Whether or not you already have a fancy jack-o-lantern design in mind, you will need to find the perfect pumpkin this year.
And there are plenty of patches all across the Tri-State full of pumpkins for you and your family to peruse: fat, wide, tall, bumpy, skinny, small. You pick! Find a patch near you:
Kentucky
- In addition to a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, there are hayrides, farm animals and a maze of hay for the kids. The Farm is only open one weekend in the fall. Call 859-485-7000 or email bentonfamilyfarm@aol.com for more information or to set up a private event.
- Location: Walton, KY
- Open: Pumpkin Days on the Farm: October 16 3 p.m. – 7 p.m., October 17 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., October 18 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Admission: $7, ages 3 and under are free (pumpkins are $2 – $10)
- Enjoy a hayride, the petting zoo, a giant corn maze, a concession stand, pony rides, a baked goods and craft store and, of course, pumpkins!
- Location: Union, KY
- Open: Every Saturday and Sunday during October 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Admission: $10 (adults and children ages 3 and up), $8 for seniors. (There is also a group rate available. It’s $8 per person for parties of 10 persons or more. The entire group must be paid with a single payment.)
- Your family may barely have enough time to visit the pumpkin patch at Kinman Farms. There’s also a corn maze, barn animals, hayrides, pony rides, face painting, baked goods, a playhouse, live music, funnel cakes and much more.
- Location: Burlington, KY
- Open: Now through November 1: Every Friday (5 p.m. – 10 p.m.), Saturday (10 a.m. – 10 p.m.) and Sunday (12 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
- Admission: $9 for the Fall Fest Adventure (click here for a coupon). It’s an additional $3 for Lazer tag and pony rides.
- The most up-to-date information can be found on the McGlasson Farms’ Facebook page. This includes times and dates for the Fall Music Festival. You can also call (859) 689-5229. Pumpkins are available at the roadside stand. Click here for directions to get around a road closure.
- Location: Hebron, KY
- Open: Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday – Sunday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Admission: No admission, simply pay for produce
- As it says on the website, “There’s something for every member of your family: horse-drawn wagon rides, an expansive corn maze, our pick-your-own pumpkin patch, the petting zoo, pony rides, homemade food and ice cream, our farm shop, crafters, pottery, face-painting, seasonal apples, folk art, live music, a wonderful variety of demonstrations and a barrel train!” For updates, visit the farm’s Facebook page.
- Location: Camp Springs, KY
- Open: Weekdays: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., weekends: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Admission: Free on weekdays, $5 on weekends for ages 3 and up (this includes a horse-drawn wagon ride to the pumpkin patch, corn maze and petting zoo)
- There are two pumpkin patch tours – a one-hour version for families with small children and a popular two-hour version. Both tours take a hayride out to the pumpkin patch.
- Location: Wilder, KY
- Open: Saturdays and Sundays. Times for tours vary. Visit the website or call 859-781-5502 for more information. Reservations must be made prior to arrival.
- Admission: $10 per person for one-hour tour, $12 per person for two-hour tour. Children under 1 are free. Pumpkins may be purchased during the tour (cost ranges from $1 to $12); however, purchase is not required. Payment is by cash only. Checks and credit cards are not accepted.
Ohio
- The Barn-N-Bunk Farm Market will have helicopter rides on October 10 and 11 as part of their Fall Festival Weekends series. The weekend after will Cowboy Reenactment Weekend, and October 24 and 25 will conclude the festival with a pie bake-off and civil war encampment. In addition, the market also has hayrides, mini train rides, pedal tractors, a straw maze and corn maze, batting cage, games, face painting, food and, of course, pumpkins.
- Location: Trenton, OH
- Open: Saturday 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Admission: Free parking and admission; activity package is $8
Blooms and Berries Farm Market
- The Blooms and Berries Farm Market has a little something for everyone, including a 7-acre corn maze, hayrides, caramel apples and fresh apple cider.
- Location: Loveland, OH
- Open: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. – 6 pm. (The last Hayride leaves a half hour before close, and the last corn maze entrance is 45 minutes before close.)
- Admission: Monday-Friday $7, Saturday-Sunday $10. You can also purchase tickets before you go!
- Enjoy Fall Farm Days at Bonnybrook Farms by picking the perfect pumpkin, taking an Adventure Wagon Ride with professional actors, finding your way through the corn maze, petting and brushing the friendly farm animals or riding a pony.
- Location: Clarksville, OH
- Open: Saturday and Sunday (now through October 31): 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
- Admission: Free (as is parking). Individual activities are priced separately here.
- All activity areas and the farm market are open from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., except hayrides, which run from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. See more information about Fall Family Fun Weekends here.
- Location: Hamilton, OH
- Open: Every Saturday and Sunday now through October 25
- Admission: Hayrides are $3 a person, 2 years old and under are free. Pumpkins are not included in price of hayride and must be paid for in the market area at the end of the ride.
- Come out to Burger Farm and Garden Center any Tuesday-Friday in October to enjoy Pumpkinland Tours. These tours are $4 per person and include a hayride, puppet show, pumpkinland and a small pumpkin. On the weekends, tours are only $2. This does not include other rides, including pony rides. These are available as well, for a separate price. See more information on the 2015 Pumpkin Festival Days here.
- Location: Newtown, OH
- Open: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Admission: $2 on weekends, $4 on weekdays
- Hayrides head out to the patch every 15 minutes. You can pick the perfect pumpkin and then board the next wagon. The wagon ride is free – you just pay for the pumpkin (by the pound). The last wagon goes out at 5 p.m. There’s also a 12-acre corn maze, which is free for children 0-4, $5 for children 5-12 and $7 for children and adults age 13 and up.
- Location: Lebanon, OH
- Open: Through the end of October – Monday-Saturday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Admission: Admission is free, as is the wagon ride to the pumpkin patch. Pumpkins and the corn maze will cost you (but here’s a coupon).
- Your family can pick their own pumpkins, take a hayride, get lost in the four-acre corn maze, take a train ride or enjoy seasonal treats at McMonigle Farms.
- Location: Middletown, OH
- Open: Every Saturday and Sunday now through October 25, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
- Admission: A package which includes the hayride, corn maze and a pumpkin is $9 per person. For a hayride and the corn maze, it’s $6. For just the corn maze, it’s $3. It’s $1 for the train ride.
- The Fall Festival is underway at Niederman Family Farm. Pick your own pumpkin in the pumpkin price (they are priced by size). After you find the end of the corn maze, try fresh, seasonal treats at the concession stand, including cinnamon-sugar donuts. Here is a complete list of special events happening over the weekends.
- Location: Hamilton, OH
- Open: Now through October 30. Wednesday 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., Thursday 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., Friday 6 p.m. – 10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
- Admission: Wednesday and Thursday: $10 per person, Friday-Sunday $11 per person (Free: children under 2)
- Shaw Farms has a small store with holiday decorations, fresh jams and cider. Small mazes and other activities are great for kids. You can pick your pumpkin from the pile, cruise around on a hayride and get lost in the corn maze – all in one day!
- Location: Milford, OH
- Open: Weekends 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. (weather permitting)
- Admission: Free admission; each activity is between $2 and $4 per person. Pumpkins are priced by size.
If you just can’t get enough pumpkin, here are some pumpkin recipes that are guaranteed to have your house smelling like fall:
- You’ve had pumpkin pie, but have you tried pumpkin pie dip? Find this and four other recipes in a Healthy Headlines story from last fall.
- Pumpkin cinnamon rolls, scones, pancakes and ice cream sandwiches can be found (along with 17 other recipes) on Buzzfeed.
- And we saved the best for last: Try this recipe created by St. Elizabeth Healthcare’s Heart and Vascular Institute chef (so you know it’s good for you, too!): Decadent Pumpkin Mousse.
If you intend to use fresh pumpkin for cooking/baking (instead of canned pumpkin), make sure you get the right kind. Not all pumpkins are created equally.
