Explore the 5 Best Pumpkin Patches in Maryland to Embrace the Fall Season

Are you searching for the perfect pumpkin? Grab your favorite fall drink, a handful of friends or family, and a car! Read this article to discover the 5 best pumpkin patches in Maryland to embrace the fall season.

What Is the Best Time to Go to a Pumpkin Patch?

The best time to go pumpkin patch picking is 15 minutes before opening time. This helps cut down on having to wait in line. The primetime for pumpkin picking is as soon as the place opens because the pumpkins are at their freshest. Additionally, you do not want to wait too long. You can prevent this by getting to the pumpkin patch early. As a bonus, you’ll prevent having to walk long distances to get to your car.

4 Pumpkin Patch Tips

Check out the tips below to have the best time picking a pumpkin.

Dress Accordingly

You can either browse your weather app on your phone or check out your local forecast for the day you decide to go pumpkin patch picking. You do not want to risk dressing too little and getting sick or dressing too warmly and getting dehydrated.

Wear Good Shoes

Leave your designer shoes at home. The mud, dirt, and potential rain are no match for the delicate material. Additionally, wearing sneakers or boots that are made for hiking is highly recommended to prevent injury to your feet, legs, or lower back. In addition, hiking boots or athletic sneakers will help you walk on imbalanced terrain.

Set Expectations

Knowing which kind of pumpkin you are looking for can help you find the perfect one. Are you seeking an orange pumpkin with a plump body? Or are you looking for a white pumpkin to add a touch of modern flare to your home?

In addition to that, if you cannot carry heavy weight, you can let your little pumpkins that they must carry their own. Plus, it helps prevent them from trying to drag home a 100 lb giant jack-o-lantern.

Make Time for Other Activities

Petting zoos, horseback riding, corn mazes, the list is endless to what activities await you. Make sure that you get plenty of good sleep so that you can enjoy them all.

Tips for Picking the Perfect Pumpkin

Know the Purpose of Your Pumpkin

Smaller pumpkins are better for cooking. In contrast, larger pumpkins are better for carving to use as a decoration.

Know Your Colors

Picking pumpkins that are darker in color means that your pumpkin is ripe. Picking pumpkins with a lighter color means that they may not be ripe. In addition, if you’re looking for a pumpkin that will be good for cooking, you will want to choose a pumpkin that weighs 4 to 8 lbs. Keep your eyes peeled for names such as “Sugar Pie,” as these are often the pumpkins that are best for cooking.

Get It From the Vine

A pumpkin that is picked fresh from the vine is always a better choice. This is because you can pick from a wider choice of shapes, and they are fresher than the store pumpkins.

5 Best Pumpkin Patches in Maryland to Embrace the Fall Season

1. Butler’s Orchard (Germantown, MD)

Butler’s Orchard is kicking off their 43rd annual Pumpkin Festival. You can pick pumpkins and apples. In colder months, they have Christmas Trees, and in warmer months, they have strawberries, flowers, and potatoes.

Also, Butler’s Orchard is also open Wednesday to Friday, from 1 PM to 6 PM, and weekends from 9 AM to 6 PM.

Activities to Try

• Jump pads
• Pumpkin patch picking.
• Straw maze.
• Corn pool.

Admission Cost

$12 on weekdays.

$17 on weekends.

Save $2 by purchasing tickets online.

Children under 2 years old get in for free.

2. Summers Farm (Frederick County, MD)

Summer’s Farm has an amazing fall celebration with an enormous selection of pumpkins from their patch. One of the activities that brings locals to the farm is their corn maze. It is 5 acres in length and splits up by difficulty. Additionally, if you go on a Friday or Saturday night, you can check out the corn maze using a flashlight at night.

Additionally, Summers Farm is open Thursdays from 1 PM to 7:30 PM, Fridays from 1 PM to 9:30 PM, Saturdays from 10 AM to 9:30 PM, and Sundays from 10 AM to 7 PM.

Activities to Try

• Rubber ducky races.
• Hayrides.
• Pig races.
• Giant slides.
• Petting zoo.

Admissions

$19.50 on weekdays.

$23.50 on Friday evenings and weekends.

Save $2.00 if you purchase tickets online.

Kids 2 and under are free.

3. Larriland Farm (Western Howard County, MD)

Larriland farm is a 34-acre farm that has an abundance of fruit, such as Asian pears, apples, and pumpkins.

If you aren’t a fan of overly scary haunted houses, Larriland Farm’s boo barn is the perfect activity after picking a pumpkin.

In addition, Larriland Farms is open from Tuesday to Sunday. They operate from 9 AM to 5 PM on weekdays, and on weekends, they are open from 9 AM to 6 PM.

Activities to Try

• Pumpkin Picking.
• Hayrides through a decorated forest.
• Straw maze.
• Boo barn filled with non-spooky creatures.

Admission

Free.

4. Jumbo’s Pumpkin Patch (Middletown, MD)

The Huffer’s Family Farm, where the pumpkin patch is located, began in 1870. A fun fact about Jumbo’s Pumpkin Patch is that it began as a roadside wagon in 1994. It’s crazy to think that they are now nominated as one of the top pumpkin patches in the U.S. They are open from the last week in September until Halloween from 10 AM to 6 PM.

Activities to Try

• Pumpkin patch.
• Fall shopping.
• Petting zoo.
• 20-acre corn maze.
• Pony rides.
• Face painting.

Admission

It is free if you go on the weekdays.

On the weekend, it is $12.

Children 3 and under get in for free.

5. Knightongale Farms (Harwood, MD)

This 90-acre farm is open every October from 10 AM to 5 PM on the weekends. From pumpkin patch picking to petting zoos and everything in between, there is surely something that will put a smile on your face.

Activities

• Pumpkin picking.
• Petting zoo.
• 3-acre corn maze.
• Fall decor.
• Straw bale playground.

Admission

$14 at the entry.

$12 online.

Kids 2 and under get in at no cost.

A Table of the 5 Best Pumpkin Patches in Maryland to Embrace the Fall Season

These 5 best pumpkin patches in Maryland are sure to add a touch of fall to your home or kitchen. Remember to have fun, drink some delicious cider, and enjoy what each farm has to offer!