It's Fall! You Know What That Means. PUMPKINS!

This is my favorite time of year.

It could be that I’m an October baby. I was literally made for fall. I just love everything about the season. I love the cooler, but not yet cold weather. I love the changing colors of the trees. I love the smells of crockpot soups and baking autumn breads. And I may just have a slight addiction to warm and fuzzy blankets. 😜

I’ve definitely passed on my love of fall to my kids. They also love the cooler weather and baking. But their favorite part of fall?

THE PUMPKIN PATCH

So, as my first entry into this new blogging experience, I’ve decided that this is the perfect place to start. These are some of the local farms around the Boulder and Southwest Weld county areas that participate in pumpkin patches and fall festival activities. This is by no means all of them. Some I have been to, others I have heard about, but haven’t had a chance to make it there yet. Each one has its own charm. Try one, try them all. I’m sure you will find the right patch and the right pumpkins for your family.

Here they are in no particular order.

Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Patch ( https://rockymtnpumpkinranch.com/)
9059 Ute Hwy 66 Longmont, CO 80503.
October hours of operation, 9 am-6 pm daily.
Family owned and operated since 1993, this pumpkin patch caters to the younger kids and their families. I myself have attended several kindergarten field trips to this pumpkin patch. During weekdays, it’s definitely a slower paced farm, but it can get very busy on the weekends. There is also a birthday party area that you can rent for your special day.
Admission to the farm is technically free, but to participate in activities, you will need to purchase a wristband (only M-F) or pay per activity (Sa-Su). Activities during the week include a hay maze, cornstalk maze, obstacle course bouncer, animal viewing, and of course the pumpkin patch. The wristband is $5/adult and $15/child. Extra activities include Sand Art Activity ($3-$6) and Painting a pumpkin ($8).
On the weekends, there are even more activities including an animal train, dragon roller coaster, pony rides, games, and facepainting. Tickets are $1 each and each activity takes between 1 and 10 tickets.
Because RMPP tends to cater to the itty bitties, they do not have a pick off the vine patch. Instead, they find the best pumpkins and gourds and bring them to the grounds for patrons to find their favorite.
They also have a farm stand where you can purchase a variety of goodies.
RMPP prefers cash, but does take credit cards, excluding AMEX. They do ask that you leave your pooches at home if they are not licensed service animals.
For more information, refer to the above website link.
Hergenreder Pumpkin Patch ( https://www.facebook.com/HergenrederFarm )

13332 Co Rd 5, Longmont, CO 80504

Open every weekend in October. Hours: Friday-12pm-5pm, Saturday-10am-6pm, Sunday-10am-6pm

Hergenreder Pumpkin Patch is your very traditional, no frills, family owned pumpkin patch. Located On country

road 5 between hwy 119 and hwy 66, they offer pick off the vine pumpkins, a corn maze that I have personally gotten lost in, a hay bale pyramid and maze, and a “corn crib”, which is a essentially a sand box with corn kernels. It’s a very sensory experience that my children love. Watch out, however, because you will find kernels everywhere when you get home. If you don’t want to venture into the patch, they also have already picked pumpkins up front that you can choose from.

Admission to Hergenreder farm is absolutely free. The only thing you pay for is the pumpkins that you choose. Cost varies by size, but they are very reasonable. $2-$25. They also offers fresh eggs and quality beef for sale.
They accept Cash, card and checks.
Anderson Farms ( https://andersonfarms.com/)
6728 County Rd 3 1/4, Erie, CO 80516
October hours: Monday and Wednesday 10 am-6pm, Closed Tuesdays, Thursdays 10am-10 pm, Friday 10 am – 11pm, Saturday 9 am-11 pm
Anderson Farms is arguably the biggest Pumpkin Patch and Fall Festival in the area. I think I first went to Anderson Farms 19 years ago and boy has it grown in that time.
You’ll want to plan for several hours at the Fall Festival. They have slides, a tire mountain, a barrel trail, pedal karts, animals, a corn maze, a pumpkin canon that runs Friday-Sunday on the hour, and a bunch of playground activities as well. You can take a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch for picking off the vine or they also have pre-picked pumpkins at the farm store to choose from. Pumpkins range in price from $2-$12 depending on size.
For an extra fee there is a petting zoo, gem mining, pumpkin painting, face painting and henna, pony rides, 5 minute escape rooms, and paintball shooting.
And, of course, there is also Terror in the Corn, a haunted corn maze with lots of scary settings and creatures. The recommended age is 10+ and parental discretion is advised.
Thursday – Sunday, you can rent out a pavilion or one of many fire pits. On Thursday, the small fire pits, which seats 16-20 guests is $75 for 4 hours. A large fire pit which seats 40-50 is $150. Friday-Sunday, The small fire pits are $100/4 hours, while the large pit is $200. You are welcome to bring your own food and drinks including materials for making smores (also available for purchase in the farm store), but alcohol is not permitted. And all fire pit guests must also have a paid admission to the Fall Festival.
Admission: When you buy tickets to Anderson Farms there are a lot of different options. If you simply want to enjoy the fall festival, you will pay $17 for a ticket with a specific time for entrance. If you want a ticket that doesn’t have a specific entry time, you will pay $27. Once in, you can stay as long as you want until close. Friday-Sunday, those prices are $28 for a timed entry ticket and $38 for an “anytime” ticket.
Kids 3 and under are free.
If you want to experience Terror in the Corn on Thursday, you can pay $39 which includes general admission to the Fall Festival. You can purchase a quick pass for $54 on those nights. Saturday Terror in the Corn is $42 while the Quick Pass is $57 and Sunday tickets are $41 with a quick pass for $56. Quick passes speed up the waiting on buys evenings, but don’t eliminate it entirely. You can also purchase a Platinum pass for $130, which allows you immediate access to terror in the corn, plus a bunch of swag.
They do ask that unless your dog is a service animal, you leave the pooches as home.
Rock Creek Farm ( https://rockcreekfarm.com/ )
2005 S 112th St. Broomfield, CO 80020
October hours: Monday-Friday 9am-7pm
Hailed as one of the oldest pumpkin patches in Northern Colorado, Rock Creek Farm is another smaller traditional family farm. This year, they are working on improving the sustainability of their farm so while their kids play area, hay bale maze, tractors and animal visiting area are all still open, they will operate more like a farm stand. Pre-picked pumpkins, goodies and decorations will all be for sale at the stand.
Admission to Rock Creek Farm is free to enter. All items for sale will be available at the stand.
Well behaved and leashed dogs are welcome, but please remember to keep them away from the farm animals!
7th Generation Farm ( https://www.7thgenerationfarm.com/ )
1536 Courtesy Road Louisville, CO 80027
October hours: Tuesday- Thursday: 12:00pm-6:30pm, Friday-Sunday: 9:00am-6:30pm, Monday: Closed (with exception to10/30/23)
7th generation farm offers Pick off the vine or pre-picked pumpkins for sale as well as a corn maze, hay bale mountain, hay bale maze, and a variety of farm animals including horses, goats, ducks, pigs and chickens. They also offer meats, farm fresh eggs, honey, roasted chilies and fall decorations for sale. Check out their website for prices.
Admission to 7th generation farm is $12/person over the age of 3.
Cottonwood Farms ( https://cottonwoodfarms.com/)
10600 Isabelle Rd. Lafayette, CO
October hours: 10 am-6pm daily.
Cottonwood Farms is a local farm that is participating in the Citizen Science Soil Health Project, which helps Colorado growers continually improve the quality of their soil.
They offer a corn maze, Straw bale maze, a multitude of animals including sheep, goats, and cows , an assortment of vintage farm equipment, of course a pumpkin patch. On Saturday and Sunday only, they offer a hay ride to the pumpkin patch for an extra cost. You can also buy squash and local honey.
The farm also sells Christmas trees between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Admission: Prepaid admission (you can find the link on their website) is $5 and walk up admission is $7. They highly recommend prepaying, especially on the weekends. Hay rides are $5/per person. Kids 5 and under and anyone over the age of 65 are free.
Well behaved dogs on a leash are welcome, but the farm asks that you keep them away from the animals. They are not allowed in the mazes or on the hay ride.
Hankins Farms ( https://hankinsfarms.com/)
26745 Weld County Rd 17, Johnstown, CO 80534
Hours in October: Saturdays from 11:00 am-5:00 pm and Sundays from 12:00 pm- 5:00 pm.
Activities at Hankins Farms included with the price of a corn maze ticket are, Corn Maze #1 with “The Farm Scene Investigation” Game, Corn Maze #2 with “Monster Mystery” Game, a Pirate Scavenger Hunt Game, a Corn Cannon zombie shoot, a Castle Crashers foam ball archery range, Peddle Car Races, Tiny Tots Bouncy Horses, Bean Bag Toss Games, Tire Pyramid Sandbox/Slide and of course the pumpkin patch. Pumpkin prices are as follows, Mini $2, small $8, Medium $12, Giant $16, Blue pumpkins $12, Specialty pumpkins $10. You can also buy bundle cornstalks (6) for $10, and decorative corn (3) for $5. If you purchase a ticket to the corn maze and activities, you can receive a $2 off coupon for a pumpkin.
Admission for the corn maze (Ages 3 & Up): $14.00, You can receive a $2 off coupon by visiting their website. Group Discount for 8+: $10.00 per person. (Not valid with other discounts or coupons.) Military w/ID & Senior (65+) $10.00 (Not valid with other discounts or coupons.)
Hankins Farms asks that you leave your pooches at home unless they are a service animal.
Miller Farms ( https://www.millerfarms.net/fall-harvest-festival)
13912 Cr 19 Platteville, Colorado 80651
Hours: 9:00 am-6:00 pm daily.
Miller Farms is not your traditional “Pumpkin Patch” but rather a farm that is open during the entire growing season for seasonal vegetable picking. They specialize in school trips, allowing kids from all over the area to experience digging potatoes, onions, carrots and other veggies out of the dirt to take home with them, but are open to the public as well. They offer a variety of activities including a bunch of antique cars and planes, a giant “Croc-pit” which is essentially thousands of Croc shoe remnants in a big pile, corn maze, kids play areas, antique tractors, peddle tractors, a hay pyramid and a dirt hill. I had the pleasure to join my youngest on his field trip last year and he had a fantastic time picking his veggies, running around and getting dirty. And we made veggie soup for dinner that night with what he picked. He was very proud.
Admission: At Miller Farms you don’t pay for access to the farm, but rather you pay one price for the veggies that you pick. Everyone 11 and up: $25.00 per person( up to 4 bags per person)
Children, 5-10: $15.00 per person. ( up to 4 bags)
4 and under are free
Groups of 10+: $20.00 per person, 4 and under are free.
Public School Groups Pre-K-12: $9.00 per student and chaperone. 1 bag of produce and a pumpkin per person.
Homeschool rates and days: Mondays Oct. 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th $15 for everyone 5 and up. (up to 4 bags)
You can also stack a wagon full of veggies for $50.
Each person who visits the farm, does need to fill out a waiver. Check their website for this.

Whichever Patch you choose this fall, I’m sure it will be a fantastic experience for you and/or your family and friends. Remember to bring layers for Colorado’s continuously changing weather. I would highly recommend good shoes that are comfortable, but that you aren’t afraid to get dirty.

Most of all, enjoy the experience. Colorado is stunning this time of year and we are very lucky to have so many family farms that open their businesses for us to make memories. ❤️

It’s Fall! You Know What That Means. PUMPKINS!