Coco Velasquez, who has helped out seasonally at The Pumpkin Patch in Centralia for more than 30 years, loads pumpkins at the farm on Goodrich Road on a recent morning.
The Horseshoe Lake Ranch Pumpkin Patch is starting small this year with self-serve pumpkin sales by suggested donation. In the future, owners Kyle and Jenna Aselton hope to expand their offerings.
Tim Crockett, whose family has owned The Pumpkin Patch in Centralia since about 1982, stands next to one of the newer signs on the farm. Some of the displays at the farm, such as photo cutouts, have been used by visitors for two or three generations now.
Tim Crockett hopes you’ll come to his pumpkin patch this fall, but really he just hopes that a lot of families will choose to visit some local pumpkin patch to get their Halloween decor this October.
“Bring your kids outdoors and help support the local farmers,” said Crockett, whose family has owned The Pumpkin Patch on Goodrich Road since about 1982. “Because we’re in a difficult situation right now and none of us know what’s going to happen.”
Just a few short months ago, it was unclear if families would be able to visit pumpkin patches this year at all. In August, Gov. Jay Inslee announced restrictions to agritourism as part of plans to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Washington state. The restrictions would have made it impossible for farmers who had already planted pumpkin harvests for the year to sell their products at their farms as planned. After conversations with farmers, a few days later those restrictions were eased and the pumpkin patch season was back on. Rick Parker, whose family has owned Parkerosa Pumpkin Patch in Chehalis since 2008, said the family members who work at Parkerosa Pumpkin Patch each October have full-time jobs so they would have been sad to miss a season but would have been OK financially. He was especially glad when the restrictions were lifted for the farmers who rely on their pumpkin sales for income.
“We just do it because it’s fun and the kids love it. My nephews and nieces and everybody come out,” Parker said. “But the larger pumpkin patches that that’s their income. It would have effectively buried them.”
More than anything, local pumpkin farmers said they were glad patches can be open this year for their customers. In a year that has brought so many changes and closures, they said the pumpkin patch experience can remain largely unchanged for most of Lewis County’s pumpkin patches because it is an outdoor activity where social distancing is easy to achieve, especially on smaller farms. Crockett said he has had a handful of customers note to him that coming to the pumpkin patch this year was one of the first activities since the pandemic hit in early spring that felt normal. For Parker, seeing the joy on customers’ faces, especially kids, is a driving force for opening Parkerosa each year but this year in particular.
“We just hope everybody comes out and has a good time,” Parker said.
Bringing a little joy to these hard times is what motivated Kyle and Jenna Aselton to open their Horseshoe Lake Ranch Pumpkin Patch for the year, despite the pandemic. This is the third year the Aseltons have grown pumpkins on seven acres of their property directly south of Riverside Golf Course but the first year they have opened the property to the public. They had planned to open a full pumpkin patch including attractions but because of COVID-19 have decided to offer an unmanned pumpkin patch, where customers can pay what they can into a lock box with prices suggested by size of pumpkin and hope to grow the business in the future.
“We decided to do a little, humble start this year,” Jenna Aselton said.
Because of COVID-19, though, the Aseltons made the decision to pledge at a minimum of 50 percent of their pumpkin sales to help outfit Reliable Enterprises’ second emergent foster care home, which will be opening soon. The charity was suggested to the couple by Jenna Aselton’s sister, Cindy Sorenson, of Sorenson Trucking. The company has pledged to match the donation made by the patch this year.
“It’s been a hard year for everybody and we just wanted to do something to help the community,” Jenna Aselton said.
Before you visit your favorite pumpkin haunt this year, it’s important to know that things may look a little different at each farm than in years past because of COVID-19 requirements. A standing Washington State Department of Health order requires Washingtonians to wear cloth face covering in both indoors and outdoors whenever possible. However, in an outdoor setting when social distance of six feet or more may be maintained between non-household members, those coverings can be removed. Pumpkin patch owners say visitors should bring their masks with them for use in retail areas, on attractions such as hay rides or anywhere else you may not be able to stay six feet from others.
Parker said they have added directional signs at Parkerosa so that customers enter the patch from one area and leave from another. They are unable to offer their petting zoo but will still have hay rides, games and seating areas, though some things may be a little more spread out and some areas have plastic screens to offer social distancing.
“It’s a pain but it’s not really that awful as long as people understand,” Parker said.
At The Pumpkin Patch, the changes for COVID-19 include adding a table with wipes and hand spray and sanitizer that can be used on wagons and shopping baskets between customers. They also added Plexiglas screens in the checkout area. One of the heartbreaking changes was the decision not to open their usual hay pit, which has been a delight of young visitors for generations. Crockett said they hope they can bring it back next year but for now have added picnic tables under the covered area that usually houses that attraction to allow families a place to sit and enjoy a picnic lunch.
With many schools still meeting remotely, Crockett said he expects there may be fewer school-planned field trips to pumpkin patches this year. But he noted that parents who have kids learning from home should remember that a farm is a great place to learn about science and he said local farmers are always happy to be a resource if they just ask.
“There’s all these parents at home trying to think of things to do and this is a great teaching experience,” Crockett said. “If they want us to spend some time talking to them, I’m happy to talk to them about how we grow things.”
Boistfort Valley Farm
426 Boistfort Valley Rd., Curtis
(360) 245-3796, bvforganic.com or @boistfortvalleyfarm on Facebook
Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 25 and 4-6 p.m. Oct. 29-30. Traditional carving pumpkins galore from tiny 2-pound size to giants as well as white, yellow, striped, and warty pumpkins, ornamental gourds, plus pie pumpkins and edible winter squash. Due to COVID-19 no additional activities will be offered and visitors are asked to wear masks and maintain 6 feet of distance from other visitors per state guidelines.
Chehalis Steam Train Pumpkin Trains
1101 SW Sylvanus St., Chehalis
(360) 748-9593, steamtrainride.com
Noon and 1:30 p.m. departures Oct. 24-25 and Oct. 31
The 30-minute train ride includes treats a chance to hunt for the perfect pumpkin. Tickets are $15 per person and online reservations are required because most trains sell out.
Farmers Markets:
Community Farmers Market at Chehalis
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Oct. 27 on Boistfort Street in downtown Chehalis
Online ordering also available at chehalisfarmersmarket.com
Toledo Thursday Market
Open 2-6 p.m. Thursdays at 115 Ramsey Way, Toledo
Online ordering also available at toledothursdaymarket.com
Morton Farmers Market
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 31 at 700 Main Ave., Morton
@mortonfarmersmarket on Facebook
Horseshoe Lake Ranch Pumpkin Patch
1 mile north of Riverside Golf Course on Airport Road, Chehalis.
Open Noon-6 daily. Facebook — @HSLPumpkinPatch
7 acres of carving pumpkins for sale by honor system. At least 50 percent of profits will be donated to the new Reliable Enterprises emergent foster home and all donations will be matched by Sorenson Trucking.
Parkerosa Pumpkin Patch
292 Chilvers Road, Chehalis
(360) 269-2861 or facebook.com/Parkerosa-Farms-153136961374340
Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 31
Pumpkins, gourds and squash and fall décor items for sale. Games, corn maze and hay rides offered. Social distancing and masking required.
The Pumpkin Patch on Goodrich Road
518 Goodrich Road, Centralia
(360) 269-1783 or facebook.com/The-Pumpkin-Patch-207173096017386
Open 10 a.m. to dusk every day through Oct. 31
Pumpkins, fall décor, gourds and squash for sale. Corn maze. Kids train ride and pumpkin canon on weekends. Group rates offered.
The Huntting’s Pumpkin Patch and Haunted Forest
600 Cinebar Road, Cinebar
(360) 388-7920 or @hunttings on Facebook
Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 31.
Corn maze, haunted forest, food vendors, u-pick pumpkins.
WillyTee’s Pumpkin Patch
3415 Jackson Highway, Chehalis
(360) 880-5411 or facebook.com/WillyTees-Pumpkin-Patch-113551025356280
Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 31.
Pumpkin Patches
Worth a Day Trip:
Ashley Creek Farm
9221 Littlerock Road SW, Olympia
(360) 507-2616
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct. 31
More than 30 varieties of pumpkins and 16 varieties of squash for sale. Free parking. Cash or PayPal payments accepted to assist with social distancing. Masks and social distancing required.
Hunter’s Pumpkin Patch
7401 Yelm Hwy SE, Olympia
(360) 456-0466; www.pumpkinpatch.hunterfamilyfarm.com
Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 30
Required online, timed ticketing this year because of COVID-19 regulations. Admission price can be used toward purchase of pumpkins or Pumpkin patch, corn maze, hay maze, wagon rides and more. Customers who only want to purchase pumpkins or gift shop items can still walk up. Weekend activities include, pony rides, giant and junior corn maze, kiddie train, giant pumpkin sling shot and food (starting Oct. 10).
Lattin’s Country Cider Mill & Farm
9402 Rich Road S.E., Olympia
(360) 491-7328; lattinscider.com or @LattinsCider on Facebook
9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays
Pick out your own pumpkins, baked goods, homemade cider more. Parking $5 per car and charge for some activities.
Schilter Family Farm
141 Nisqually Cutoff Rd S.E., Olympia
(360) 459-4023; schilterfamilyfarm.com or @SchilterFamilyFarm on Facebook
10 a.m.-6 p.m. (Halloween 10 a.m.-4 p.m.) through Oct. 31
Online presale of tickets available and strongly encouraged because the farm is allowed to be at only 50% capacity because of COVID-19. Pumpkin patch, gift shop, corn maze, hay maze, farm animals sand table, hay rides, farm dump truck slides and food vendors. See Website or Facebook for pricing and purchase options.
Rutledge Corn Maze
302 93rd Ave S.E., Olympia
(360) 357-3700; rutledgecornmaze.com or @rutledge.cornmaze on Facebook
Pumpkin patch open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 31st. Check online for other event schedules.
Advanced online tickets on sale and strongly encouraged because of limited capacity due to COVID-19. Corn maze, haunted corn maze, u-pick pumpkins.
