The best places to pick up a pumpkin
With Halloween just around the corner, here’s our pick of the best places to get your own...
EVERYONE loves a good pumpkin for Halloween and it’s even more exciting if you can pick your own.
Pumpkin festivals and events are running at various sites in and around Greater Manchester where kiddies can pick their own to take home – and enjoy a host of other activities too.
Here’s where you can take the family for some fun...
Red House Farm, Dunham Massey
The farm has been growing thousands of pumpkins this year and they’re now ready for picking.
The Pick Your Own Pumpkin event is running across this weekend, next weekend and over half-term.
Pumpkins are priced according to size, starting from £2 each, and farm boss Jonny Hewitt says there are ‘some whoppers this year.’
From Saturday, October 20, the Halloween fun begins in earnest with activities including the Spook hunt, barrel train, inflatables, climbing wall and fancy dress competition all running until October 28, priced £9.95 per child.
New for this year are Wizarding Workshops running from October 25 to 28. These are bookable online – costing £15 for an adult and child ticket and additional child tickets £10.
Visit redhousefarm.co.uk for more details. Red House Farm, Redhouse Lane, Dunham Massey, WA14 5RL.
Halloween Pumpkin Festival, Cockfields Farm, Ashton
Families can pick their own pumpkins at Cockfields Farm in Ashton as part of its Halloween Pumpkin Festival.
As well as the usual schedule of animal activities there’ll be the chance to pick your own pumpkin from the pumpkin patch and carve it in the Carving Cave. There’ll also be Halloween-themed crafts and mask making, family shows and the chance to blast the witches with the new corn canon.
The event runs from October 27 to 31. Tickets are £6.95 for adults and £9.95 for children. Cockfields Farm, Lees New Road, Ashton, OL6 8AR.
Halloween Family Festival, Haigh Woodland Park, Wigan
The Haigh Halloween Family Festival is running for the first time this year.
Promising a witch’s brew of pumpkins, duck apple, bats and ghostbusters, it’s on from Friday, October 26 to Sunday, October 28.
Haunted Woodland Pumpkin Pickin’ costs £4.50 a session and the price includes the pumpkin.
Also in the woods will be a number of (child-friendly) ‘live’ ghosts and ghouls adding something different to the Halloween hunt.
There will be paid for carving and crafts in the craft marquee as well as a number of free activities – including a bat walk and kids’ fancy dress disco. Visit haighwoodlandpark.co.uk for more details. Haigh Woodland Park, School Lane, Wigan, WN21PE.
Grange Farm, Lowton
Pumpkins are also ready for the picking at Grange Farm in Lowton.
You can pick your own from the field and there are craft days running at the venue this weekend.
The events run from 11am to 4pm and there’s no need to book.
There are some special pumpkin hunts planned for little ones, from 10am to noon, on October 16, 18, 23 and 25.
And two Halloween Cinema Night in the Barn events, with Hocus Pocus on October 19 and Ghostbusters on October 26.
There’ll be tractor rides and fun fair rides across half-term, from October 20 to 28, pumpkin carving on October 26, 27 and 28, and a fancy dress Halloween disco on October 30.
For more details or to book tickets call 01925 290062 or visit the farm’s Facebook page. Grange Farm, Stone Cross Lane, Lowton, WA3 1JU.
Kenyon Hall Farm, Warrington
This year’s Pumpkin Festival at Kenyon Hall Farm is running until October 28.
Thousands of visitors turn out each year to pick the pumpkins, which range in price from £2 to £15 depending on size.
Entry into the carving area costs £3 per pumpkin. You don’t need to book, so just turn up on the day between 9.30am and 5.30pm, or from 8.30am during half-term week.
The farm is posting regular updates on its Facebook page where it will tell people if stocks are running low. Kenyon Hall Farm, Winwick Lane, Croft, Warrington, WA3 7ED.
Garswood Pumpkin Patch
Garswood Pumpkin Patch is a familyrun business which has been growing pumpkins for the last five years.
This year it is opening up the fields to the general public, so you can go along and have a fun day out while picking a pumpkin.
Families can pick their own pumpkins between the hours of 10am and 4pm this weekend and then from October 20 to October 30.
Prices range from £3 to £5 depending on size.
Keep an eye on its Facebook page for updates. Newton Road/Billinge Road, Wigan, WN4 OXD.
Roby Mill Pumpkin Patch
Roby Mill is an urban farm in Wigan and has loads of pumpkins ready for the picking this year.
In addition to the traditional orange pumpkins, there’ll be some giant bright white ‘ghost’ pumpkins available too.
The patch is open 10am to 5pm daily until October 31.
Admission and parking are free and pumpkins are priced according to size with the smallest ones starting off at £2.
Visitors should wear wellies.
Keep an eye on the farm’s Facebook page for more details coming soon. Johnsons Farm, Lafford Lane, Upholland, Wigan, WN8 0QY.