We’ve endured our fair share of wind and rain so far this month, but since we are glass-half-full types, the way we see it, the cloudy days just make us all the more grateful for the sunny ones! We are also hoping that the rainy start to the fall season will mean that sunshine is in store for us for the rest of autumn (fingers crossed). With sunshine on our minds, we are back to mapping out our busy fall schedule, with a heavy emphasis on getting outside as much as possible to explore the shore. Fall festivals are plentiful right now, but we also have our eye on pumpkin picking, corn mazes, hay rides, and kid-friendly fun. To make a long story short, its time to present you all with some of our favorite picks for pumpkin picking. Pumpkins, gourds, mums, fall decorations, baked goods and fresh, local produce await you, along with fall fests, games, costume contests, and much, much more. Take a look at our list and stay tuned as we travel across Delmarva for some autumn adventures.
Crash Course in Pumpkins:
– Pumpkins are 90% water
– It’s really a squash
– Pumpkins take 85-125 days to mature
– Pick a pumpkin that is completely orange
– Do not pick a pumpkin with soft spots
– Frost can ruin your pumpkin as well as too much heat
– 80% of the US pumpkin supply is available only in October
– Fun fact: The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds!
– Random fact: The tradition of pumpkin carving can be attributed to the Irish, who brought their affinity for turnip carving with them to the U.S., where they soon discovered that the pumpkins were a better alternative.
Wicomico County Prime Pickin’…
Adkins Farm Market
Where: 31493 Mt. Hermon Road Salisbury, MD 21804
What: Mums, gourds, straw, corn stalks, pumpkin patch, corn maze, play area, plenty of u-pick pumpkins!
Oakley’s Farm Market
Where: 27466 Ocean Gateway, Hebron, MD
What: U-pick pumpkins & local produce
Wright’s Market
Where: 9300 Old Railroad Road, Mardela Springs, MD
What: Lawn & garden, farm fresh vegetables, fresh bakery, home & gift shop, pumpkins & gourds, sweet potato and pumpkin ice cream, and apple cider. Events include OctoberFest (every Saturday and Sunday in October) along with ‘Halloween Fun’ on October 31.
Dorchester County Prime Pickin’…
Breckenridge Adventures
Where: 4032 Mill Road Vienna, MD 21869
What: Corn maze, pumpkin patch, local produce for sale.
The Grove Growers
Where: 5131 Rhodesdale Vienna Road, Vienna, MD
What: U-pick and pre-picked pumpkins and gourds, local produce.
Emily’s Produce
Where: 2206 Church Creek Road, Cambridge, MD
What: Farm stand, farmer’s market & farm with pumpkins, baked goods, plants & hanging baskets, local produce and more. Events include Pumpkin Painting at Emily’s Produce from 12-3pm on October 11th (just pick a pumpkin, the paint is provided!) and the Apple Festival on October 18th (8am-4pm) with plenty of fun for the entire family.
Worcester County Prime Pickin’…
Magee Farms
Where: 11004 Racetrack Road Ocean Pines, MD 21811
What: Produce and u-pick pumpkins, with locations in Selbyville and Lewes too!
Birch’s Produce Market
Where: 9141 Stephen Decatur Highway, Berlin, MD
What: Produce, candy, gourds, fall decorations and pumpkins.
Sussex County & Kent County Prime Pickin’…
Mr. Pepper’s Pumpkin Patch
Where: 13500 Laurel Road Laurel, DE 19956
What: Pumpkin patch, corn maze, hayride, mums and fall produce, BBQ shack, and beehive.
Fifer Orchards
Where: 1919 Allabands Mill Road Camden-Wyoming, DE 19971
What: Market, pumpkin patch, apple orchard, festival, corn maze, games, petting zoo, u-pick apples and pumpkins, apples, ciders & doughnuts…we suggest spending an entire Saturday here for Fall Fest in October. Great selection of activities for the kids, along with plenty of local produce and fresh fall flavors.
Loblolly Acres
Where: 3893 Turkey Point Road, Woodside, DE
What: Hayrides, petting zoo, straw maze, play area, corn maze, face painting, nature trail, corn pit, chickens, big slide, u-pick pumpkins, mums, gift shop, cafe with homemade soups and chili, fall decorations and more! Events to attend: The Autumn Jubilee on October 24, 4pm. The event includes two bonfires, Fairy Tale Trail, face painting, corn box, costume contest, corn hole competition, straw maze, night time wagon ride, big slide, wine tasting, live music, and a pumpkin carving contest.
Wicked R Western Productions
Where: 2621 Sandy Bend Road, Wyoming, DE
What: Family Fall Fun! Every Saturday (weather permitting) in October with a farm tour, petting zoo, pony rides, pedal race track, giant slide, mini challenge course, western moon bounce, wagon rides, nature trail, adventure maze and more!
There you have it! Our list of Delmarva pumpkin patches for 2015. Of course, this is by no means a complete list, so feel free to clue us in to any that we may not have uncovered yet. Happy picking!
