San Jose, Sunnyvale, Half Moon Bay and Placerville, CA Pumpkin Patches

Every year as a kid, my parent's took my sister and I to a local pumpkin patch to gather our festive friends. My sister and I would pick the best pumpkins, but the catch was we had to be able to carry it. This ensured that we had pumpkins my parent's thought we could handle, and it worked so well, that I now do the same with my kids. (If you can carry it, you can buy it.)

The pumpkin patch is located at the corner of Capitol Expressway and Tully Road in San Jose, CA. (It is the far corner of Reid Hillview Airport.) This small, family owned pumpkin patch is great because they have the best pumpkins there. I don't know if they have their own farm, or if they purchase and re-sell them, but the selection they have is great. It is rare to find a rotten or broken stemmed pumpkin. If the small children damage their stock, it is removed as to keep it fresh and clean! I totally recommend this family run establishment.

Last year we discovered a pumpkin patch on the corner of Benton and Lawrence Expressway in Sunnyvale. We pulled over and discovered it was the same family run ABC farm from San Jose! They have two locations, which I have found, and it is run the exact same way. Last year, though, they added a new feature. They had three huge jump houses to attract the kids to their lot. I noticed that they did not have the same amount of business as their larger lot, but the service and selection is worth the smaller location.

The pumpkin prices change every year, so it is difficult to quote them. They are about the same as the grocery store, but you get a better "hunting" experience. When our son was younger, we took our red wagon and stocked it up from these patches. The last few years, though, we have grown our own pumpkins in our backyard. So, I guess our backyard counts as a local pumpkin patch, too! Our first year doing it, we six or seven large jack-o-lantern size pumpkins, and roughly 40 mini-jacks. Mind you, I do not have a large backyard, and the pumpkins grow in small beds and vine out on to white rocks. The rocks make the pumpkins have great scars when you carve them!

Another wonderful place to get pumpkins is Half Moon Bay. Every year they have a pumpkin contest; it is not a carving contest, it is to see who can grow the largest pumpkin! Check this site out for last year's winner: http://www.lovetoeatandtravel.com/site/Sfbay/HMBay/Fun/2008_winners.htm

Here is the site for the events for Half Moon Bay. http://www.miramarevents.com/pumpkinfest/facts.html

One other great place to get your pumpkins, if you are in the mood for a drive to Hangtown, CA, or more commonly known as Placerville, CA, is Able's Apple Acres. It is in an area known as Apple Hill, and they have a huge art and wine festival every year from September through December. They have local grown pumpkins and gourds. It is a fun place to visit and a great place for memories! http://www.abelsappleacres.com/