BY LAURYN BECKER
PHOTOS BY HAOMIAO LU
A fall favorite amongst most is going to the pumpkin patch to pick out a pumpkin to carve for Halloween. With the end of the month just around the corner, families are ready to engage in this tradition once again.
Picking out which pumpkin patch to go to is almost just as hard as picking out the perfect pumpkin. And while it isn’t a competition between which pumpkin patch is the best, here’s the inside scoop on all of the local pumpkin patches in the Hays area.
First is Pa’s Pumpkin Patch. Pa’s Pumpkin Patch is located in Hays at 1905 General Custer Rd. An interesting feature about Pa’s pumpkin patch is that there is no admission fee to attend the pumpkin patch, patrons just simply pay for how heavy their pumpkins are.
“There is no entry fee. Pumpkins are priced by the pound and activities are all included in a $5 wristband. We also host private events so if you are in need of those services, please reach out to us,,” Maggie, one of Pa’s Pumpkin Patch employees said.
There are many different activities patrons can participate in while at the Patch, including a corn pit, alpacas you can pet, hayrack ride, and a corn maze just to name a few.
Pa’s Pumpkin Patch will be open from the last weekend of September to the last of October. They are open Saturdays from 10-7, Sundays from 11-6, and Tuesdays from 4:30 to 7:30.
“The best attribute of Pa’s is the people. Pleasant staff and wonderful guests,” Maggie said.
Next is Cottage Lane Pumpkin Patch. Cottage Lane Pumpkin Patch is located on the western edge of Ellis, at 1001 W 15th St.
The aim of the Cottage Lane Pumpkin Patch is to keep the nostalgia of a traditional pumpkin patch while still offering unique features for all to enjoy.
“We definitely do try to keep things nostalgic. During our off-season when we’re not open, there’s a lot of planning that still goes and a lot of work and crops that need planted,” Cottage Lane owner Donna Soneson said. “We’re very much a working farm. And when we are open, we try to keep it not too commercialized, and we try to keep it very family-feel to our place for our visitors when they come out.”
Cottage Lane Pumpkin Patch is open Saturdays from 11-6, Sundays from 1-6, and Fridays from 1-4. General admission is $7.00, and kids ages 3 and under are free. General admission includes access to all of the activities.
“One of the neatest things about having a pumpkin patch is the people you meet along the way and the people that we’ve met from so many different countries coming to our little pumpkin patch right outside Ellis Kansas it’s been amazing and we’re so happy to still be able to offer this for our community,” Soneson said.
Third is Long Pumpkin Patch. Long Pumpkin Patch is located at 163 NE 30 Rd, in Great Bend.
Long Pumpkin Patch offers patrons a unique pumpkin-hunting experience while continuing to offer visitors the nostalgic activities they love to participate in.
“You can pick pumpkins and berries, corn maze, corn pit, culvert swing, bale fort, obstacle course and gourd launcher. We have a barn that can be rented for private parties,” Dana Long, part of the Long family who owns the Long Pumpkin Patch said.
Long Pumpkin Patch is open from the last Saturday in September to Halloween. Saturdays, they are open from 10-6 and Sundays from 1-5. There is no admission fee, and their pumpkins are paid by the pound.
“We grow our own pumpkins so you have the fun of discovering the perfect pumpkin for you out in the field,” Long said.
Next is Granny Mae’s Pumpkin Patch. Granny Mae’s is a traditional pumpkin patch with tons of added features for the whole family to enjoy in Dorrance.
“I started Granny Mae’s in honor of my beloved Grandmother Sara Mae Herber who passed away at the age of 90 in 1998. Granny Mae’s began a year later in 1999,” Tonya, the owner of Granny Mae’s said.
They have plenty of fun things for visitors of all ages to enjoy, such as various areas to go pumpkin hunting and other activities such as a corn maze, train ride, and many other activities as well.
Attendees of Granny Mae’s can visit several themed patch areas, including Munchkin Land, Super Freaks, Full Moon Farms, Gourd Grove and Land of Giants as well as the Pumpkin Patch.
“We grow hundreds of different colors, sizes, and varieties,” Tonya said. “We offer scavenger hunts in our 7-acre living corn maze, train rides down Pumpkin Lane, Haunted Forest, Baley Park play fort (straw jump, treasure hunt, play fort) as well as bonfires, live music, and roast your own s’mores. Granny Mae’s also offers Belly Acres Old Fashioned Candy Store, Patches Gift Shoppe, The Cider House, Jack’s Place, and The Crow Bar Old Tyme Spirits.”
Granny Mae’s is open all weekends in October, and they are open Saturdays from 10-6, and Sundays from 1-5.
This is just a glimpse of the local pumpkin patches in the area. To find out more about these pumpkin patches, visit https://www.facebook.com/Pas-Pumpkin-Patch-569648189759326/, https://www.facebook.com/Cottage-Lane-Pumpkin-Patch-111921245489475/, https://www.facebook.com/LongPumpkinPatch/, and https://www.facebook.com/grannymaespatch/.