We took TheLittleGuy to Burke Nursery’s Pumpkin Playground this afternoon. It was well done and we had fun, although TLG is still very wary and reserved about new things. He also has a bit of cold so he wasn’t 100%. He did enjoy trying to roll around or pick up pumpkins that were nearly as big as he was, though.
There are numerous such fall festivals and pumpkin patch events in the area. Apparently Cox Farms puts on a huge one–it was recommended to us that Burke would be more TLG’s speed at his age, although the Burke one was still pretty impressive. I don’t remember these things from when I was a kid. Maybe I was deprived as a child? Haha. Maybe where I grew up it was too cold by October to do such things? Or maybe they’re just a more recent phenomenon. I like them. We also picked up some yummy pumpkin butter on our way out. We’ll go back to the Burke one next year I think. It’s close to us and plenty big for a toddler.
TLG Maneuvering Pumpkins
My sense is that they are new — I don’t recall them either, and I grew up in a much more temperate area than you did. I’ve been assuming it was a way for nurseries to bridge the gap between Fall mums and Winter Christmas trees.