Where To Pick A Pumpkin Near Channahon

CHANNAHON, IL — Signs of fall are everywhere, from cooler nights and turning leaves, to pumpkin spice lattes and other products, and a sea of orange pumpkins in front of the grocery store.

But maybe you want the real deal — an actual pumpkin — in your home this season. Whether you’re planning to bake a pie, 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 Channahon and Minooka.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Siegel's Cottonwood Farm
  • Season: Through Oct. 29
  • Attractions: Famous 10-acre corn maze, slides, straw mountain, climbing web, corn box, tractor ride, farm animals and more.
  • Hours of operation: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Cost: $19.95 weekdays and $24.95 weekends and Columbus Day. An all-inclusive weekend pass costs $36.95. Free admission for military/veterans, police and fire with ID. A combo pass for weekends and Columbus Day costs $27.95
  • More via Siegel's Cottonwood Farm website.

• Bengtson's
  • 
    Address: 13341 W. 151st St. in Homer Glen
  • Season: Through Oct. 31
  • Attractions: Tractor Town, Happy Swing, chicken truck, mega slide, cow coaster, free selfie booth, gemstone and arrowhead mining, pony rides, petting zoo, haunted barn, fun barn.
  • Hours of operation: Open 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Columbus Day.
  • Cost: Admission ranges from $19.99 to $36.99, depending on the day and time. See the website for more details. The farm has gone cashless for the 2023 season.
  • More via Bengtson's website.

Bronkberry Farms

18061 South Bronk Road, Plainfield

TUESDAY-SUNDAY: 9 AM – 6 PM, MONDAYS: CLOSED

ANNUAL FALL FEST IS OCTOBER 7-8, free admission, free parking Admission always free.

According to its website: PUMPKINS: U- pick pumpkin patch (free admission) & pre-picked pumpkins – great selection of various sizes including GOURDS STRAW BALES CORN STALKS AMAZING MUMS: Various sizes and Hanging Mums FALL COMBINATION PLANTERS HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS: Metal Art, Crafts, Signs, & much more OPEN HALLOWEEN, OCTOBER 31ST, FROM 9-3PM

More via Bronkberry Farms website.

Heap's Giant Pumpkin Farm

• Season: Through Oct. 31
• Attractions: Hayrides, pumpkin patch, flashlight maze, giant farm slide, bean maze, farm animals, haunted corn maze, moonlight hayrides and bean maze.
• Hours of operation: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. Closes at 2:30 p.m. on Halloween.
• Cost: Weekday admission for people ages 3 and up is $8 per person, while weekend admission is $12 per person. The price includes access to all mazes, playgrounds, hayrides and the U-Pick pumpkin patch.
• Costs vary for the flashlight maze, haunted corn maze and moonlight hayrides.

More via Heap's Giant Pumpkin Farm.

Dollinger Family Farm

• Address: 7420 E. Hansel Road in Channahon
• Season: Through Oct. 30
• Attractions: Corn maze, play areas, farm animals, bee barn, corn bin, train rides, hay rides, face painting (some activities only available on weekends).
• Hours of operation: Farm is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Cost: Admission is free, but some activities cost: $4.50 per person for the corn maze, $9 for full face painting, and $4.50 per person for train rides.

More via the Dollinger Farms website.

And if your pumpkin is destined for a starring role on Halloween night, here’s our guide to carving a perfect jack-o’-lantern. Warren Nash on YouTube also 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:

• 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 is the pumpkin that will be front and center on the porch for the Halloween season.
• Curved boning knife, or serrated knife from the kitchen.
• Ice cream scooper 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 then admire your work.