The pumpkin patch has opened its gates and October at Blacker Hall is well and truly under way.
The rows are full, the painting station is busy, and the first pumpkins have already headed home to doorsteps and windowsills across the area. It’s one of our favourite weeks of the year, and a lovely way to kick off the season.
If you have not made it down yet, there is still plenty of time. We are open every day until Saturday 31st October, from 10am to 4pm. Pick your pumpkin, take it to our painting station, and make a lovely afternoon of it.
The Blacker Hall Farm’s pumpkin patch is small and that is part of its appeal. It is easy to explore at a child's pace, with a mix of shapes, colours and sizes to choose from.
A little know-how helps. Look for a pumpkin with a firm, dry stalk still attached, as this helps it last longer once it is home. Check that it sits flat without rolling, which matters if it is going to take pride of place on a doorstep or windowsill. Give it a gentle press all over: the skin should be hard, with no soft patches or bruising.
Then there is the question of size. Pumpkins are priced individually from £2 to £15 depending on size, so there is room for a small one each for the children and something grander for the front step.
Carving is a Halloween tradition, but it is not always a practical one with young children. It involves sharp knives, a lot of scooping, and a fair amount of adult supervision.
Painting opens the whole thing up to everyone. Once you have chosen your pumpkin, bring it over to our painting station and create your own masterpiece, whether that is a classic grinning face, a family of monsters or something entirely abstract. The paints we use are child safe and acrylic based, so they hold their colour well on the skin.
There is a practical benefit too. Once a pumpkin is carved, its flesh is exposed to the air and it begins to soften and spoil, often within a week or so. A painted pumpkin stays whole and sealed, which means it will usually look good on the doorstep for far longer, comfortably through to Halloween night and often beyond.
Turning up in fancy dress is encouraged! Witches, pumpkins, scarecrows and the occasional dinosaur all fit right in among the rows, and our team will be handing out spot prizes to visitors who have made a special effort.
It is worth pairing the costume with wellies and clothes you do not mind getting dirty. Between the patch and the paint, a bit of mud and colour is very much part of the experience.
Every ticket includes entry to the Little Farmers Trail, which would usually cost £4 on its own. It turns a quick pumpkin pick into a full family outing, with time to explore before or after you have found your pumpkin.
You are welcome to stay as long as you like on the day you choose, right up until closing at 4pm. And with the farm shop on site, it is easy to finish the visit with something warming for later or pick up the ingredients for a proper autumn dinner on the way home.
Once your pumpkin has been covered in acrylic paint, it is best kept as a decoration and composted when it is past its best.
If you would like to cook with pumpkin this autumn, pick up a second one to keep unpainted, or pop into the greengrocery for one of the autumn squashes, which tend to have denser, sweeter flesh than the large pumpkins grown for decorating. Roasted in wedges with a little oil, salt and thyme, or blended into a soup, it is one of the best things about this time of year. Even the seeds are worth saving: rinse them, dry them, toss them in oil and salt, and roast them until crisp.
• Dates: Saturday 3rd October to Saturday 31st October
• Times: Open 10am to 4pm, arrive any time and stay as long as you like
• Tickets: £6.95 per adult or child, under 1s go free. Select your chosen day when booking
• Included: Entry to the pumpkin patch and the Little Farmers Trail
• Pumpkins: Not included in the ticket price, priced from £2 to £15 depending on size. Some activities are also an additional charge on the day
• What to wear: Old clothes that can get muddy or covered in paint, and wellies
• Accessibility: Due to uneven ground, the pumpkin patch may be unsuitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs
• Dogs: Welcome, but must be kept on a lead at all times
• Parking: Free
The best pumpkins are the ones you choose yourself, on a cold October afternoon, with a bit of mud on your boots.
Book your tickets for the pumpkin patch here and pick your day.
Our pumpkin patch is back from 3rd to 31st October. Pick your own pumpkin, paint it at our painting station and explore the Little Farmers Trail, all in one family day out.
Why a considered corporate hamper says more than a card this Christmas, and how to order one for clients, partners and teams from Blacker Hall Farm this festive season.
Join us this weekend for Blacker Hall Farm’s first Harvest Festival – two days of seasonal food, independent makers, tastings, live cooking and music, plus the opening of our Pumpkin Patch and Mischievous Monster Hunt. Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th October.