Where to Find a Pumpkin Patch Near DC

WASHINGTON, DC — Kids are back in school and the slightest chill is back in the air, which can only mean one thing: fall is right around the corner. And what better way to celebrate than to head to a pumpkin patch and pick out a giant orange gourd to either decorate or eat, or both.

There aren't many options for getting pumpkins actually in D.C., unless you're happy with just dropping by the local grocery store, but there are several excellent locations just outside of the city.

1. Cox Farms, 15621 Braddock Road, Centreville, Va. -- Cox Farms is perhaps one of the best known fall hangouts in the area. This farm is one of the largest fall festivals in Virginia and runs from Sept. 24 through Nov. 6. This weekend (Sept. 17-18) is a preview weekend, in fact. The hours are from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. In addition to all the rides and farm animals, there's plenty of pumpkins available for picking.

2. Leesburg Animal Park, 19270 James Monroe Highway, Leesburg, Va. -- If you're willing to drive a bit farther, you can drop by Pumpkinville at Leesburg Animal Park. Pumpkinville will be open starting Sept. 17 and ending Nov. 8. The hours are from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. In addition to pumpkins, there's also lots of rides and mazes and more.

3. Ticonderoga Farms, 26469 Ticonderoga Road, Chantilly, Va. -- This fall festival runs from mid September until early November, and you can pick your own pumpkins there in addition to enjoying hay rides and a petting zoo, to name just a few activities.

4. Burke Nursery and Garden Center, 9401 Burke Road, Burke, Va. -- This fall festival runs through the entirety of October and features a "Pumpkin Playground" that is open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.

5. Heather Hill Gardens, 8111 Ox Road, Fairfax Station, Va. -- Forget just pumpkin picking: this festival has a pumpkin fort. It is open seven days a week until 5:30 p.m. or 6 p.m., depending on the day. There is a $5 entry fee.

6. Montpelier Farms, 1720 Crain Highway North, Upper Marlboro, Md. -- Montpelier Farms is located in Upper Marlboro and features a pumpkin patch that is open during the fall season, closing at 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 7 p.m. on Sundays. There is a small general admission fee, and pumpkins 5 pounds and under cost $3 while other pumpkins cost $.60 per pound. "We grow our own!" the website states. "Big ones, little ones, green ones, orange ones!"

7. Queen Anne Farm, 18102 Central Avenue, Mitchellville, Md. -- Queen Anne Farm offers a fall festival experience featuring a tractor-pulled hay wagon, a petting corral, a children's maze and, of course, a pumpkin patch. "Young children race from pumpkin to pumpkin through the pumpkin patch, while the parents and older siblings often move slowly from one pumpkin to the next, imagining the carving for each individual jack-o-lantern," the site states.

8. Patuxent Nursery, 2410 N. Crain Highway, Bowie, Md. -- Patuxent Nursery is hosting a Fall Fest on Oct. 15 and 16, featuring pony rides, hay rides, a straw maze, moon bounce and a pumpkin patch. Admission is $15 per child, with parents and babies getting in free. The event will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15 and end at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16.

Image via Wikimedia user Martin Doege