Pumpkin Patches Near Lakeland

LAKELAND, FL — It’s that time of year again. Pumpkin products are popping up on shelves and the pumpkin spice latte is back on drink menus nationwide.

But maybe you want the real deal — an actual pumpkin — in your home this season. Whether you’re planning to bake a pie, carve a jack-o’-lantern or just add some festive flair to your stoop, there are plenty of places to pick up a pumpkin near Lakeland.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Harvest Holler Corn Maze, 950 Tavares Road, Polk City. Open Sept. 16 to Nov. 13. Includes photo opportunities and family-friendly events. Cost is $15 per person for those ages 13 to 64; $12 for kids 2 to 12 and those 65 and older; kids under 2 are free.
• Fox Squirrel Corn Maze, 6151 Varn Road, Plant City. Cost is $11 for adults 18 and older; $10 for children 3 to 17; kids 2 and under are free. Admission includes unlimited maze, hayride, games and more. Pumpkins will be for sale.
• Presbyterian Church in the Highlands Craft Fair & Fall Festival, 1010 Lake Miriam Drive, Lakeland. Oct. 22, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition to vendors, crafts and a car sale, pumpkins will be for sale.
• Produce 863, 6512 U.S. Highway 98 N., Lakeland. Every season, this produce stand sets up a pumpkin patch.
• Walker’s Produce, 6320 U.S. Highway 98 S., Lakeland. This produce shop sets up a pumpkin patch each Halloween season.

And if your pumpkin is destined for a starring role on Halloween night, here's our guide to carving a perfect jack-o’-lantern. Warren Nash on YouTube also shows a step-by-step process to make the perfect carve.

Materials

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:

• Pumpkin. Unless you have a pumpkin-growing operation in the backyard, you'll need to pick out one you like from your local pumpkin patch or a store. Make sure it looks sturdy and clean. Remember, this is the pumpkin that will be front and center on the porch for the Halloween season.
• Curved boning knife, or serrated knife from the kitchen.
• Ice cream scooper 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 then admire your work.