On my morning walk recently, I noticed a delightful change. Have you noticed it, too? The air felt brisk and clean. A few of the trees are trying on their fall colors and woodpeckers were happily arguing over acorns in the backyard.
Notably, the stores are bursting with “pumpkin spice everything” and the beautiful fall gourds—now available in a wide array of colors and styles-- are showing up at Farmer’s Markets, grocery stores and even Target!
But nothing beats the adventure of visiting a local pumpkin patch and supporting local farmers. You can enjoy the brisk fall air, corn mazes, tractor rides and sample other delightful farm products. And if you are looking for a great pumpkin patch, you’ve come to the right place for suggestions!
5157 Stony Point Road (at Rohnert Park Expressway) Santa Rosa (707) 331-6653 santarosapumpkinpatch.com Open daily starting Friday, October 8 Monday–Thursday 9 am–7 pm, Friday & Saturday 9 am–10 pm, Sunday 9 am–8 pm This iconic pumpkin patch offers plenty of pumpkins—over 8 acres of them! And the corn maze isn’t far behind at 7 acres itself! You’ll also enjoy tons of old-fashioned games (think John Deere pedal trike races) and a petting farm. Kids will love the bounce house.
3800 Walker Avenue Santa Rosa 95407 (707) 228-3085 www.muelrathspumpkins.com Open daily September 25–October 31, 10 am–6 pm daily You had me at pumpkin cannon! But Muelrath Ranches offers much more—in fact, you’ll find 20 varieties of pumpkins and other farm products! Enjoy hay rides, a pumpkin slingshot, a corn maze just for toddlers, farm animals, and more.
5495 Redwood Highway Petaluma 94952 (707) 490-8088 www.mickelsonpumpkinpatch.com September 24–October 31, Monday–Thursday, noon–8 pm; Friday, noon–10 pm; Saturday, 10 am–10 pm; Sunday, 10 am–8 pm Mickelson Pumpkin Patch, just past the Marin-Sonoma county line off Highway 101, offers its own set of unique adventures, Grab the crew and enjoy a hay pyramid, paintball gallery, food vendors and even craft beer. Oh—they also have a wide variety of pumpkins of course! Take exit 472A to get there.
As a Sonoma County resident, I feel so fortunate to live just minutes from some of the greatest pumpkin patches around. Won’t you join me in support Sonoma County farmers? Happy Pumpkin Hunting from the McCall Team—to your team!