It is officially Fall which means pumpkin spice season has begun.  For the kids, it means planning our Halloween costumes and decorating the house.  Every year, we go pumpkin picking at Demarest Farms in Hillsdale, NJ with a group of friends.  Over the years, our little group has grown to 10 adults and 10 kids.  Here are the 10 reasons we like pumpkin picking at Demarest Farms.  I hope you find this information helpful.

1 – Location:  Demarest Farms is located 40 minutes from Midtown, NY and 15 minutes from Paramus, NJ.  For my city friends, it’s close enough that you can Uber it if you don’t have a car.

2 – Pumpkin picking is available every day:  You can pick pumpkins 9AM-4:30PM on the weekends and 3PM-4:30PM on weekdays.  Pick any size pumpkin for $9.  Bring a large sturdy bag to carry your pumpkins home.

3 – Hay rides:  The hay ride takes you from the farm store to the top of the hill where the pumpkin patch is located.  The hay rides run pretty frequently on the weekends.  They do a pretty good job of making sure the lines stay manageable.  It’s a fun bumpy ride up the hill for the kids.  The hay rides are $7 per person.  Kids under 2 are free.

4 – Multiple play areas for the kids:  The first play area is next to the farm store.  Kids can play while parents purchase hay ride and pumpkin picking tickets.  The second play area is at the top of the hill near the pumpkin patch.  There are slides, wooden trains, a pirate ship, and a corn kernel pit.

5 – Shaded seating areas for babies and picnicking:  On a sunny day, you can stay cool by sitting under the large trees near the pumpkin patch.  You can pack a lunch or purchase food from the farm store.  There is also a small stand with cold drinks and donuts at the top of the hill.

6 – Petting zoo:  The kids enjoy feeding and watching the animals.  There are rabbits, sheep, goats, and alpacas.  The animal food is sold in solid wafers at the farm store, which makes feeding the animals less messy.

7 – Halloween photo props:  They have large hay bales painted with jack-o-latern and frankenstein faces.  Keep an eye out for the Minion hay bale stack on your way up the hill.  There are also several fun wooden Halloween-themed photo props.

8 – Tasty and healthy food options:  You never know when the kids will need a snack.  In the farm store, there is a salad bar, delicatessen with cold and hot sandwiches, whole rotisserie chickens, and soups.  You can have lunch at the farm or purchase take out for dinner.

9 – Dessert:  I never leave Demarest Farms without buying a dozen apple cider donuts.  They are my favorite donut and a perfect treat to end the day.  If you like pie, take home one of their fresh baked fruit pies.  There is also an ice cream shoppe for the kids.

10 – Host a Pumpkin Decorating Party:  We try to pick our pumpkins early in the day, then head over to my house for dinner and pumpkin decorating.  We like to use pumpkin tattoos, stickers, paints and stencils because the kids are still a little young for pumpkin carving.  The Demarest farm store sells pumpkin carving and decorating kits.

Pumpkin picking with friends is one of our favorite activities.  It’s an annual tradition we look forward to.  If you visit Demarest Farms, please share and tag your pictures #latinamominnyc

Happy Halloween from the Landaetas!