Pumpkin season
Summer seeds grow fall traditions
EVERY JUNE, FARMERS ACROSS KENTUCKY tuck pumpkin seeds into the warm earth, knowing in about 90 to 100 days, those seeds will become the round, orange icons of fall. It takes months of care, planning and patience before families can wander the patches, searching for the perfect pumpkin. Here are five must-visit patches where traditions and pumpkins alike ripen on the vine.
White Oak Pumpkin Patch, West Liberty
Ashley Oldfield planted her first pumpkins in 2011 on her husband’s 150-year-old family farm. A nurse by training and an artist at heart, she was looking for a way to be home with her son and still be creative. That first 2-acre patch, sold from a wagon on the roadside, was so popular that by her second year, she’d turned the old tobacco barn into a fall destination known as White Oak Pumpkin Patch.
Three hayrides run to the pumpkin patch while kids meet goats, an alpaca, miniature horses and Bessie, the longhorn mascot. Visitors can enjoy pumpkin painting, food from Daisy’s Cafe and Candy Corn Coffee Company, and an art-themed scavenger hunt in the corn maze painted by Ashley herself. This year’s theme is Alice in Pumpkin Land.
“There’s a certain feeling around autumn in general,” Oldfield says. “The smell, the way the air feels, apples, cinnamon—it affects people. It makes people happy.”
Neltner’s Farm, Camp Springs
At Neltner’s Farm, families climb aboard horse-drawn wagons to reach the pumpkin patch, then use barrel wagons to bring their treasures back to the barn. Manager Kevin Neltner has been farming since 1980 but added a pumpkin patch 14 years ago. Today, the farm in Campbell County has around 2,500 visitors every weekend during pumpkin season.
Neltner’s Farm grows pumpkins in rye fields, a process the helps keep down weeds and prevent mold and rot. Photo: Neltner’s Farm
“It’s the neatest thing—how small it can start and how big it can grow,” says Neltner, an Owen Electric consumer-member. He’s talking about pumpkins, but it’s true of his farm as well.
The more than a dozen varieties of pumpkins range from knobby heirlooms to Cinderellas to classic carving styles.
“I’m like a kid in a candy store when I’m looking at my seed book,” he says.
On the weekends, guests enjoy live bluegrass music, craft tents, two corn mazes, three corn pits, barrel train rides and food from Four Mile Pig.
Shady Lane Farm, Shepherdsville
Travel by wagon down a shady, tree-covered lane and be transported to a simpler time. At Shady Lane Farm, co-owner Kelly Smith invites visitors to “get a feel for the earth, farming and where our food comes from.”
She and her husband, Todd, Salt River Electric consumer-members, bought the farm in 1993, transitioning it from a tobacco and dairy farm into a vegetable and pumpkin operation. The farm has been owned by Todd’s family since 1898.
Every pumpkin purchased at Shady Lane is grown on-site. Photo: Shady Lane Farms
The Smiths grow more than 10,000 pumpkins annually on 11 acres, offering 33 varieties. Guests can pick their own or browse the barn for pre-picked options. “Some folks are pumpkin connoisseurs,” Todd Smith says. “They’ll spend hours searching for the perfect stem.”
Weekend fun includes corn and hay mazes, a playground, baby goats, and home-style food like chili and cornbread. Todd’s 92-year-old mother hands out jam and jelly samples—a beloved tradition all its own.
Just Piddlin Farm, Woodburn
Chip and Jill Willingham, consumer-members of Warren RECC, began Just Piddlin Farm in 1996 as a hobby. They raised pumpkins, kept bees and did other small projects—“just piddling,” as they put it. But things took off in 2006, when they bought a neighboring farm with a large barn and highway visibility. Today, they welcome about 10,000 visitors each fall.
Just Piddlin Farm in Woodburn uses no-till farming practices. Photo: Just Piddlin Farm
With 60 varieties of gourds and squash, Just Piddlin Farm prides itself on quality and quantity, says Chip Willingham. The scenic hayride provides a farm overview, then returns guests to the main barn. They can grab a wagon and walk to the patch to pick their pumpkin, typically weighing around 20 pounds.
Families enjoy corn and straw mazes, a bounce pad, playgrounds, a corn box and a petting zoo. Food is available at The Hive.
“Seeing repeat customers and people come year after year is my favorite,” Willingham says. “I just love seeing people bring their kids and grandkids.”
Penny Pumpkin Patch, Penny
Rob Gingles remembers growing up, planting pumpkins with his dad. He slipped on green boots, two sizes too big, grabbed an old wagon and raced to the pumpkin patch like it was Christmas morning. His parents started Penny Pumpkin Patch in 1990 to build a college fund for their kids. Gingles, a West Kentucky RECC consumer-member, now runs the Calloway County farm and has expanded it from 5 to 16 acres, offering 60 pumpkin varieties.
Rob Gingles grows more than 60 pumpkin varieties, from Pranksters to Cinderellas to Denalis. Photo: Penny Pumpkin Patch
The centerpiece of Penny Pumpkin Patch is the restored Penny Grocery, built in 1901 and moved to the farm.
Families pick pumpkins, snap photos and admire the 1950s-style memorabilia inside.
This year’s patch opens September 13 and runs seven days a week on the honor system, with payment by cash, check or Venmo. Super Saturday is October 11, featuring food trucks, music, hayrides, face painting and more.
“It’s a tradition,” Gingles says. “Some of my favorite memories are out there with my Dad. He still hangs out on the porch during pumpkin season.”
Pumpkin pluses
White pumpkins? Flat pumpkins? Mini pumpkins? Don’t forget the corn mazes and cute farm animals. Check out these extras to see what’s in store when you visit one of these pumpkin patches.
In this video shot before last year’s opening day, Penny Pumpkin Patch owner Rob Gingles shows off the pumpkin varieties the farm offers, along with its corn maze, the Penny Grocery and other attractions that make good photo opportunities.
Want to read a whimsical book about the Penny Pumpkin Patch? Read a review of the book, which includes info on where to find it.
Set to some food-stompin’ music, this video previews what to expect at Neltner’s Farm’s Fall Festival.
Check out the unexpected colors pumpkins can come in in this video from Just Piddlin Farm, and this video that shows Just Piddlin’s gigantic pumpkin bounce pad.
Featured pumpkin patches
White Oak Pumpkin Patch
- 8907 U.S. Highway 460 E., West Liberty
- whiteoakpumpkinpatch.com
- (606) 791-8620
- Pumpkin patch open September 1 through the second week of November. Forty varieties of pumpkins, plus seasonal treats and activities. Hours: noon to 7 p.m. Sunday–Friday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Saturday.
- Admission: $6 general; free for ages 3 and under. Additional charge for some activities.
Neltner’s Farm
- 6922 Four Mile Road, Melbourne (Camp Springs community)
- neltnersfarm.com
- (859) 496-7535
- Celebrate fall at Neltner’s Farm from September 27 through October 31, and take a horse-drawn wagon out to the pumpkin patch. Open 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday–Friday; 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturday–Sunday. Limited activities available during the week.
- Admission: $7, general; free for ages 2 and under. Additional charge for some activities.
Shady Lane Farm
- 340 C E Smith Road, Shepherdsville
- Facebook: Shady Lane Farms – Pumpkin Patch & Produce, (502) 599-3024.
- Thirty-three varieties of pumpkins, hayrides. Starting in mid-September through October 31, open every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission free; activity costs vary.
Just Piddlin Farm
- 10830 S. Morgantown Road, Woodburn
- justpiddlinfarm.com
- (270) 542-6769
- Opening September 13, Just Piddlin Farm offers hayrides, a corn maze, swing set, outdoor games and animals for petting. Open Monday–Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sunday 1–5 p.m.
- Admission: $8, general; free for children 4 and under.
Penny Pumpkin Patch
- 3138 Poor Farm Road, Murray (Penny community)
- Facebook: Penny Pumpkin Patch
- (270) 293-9716
- Opens September 13 through October 31, 8 a.m.–dark, daily. Super Saturday is October 11, featuring food trucks, music, face painting, hayrides, petting zoo and more.
- Admission for Super Saturday (includes everything but pumpkin and food) is $15; free for children 3 and under. Other days: free admission but $5 charge for corn maze.
More pumpkin patches
Devine’s Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch
- 623 Talmage-Mayo Road, Harrodsburg
- devinescornmaze.com
- (859) 613-5066
- Open September 12 through November 2. Each general admission ticket includes a pumpkin, corn maze, duck races, corn hopper, petting zoo, hay maze, giant slide, pumpkin picking wagon rides and more. Hours: Friday 6–10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–9 p.m. and Sunday 1–5 p.m. Check website for fall break days, hours.
- Admission: $12, general; $10 ages 3-12; free for children 2 and under. Season passes also available.
Jackson’s Orchard & Nursery
- 1280 Slim Island Road, Bowling Green
- jacksonsorchard.com
- (270) 781-5303
- Open weekends from September 27–October 26; 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Pumpkin Festival Weekends offer wagon rides to the pick-your-own pumpkin patch, petting zoo, pick-your-own-apples, pony rides, children’s slide and more.
- Admission: Free to enter; experience prices vary.
Happy Jack’s Pumpkin Farm
- 966 Hickman Hill, Frankfort
- happyjackspumpkins.com
- (502) 320-1064
- From September 1 through October 31, pick from 75 different varieties of pumpkins at Happy Jack’s Pumpkin Farm. Hayride to the 20-acre patch, 2-acre corn maze and farm animals. Open 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday–Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Free admission.
