All of a sudden, one day in early October, this pumpkin patch sprang up on an undeveloped plot of…read moredirt on the southeast corner of Coors and Montano. Driving by, I had so many questions: Was this a local effort, benefitting local farmers or charitable organizations? I mean, it just seemed so random. In my experience, pumpkin patches take place on farms, or they're organized by church groups, providing a sort of down home country experience, with hay rides and pig races, that sorta thing. So when I got home, I checked out their website, and now that we've visited, here's my understanding of this, um, experience:
+ Not local, "Seasonal Adventures is currently the largest privately owned pumpkin and Christmas tree retailer in the country." Yes, we're getting a Christmas tree farm in November, evidently.
+ Doesn't benefit local farmers, the pumpkins are shipped out of Ventura, California.
+ Not seeing anything benefitting any charity, but I'll throw in this asterisk: This company does try to accommodate people with special needs. That's important, because many kids and adults simply cannot attend festivities like these, due to sensory issues. Good job, guys.
That said, my inner swindle skeptic is hollering flim-flam after dropping $60 on two kids during just one hour. A trip down an inflatable slide, just one, cost a dollar. Games were free, but prizes -- every kid wins -- were poor quality and pricey, a plastic beach ball ran three bones. The cost of a pumpkin? Starting at $11. In the end, this didn't deliver any of the charm of a legit autumn festival, it was understaffed, and we felt deceived. At the same price point you can spend a day at McCall's, and support a great local farm.