By Kyra Young
I love October—well, fall in general—and I love going to the pumpkin patch, so when the idea came up to write a pumpkin patch review, how could I resist? I found four over-the-top and outstanding farms that just had to be on my list this year. Each is completely unique, while still offering the best in pumpkin patches, hay rides, and all around great times!
Airlie Hills’ harvest festival and pumpkin patch in Monmouth has some of the coolest corn mazes I have ever seen. Just visit their website to see some designs of past years! This farm offers a giant corn maze, a hay maze, a hay pyramid, trike racing, a cool hay fort, pedal-karts, a dark maze, and hay rides. You get all of this for $8 on the weekends! They also offer free access to a wheat box, farm animals, indoor hay slides, and their pumpkin patch. If you get hungry during your frolicking in fall fun, they serve a variety of foods to keep you going all day long, including grilled sausage, hotdogs, and kettle corn on the weekends. They are also open during the week, with a limited number of the above activities available for a reduced price. For directions to the farm and more information about pricing and activities, visit www.airliehills.com/index.html.
Davis Family Farms
A completely different experience awaits you at Davis Family Farms, located just outside of Corvallis. This farm has a great corn maze, too, but I always head there for their delicious homemade donuts and apple cider. They also offer a great pumpkin patch and a hayride pulled by a tractor. This is a great farm for young children as there is nothing scary that they can run into by accident, and the environment is all about the kids. Parents, don’t miss the produce shop for all of your squash and apple cider needs, and make sure to get your kid’s picture in the farmer and sheep cut-out that waits out on the lawn. For directions and more information, visit www.facebook.com/DavisFamilyFarms/info.
Lone Pine Farms
Lone Pine Farms in Junction City is definitely worth the drive. They have great activities all year long, but the fun kicks into high gear during October! One unique item is their draft horse hay rides. They have tractor rides to the pumpkin patch as well, but being pulled by a pair of horses is a spectacular experience. During the daytime, you can visit the non-haunted corn maze and get lost in hours of fun. At night, be prepared to be terrified. The Lone Pines Haunted Corn Maze is not for young children or for the faint of heart. Being one of the latter, I’ve only heard about how terrifying the corn maze is, but if you like a good scare, this is your type of farm! Finally, along with a petting barn for kids, there’s also the Cow Train Roller Coaster Ride, which is pulled by a small tractor and is an inexpensive stop during your day at the farm. Visit the Lone Pine Farms website for directions and more information at www.lonepinefarms.com.
Bose Family Farm
The Fall Harvest Festival is in full swing at Bose Family Farm outside of Albany. This farm offers a 10-acre corn maze, in which you can find punch card stations. If you get all of the punches, you will be entered into a drawing for half a hog! They also have a pumpkin patch, where you can find everything from small to gigantic pumpkins. They offer a kids’ playground, a farm store, and tractor rides, along with a disc golf course for those of you who aren’t afraid of flying objects. If you’re interested in trying out a new spot for pumpkin hunting, this is the place. You can get more information and directions to the farm at www.bosefamilyfarm.com/index.html.
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