The Best Pumpkin Patches in Ann Arbor

Are you looking for the best Ann Arbor Pumpkin Patches? There are several great options around town – some that we have visited and others that readers recommended over the years. These pumpkin patches are a great way to start your family tradition of picking pumpkins each fall.

Pumpkin Picking Tips

First we have a few tips before you head out to the pumpkin patch.

• Pumpkin patches can be dirty and muddy. Wear clothes that can get dirty.
• If it has been raining, wear boots or shoes to get wet.
• If you are picking in a patch, baby wipes work to clean the pumpkins.
• Bring an old blanket or a tarp to put under the pumpkins in the car.
• Bring cash. Many farms don’t take credit.

Ann Arbor Pumpkin Patches

Most pumpkin patches open in late September or early October.

What is your pumpkin patch personality? Do you want an actual patch where the pumpkins have grown, or a field that has had pumpkins placed in it? Do you want other activities or just the patch? Depending on which you want, will determine what the best pumpkin patch is for your family.

When my daughter was a baby/toddler we took her to Plymouth Orchards where the pumpkins were placed in fields. It was a perfect experience for a new walker. As she got older, we started visiting Wasem for pumpkins. More recently, a busy teenage schedule meant buying pumpkins at a grocery store.

We did find that visting on a weekday after school was a great way to avoid the crowds at the pumpkin patch.

Grocery Stores

Of course many local grocery stores carry pumpkins at this time of year. While it isn’t the same experience, I have bought a grocery store pumpkin instead of having none.

Pumpkin Carving Tips

Timing

Don’t carve your pumpkin too early. Once it is carved it starts to rot much faster.

It seems like I wait too long every year. We are always rushing to carve our pumpkin at the last minute. I remember carving on Halloween afternoon with my 20 month old between the Main Street Trick or Treat and heading out in the neighborhood.

Check out these Pumpkin Carving & Decorating Events and you won’t have to clean up the mess of the pumpkin guts.

Decorating Tips

For carving I find a knife easier than the pumpkin carving kits. But the kits are great if you want a pattern instead of a jack o’lantern face.

A few years ago, my daughter decided to use cookie cutters to outline her jack o’lantern face. She used pumpkins for the eyes and a bat for the nose. While the cookie cutters were not able to cut through the pumpkin skin, they did provide a good outline to trace with the knife.

Other Options

We have some favorite ways to decorate our pumpkin without carving. We have a Mrs Potato Head Princess Pumpkin kit. This is very easy because you don’t need to hollow out the pumpkin first.

We also have what I call the “Lite Brite” pumpkin kit. There are pegs similar to Lite Brite that you pound into the pumpkin in a pattern. The “Lite Brite” kit still requires you to clean out the pumpkin guts.