Whether you're whipping up pumpkin pies or carving spooky jack-o'-lanterns, put Gloucestershire's homegrown gourds to good use this October, with pick your own pumpkin patches popping up all over the county.
Spanning family attractions to farm shops, SoGlos has picked seven of the best pumpkin patches to visit this autumn season.
Pumpkin patch at Cattle Country Farm Park
With thousands of pumpkins to pick from — and wheelbarrows to help you cart a hefty haul — Berkeley-based family attraction Cattle Country Farm Park is opening its popular pumpkin patch on Saturday 7 October 2023.
As well as pumpkin picking, families can snap a selfie among the gourds and explore everything the farm park has to offer, with entry to the whole attraction included with pumpkin patch tickets. All pumpkins are priced by size, starting at just £1.
Pumpkin patch at Cotswold Farm Park
Grab your wellies and squelch on over to Adam Henson's Cotswold Farm Park, where there's a whole field of plump pumpkins to pick from — with the attraction's pumpkin patch open on October weekends and throughout the half term week, from Friday 6 October 2023.
Explore the pumpkin trail and pose for pictures at the selfie stands, before picking the cream of the crop to take home or carve at the on-site crafting tent! Entry to the pumpkin patch — plus a free freshly-baked Halloween cookie — is included with general admission to Cotswold Farm Park. Pumpkin Field-only tickets are available, too.
Pumpkin patch at Over Farm
Welcoming pumpkin pickers on October weekends, as well as every day from Thursday 26 to Tuesday 31 October 2023, Over Farm in Gloucester has gourds of all shapes, sizes and colours — from classic orange to ghostly white — for families to find in its pumpkin patch.
For added spookiness, the pumpkin patch is open after dark on selected evenings this year, with a whole host of indie food traders, thrilling fire juggling displays and after-dark tractor rides to make hunting for your perfect pumpkin all the more fun.
Pumpkin patch at Primrose Vale Farm Shop
With another healthy crop of pumpkins this year, Primrose Vale is opening for PYO pumpkins on Saturday 7 October and will be running its usual Halloween trail from Tuesday 24 October to Sunday 5 November 2023, too — with each activity available to book via its website.
Pickers will get to pluck their pumpkins straight from the place they grew, complete with straggly vines and soil. Some vines can be prickly, so it's recommended that you bring a pair of gloves.
Pumpkin patch at Hayles Fruit Farm
From summer strawberries to autumn apples, Hayles Fruit Farm offers 'pick your own' experiences all year round, with its popular pumpkin patch opening every October.
This year's Halloween trail and PYO pumpkin patch opens on Friday 20 until Tuesday 31 October 2023, with no entrance fee to visit the field and no need to book in advance. It costs £3 per child to take part in the Halloween trail, with a sweet treat waiting for them at the end.
Pumpkin patch at Elm Farm
The family-run PYO pumpkin patch at Elm Farm, on the outskirts of Quedgeley, is back for weekend pumpkin-picking from Saturday 7 October — also opening for October half term fun, from Saturday 21 to Tuesday 31 October 2023.
With last year's biggest pumpkins weighing in at a colossal 25 kilograms, find everything from miniature gourds for Halloween decorations to juicy pumpkins fit to transform into giant jack-o-lanterns.
Pumpkin patch at Country Pumpkins
Located just over the Herefordshire border near Ledbury, Lower House Farm is opening its pumpkin-picking attraction, Country Pumpkins, from Saturday 7 October 2023 with no booking required.
Encouraging Halloween enthusiasts to 'pick while stocks last', the farm recommends selecting your perfect pumpkin early to keep it out of the rain. And new for this year, there's a pizza trailer serving fresh, stone-baked pizzas to keep pumpkin pickers well-fuelled and toasty warm!
