Seasonal & Holidays

The Best Pumpkin Patches In Massachusetts

Here are dozens and dozens of pumpkin patches near you to enjoy with the family.

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Mike Carraggi, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge

It’s that magical time of year again when kids unglue themselves from their tablets and smartphones for a precious few hours join their parents in a jaunt to the local pumpkin patch. But where do you go?

Below are dozens and dozens of patches around Central and Eastern Massachusetts. If you’re looking for the cream of the pumpkin crop, consider heading over to Belkin Lookout Farm in Natick, ranked the best pumpkin patch in Massachusetts by the folks at Good Housekeeping. The patch is open until Halloween.

Here’s what the magazine had to say about them:

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"Though Lookout Farm is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, there are even more events (think face painting and live entertainment) on Saturday and Sunday. Kids can hop on the caterpillar ride, and the whole family can munch on tasty food at the snack shack. Farmers pick the pumpkins for you, and guests can select them from the barn. Weekday admission is $12 for kids and $15 for adults, and prices go up by $3 on the weekend."

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If that doesn’t suit your fancy — or, more likely, the drive is simply too far — you can also try one of the following places on this list compiled by Pumpkin Patch and More. If you go to their website, you can find tons more information on each pumpkin patch, including reviews, directions, and more. Check them out!

Essex County

Middlesex County

Norfolk County

Barnstable County

Bristol County

Dukes County

Plymouth County

Worcester County

>>Again, make sure to check out an even more comprehensive list at Pumpkin Patches and More.

If you’re hoping to find locally grown pumpkins, consider this — while technically grown throughout the country, there’s a 50-50 chance your pumpkin was grown in one of just six states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There’s a good chance that state was Illinois, the nation’s largest producer, which harvests up to five times as many pumpkin acres as any other top state at more than 600 million pounds.

Your turn: Send your best and — more importantly — worst pumpkin carvings to mike.carraggi@patch.com.

Here’s one to give you an idea:

Photo by Dan Hampton, Patch Staff

When picking your perfect pumpkin, here are a few tips to keep in mind, according to the folks at Kitchn.

  1. Know the difference between pumpkins best used for pies and those best for carving. Workers will sometimes label their pumpkins to help you identify which is better for eating and which is better for carving. But if they don’t, remember smaller, thicker and rounder pumpkins are generally better for eating. They have more guts on the inside and are more difficult to saw.
  2. Tap on your pumpkin. By tapping on your prospective pumpkins, you’ll be able to compare which feel sturdy and sound hollow. The sturdier, the better, and it should sound hollow.
  3. Flip it upside down and apply pressure. It might sound odd, but trust us, this is key. Turn your pumpkin upside down and press on it with both thumbs. If it’s not sturdy, chances are it’ll rot.
  4. Always carry it from the bottom. Do not carry your pumpkin by its stem, that’s the easiest way to test whether your pumpkin can defy gravity. So far, gravity remains undefeated.
  5. Wait to carve your pumpkin. Ask anyone what happens if you carve too early and you’ll hear one of two answers, neither of them good. Either the pumpkin rots before Halloween or it simply becomes dinner for a family of hungry animals.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Main photo: David Allen, Patch Staff

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