Where To Pick Pumpkins Around South FL This Fall — And How To Carve It

Heading out to a patch or field around South Florida to pick the best or biggest pumpkin isn’t just about finding the perfect Halloween jack-o’-lantern.

It’s one of those fall traditions that gets people outside, into the fields and together with family and friends — with a little fresh air, a little dirt and, ideally, a pumpkin worth hauling home.

Many pumpkin patches and fields make a day of it, with hayrides, corn mazes, games for the kids and other seasonal activities. Picking your own pumpkin also supports the local farmers who planted, tended and harvested the crop.

Whether you plan to carve a jack-o’-lantern or just add some festive flair to your stoop, there are plenty of places to pick up a pumpkin around South Florida.

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Beasley Farms: 10137 Preston Road, Brooksville, FL 34601 — Pumpkin patch, three-acre maze, U-pick flowers, petting zoo, pony rides and vendors.
• Dakin Dairy Farms: 30771 Betts Road, Myakka City, FL 34251 — Harvest festival with a pumpkin patch, corn maze and farm activities.
• Fox Squirrel Corn Maze: 6151 Varn Road, Plant City, FL 33565 — Corn maze, pumpkins, fall photo opportunities, games and family activities.
• Fruitville Grove: 7410 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, FL 34240 — Pumpkin festival with pumpkins, hayrides, pony rides, children's activities, live entertainment, petting zoo and haunted house.
• Gallagher's Pumpkin and Christmas Trees: 7401 4th St. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33702 — Traditional pumpkin patch with pumpkins, fall photo displays, a vintage truck, homemade pies and goats.
• Harvest Holler Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch: 950 Tavares Road, Polk City, FL 33868 — Pumpkin patch, corn maze, tractor-pulled rides and farm play areas.
• HarvestMoon Fun Farm: 15990 Stur St., Masaryktown, FL 34604 — Pumpkin patch, large corn maze and numerous farm attractions and children's play areas.
• Heights Fall Festival at Armature Works: 1910 N. Ola Ave., Tampa, FL 33602 — Pumpkin patch, petting zoo, face painting, family activities and live music.
• Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival: 5500 C.R. 675, Bradenton, FL 34211 — Pumpkins, corn maze, hayrides, petting zoo, pony rides, scarecrow displays, children's games, live entertainment and craft vendors.
• Hyde Park Village Pumpkin Patch: 1602 W. Snow Ave., Tampa, FL 33606 — Urban pumpkin patch with pumpkins and seasonal fall photo displays.
• Keel Farms Harvest Days: 5202 Thonotosassa Road, Plant City, FL 33565 — Pumpkin patch and painting, hayrides, corn maze, camel rides, vendors, food trucks and seasonal drinks.
• Kerby's Nursery Pumpkin Patch: 2311 S. Parsons Ave., Seffner, FL 33584 — Traditional pumpkin patch with pumpkins, fall displays and seasonal photo opportunities.
• Raprager Family Farm: 16907 Boy Scout Road, Odessa, FL 33556 — Pumpkin patch, hayrides, pumpkin painting, farm animals, petting zoo, hay chute slide, haunted maze and haunted barn.
• Seminole Heights Great Pumpkin Patch: 6111 N. Central Ave., Tampa, FL 33604 — Neighborhood pumpkin patch with pumpkins for sale and seasonal activities.
• South Tampa Pumpkin Patch: 3660 S. Manhattan Ave., Tampa, FL 33629 — Neighborhood pumpkin patch geared toward pumpkin shopping and fall photos.

How To Carve A Jack-o’-Lantern

Keep in mind that carving and baking pumpkins aren’t the same. The former are grown in fields to be large, more vibrantly colored, and relatively hollow.

The watery flesh doesn’t have the same flavor as baking pumpkins, which tend to be smaller, have thicker, harder-to-carve walls and sweeter flesh. For those, you’ll probably need to head to the grocery store.

Pumpkins for carving should appear sturdy and clean. Remember, this is the pumpkin that will be front and center on the porch for the Halloween season. Here are some tips for carving a perfect jack-o’-lantern from Warren Nash on YouTube, who shows a step-by-step process to make the perfect carve.

Pumpkin carving kits will go a long way in getting what you need. They typically include saws, a scooper, a drill and multiple patterns. If you're looking for the items individually around the house, here's what you could use:

• Curved boning knife, or serrated knife from the kitchen
• Ice cream scoop or scraper
• Paper
• Pencil or pen
• Candle or battery-operated light
• Lighter

Steps

1. Cut it: If cutting from the top of the pumpkin, make sure to do it on an inward angle, so the top won't drop inside the pumpkin when you put it back on. Michael Natiello, creative director for The Great Jack-o'-Lantern Blaze, said it's better to cut the pumpkin from the bottom, in a series of pumpkin carving tips from Good Housekeeping. That helps prevent the sides from caving in later.
2. Gut it: Use the ice cream scoop, or your hands, to remove all the seeds and other debris from inside the pumpkin. Do a thorough cleaning and make sure nothing is left sticking to the sides.
3. Trace it: Draw your design on a piece of paper before putting it on the pumpkin itself. That way, it is easier to trace the design onto the pumpkin.
4. Make the cuts: Cut out the design. Natiello said to use a fork or pencil to poke holes around the lines. When cutting, get the big pieces of pumpkin out first and clean up the edges later.
5. Light it: Light the pumpkin with a battery-operated light or candle in a holder, place it in the pumpkin, and step back and admire your work.