It’s one of the most cherished traditions of the fall season: the selection of a pumpkin – from the field in which it was grown – with just the right shape, thickness and weight for whatever use you chose.
Pumpkins are the incredibly useful fruit which adorns many homes across New England and the nation in autumn. But while many think of heading off-Cape for best options, Cape Cod actually competes as a great place to get a pumpkin.
Pumpkin Day at the Bourne Farm
One sure fire way to fall for the season is to attend Pumpkin Day. The yearly event, held in early October at the Salt Pond Bird Sanctuary in Falmouth, brings participants through rows and rows of pumpkins, ripe for the picking. There are also pony rides, hay rides, face painting, a petting zoo and craft making.
Tony Andrews Farm
There are 25 acres of farmland to cover at Tony Andrews Farm, many of them filled with pumpkin rows. They stay open seven days a week from 10-6 and also offer hay rides and a haunted house. Don’t forget their large selection of seasonal produce like Cape Cod turnips, a classic vegetable side when pumpkins aren’t already on the table.
398 Old Meeting House Rd. East Falmouth
Cob Webb Farm
The fields at Cob Webb Farm are awash in orange during the fall. This is perhaps the patch that is most akin to more rural pumpkin patches, with a wide open field and scarecrows at every corner.
1525 Osterville West Barnstable Rd, West Barnstable
Barnstable Unitarian Universalist Church
The Unitarian Church of Barnstable holds an annual pumpkin sale of locally grown pumpkins throughout the month of October. Be sure to stop by to see the best selection for decorating and carving spread out on their front lawn. Bring the kids and pets for photos!
3330 Main Street, Barnstable Village
Tobey Farm
Tobey Farm in Dennis offers a variety of goods, including jams, jellies, perennials, shrubs, penny candy, crafts and more! Stop by to see their expansive pumpkin selection and to take a haunted hayride throughout the month of October.
352 Main St, Dennis
A few quick facts regarding pumpkins:
· They were originally used for the crust of pies, not the filling, in colonial America
· They were once thought of as a cure for snake bites (they’re not)
· There are over 30 distinct varieties of pumpkins
· Pumpkins are comprised mostly of water, with H2O comprising about 90 percent of their mass
· The word “pumpkin” derives, unsurprisingly, from the colonists’ inability to pronounce the natives’ term for it: isqoutm
By Adam Forziati
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