LARRY’S PUMPKIN PATCH DRAWS CROWDS
Larry’s Produce has been especially busy this month. While the Suisun Valley produce market draws crowds from throughout the Bay Area for its expansive selection of locally grown fruits and vegetables, October has brought an extra incentive for families to make the trip: its annual pumpkin patch.
As it does every year, Larry’s becomes a pumpkin paradise leading up to Halloween, complete with gourds of all sizes and fun activities for the kids, such as a corn bath and corn maze. In addition to its annual Christmas tree lot, the pumpkin patch is one of two major events at Larry’s that allows families to create memories around the holiday season.
Gina Balestra, store manager and sister of co-founder Larry, said her brother started the pumpkin patch approximately 20 years ago and it has expanded ever since to host more activities.
“He started with just some pumpkins,” she said. “Every year, it has just grown and grown. He adds more variety.”
This year will feature many of the activities and pumpkin varieties of previous years, although the corn pit will be returning after a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19 restrictions last year. The outdoor area features sales of seasonal items such as maize as well as pumpkins and gourds of all shapes and sizes, including some particularly large ones suitable for entering into a pumpkin weighing contest.
Balestra said Larry grows most of the pumpkins.
“He used to purchase those,” she said. “Now he grows them. Basically, all the pumpkins you see, except maybe a couple big ones, he grows.”
Balestra said the market has been very busy this year, especially on weekends.
“People mainly right now are coming for the pumpkin patch,” she said. “They buy stuff, but it’s mainly that. Even during the week, the pumpkin patch is busy.”
The pumpkin patch is particularly popular with families, namely on weekends when school is out.
“They just make a day of it on the weekends,” Balestra said.
Larry’s also hosts field trips during the week and hayrides on weekends. The patch also has pays tribute to agriculture in a lot of ways, with the grounds covered in straw, hay bales stacked to resemble a temple, tractors in various loca
tions and the signature giant rooster statue overlooking the premises.
Jess Harper and Brad Owens of Vacaville came by with their kids — Tilly, Saga and Arrow — for the fourth year in a row. Harper said her children love the activities, especially the corn pit which they were in for about 30 minutes.
“It’s hard to pull them away from anything,” she said.
Owens said he liked the amount of activities for kids.
“It’s more than just pumpkins,” he said.
Harper likes the neighborhood feel of the pumpkin patch and the variety of gourds available, which she said was “unbeatable.”
“Everybody’s very friendly,” she said. “Everybody watches out for everybody, which is really sweet.”
Cate Muzaffar came all the way from Vallejo with her husband, Isfi, and her sons, Mazi and Fearon, as they have done for the last few years. She said Mazi loves climbing on the tractors and searching for pumpkins. She also said the corn maze was fun, although she learned an important lesson during it.
“Maybe don’t let a 3-yearold lead,” she joked.
This year, the Muzaffars grabbed only a few carving pumpkins, as they had spent approximately $100 last year on pumpkins for decorations.
“We decided we’d put a cap on pumpkins this year,” she said. “We went all out last year.”
Balestra hopes that the pumpkin patch at Larry’s will bring families back to a classic tradition, give them appreciation of farming and have time to celebrate a holiday. She even has employees who remember going to the pumpkin patch with their parents when they were younger.
“(It’s) bringing back oldtime activities,” she said. “It was as simple as going out and picking out a pumpkin with your kids, not just buying it at a grocery store.”
The pumpkin patch at Larry’s Produce is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Wednesday, when the market is closed, at 4606 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield.