Pumpkin Patch Festival Begins This Weekend

The 35th annual Pumpkin Patch Festival begins this weekend at the Nelson Farm, south of Litchfield. September 28th & 29th is Grandparent’s Weekend, so grandparents who bring grandchildren to the Pumpkin Patch Festival get $1 off of their admission.

Farmer Don Nelson says other special weekends will include October 12th & 13th when fiddlers Bud & Marlys Larsen will visit the farm, and Meeker County Dairy Princesses and Ambassadors will be there on October 13th handing out dairy treats. He says the final weekend of the Pumpkin Patch Festival – October 26th & 27th is Military Weekend, so active and inactive military members will get $2 off of their admission.

Nelson says the corn maze this year has politically-themed questions since it’s a presidential election year. He says the pumpkin crop is pretty good, despite all of the rain, but pumpkins prefer drier conditions, so they had to do some replanting earlier in the season.

Nelson says there are many activities to enjoy at the Nelson Farm and you can find a complete schedule at nelsonfarm.com. He says the farm is about 3 miles south of Litchfield on County-State-Aid-Highway 1. The Pumpkin Patch Festival is open Saturdays and during the MEA break (October 17th & 18th) from 11:01 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. and on Sundays from 12:01 p.m. to 5:01 p.m.