Five nearby pumpkin patches to start your spooky season off right!
By Tom Nolan and Hayley Matto
From racing through a corn maze, to enchanted hay rides and blowing pumpkins out of cannons, here are five pumpkin patches you can check out this October. Starting with the closest to campus and working our way around the bay for our commuters, we hope there is an option for everyone looking to get into the spooky spirit!
Photo by Tom Nolan
Triple F Farms
The Triple F Farms pumpkin patch, a 13-mile drive from campus, is among the closest. Seemingly more entertainment attraction than farmland, its target visitorship appears to be made up mainly of families, with features including child-sized mazes, trains and bounce castles. However, all ages can appreciate the patch’s wide-open spaces, food trucks and accessible location right off the Monterey-Salinas Highway exit at its intersection with River Road. It’s worth noting that admission is free only until 3 p.m. each day; afterward, visitors are charged a $10 per-person fee for entrance – somewhat of a rarity for pumpkin patches in the area.
Photo taken by Tom Nolan
Earthbound Farm Stand
About a 20-minute drive from campus, this farm stand is located among sprawling gardens in picturesque Carmel Valley. The upscale stand emphasizes presentation and aesthetic with an impressive variety of pumpkins neatly arranged by size, shape and color. At the heart of the pumpkin patch lies a thriving indoor cafe and marketplace selling everything from craft supplies to produce. Each year, Earthbound Farm creates a seasonal space for visitors to enjoy tranquil vibes and carefully crafted, autumnal backdrops that seem like Instagram photos waiting to happen.
Photo taken by Tom Nolan
Borchard Farms – Borchard Farms
A hidden gem of sorts within the Salinas pumpkin patch scene, this locally owned farm has a remote feel at its location well off the beaten paths of off-campus travel. The friendly elderly couple who own the homestead often mill around the grounds, greeting visitors or helping staff sell products. The patch has some more unusual features, such as offering custom labels and carvings on Borchard-branded pumpkins. It also includes a walk-through avian “zoo” featuring peacocks, pheasants and a wide variety of other fowl. A sprawling corn maze rounds out the experience at this idyllic pumpkin patch, also found just 20 minutes from campus despite feeling far more isolated.
Photo courtesy of LJB Farms on Facebook
LJB Farms
Starting to get into commuter territory for CSUMB students, but well worth the travel, is LJB Farms. The farm typically functions as a year-round roadside farmers market between Gilroy and San Martin. However, when it comes to the spooky season, the cute pit stop becomes a lively pumpkin patch. Consider this the spot to check out for cute photo opportunities, a wide variety of pumpkin pickings and if you want to grab some local farm fresh foods on the way out. Keep an eye out on their website for updates on future fall fairs, where local vendors will set up to sell their fall themed goodies. Open now through Oct. 31 daily, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and located at 585 Fitzgerald Ave, San Martin.
Photo courtesy of Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch website
Spina Farms
The furthest from CSUMB, but most definitely worth the travel, is Spina Farms; chalk full of attractions appealing to all ages. Your typical corn maze, a hay ride and the fan favorite “Dino Walk” where kids get to walk through a path of massive statues of dinosaurs, decorated with pumpkins and gourds. There are two trains and a ton of fun fall themed snacks and spooky treats. The patch also offers the opportunity to shoot pumpkins out of cannons called the Pumpkin Blasters! Spina Farms is currently open everyday of the week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and located at 225 Laguna Ave in Morgan Hill.