The Top 4 Pumpkin Farms to Visit Near Matthews, NC

Oct 6, 2016

pumpkinfarm Get your carving knives ready and your creative juices flowing, because pumpkin-carving season is almost here again. Find your perfect canvas at one of these fun pumpkin patches in or around the Charlotte, North Carolina, area.

1. Hodges Family Farm Pumpkin Patch

This pumpkin patch sits on Rocky River Road East in Charlotte and has activities for all ages. Start by picking out the perfect pumpkin, then enjoy a festive hayride through the farm or check out the hay mountain. The farm also hosts pony rides for younger kids. It opens in late September and stays open through Halloween. The pumpkin patch is open every day, but hay rides and pony rides are only available on weekends. It’s free to get in, but some additional activities have fees.

2. Riverbend Farm

For the last 16 years, Riverbend Farm has opened its 20-acre pumpkin patch to visitors who are looking for festive Halloween decorations. It’s open on weekends throughout October, and admission is $5.50 per person. Aside from the massive pumpkin area, there is plenty to see and do. You can ride on any of the five big slides, ranging in size from 24 feet to 42 feet in length.

Practice your aim on the Air Cannon, where you can shoot two apples at a school bus for just $1, or play on the farm-themed playground with a triple grain bin slide and super silo slide. Other attractions include a barn with farm animals, a 10-foot Holstein cow that sits alongside a giant pig and rooster, both made of concrete, and an international harvester tractor. Finish the fun outing with a scoop of ice cream at the farm’s old-fashioned parlor.

3. Hall Family Farm

When you pay a visit to Hall Family Farm, you are supporting members of your own community who have been farming in the Charlotte area for more than 70 years. You can pick your own pumpkin to carve, take a musical hayride, and interact with the farm’s chickens. There are also children’s activities, as well as a corn maze to tour. Admission to the maze is $6-$8 based on age, but admission to the farm is free.

Depending on the weather, you can finish off your visit with a refreshing slushie or cup of hot cocoa or coffee. You can also shop for homemade jams, bread, cider, and salsa in the sales tent.

4. Aw Shucks! Corn Maze

Located on Plyler Mill Road in Monroe, the Aw Shucks! Corn Maze is a fun attraction for the whole family. At this unique spot, you can try to find your way out of the corn maze and grab a pumpkin to carve for Halloween. If you’re feeling brave, visit the farm on Friday or Saturday night for a walk through The 13^th Acre, a haunted trail that will scare just about every visitor who dares to enter. It’s not recommended for kids 8 and under.

Get ready for Halloween by paying a visit to a local pumpkin patch and participating in the festive fall activities.

Image by oneVillage Initiative, Licensed via CC BY-SA 2.0