Fall is almost here, and there’s no better way to celebrate than with a visit to a pumpkin patch! Charlotte is home to quite a few fabulous and family-owned farms that host fall celebrations and grow plenty of perfect pumpkins. Take a look at a Charlotte pumpkin patch as you plan your next autumn adventure!
Patterson Farm has been growing food on its property for over 100 years! Today, the fifth generation of farmers takes pride in teaching the next generations the excitement and importance of growing food. They’ve created an environment where visitors can celebrate harvests and fresh produce all year long!
Their Fall festivities include a variety of activities and treats for the entire family to enjoy. Test your navigational skills in their Corn Maze whenever you visit. Then pick up a Charlotte pumpkin or two or three in their large patch! Fall Fun on the Farm is an event that includes access to a playground, Cow Barrel Train Ride, Wagon Ride, and over 40 other attractions. You do need to pay an entry fee, but your ticket includes access to all of their activities.
When you’re done playing, be sure to stop by the Snack Silo for a treat, fresh produce, or a unique gift. Then, spend some time in the pumpkin patch, taking photos and picking out the perfect pumpkin(s). A visit to Patterson Farm is a great way to enjoy all the best parts of fall!
The Hall family has run Bush-N-Vine Farm for over 150 years! They’ve been growing fresh fruits and vegetables since 1979 and sharing them with the community ever since. They even have a CSA to make buying their produce even easier! But when the fall comes, it’s totally worth a visit to the farm in person.
Their property has a one-mile hiking trail, perfect for strolling and enjoying the crisp fresh air. Choose a pumpkin from their pre-picked selection, or venture into the pumpkin patch to pick your own right off the vine. In fact, pick as many as you want – there are wagons nearby to help you haul them to your car!
Once you’ve picked your perfect pumpkins (say that ten times fast!), be sure to stop by the Farm Cafe for a sweet treat! Pick from fresh donuts, ice cream, slushies, or blendies, a signature ice cream/slush combo. It’s the perfect way to ring in the fall season!
Carrigan Farms is a beautiful family farm that specializes in growing delicious fruits and vegetables. While they host families, classrooms, and even weddings throughout the year, in the fall, their farm transforms into an autumnal wonderland. With acres and acres of pumpkin patches growing on their Charlotte farm, Carrigan Farms is happy to welcome visitors to pick their own pumpkins, just like a real farmer! (Side note: Pumpkin vines can be a little prickly, so you may want to bring gardening gloves to avoid bothersome thorns.)
When you visit Carrigan Farms to pick your pumpkins, you’ll receive a hayride to the petting zoo and pumpkin field. Be sure to wear closed-toed shoes – you’re on a working farm, after all!
For older kids (12 and over) and grown-ups who love a good scare, Carrigan Farms turns into Scarrigan Farms on select October nights. They transform 275 acres of farm into a terrifying haunted trail that will get your heart racing! It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you enjoy a seasonal rush of adrenaline, you’ll definitely want to give it a try.
Millstone Creek Orchards began in 2001 when the first rows of apple trees were planted on the property. Originally, the plan was just to sell apples out of the back of a pickup truck, but they began welcoming guests to the farm in 2004 and never looked back! Today, they have 18 acres of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, apples, grapes, pumpkins, and pecans, all of which are available for U-Pick!
Every Saturday and Sunday in October, Millstone Creek Orchards hosts a fall celebration with plenty of activities to experience the best of the season. For the price of admission, you’ll receive access to the pumpkin patch, a $3 coupon towards your pumpkin purchase, an apple cider slushie, an orchard hayride, and more!
If you time your visit over Halloween weekend, there’s even more to enjoy! Break out your costumes to compete in a costume contest. Then, get your creative juices flowing with pumpkin decorating (pumpkins provided!) Plan to work up an appetite so you can enjoy a cup of apple cider and a delicious donut, classic fall treats.
Shelby Corn Maze is way more than a pumpkin patch; it’s a complete fall experience! Their iconic 8-acre Corn Maze is a must-see every autumn, and their pumpkin patch grows thousands of pumpkins every year. There are also over 40 attractions to entertain the entire family! Kids will love their hayrides, corn cannon, petting zoo, and so much more. Parents will love the picture-perfect photo props set up in the pumpkin patch for adorable family pictures!
Brave visitors will love the Haunted Corn Maze, featured on Friday and Saturday nights in October. It’s an eerie, spooky way to experience Shelby Corn Maze! If scares and spooks aren’t your thing, don’t worry; there’s a section of the maze that has been cleared for all ages and just offers the opportunity to explore the maze in the dark.
Hodges Family Farm’s history goes all the way back to the early 1900s. But now, over 120 years later, they are still a prominent family farm and pumpkin patch in Charlotte! Every fall, they open their farm to families looking for autumnal fun. You’ll be able to browse pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, interact with beloved barnyard animals, and enjoy a cozy picnic.
Little ones will love climbing on mountains of hay bales and taking hayrides around the property. Be sure to visit the Farm Shop for local and homemade goodies and treats, and indulge in fresh kettle corn, funnel cakes, seasonal drinks, and more. Don’t forget to bring your camera – there are lots of great photo ops set up around the farm, too!
Wise Acres is a USDA Certified Organic Farm that cares about the quality of the food they grow and sell. In the spring and summer, they offer U-Pick berries, and on specific days of the year, you can find them making and selling pizzas in their Wise Pie wood-fired pizza oven. In the fall, you and your family can enjoy a wagon ride through the woods. Littler farmers (12 and under) will love riding the barrel train!
Stroll the property and make friends with their friendly goats, pigs, chickens, and rabbits. Pick your pumpkins before shopping in the barn for local goods like honey, elderberry syrup, kombucha, and delicious seasonal treats! Just note that Wise Acres is only open by appointment, so be sure to reserve your visiting time on their website before driving out to the farm.
Fall only comes once a year, so don’t let it pass you by without a visit to a wonderful Charlotte pumpkin patch! Remember to pack your camera – or better yet, book a photography session with me to capture all of your family’s fall moments!
Fall is the perfect time for a family photo session! Just in time for those holiday cards and gifts for your family members. I want to be your go-to photographer in North Carolina for all your maternity, newborn, and family photography sessions. Let’s connect and have some fun creating timeless artwork of your family through photography.