CRYSTAL LAKE AND CARY, IL — Heading out to a patch or field around Crystal Lake and Cary 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.
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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 near Crystal Lake and Cary. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Dave's Pumpkins, 9112 Algonquin Road, Huntley: This smaller, family-run pumpkin patch offers pumpkins along with gourds, corn stalks, straw bales, mums, squash and other fall decorations. The farm is open from 4 to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
- Tom's Farm Market, 10214 Algonquin Road, Huntley: Fall on the Farm runs throughout September and October, with outdoor attractions and a U-pick pumpkin patch available on weekends beginning Oct. 3. Pumpkin-patch hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends and Columbus Day, with the last entry at 4 p.m. Jack-o'-lantern pumpkins are 49 cents per pound, while pie pumpkins are $3.50. Admission to Fall on the Farm is $15 on weekends.
- Stade's Farm & Market, 3709 Miller Road, McHenry: Stade's offers a 33-acre pick-your-own pumpkin patch, with tractor-drawn rides to the field on weekends. Pumpkins from the patch are $8 each, regardless of size. The farm's Shades of Autumn Fall Festival runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 1 and includes more than 50 attractions, including a corn maze, petting zoo, hayrides, giant slides and pumpkin cannon.
- Richardson Adventure Farm, Spring Grove: The McHenry County farm's fall season runs through Nov. 1 and includes U-pick pumpkins along with its massive corn maze and other fall attractions.
- All Seasons Orchard, 14510 IL Route 176, Woodstock: Pick-your-own pumpkins are available beginning in late September at this Woodstock orchard, which also features apple picking, a corn maze and more than 30 Barnyard attractions. The orchard is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Tuesdays when it is closed, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The 2026 season runs through Nov. 1.
READ MORE: Dolly Parton-Themed Corn Maze Opens At Woodstock-Area Orchard
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.