Go long distance this year for fall fun outside the Valley. These five farms have been cultivating their pumpkin patches all season along with some autumnal attractions that offer more than just a jack-o'-lantern.
1. Hellerick's Family Farm
5500 N. Easton Rd., Doylestown | 215.766.8388 | hellericksfarm.com
Doylestown is a destination for its darling downtown, as well as the interesting and imposing Fonthill Castle and Mercer Museum, but there are also outdoor delights worth the drive. At Hellerick's Family Farm, not only are 55-plus varieties of pumpkin, squash and gourds ready to pick, the sprawling experience can include a climbing wall, obstacle course and aerial adventure park. Reserve as much or as little adrenaline as you desire!
2. Mazezilla
415 Route 115, Saylorsburg | 570.402.7378 | mazezilla.com
Does a sense of confusion make you feel alive? Then you'll want to get your pumpkin with a side of corn-maze quest at Saylorsburg's Mazezilla in the Poconos. Alongside an ample pumpkin patch, the 11-acre maze is switched up each year with a new plot of twists and turns to keep you guessing. Don't fear frustration—helpers are scattered throughout to assist those in need of a clue. Come in the evening for Mazezilla's after-dark hours and let a flashlight lead the way!
3. Cherry Crest Adventure Farm
150 Cherry Hill Rd., Ronks | 717.687.6843 | cherrycrestfarm.com
Cherry Crest Adventure Farm is far—that's a fact—but it's also a playground of agricultural-adjacent fun, with features like apple blasters (fire away), straw bale towers and tunnels, pedal carts and the educational Discovery Barn. There are also the classic charms of autumn-like sunflowers, zinnias and, of course, the pumpkins, with breweries setting up shop on Saturdays. Swing back for the Pumpkin Madness Festival on November 4, when the urge to smash, chuck and otherwise obliterate leftover jack-o'-lanterns has its day.
4. Crystal Spring Pumpkin Patch
2424 Mahoning Dr., East Lehighton | 570.818.4198 | cspumpkinpatch.com
Renowned for its fall foliage and scenic shopping, Jim Thorpe also boasts a nearby pumpkin patch. Crystal Spring Tree Farm has supplied the holiday needs of such venerated venues as the White House and Rockefeller Center, and from that grew a fall business: the pumpkin patch. With beautiful mums, vibrant pumpkins and gourds, and fall décor for sale, the farm offers activities like the tractor-cart Crystal Spring Express, a kids' mini village and a corn maze.
5. Juniperdale Farms
1015 Browntown Rd., Nazareth | 610.217.7203
theproducecrib14.wixsite.com/juniperdalefarms
Red barns, blue skies and orange pumpkins abound at this picturesque farm north of Easton. It's not just a place to hop a hayride and pick up the perfect pumpkin for your porch or pie, it's also a source for apple picking or fresh local beef from Juniperdale's hormone- and antibiotic-free animals. Five minutes from Jacobsburg park, it's a great way to finish off a day of hiking in the crisp fall air.
Published as “5 Things” in the October 2023 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
