Where To Pick Pumpkins In Lamorinda This Fall

LAMORINDA, CA — Heading to a patch or field to pick the best or most giant pumpkin isn’t just about finding the perfect Halloween jack-o-lantern. It’s a chance to spend time with the family in a cherished fall tradition full of fun activities.

Many pumpkin patches and fields offer complementary activities for kids, such as hayrides, corn mazes, and games. Picking your pumpkin is also an excellent way to support the local farmers who grow it.

Whether you plan to carve a jack-o’-lantern or add some festive flair to your stoop, there are plenty of places to pick up a pumpkin around Lamorinda. Here are a few of our favorites.

• Alameda — Through Oct. 31: Speer Family Farms Alameda Point Pumpkin Patch, Petting Zoo & Kids' Fun (New Location!). Attractions include mini train, carousel & jump houses.
• Antioch — Through Oct. 31: Magic Pumpkin Patch. + Snacks, pony rides, horse rides, petting zoo, bounce houses, mechanical bull, more.
• Berkeley — Through Oct. 31: North Berkeley Pumpkin Patch. At Westbrae Nursery, with bake sale, too.
• Berkeley — Oct. 28: Floating Pumpkin Patch: West Campus Pool. Advance registration required.
• Concord — Oct. 12: Floating Pumpkin Patch at Concord Community Pool. Advance registration required.
• Concord —Through Oct. 31: Golden State Family Farms. Pumpkin Patch + inflatables.
• Dublin — Oct. 28: Floating Pumpkin Patch: The Wave. Advance registration required.
• El Cerrito — Oct. 11: Floating Pumpkin Patch.
• Fremont — Through Oct. 31: Hub Pumpkin Patch, Inflatables & Kids' Fun. Duck boats & paint ball, as well.
• Lafayette — Through Oct. 31: Orchard Nursery Pumpkin Patch. Pumpkins + corn stalks + pumpkin wall for pics + more.
• Livermore — Oct. 2-31:G&M Farms Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch. Weekends feature pony rides, jump pillow, cow train, food trucks & more.
• Livermore — Oct. 4-31: Joan's Farm Pumpkin Patch & Kids' Fun. Includes inflatables, farm critters & little blue train.
• Livermore — Oct. 5-31: Moore Pumpkin Patch & Kids' Fun. With jump houses & more.
• Newark — Oct. 25: Floating Pumpkin Patch. With lazy river, pumpkin decorating & goodie bags.
• Piedmont —Through Oct. 27: Wildwood Dads Club Pumpkin Patch.
• Pleasant Hill — Oct. 13: Pumpkin Splash: Aquatic Park. Registration underway.
• San Lorenzo — Through Oct. 31: ABC Pumpkin Patch, Inflatables & Paint Ball. Go pumpkin hunting!
• San Ramon — Oct. 5-31: Moore Pumpkin Patch & Kids' Fun. With jump houses & more.
• San Ramon—Oct. 19: Trick-or-Treat On The Farm at Forest Home Farms. Wear your Halloween costume and travel around the farm to different stations for activities and treats.
• Walnut Creek —Oct.. 1-31: Shadelands Pumpkin Patch. Along with activities including petting zoo, hay ride, train ride, pumpkin slingshots, climbing walls, gold mining & bumper boats.
• Walnut Creek — Oct. 29: Howl-ooo-ween! Lindsay Wildlife’s most fang-tastic, hair-raising event of the year!

And if Halloween wouldn't be complete without a trip to Half Moon Bay, here are a couple of pumpkin farms:

• Through Oct. 31: Arata’s Pumpkin Farm, Labyrinth Hay Maze & Haunted Barn. Enjoy pumpkin-patch fun. Then conquer the labyrinth & try the spooky barn, if you dare.
• Through Oct. 31: Pumpkin Patch, Petting Zoo & Haunted House: Lemos Farm. Train & pony rides, too!

If your pumpkin is destined for a starring role on Halloween night, here are some tips for carving a perfect jack-o’-lantern. Warren Nash, on YouTube, also shows a step-by-step process for making the perfect carve.

Keep in mind that carving and baking pumpkins aren’t the same. The former is grown in fields to be large, more vibrant in color, and relatively hollow. The watery flesh doesn’t have the same flavor as baking pumpkins, which tend to be smaller, have thicker, harder-to-carve walls and sweeter flesh. For those, you’ll probably need to head to the grocery store.

Pumpkin carving kits will go a long way in getting what you need. They typically include saws, a scooper, a drill and multiple patterns.

If you're looking for the items individually around the house, here's what you could use:

• Pumpkin. Unless you have a pumpkin-growing operation in the backyard, you'll need to pick out one you like from your local pumpkin patch or a store. Make sure it looks sturdy and clean. Remember, this pumpkin will be front and center on the porch for the Halloween season.
• Curved boning knife or serrated knife from the kitchen
• Ice cream scoop or scraper
• Paper
• Pencil or pen
• Candle or battery-operated light
• Lighter

Steps

1. Cut it: If cutting from the top of the pumpkin, make sure to do it on an inward angle so the top won't drop inside the pumpkin when you put it back on. In a series of pumpkin carving tips from Good Housekeeping, Michael Natiello, creative director for The Great Jack-o'-Lantern Blaze, said it's better to cut the pumpkin from the bottom. That helps prevent the sides from caving in later.
2. Gut it: Use the ice cream scoop or your hands to remove all the seeds and other debris from inside the pumpkin. Do a thorough cleaning and make sure nothing sticks to the sides.
3. Trace it: Draw your design on a piece of paper before putting it on the pumpkin itself. This will make it easier to trace the design onto the pumpkin.
4. Make the cuts: Cut out the design. Natiello said to use a fork or pencil to poke holes around the lines. When cutting, get the big pumpkin pieces out first and clean up the edges later.
5. Light it: Light the pumpkin with a battery-operated light or candle in a holder, place the candle in the pumpkin, and admire your work.

Happy Pumpkin Picking!