Where To Pick A Pumpkin Near Miami

MIAMI, 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 Miami.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Flamingo Road Nursery, 1655 S. Flamingo Road in Davie, hosts its annual Fall Festival from the end of September to the first week of November. This 10-acre garden center transforms into a fall paradise with cornstalks, hay bales, mums, pumpkins, scarecrows and fall colors everywhere you look. Each week features a different theme, including Tomato Fest, Pepper Palooza and Tropical Fruit Celebration.
• Santa’s Garden, 15714 SW 56th Street, 9850 SW 24th Street, 5051 Biscayne Blvd. and 7600 W. Flagler Street in Miami, hosts is annual pumpkin patch Oct. 10-31 with free photoshoots, pumpkin carving pony rides, food trucks and more.
• Little Farm, 13401 SW 224th Street in Goulds, hosts a fall pumpkin patch with pumpkins, pony rides, a petting farm, harvest market and more.
• Pinto’s Farm, 14890 SW 216th Street in Miami, hosts its annual pumpkin patch Sept. 24 to Oct. 31. Regular admission is $27.99 and includes one pumpkin, a pedal boat ride, a tractor ride, a pony ride, a walk-through to meet farm animals, a magic show and more.
• The Berry Farm, 13720 SW 216th Street in Miami, hosts an annual ongoing Harvest Festival during the fall, from Sept. 23 to Nov. 13, and a Halloween Harvest Night event on Halloween weekend. Attractions include pumpkins, a corn maze, a tractor ride, games (including corn hole, tic-tac-toe, shuffleboard, and checkers), and a large jumping pillow.

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.