A little late, but we went here in the fall and fully FALLED out. Hate to say it, but yes -- I'm obsessed with all things fall. It's truly my happiest time of year. Right off the bat, here's what I loved about this day: Big parking lot Dog friendly Live music A small‑business market Food We came on a weekend in October, so definitely check their website to see what events are happening when you go. Admission is free, but you do pay for parking. You can easily spend a whole day here, so I recommend bringing comfortable shoes, a hat, sunscreen, water, and even a blanket or chair. We arrived during a live band set, but seating was limited -- still such a fun vibe. You can also go in and out if you need to grab something from your car. They were grilling up backyard‑style burgers with sides, and it honestly felt like being at a neighborhood BBQ -- grab your drink from the cooler, pick your chips, add your toppings, and enjoy. I loved it. The pumpkin patch is huge and has every type of pumpkin you can imagine. I'd never seen white or black gourds before, but they had them here. There's a lot to walk around and explore, and make sure to stop by the farm shop for packaged nuts, seasonings, honey, and other goodies to take home. My pup Enzo had the best time -- enjoy these pics of him living his best fall life. read more

Bates Nut Farm - Specialty Food Near Me - Valley Center, California

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we like to come when the pumpkins are ready , my 3 y/o almost got ran over by a wagon . They should think about designating that ride in an area where kids can't run into the wagons. The driver had no clue and kept going. Luckily when we yelled at our 3 y/o to stop he listened and didn't run into the wagon as it was crossing . besides that we had lots of fun , but we left right after that close call. read more

I've never been to Bates Nut Farm, until I had a kid. My neighbor encouraged we go together (we have kiddos close in age). We went in the month of October to go take pictures at the pumpkins. It didn't disappoint as the pumpkins were large! And it was gorgeous taking photos as there were so many areas you can get the background of the mountain and sky with the pumpkins. It was my first time going to Bates Nut Farm to take pictures in their pumpkin field, and funnily enough all my photos do have pumpkins, but no solo pumpkins. Parking was $10. The day we went was a surprisingly hot day. My son L wasn't up and walking yet, so we did position him across a few pictures. They had rides and even a balloon crafter which involved purchasing tickets. They had a tractor parade going on, food stands set up, and also a general store which was so cutely decorated. Alas! I wasn't able to fully wander the store as my son's naptime was right when we walked into the store, so I had to bid adieu to another future time when we can return again. read more

Love pumpkin season here!! It's a family tradition! I think this is year 13th for us haha. Our son loves all the pumpkins, feeding the animals, pony rides, and going inside their shop to pick out candy. Every weekend during October is special and they have their event calendar up on their website. Always something to see and do! Family and dog friendly!! Can't wait to come back! read more

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I wish to have a farm like this one day and enjoy the serene life. Need to work harder! We visited this farm while staying at Harrah casino. It was a Wednesday Spring event. We can't miss this since we're in the area. Music and festival so alive. Peoole were doing their scavenger hunt, food tasting, feeding chickens cost 25 cent, boutique gift shop for anyone. Nuts nuts everywhere! So family welcoming, we heard birthday singing for their customer. Will visit again if in the area. read more

A fun way to spend the day with your family. Many activities and food to eat. The history of the farm is also on hay seating and so is the wagon ride, so take a blanket or wear pants. The hay maze was a delight and the kids had a great time finding the hole punches. I'd never seen a corn pit, yes a place you can play with corn like you would sand! Littles loved the activity though it was extra. Pumpkins of all sizes and shapes, exciting to see super sized ones up close. read more

Pumpkin patch bad hayride was so fun during Halloween! Loved the animals too! The store was cute full of nuts to buy and other foods read more

Bates Nut Farm - Specialty Food Near Me - Valley Center, California

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It's Pumpkin Season and you don't want to miss one of our favorite pumpkin patches around! They are even dog friendly!! Bates Nut Farm is such a hidden gem and a pumpkin patch you don't want to miss! They are located in Valley Center and are open all year round but right now is my absolute favorite time to visit since it's Pumpkin season! They have so many fun things to do for the whole family and for the next two weeks they have some extra festivities to celebrate fall including a hay maze, tractor ride, pony rides, and inflatable bounce house and slides! They also had a few food vendors like Hawaiian options, funnel cakes, corn dogs and chicken tenders. They have their farm zoo year round with goats, chickens, ducks, horses, hogs, and even some llamas. Their store has so much to look at from all types of snacks and knickknacks to nuts from around the world; it's a candy lovers dream too, with so many homemade chocolates and fudge flavors to chose from, it will blow your mind! There are decorations in every corner with Halloween and Christmas already covering the store! read more

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Another year another trip to Bates, our favorite fall/ Halloween tradition. Parking is $10, cash or card at entrance. It's busy during the October season but things manage to flow well from the parking to the rides to their store. Many games are to the left side of the farm along with a handful or jumpies for the kids. *You must purchase tickets at the booth to enjoy most of the festivities. Each ticket costs $2.50 each. Rides range from 2-6 tickets. My personal favorites are the tracker ride and the corn maze, both are 2 tickets per person. There's plenty of food trucks during the season, picnic tables, and farm animals to visit on the right side of the farm. Atmosphere is family oriented with lots of fun! There's something for everyone. Pumpkins are a good value in my opinion, they also sell huge squash and other root vegetables at a great price. Don't forget to grab some yummy snacks and chocolate before you leave, located at the store (top of the farm). Restrooms are accessible. Located by the store as well as they have port-o-potties located around the farm. Enjoy the festivities! read more

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Such a timeless and enjoyable San Diego destination. Bates Nut Farm is open year round but I highly recommend saving your visit for the fall and visiting their pumpkin patch - Easily the best San Diego has to offer. I came here every year as a child and still enjoy it just as much as an adult! Their fall festivities are very family friendly with activities for all ages to enjoy (pony rides, petting zoo, pumpkin patch, food options, local vendors, etc). Make sure not to miss their actual shop that sells a wide range of locally made snacks and other treats! The saltwater taffy and fudge are classics. One thing to note is that it does get VERY busy the closer to Halloween you go. While parking is never impossible, you may have to wait in some traffic. I recommend visiting on a weekday to avoid crowds. Looking forward to next fall already! read more

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Extremely enjoyable! We always have a great time heading out to Bates nut farm whether it's walking through the vendors, looking all the unique items or walking through the pumpkin field, what I enjoy most though is heading back to the Bates nuts, farm store and walking through and looking at all the unique items takes you back at least for me to being a kid. Great memories guys. Thank you! Oh and don't forget the animals. Some funny goats read more

This place was awesome. It was a drive for us coming from east county but well worth it. I love all the food vendors and almost like a farmers market vibe they had going on. The store on property was so cool and we definitely got our fair share of treats including candy and fudge. I loved the variety of pumpkins they had and all the activities. I would love to go back when my daughter is older and can enjoy the pony rides and petting zoo. read more

We've come here several times but never for Christmas. It was magical and so fun. All free crafts/activities for kids (tons) and a live parade with a visit from Santa. Also, amazing food vendors and shopping! We will definitely come next year. read more

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A beautiful farm that celebrates the different seasons. They have farm animals to feed, scheduled pony rides and events. Love coming here. read more

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This is really such a great place with a cool store that has a bunch of unique, special goodies and a nice gift shop. They have a lot of awesome events here but their pumpkin patch is especially amazing. I really like the fall vibe they've got going on here. Just a really cool farm with cool people running it. Definitely worth the drive. read more

Bates Nut Farm - Specialty Food Near Me - Valley Center, California

I've been coming here since high school 1970s today I got cashews, chopped dates, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds. I was snacking on Sunflower seeds and realized these are not the Quality of years gone by better at Costco. Bates was always better Quality than this lower Quality I understand the price point of todays prices. Bates had better nuts than my purchases today. read more

What a cute place to spend 15 minutes or 2 hours! Clean restrooms, kind staff, lots of barnyard animals to feed and lots of candies, nuts, jams, sauces, soup mixes... If you would like to feed the animals, you can buy feed for a quarter or 75 cents for a bag inside. There are geese, ducks, turkeys, chickens, alpaca, pigs, sheep, goats and a horse and donkey! They are all happy to see the people with feed! Bring a lunch and sit at one of the many tree shaded picnic tables or benches on the acres of grass out front. We will be back! read more

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Drove out for the pumpkin patch and we were pleasantly surprised. Ao much for the kiddos to do and explore here... they can fees goats and chickens, pick out a pumpkin, take a hay ride and walk a corn maze. The country store is full of awesome treats, decorations and tchotchkies. Everything looked delcious, cool or both. Luckily, they take American Express. Lol read more

Bates Nut Farm - All the pumpkins. - Specialty Food Near Me - Valley Center, California

Had a great time at Bates Nut Farm on a Saturday afternoon to kick off spooky season! Especially the Big Mac's pumpkin patch! The farm is so beautiful and the pumpkin patch makes for a great photo op! We also enjoyed feeding the farm animals and buying delicious goods at their convenience store. My favorite is the toffee peanuts! read more

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It's lovely here. A classic, a tradition. Just wish they'd do more events throughout the year that pertain to the local community!

We go every year as a family. A great way to just be with family enjoying pumpkin hunting, the grandkids enjoy the small animal farm and petting zoo. I especially love the huge baked potato. And getting some great treats at the General Store We happened to go when there was a dog costume contest, so much fun! read more

Had a great time at Bate's Nut Farm (Pumpkin Patch day) yesterday. Spent about 4hrs with a couple of families. Great for the kiddos. Cheap pumpkins ($10!) and they're just about perfect for Jack-o-lanterns. Perfectly round with no blemishes. Spent a little more than that on tickets but we were able to play for hours! Also bought some fudge and IT'S AMAZING! Got peanuts butter/chocolate (delicious), mint chocolate (fantastic), dark chocolate (super creamy and rich), cookies and cream (tastes just like ice cream!), and sea salt caramel (caramel is so soft, great texture). The staff we dealt with was great at both the booths/vendors and the brick and mortar store where they have snacks, trinkets, decor, candy, etc. Will definitely return to Bate's next year! (Maybe even for Xmas since I saw signs for Xmas time as well). read more

Bates Nut Farm - Fudge and candy shop! - Specialty Food Near Me - Valley Center, California

I've honestly been to all the pumpkin patches in San Diego and Bate's by far is THE BEST ONE ! We've been coming here every year in October for years now and it's become a lovely tradition ! First off, the food vendors are constantly changing . Love how it's set up almost like a fairground . There are definitely more food options on the weekends rather than weekdays . FYI parking is $10, but admission is free ! The earlier you come, the better . Bring a beach towel or some lawn chairs to sit on while you eat and listen to the live band ! I usually like to check out their Instagram to see what special events are happening on what weekends -- scarecrow contest etc.. The general store is the cutest ! They have handmade chocolates, salt water taffy, and a whole bunch of other goodies . I LOVE picking up some jars of gourmet jams for my charcuterie boards here . Love that they have a petting zoo where you can feed the cute farm animals and there are a variety of fun activities of kids such as inflatable slides, face painting, and a mini hay maze . There are a variety of pumpkins ! The patch is HUGE and the pumpkins here are massive--- perfect photo ops everywhere . Pro tip: bring a hat and sunscreen because fall in San Diego feels like summer read more

Bates Nut Farm - (Ig: angiela.eats) - Specialty Food Near Me - Valley Center, California

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Money spent well feed the chickens and pigs the pony turkey the mini pigs, sheep's rams name the people that run this place is very friendly very awesome read more

Bates Nut Farm - My granddaughter loving the pigs at the farm - Specialty Food Near Me - Valley Center, California

Absolutely love my visit here over the weekend. I was staying at Harrahs and decided to stop by since it was only a ten minute drive. When we pulled up, there was a long driveway before you get to the parking area. There was plenty of parking. Immediately saw the animals to the right of the premises and straight ahead was the Bate Nut farm store. Once you enter the store, it was soooooo much stuff to look at! I wanted to buy so many things. It can take you several hours to explore this store aisle by aisle and it's a pretty huge. They have candies, chocolates, kitchen Knick knacks, all sorts of nuts, dried fruits and hot sauces from around the world. I love the decorations on the wall too. I bought some chocolates and souvenirs to go. It was a bit pricey but definitely worth it There are restrooms to the right when you exit the store. It's very clean and cute. We went out to the area that had animals. You can buy animal feed for .75 cents at the store or the animal feed dispenser near the hens/chicken coop. There was a pony that little children can ride with the staff assistance. I'm not sure if you had to pay or it was "by donation." At the time of the visit, there were donkeys, horses, goats, lambs, alpaca and other small animals. Nice place for a picnic or to hang with family. It's a nice view too from the farm. read more

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Overpriced. Merch you can buy in regular stores in markets/fruit stands it is just way over priced

Such a cute place to spend your day and such a beautiful drive to get there. Bates Nut Farm sits on a large grassy property with a bomb nut shop, animals kids and adults can feed for 75 cents, a darling shop called The Farmer's Daughter and clean bathrooms that smell good. The animals all eat with their lips so I did not get any nips on my fingers when I was feeding them the corn. The animals are fenced in and surround the grass area in an L-shape. The grass area is dotted with picnic tables and under a canary of huge trees that provide ample shade. There is a hand washing station for your convenience after feeding your furry friends. read more

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The Bottom Line: if you're going for holidays, be prepared for lots of traffic, waiting, and lines. While fun and a great place to make memories, you'll definitely pay for it. The Good: easy to find, lots to do for all ages, and tons of different options for making memories. The Bad: when we went for the pumpkin patch, it was absolutely packed, taking almost 20 minutes just to park. Stuff can also get pricey, upwards of $5 per go per person. read more

I love taking the little ones to bates nut farm every October. It's always the start to our fall activities. The lines can be a bit long for the rides. The variety of food trucks offer decent food options. I like the little shop stands they have selling different little items. read more

Bates Nut Farm - Specialty Food Near Me - Valley Center, California

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My husband had a shopping list...asked an employee that was stocking shelves if she cud help him...her response to him was...NOPE! Then, he bot nut boxes & went to the candy section to pay...she chgd him for a previous order plus his! He had to get another cashier to fix it all!!! We have been doing business with them for decades...plus Xmas boxes for clients each year! I don't think we will be back!!@ read more

It is a little north east of escondido and like 25 minutes from the 78 depending on traffic. Been here a few times for a car show, food truck events, and the pumpkin/Halloween event 2x. I don't remember ever having to pay for parking but Sunday Oct 2nd 2022 it was $8 and far worse was the backup of traffic that it was causing on the road to enter. You park in the dirt / grass field and walk 500 Feet or so over to the vendors, food, pumpkin patch, etc. Plenty of people brought wagons to haul their kids and stuff around. Plenty of dogs on long leashes getting wrapped Around the vendor booths and people Walking but at least it was pet friendly. The general store has a myriad of things offered inside but it is always a madhouse of screaming kids trying to get candy or trinkets. Some of the fudge was like $19 per pound. The pumpkin patch was extensive and they offered a nice range of pumpkin varieties and the price was comparable to sprouts or your local grocery store. Founds some unique crafts offered by some of the vendors and got 3 cool pumpkins so it was fun. read more

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Another fun filled visit to Bates. This time around, we brought our 9 month old baby. The point rides, pet feeding and play area are always fun and reasonably priced. Parking was easy and organized. Arrived early and was able to hit up all areas and stations before the lines started piling up. Be back again next year. read more

Bates Nut Farm - My little pumpkins - Specialty Food Near Me - Valley Center, California

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Really nice stop to visit to get a snack and enjoy the nice views. Kids can feed animals and enjoy the ample land.

Blown away by how amazing this place is! I grew up in Norcal and expected this to be similar to Casa de Fruta, but it was way more fun! (Sorry Casa de Fruta). We came during their pumpkin patch season, and Mon-Fri parking is free but weekends are $10 a car. Totally reasonable and they make it easy peasy with people guiding cars into the lot and directing you where to park (just like Disneyland!) There was a dog costume contest today, live music, and SO many booths for food, crafts, kids' activities, face painting, etc. Lots of animals to see, feed, and pet. They also had pony rides and even a mechanical bull. The shop is packed with dried fruits/nuts, jams, decorative seasonal goodies, candles, teas, and a whole counter dedicated to chocolates and fudge. Pumpkin patch was full of different sized pumpkins, scarecrows, little cutouts for photos, and pumpkins are sold by weight. They have a turnaround space for cars to drive right up to pick up pumpkins, they even supply wheelbarrows for anyone wanting to take a "big mac" pumpkin home. So many great things to do, see, and eat for the whole family (including our doggo). I'm telling all my mommy friends to bring their families here! read more

Bates Nut Farm - Big Mac Pumpkins! - Specialty Food Near Me - Valley Center, California

We went out Sunday and enjoyed the car show and craft sale activities. Beautiful day to be in the country. We ended the day on the front porch I had a cup of coffee and my wife stocked up on her candy supply until our next visit. The Farm is a special place for us to go anytime. read more

Wow!! This place is just wonderful! Huge!! Lots of activities fun things to do and if course shopping!! Knocked off a star, the really need to spruce up shady areas and fans not just for humans but the animals too! Bring hand umbrellas, hats and portable fans for those strollers and wagons. Bring a blanket to sit on for the hay bales. Dress light! Bring tons of water and healthy snacks and first aid for possible bee stings. Anyways place is wonderful, tractor ride this is where the blanket comes in handy when your wearing shorts and kiddos, hay pokes right through! Ouchy!!Ouch!!! You can park your stroller while you ride the tractor...if someone take anything "Shame on them!!" But there's a guy there that stays so it's somewhat watched over. Pumpkins!! Wow as far as the fields go! Pumpkins everywhere, tons of picture opportunities! The petting zoo! Bring quarters!! ( no one there to give you change) quarters for the feed to feed the animals. The vendors do take charge so if you don't have cash your good but Bring cash just in case. The drive and scene is beautiful! We're going again this weekend they have and host so many events!! Changes every year so check it out!! Sunscreen!! Hats, umbrellas and fans, there's very little shade and watch out for the bee's read more

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We had a good time at the pumpkin patch. I brought my daughter here last year and we had a good time. I would highly recommend not wearing your good clothes and or shoes because the dirt can be dirty. Lol. This patch is known around the city for the pumpkin patch so we had to check them out. We have also gone to other pumpkin patches around the city but we really enjoyed this one. They have a lot of activities for the kids, including a tractor ride and food options for purchase. The cost to get in was comparable to other pumpkin patches, especially for the experience. we also receive good service whenever interacting with the staff or vendors on site. read more

You know what I like about Bates Nut Farm? The gift shops! I really admire how clean and organized the gift shops at Bates remain...year after year. And what a selection of goodies, wearables, and adorable keepsakes to treasure year in and out. You know what I don't like about Bates Nut Farm? No beer or wine. I would love to sit down on a hay bale, eat some snacks purchased at the gift shop, dip on a cold beer, and look at all of those pumpkins...so many pumpkins. Until that day arrives, I, unfortunately, must give Bates Nut Farm four stars. read more

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Updating my review because I've had great experiences recently. I love this place, I've been coming since I was a kid. They have events on certain dates so check out their event calendar for more info. They have car shows, food trucks, pony rides and more! The store is the best, they have a huge variety of candy, nuts and other goodies! You can't leave without buying something. The animals on the farm are available to feed, you can pet the goats too. They are very sweet. A major plus is this place is dog friendly, outside and in the store. This place is a fun and relaxing thing to do on your free time. Make sure to check out the food trucks, they're delicious! read more

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First time ever at a pumpkin patch. I was very excited to come since I've heard so many good things about this place. There is an $8 charge to park in the parking lot. If you want to do anything fun in here it cost money. For example face painting $4, petting animals $4, rock climbing $4 etc. They have a few food trucks but I tried the Hawaiian Chicken Bowl, I got their Pineapple Dragonfruit Lemonade, $12. Was good but definitely not worth $12. They had a general store which had a lot of good things inside. This was a good first time experience, but since I live about 40 mins away I would not come back only because I felt like everything was expensive from parking, food, rides for the kids and then buying the pumpkins. read more

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