Haunted houses and parties are out for Halloween 2020 due to coronavirus concerns, and even trick-or-treating is getting a frown. But pumpkins are still growing fat in their fields, waiting for families to come and claim them for carving — provided everyone wears a mask and stays at least six feet away from other customers.
Here are a few pumpkin patches that have toned down their usual festivities in the interest of keeping people safe but will allow people to pick their own future jack-o’-lanterns (or pies).
Cal Poly Pomona
Cal Poly’s annual Pumpkin Festival at 4102 S. University Drive in Pomona drew more than 100,000 visitors last year, for hayrides, a corn maze, a petting zoo and other activities, including picking a pumpkin from its 5-acre pumpkin patch. (It sold more than 70,000 pumpkins). The festival is canceled this year but the pumpkin patch opens in October and will include pumpkins for carving as well as organic pie pumpkins, “for all of you that have rediscovered your kitchen during the lockdown,” according to the website. Specific opening dates and hours have not been announced but will be at cpp.edu.
Mr. Jack O’Lanterns Pumpkins
This roving pumpkin patch has two Southern California locations this year, in Hollywood at 1841 N. Highland Ave. and La Jolla at 6710 La Jolla Blvd. Customers can also order pumpkins online for delivery or curbside pickup, as well as kits for decorating pumpkins or tools for carving an awe-inspiring jack-o’-lantern. The “patches” are open Oct. 3-31 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. mrjackolanternspumpkins.com
Underwood Family Farms
This Ventura County farm at 3370 Sunset Valley Road in Moorpark is “postponing” its normal Fall Harvest Festival events this year but still offers acres of pumpkin fields for people intent on finding just the right orange gourd. Also planned are rides to and from the fields, a country store, farm animals to admire and, weekends only, roaming entertainment “at a distance,” from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily Oct. 1 through Oct. 31. Admission is $8 weekdays, $15 weekends, free for children under 2. The farm strongly recommends buying weekend tickets in advance online because people purchasing tickets at the gate may have to wait to come inside to avoid crowding. underwoodfamilyfarms.com/fall-harvest/