Take Your Pick from a Pumpkin Patch Near Johnston 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 around Johnston 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.

Here's a brief list of farms near Johnston, 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.

• 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.
  
• Primrose Valley Gardens, 1184 Providence Pike, North Smithfield. Pumpkins, corn stalks and hay bales for sale. 401-597-5797.
  
• Cucumber Hill Farm, 39 Cucumber Hill Road, Foster. Open through Oct. 27, including Columbus Day. Educational corn maze, pick-your-own pumpkin from the patch or select a pre-picked pumpkin, flashlight and lantern-lit hayrides on Saturdays. 401-397-7500.
  
• Henry Steere Orchard, 150 Austin Avenue, Greenville. Pick-your-own apples every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., pumpkins and squash for sale. Free hayrides on the weekends. 9th Annual Applefest, Oct. 13 and 14 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 401-949-1456.