the October sky beckons us back to our agricultural heritage.  Pumpkin patches, hay rides, mum sales, corn stalks, and more abound! Autumn is the perfect time to take your family or go with a group of friends to enjoy the fruits of a healthy harvest.

 

Pumpkin patches and fall festivals are big business, and local farmers appreciate your support. If you haven’t been to a pumpkin patch in a while, you may be in for a big surprise! It is very common now to see corn mazes, hay bale castles, slides, pony rides, concessions, and more at one of the larger pumpkin patches. Smaller pumpkin patches offer hay rides, pick-your-own-pumpkin experiences, and fun, yet educational tours for scouting and school groups. 

Our family started going to pumpkin patches when our daughter was two years old. In the past eight years, we have been to four pumpkin patches, each with its own unique atmosphere. We have honestly loved all of the pumpkin patches we have visited and recommend any of them to our friends, depending on what you are looking for. In no particular order, we have visited and recommend the following pumpkin patches: 

 

1. White Fall Farm, Gretna, Virginia ~ Located at 6001 Riceville Road, Gretna, Virginia. If you have heard people talking about the giant castle made out of hay bales, this is it!

There is a hay castle, which has a large sliding board the children can slide down. (Ok, it’s for parents, too, and it’s fun!) They have pick-your-own-pumpkin patches, hayrides, a pumpkin hunt game, a corn maze, grain bin, and more. Admission is $10 per person (cash or check only), and includes a $3 voucher to be used to extra activities or purchase of a pumpkin. For information, go to www.whitefallfarm.com. We have visited as a family and loved it so much, we recommended this to our children's school, who scheduled a field trip.

2. Owen Farm, Danville, Virginia

Located in Danville, Virginia at 1668 Silver Creek Road, Owen Farm offers pumpkin picking, a corn maze, and more.  On Friday nights they host a moon lit hay ride and after dark corn maze adventure, which sounds to me like a fun date night idea.  Field trips to this farm are popular, and teachers are admitted free of charge with their students. Weekend prices are $12 (plus tax) for ages 5 and up, $8 for children ages 2-4, and $3 for children under 3. Adults are admitted for $7, and that does not include a pumpkin.  It does include hayrides, pumpkins for the children, barnyard friends, feeding animals, pony rides, bounce house, and scarecrow stuffing. There is live music on scheduled nights, as well. I have not been to Owens Farm during pumpkin season, but have been for other events, such as fundraisers and various community rallies. It feels good to support a business who supports its community. Find out more about them at www.owenfarmtours.com.

3. Hill Ridge Farms, near Raleigh/Cary, North Carolina

Located at 703 Tarboro Road in Youngsville, North Carolina, Hill Ridge Farms knows how to throw a Fall Festival, and it lasts this year until November 9th. This has consistently been one of our favorite day trips in the fall with our family.  Our own little pumpkin Courtland is pictured above having a seat on the pumpkin she selected.  We love taking the train to select our pumpkins from the  field, then riding back.  You are able to purchase a $20 superpass which includes the colorful maze, hay jump, moon bounce, jumping pillow, corn play house, fort, giant slide, farm animals, fish feeding dock, picnic areas, a hayride, a complimentary pumpkin, and unlimited train rides, plus gem stone panning bag, duck races with a souvenir duck to take home, and a ticket to the Festival of Lights($10 value)! There is also a General Admission Pass available for $12 (ages 2-12) or $10 ( all ages 13+), and under age 2 is free. They book field trips and also birthday parties. Go to www.hillridgefarms.com for more information.

4. Reese's Farm Fresh Produce in Scottsburg, Virginia

I love this picture of Mark and me with our little guy, Carrington, on a kindergarten field trip to Reese's Farm in Scottsburg, Virginia, here in Halifax County. We have picked more pumpkins in the fall and more strawberries in the spring than anywhere else around, either on field trips, with the Girl Scouts, or simply as a family spending old-fashioned quality time together. 

Reese's is located at 8121 James D Hagood Highway, Scottsburg, Virginia. There is a pumpkin patch and a maze, and we have also been on hayrides, too. This is a much smaller atmosphere than the large fall festivals. If you want to spend some time in a smaller setting without all the expense and without the crowd, this  may be more for your family.  Call 434-454-6808 for information and  to schedule your group. They are on facebook here.

5. The Corntacular Adventure at Harvest Ridge Farm, Pelham, North Carolina

According to their website, the Corntacular Adventure is geared toward families and creating memories that will last a lifetime. One price gets you in the gate and provides access to everything so there is nothing else you have to worry about except having fun.  New this year is our family picnic area where guests are encouraged to bring their own picnic lunch to enjoy during a break in the action.

Jumping Pillows: they're not just for kids. Just ask my husband.

The Corntacular Adventure hosts birthday parties and groups as well as individuals and families. When we have gone in the past, the children took advantage of the pony rides and my husband and his buddies played on the jumping pillows, which was quite entertaining in itself. There were pumpkins, of course, a giant corn maze, a corn cannon, and concessions, too. For more information, go to www.comegetlost.com.

If you have any ideas or suggestions for pumpkin patches in our area, please let me know so I can include them on our list, and so we can try them out for ourselves.

Enjoy the pumpkin picking while it lasts, and have fun making memories! 

Wishing you all the best that this autumn has to offer.

xoxo, Erin

Southern Virginia Mom

 

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