Here Is The Best Pumpkin Patch In New York

It’s that magical time of year again when kids unglue themselves from their tablets and smartphones for just a couple precious hours to join their parents in a jaunt to the local pumpkin patch. Few things excite our youth more than picking out gargantuan gourds, and for parents, it’s the perfect excuse to throw on that new fall sweater, round up the squad and have a stranger snap the perfect Christmas card photo for grandma and grandpa.

Haunted houses get all the attention, but pumpkin patches are the soul of the season. And if you’re looking for the cream of the crop, consider heading up to Fishkill Farms in East Fishkill, Dutchess County, ranked the best pumpkin patch in New York by the folks at the women's magazine Good Housekeeping. The patch is open until Oct. 28.

Here’s what the magazine had to say about the pumpkin peddlers:

“Each year at Fishkill Farms, the 270-acre apple orchard and veggie farm hosts fall harvest festivals over the weekend. Complete with live music, fresh donuts, and a hard cider garden, you’ll love this century-old farm. Admission is $5 per person, but kids 12 and under are free. And if you’re looking to find both a pumpkin and zen, check out their yoga classes, which take place every Saturday morning.”

If that doesn’t suit your fancy — or, more likely, the drive is simply too far — you can also try one of the following places. Whether you’re looking for haunted hayrides and spooky corn mazes or simply family-friendly bounce houses, petting zoos and pony rides, one of these should do the trick.

• Crossroads Farm at Grossmann's — pumpkins (brought in from the field), tours of the operation, group tours, gift shop, petting zoo480 Hempstead Avenue, Malverne, NY 11565. Phone: 516-881-7900. Email: farmstand@nassaulandtrust.org. Open: Hours: Tuesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm, Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm; through November.
• Dees' Nursery & Florist, Inc — pumpkin patch — already gathered from the field, Fall festival, Bounce house or pillow, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, face painting, pony rides, petting zoo69 Atlantic Avenue, Oceanside, NY 11572. Phone: 516-678-3535. Alternate Phone: 516-678-3571. Email: info@deesnursery.com. Open: Store hours Monday - Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Tuesday; Fall Festival hours: Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. Fall Festival every Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in October; Face painting, petting zoo, crafts, games, pony rides, clown, blow up slide/bouncy house, Halloween displays.

If you’re hoping to find locally grown pumpkins, consider this — while technically grown throughout the country, there’s a 50-50 chance your pumpkin was grown in one of just six states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There’s a good chance that state was Illinois, the nation’s largest producer, which harvests up to five times as many pumpkin acres as any other top state at more than 600 million pounds.

Your turn: Send your best and — more importantly — worst pumpkin carvings to ryan@patch.com. Here’s one to give you an idea:

When picking your perfect pumpkin, here are a few tips to keep in mind, according to the folks at Kitchn.

1. Know the difference between pumpkins best used for pies and those best for carving. Workers will sometimes label their pumpkins to help you identify which is better for eating and which is better for carving. But if they don’t, remember smaller, thicker and rounder pumpkins are generally better for eating. They have more guts on the inside and are more difficult to saw.
2. Tap on your pumpkin. By tapping on your prospective pumpkins, you’ll be able to compare which feel sturdy and sound hollow. The sturdier, the better, and it should sound hollow.
3. Flip it upside down and apply pressure. It might sound odd, but trust us, this is key. Turn your pumpkin upside down and press on it with both thumbs. If it’s not sturdy, chances are it’ll rot.
4. Always carry it from the bottom. Do not carry your pumpkin by its stem, that’s the easiest way to test whether your pumpkin can defy gravity. So far, gravity remains undefeated.
5. Wait to carve your pumpkin. Ask anyone what happens if you carve too early and you’ll hear one of two answers, neither of them good. Either the pumpkin rots before Halloween or it simply becomes dinner for a family of hungry animals.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Photo credit: David Allen/Patch.