Where To Pick A Pumpkin Near Montauk

MONTAUK, NY — 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 add some festive flair to your porch, there are plenty of places to pick up a pumpkin near Montauk.
Here are a few suggestions:

• Fink's Country Farm

- 6242 Middle Country Road in Wading River.- Fink's County Farm Festival runs Saturdays, Sundays ,and Columbus Day through October 31 with hours from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Included with Fall Festival admission are unlimited hay rides & corn maze. Festival patrons may also enjoy the barnyard and play areas. Additional fees for U-pick pumpkins, face paint, kiddie train, pony rides and more.- Pumpkin picking is available weekends but only to those attending the Fall Festival.- The barnyard is open to the public from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through December 23.- For additional information, click here.

• Harbes Family Farm

Harbes Farm offers three locations, Harbes Family Farm in Mattituck, Harbes Farm in Jamesport, and Harbes Farm and Orchard in Riverhead.

Pumpkin picking takes place at:

Harbes Family Farm, 715 Sound Ave, Mattituck

- Open seven days a week through October, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- 8 acres of on-the-vine U-pick pumpkins.
- Many different varieties available.
- Located across the street from the Mattituck Farm Stand.
- Pumpkins sold by the pound.

Harbes Farms, Jamesport, 1223 Main Road, Jamesport.

- Open weekends and holidays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct. 29
- 9 acres of on-the-vine U-pick pumpkins.
- Many different varieties available.
- Pumpkins sold by the pound.

Harbes Orchard, 5698 Sound Ave, Riverhead
- Pumpkin patch open on weekends and holidays only 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on weekends, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through October.
- 9 acres of on-the-vine U-Pick pumpkins.
-Many different varieties available.
- Pumpkins sold by the pound.
- Requires purchasing an apple picking package to pick pumpkins.- Harbes offers a great array of corn mazes and fall hayrides.
For additional information, click here and here.
For full details on all the fun at Harbes, click here.

• Hank's PumpkinTown

- 240 Montauk Highway in Water Mill
- Hanks PumpkinTown has pumpkin picking, apple picking, corn mazes, wagon rides, tractor train rides, giant slides, games, playgrounds, duck races, and more.
- Hank’s is open for family activities and pumpkin picking everyday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Apple picking, wagon rides, corn train and jump pad not available on non-holiday weekdays.
- For additional information, click here.

• Helen's Pumpkin Farm

- 1061 Union Ave., Aquebogue
- Pumpkin picking, apple picking, corn maze seven days a week; the farmstand is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., all amenities open 9 a.m to 4 p.m. On weekends, the fun includes pumpkin and apple picking, the corn maze, sunflower picking, hayrides, bounce houses, the farmstand, live music, and, starting Columbus Day weekend, face painting.
- The farmstand is open on weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with all the attractions open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m
- For additional information, call 631-722-8449.

• Krupski Farms

- 38030 Main Road, Peconic. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- U-Pick pumpkins, vegetables. Hayrides and a haunted corn maze on October weekends.
- For additional information, click here.

• Lewin Farms

- 812 Sound Avenue, Calverton. Open daily except for Tuesday.
- Call 631-929-4327 for U-pick, fields close at 4:30 when available.
- Lewin's offers pick-your-own pumpkins, a corn maze on weekends and holidays through late October, roasted corn, and more.
- For additional information and to call, click here.

• Stakey's Pumpkin Farm

- 270 West Lane in Aquebogue
- Stakey's is open for pumpkin picking Mon. to Fri. from noon to 5 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- No pets allowed.
- The farm also features hayrides, a corn maze, face painting, snack shack, a country store and flower house, roasted corn, apple cider, and donuts.
- Parking is free. For additional information, click here.

• Waterdrinker Family Farm & Garden

- 663 Wading River Road, Manorville
- Fall festival. Admission includes hayrides, a jumbo jump pad, minigolf, barnyard animals, a wooden playland, tractor pedal cars, corn maze, photo opportunities, a Lost Island tortoise enclosure and more.- U-pick pumpkins are also available.
- Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.
This year, Waterdrinker has also unveiled its new location at 4560 Sound Ave in Riverhead, called Waterdrinker North Fork. For more information about the new location and its offerings, click here.

• Wickham's Fruit Farm

- 28700 Main Road, Cutchogue
- Pumpkin picking from the vine with a hand-pulled wagon on Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning soon. Closed Sundays.
- Farmstand, where pumpkins are available, too, is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Sundays.
- Child-sized apple cider bottles are available to purchase for the kids, along with delicious donuts. Closed Sundays.
- Wickham's Fruit Farm is a historic, bicentennial farm on Peconic Bay, and a family enterprise for generations.
- For additional information, click here.

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.