Take Your Pick of Pumpkin Patches Near East Providence This Weekend

As the once-green leaves turn shades of orange and red, there's no doubt that fall is upon us.

And with just a couple of weeks until Halloween, it's a great time to venture out to local farms and check out their recent crop of pumpkins, or grab a bag or two of apples for apple pies.

Many places also offer hay rides and other activities for the family — there are even special fall-themed events, like Henry Steele Orchard's Applefest on Oct. 13 and 14 and the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Grower’s Annual Weigh-off this Saturday.

Here's a brief list of farms near East Providence, and what they're offering, that we found on PumpkinPatchesandMore.org — you can also check out Farm Fresh RI for more information, including hours and directions.

•  Frerichs Farms - pumpkin patch (gathered from the field)
  43 Kinnicutt Ave, Warren. Tuesday - Sunday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.. They have a Pumpkin-Palooza, pumpkin weigh-off. Frerichs hosts the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Grower’s Annual Weigh-off on Columbus Day Weekend this Saturday,  9 am - 5 pm. Admission is free. Parking is $5. Call 401-245-8245. 
• Four Town Farm - The family owned farm is located at 90 George St.
  Seekonk, MA, a few miles east of Providence. Monday - Sunday 
  9 a.m. - closing (varies by season). To wrap out the season Four Town has pick your own pumpkins. A tractor will take you out to the field, drop you off at the start of a small corn maize, and pick you up after you have selected a pumpkin. Call 508-336-5587.
• Dame Farm and Orchards, 94 Brown Avenue, Johnston. Pumpkin patch, walk-up wagon rides on weekends. Phone: 401-949-3657. Email: Darl.Dame@Verizon.net
• Hill Orchard, 86 Winsor Ave., Johnston. Pick-your-own apples and pears. Call ahead: 401-949-2940.
  
• Pezza Farms, 2279 Plainfield Pike, Johnston. Hayrides on Saturdays and Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m., plus Columbus Day. Make-your-own scarecrow, animal feeding. 401-943-2707.
  
• Salisbury Farm, Plainfield Pike [Rte. 14], Johnston. Pick-your-own pumpkins from the pumpkin patch; also available for sale at farm stand. Train rides, mazes, tractor-pulled hay rides. 401-942-9741.