I love autumn. And, I’m no stranger to pumpkin picking. So, when the opportunity arose to visit the ‘South West’s biggest pumpkin picking extravaganza’, I couldn’t pass it up.
While it was absolutely bucketing it down with rain, I really loved the novelty of donning my wellies and rain coat and getting stuck in. It certainly makes for a more autumnal sight than the heatwaves we’ve seen in the past. And, despite the rain, the pumpkins at Avon Valley right now are in pretty perfect condition.
The three fields/patches that this year have seen some 100,000 pumpkins grown, are full of traditional orange pumpkins of all sizes, as well as some white ‘ghosts’ – some of which are pretty hefty. Then, if that wasn’t enough, you have the Pumpkin Market that boasts a vast array of different species of pumpkins and gourds, in all their weird and wonderful shapes and colours.
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I spotted some shaped like stars, some like geese, tiny white ones, bigger bright red ones, green ones, greyish ones – I can imagine this being perfect for younger pumpkin fans, though I myself could have spent a good hour going through every single shape on offer. The market is also home to a ‘pumpkin house’ of sorts, decorated with a mass of pumpkins – another perfect photo opportunity among others you’ll find on site. I was very excited to see Jack and Sally, in particular.
But back out in the fields, I was wheeling around my wheelbarrow in the hopes of finding a good pumpkin for my own display – and I found hundreds of pumpkins I wished I could have taken away with me. In the end, I opted for a nice smallish round traditional orange – perfect for carving, painting, eating, displaying or whichever pumpkin tradition you’re more inclined to get involved with.
You may notice as you walk around the patches, that most (if not all) of the pumpkins are no longer attached to their vines. Avon Valley owner Doug told me that this is perfectly normal, especially when the weather has been as wet as it has in recent weeks – detaching the pumpkins from their vines helps stop them rotting in the rain, but you should know that all the pumpkins in their patches are laying in wait ready for their forever homes.
And pumpkin picking is really as simple as wandering around the fields with your wellies and wheelbarrows and inspecting each and every pumpkin in the hopes it’s the one for you. Just like choosing a real Christmas tree.
This year’s Avon Valley Pumpkin Patch will also include games like ‘Pumpkin Slingshot’, ‘Bottle Smash’, ‘Pumpkin Paintball’ and the much loved ‘Apple Cannon’, where you shoot apples across a field using a specially made cannon, the inspiration from which came from the team’s trips to America (home of the biggest and best Halloween events around). There will be on-site entertainers, with somewhat of a Lord and Lady Pumpkin to say hello to, as well as plenty of seasonal food and drink options – from doughnuts to loaded popcorn, and more.
What’s more, there will be a huge shop selling a range of goodies, and plenty of Instagrammable areas where you can snap some artistic family photos. There’s even a 360 degree camera you can test out.
Though I’ve visited and experienced Avon Valley’s award-winning FEAR Scream Park once before, I am extremely excited for its return, alongside the Pumpkin Patch Nights, where you can enjoy pumpkin picking in the dark, with fire shows, more street entertainers and fire pits for roasting marshmallows. The three events are the perfect way to start (or end) the spooky autumn season – and I’m keen to get back on site when they’re all open, to see them in all their autumnal wonder.
Tickets for the Pumpkin Patch cost under a tenner and pumpkins are priced based on their size in most cases. Visitors pre-book timeslots and sessions usually take around two hours, though you are welcome to stay for as long as you like.
There’s parking at Avon Valley, and dogs are also welcome (just make sure to book a dog pass online). The Pumpkin Patch opens to the public on Saturday, September 28, while Pumpkin Nights begin on October 4, and Fear opens on October 11.