Where To Pick Pumpkins Near Sonoma Valley This Fall

SONOMA VALLEY, CA — Heading out to a patch or field to pick the best or biggest pumpkin isn’t just about finding the perfect Halloween jack-o-lantern.

It’s a seasonal activity blending nature, tradition and community, and there are several places around Sonoma Valley to create lasting memories with family and friends.

Many pumpkin patches and fields offer complementary activities like hay rides, corn mazes and games for the kids. Picking your own pumpkin also is a good way to support the local farmers who grow them.

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

• Petaluma — THROUGH OCT. 31: Mickelson Pumpkin Patch + Hay Pyramid, Grain Train, Apple Cannon, Maze, Jump Zone, Paint Ball Food. Lots of activities at this one.
• Petaluma — OCT. 18, 19, 25 + an extra day to be announced: 'Pumpkins On Pikes' Halloween Fun, Music & Straw Maze: Tara Firma Farms. Games, pumpkin carving, live music.
• Petaluma — THROUGH OCT. 31: Pronzini Farms Pumpkin Patch. Pumpkin picking plus haunted guided trail, Western Village, Cowgirl Cafe, pony rides. Live music and other special events for all ages throughout October. Food served by Sax's Joint (delicious cinnamon rolls?!).
• Petaluma — THROUGH OCT. 31: Petaluma Pumpkin Patch, 'The Amazing Corn Maze' & More. A Sonoma County tradition for more than 30 years.
• Healdsburg — THROUGH OCT. 31: Grandma's Pumpkin Patch. Fenced-in pumpkin patch with room to run; farm animals; pyramid and climbing structure; vintage tractors; picnic tables under trees. No admission. Free parking.
• Healdsburg — Orsi Family Vineyards. Family-Friendly setting with pumpkins for the kids and wine for adults.
• Forestville — OCT. 11: Santa Rosa Junior College Shone Farm Fall Festival, U-Pick Pumpkins & Apples. With kids' zone, critters, hay bale rides & more.
• Santa Rosa — THROUGH OCT. 31: Santa Rosa Pumpkin Patch. Treat the family to a petting zoo, corn maze, and a pumpkin tic-tac-toe.
• Santa Rosa — THROUGH OCT. 31: Punky's Pumpkins. Twenty acres of pumpkins and a wide variety of squash. Hay rides, train rides, giant slide, bounce houses, photo ops.
• Santa Rosa — THROUGH OCT. 31: Muelrath Ranches Pumpkin Patch. Full range of products plus hay ride, haunted dungeon, pumpkin slingshot and pumpkin cannon.
• Napa — THROUGH OCT. 31: Stanly Lane Pumpkin Patch.
• St. Helena — OCT. 26 & 27: Nimbus Arts Floating Pumpkin Community Exhibit at Farmstead! Pick out a pumpkin, carve it, and then return it for inclusion in a community art installation.
• American Canyon — THROUGH OCT. 31: ABC Pumpkin Patch & Inflatable Zone. Lots of kids' fun at this one.
• Dixon — THROUGH OCT. 31: Cool Patch Pumpkins & World-Record Corn Maze. This 63-acre corn maze was once in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Keep in mind that carving and baking pumpkins aren’t the same. The former are grown in fields to be large, more vibrantly colored, and relatively hollow. The watery flesh doesn’t have the same flavor found in 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.

Pumpkins for carving should appear sturdy and clean. Remember, this is the pumpkin that will be front and center on the porch for the Halloween season.

Here are some tips for carving a perfect jack-o’-lantern from Warren Nash on YouTube, who shows a step-by-step process to make the perfect carve.

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:

• 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. Michael Natiello, creative director for The Great Jack-o'-Lantern Blaze, said it's better to cut the pumpkin from the bottom, in a series of pumpkin carving tips from Good Housekeeping. 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 is left sticking to the sides.
3. Trace it: Draw your design on a piece of paper before putting it on the pumpkin itself. That way, it is 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 pieces of pumpkin 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 it in the pumpkin, and step back and admire your work.