What would October be without pumpkin picking, ale sampling and hay rides? Indeed, fall brings us so much to be joyful about, and whether you’re looking to give your entrance some seasonal decking or you just want to find the perfect specimen to carve up in the spirit of Halloween, you can already get started at one of the following pumpkin patches around Woodland Hills.
These are now open for the spooky season, offering a feel-gourd time for fall.
Tapia Bros. Farm, situated at 5251 Hayvenhurst Avenue in Encino, is a family-owned and operated produce stand in the San Fernando Valley growing and selling fresh seasonal produce – but during the fall, this spot boasts a terrific pumpkin patch, running from the first of October to the 31st. Enjoy a train ride, pony rides, corn maze, petting zoo, bacon-wrapped hot dogs and much more. Open Monday through Thursday 9 am to 6 pm and Friday through Sunday from 9 am to 7 pm.
Calabasas Pumpkin Festival, held at Juan Bautista de Anza Park in Calabasas, returns to the Woodland Hills community on Sunday, October 16 from 10 am to 5 pm, once again represented by the City of Calabasas Community Services department and poised to celebrate its namesake with friends, family, fun and, of course, pumpkins. Shop the Marketplace, try a new pumpkin dish, dance and sing along to great bands and pick your pumpkin in the pumpkin patch. Calabasas actually got its name from the Spanish word “Calabaza,” meaning “pumpkin” or “gourd;” local legend has it that explorer Juan Bautista de Anza was traveling through the area now known as Calabasas when suddenly, his wagon full of pumpkins overturned. A few months later, the area saw its first pumpkin patch.
Tina’s Pumpkin Patch, being held at Westfield Fashion Square, 4725 Woodman Avenue in Sherman Oaks, runs now through the 31st and is open from 10 am to 8 pm Sunday through Thursday and 10 am to 9 pm Friday and Saturday, offering pony rides, a petting zoo, train ride, bouncer, slide, obstacle course, free straw maze and more. The petting zoo is open daily, with ponies after 2 pm Wednesday and Thursday, in addition to all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and food for the petting zoo animals is just $1.
Shawn’s Pumpkin Patch, located at 11650 Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, boasts lots of straw bales, corn stalks, mountains of pumpkins, gourds and more, guaranteed to provide that “country” feeling in the middle of L.A. For the little ones, the patch offers bounce houses, ponies, a petting zoo, a ball house, train rides, obstacle courses, a straw maze, giant slides, kiddie rides, face painting and additional fun for the whole family. Hunting for that perfect, long-stem “chubby face” pumpkin? Come to Shawn’s Pumpkin Patch, where you’re sure to find what you’re looking for.
These days, the best L.A. pumpkin patches remind us of music festivals, what with their bands performing onstage, food trucks, carnival rides and all sorts of activities for the kiddies. Sure, it’s a lot more family-centric than the festival scene – way less crowd-surfing, to begin with – but picking your next jack-o’-lantern is nonetheless a seasonal tradition that helps remind us it’s fall (even though our Woodland Hills weather hasn’t quite caught up).
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