Here Are The Best Pumpkin Patches In Virginia

It’s that magical time of year again when kids unglue themselves from their tablets and smartphones for just a couple precious hours to join their parents in a jaunt to the local pumpkin patch. Few things excite our youth more than picking out gargantuan gourds, and for parents, it’s the perfect excuse to throw on that new fall sweater, round up the squad and have a stranger snap the perfect Christmas card photo for grandma and grandpa.

Haunted houses get all the attention, but pumpkin patches are the soul of the season. And if you’re looking for the cream of the crop, consider heading over to Layman Family Farms in Blue Ridge, ranked the best pumpkin patch in Virginia by the folks at the women's magazine Good Housekeeping. The patch is open until Nov. 10.

Here’s what the magazine had to say about the pumpkin peddlers: "There are all the classic activities you’d expect at an over-the-top pumpkin patch, but that’s just the beginning at Layman Family Farms. With your “pumpkin tokens,” guests can use the corn cannon or the apple blaster (or both!)."

If the drive to Layman Family Farms might be too far for your family—over four hours from Washington, DC—you can also try one of the following places. Whether you’re looking for haunted hayrides and spooky corn mazes, or simply family-friendly bounce houses, petting zoos and pony rides, one of these should do the trick.

Alexandria

Immanuel Church-On-The-Hill

3606 Seminary Rd, Alexandria, VA 22304

Clarke County

Mackintosh Fruit Farm

1608 Russell Rd, Berryville, VA 22611

Wayside Farm Fun

5273 Harry Byrd Hwy, Berryville, VA 22611

Culpeper County

Round Hill Farm

6347 Everona Rd, Culpeper, VA 22701

Fairfax County

Burke Nursery & Garden Centre

9401 Burke Rd, Burke, VA 22015

Cox Farms

15621 Braddock Rd, Centreville, VA 20120

Krop's Crops

11110 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA 22066

Meadow Farms

10618 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22182

Nalls Produce

7310 Beulah St, Alexandria, VA 22315

Reston Farm Market

10800 Baron Cameron Ave, Reston, VA 20190

St. Thomas Episcopal Church

8991 Brook Rd, McLean, VA 22102

Whitehall Farms

12523 Popes Head Rd, Clifton, VA 20124

Fauquier County

Buckland Farm Market

2318, 4484 Lee Hwy, Warrenton, VA 20187

Corn Maze in The Plains

4501 Old Tavern Rd, The Plains, VA 20198

Cows-N-Corn

5225 Catlett Rd, Midland, VA 22728

Hartland Farm

3205 Hartland Ln, Markham, VA 22643

Hollin Farms

1410, Snowden Rd, Delaplane, VA 20144

Messick's Farm Market

6025 Catlett Rd, Bealeton, VA 22712

Stribling Orchard

11587 Poverty Hollow Ln, Markham, VA 22643

Frederick County

Hedgebrook Farm Market

690 Shady Elm Rd, Winchester, VA 22602

Hill High Farm

933 Barley Ln, Winchester, VA 22602

Marker-Miller Orchards

2616, 3035 Cedar Creek Grade, Winchester, VA 22602

Richard's Fruit Market

6410 Middle Rd, Middletown, VA 22645

Rinker Orchards

1156 Marlboro Rd, Stephens City, VA 22655

Shen-Valley Flea Market

2163 Fairfax Pike, White Post, VA 22663

Virginia Farm Market

1881 N Frederick Pike, Winchester, VA 22603

Wilson's Wild Animal Park

985 W Parkins Mill Rd, Winchester, VA 22602

Loudoun County

Amazing Farm Fun @ Ticonderoga

26469 Ticonderoga Rd, Chantilly, VA 20152

Brossman's Farm

14740 James Monroe Hwy, Leesburg, VA 20176

Crooked Run Orchard

37883 E Main St, Purcellville, VA 20132

Farmer John's Fruit and Vegetable Market

15520 James Monroe Hwy, Leesburg, VA 20176

Great Country Farms

18780 Foggy Bottom Rd, Bluemont, VA 20135

Leesburg Pumpkin Village

19270 James Monroe Hwy, Leesburg, VA 20176

Temple Hall Farm

15789 Temple Hall Ln, Leesburg, VA 20176

Wegmeyer Farms

38299 Hughesville Rd, Hamilton, VA 20158

Prince William County

Burnside Farms

4905 James Madison Hwy, Haymarket, VA 20169

1836, 11008 Kettle Run Rd, Nokesville, VA 20181

Evergreen Acres

12801 Hazelwood Dr, Nokesville, VA 20181

Lake Ridge Nursery

3705 Old Bridge Rd, Woodbridge, VA 22192

Plant Land

8548 Sudley Rd, Manassas, VA 20110

Yankey Farms

14039 Owls Nest Rd, Nokesville, VA 20181

If you’re hoping to find locally grown pumpkins, consider this — while technically grown throughout the country, there’s a 50-50 chance your pumpkin was grown in one of just six states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There’s a good chance that state was Illinois, the nation’s largest producer, which harvests up to five times as many pumpkin acres as any other top state at more than 600 million pounds.

Your turn: Send your best and — more importantly — worst pumpkin carvings to Emily.Leayman@patch.com. Here’s one to give you an idea:

When picking your perfect pumpkin, here are a few tips to keep in mind, according to the folks at Kitchn.

1. Know the difference between pumpkins best used for pies and those best for carving. Workers will sometimes label their pumpkins to help you identify which is better for eating and which is better for carving. But if they don’t, remember smaller, thicker and rounder pumpkins are generally better for eating. They have more guts on the inside and are more difficult to saw.
2. Tap on your pumpkin. By tapping on your prospective pumpkins, you’ll be able to compare which feel sturdy and sound hollow. The sturdier, the better, and it should sound hollow.
3. Flip it upside down and apply pressure. It might sound odd, but trust us, this is key. Turn your pumpkin upside down and press on it with both thumbs. If it’s not sturdy, chances are it’ll rot.
4. Always carry it from the bottom. Do not carry your pumpkin by its stem, that’s the easiest way to test whether your pumpkin can defy gravity. So far, gravity remains undefeated.
5. Wait to carve your pumpkin. Ask anyone what happens if you carve too early and you’ll hear one of two answers, neither of them good. Either the pumpkin rots before Halloween or it simply becomes dinner for a family of hungry animals.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Image via David Allen/Patch