It's pumpkin picking time and we cannot wait to slap on some flannel, go on a tractor ride and jump in some haystacks.
Here are just a few farms you can visit around Southern Arizona to find the perfect pumpkin for you. All locations require a drive out of Tucson, so bring the whole crew and make a day of it.
Pro tips: The earlier you go in the month the better chance you have at beating the crowds and picking the best pumpkins. Allowing yourself at least an hour-and-a-half at all of these places is ideal — there's just so much to do!
Fall Pumpkin Celebration at Apple Annie's Orchard
Fall Pumpkin Celebration
Apple Annie’s Produce and Pumpkins, 6405 W. Williams Road, Willcox. Pick your own pumpkin, corn maze and vendors. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays through Oct. 26. Free. 1-520-384-4685.
Starting Saturday, Sept. 23, you can pick pumpkins at Apple Annie's Orchard in Wilcox — every day till Oct. 31.
Prices range from $3 to $25 per pumpkin depending on the size.
Each weekend they will be hosting a Fall Pumpkin Celebration. Roam their 20 acre pumpkin field, go on a hayride, and enjoy an all-you-can-eat pumpkin and buttermilk pancake breakfast from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
There's also a produce and food section where you can buy pre-picked pumpkins and treats — we can already taste those homemade cider doughnuts.
And if that doesn't have you heading to Willcox, how about checking out their corn maze located right next to the pumpkin patch ($8 general admission, $6 for kids 3 to 12), it's the largest one in Arizona and shaped like the state this year.
Find more information here.
When: From Saturday, Sept. 23 to Tuesday, Oct. 31
Where: Apple Annie's Produce & Pumpkins, 6405 Williams Road, Willcox.
Hours: Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Cost: No admission fee. Pay for whatever activities you do.
Marana Pumpkin Patch & Farm Festival
For Jude Nenadovich, "pumpkin lifting" may as well be an Olympic event as he struggles to pick up a pumpkin while his family watches in the background at the Marana Pumpkin Patch and Farm Festival in 2014.
Find the perfect pumpkin and then go do a bunch of other fun fall activities at the Marana Pumpkin Patch & Farm Festival.
They've got a 50-acre field full of pumpkins — so we're sure you'll find the right one to take home. Gourds are priced at 50 cents per pound.
Admission into the festival gives you access into their corn mazes, Straw Mountain, petting zoo, jumping pillows, kids' play area and a wagon ride to the pumpkin patch. And this just scratches the surface — get the entire list of what's included into your admission price here.
Launch a pumpkin into the air with a cannon for $1 or take a zip line ride for $5.
Food and drink will also be available on site.
Find more information here.
When: Festival starts Saturday, Oct. 8 and ends Sunday, Oct. 29.
Where: Marana Pumpkin Patch Festival, 14901 N. Wentz Road, Marana
Hours: Open Monday-Thursday, 3-7 p.m.; Friday-Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Times may change due to the weather.
Cost: $10.50 per person, plus tax, Monday-Thursday admission; $12.50 per person, plus tax, Friday-Sunday admission. Kids 32-inches-and-under get in free.
Buckelew Farm's Pumpkin Festival & Corn Maze
The annual Buckelew Farm Pumpkin Festival & Corn Maze, 17000 W. Ajo Way near Three Points.
Hop on a tractor-drawn wagon ride and travel to Buckelew Farm's Pumpkin Festival.
Admission includes access to the pumpkin fields, three all-ages corn mazes, games and more.
Pumpkins are priced at 50 cents per pound.
This is also the only location on our list that serves beer and wine in addition to all the other food fare.
If you're all about the spook this season, explore a corn maze after dark with Flashlight Nights, which happen every weekend after 5 p.m. — find more ticket information here.
If you REALLY want the pants scared off of you, check out Buckelew Farm's haunted attraction, Terror in the Corn, open every Friday in October from 6 p.m. to midnight, Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight and Halloween from 6 p.m. to midnight. This haunted corn maze is not for the faint of heart, children under 12 will not be admitted without a parent or adult — find more information here.
Buckelew also has other events lined up this season including The Great Pumpkin Race and Tucson Zombie Mud Run happening earlier in the month of October.
Find more information about the pumpkin festival here.
When: Begins Saturday, Oct. 7 and ends Sunday, Oct. 29.
Where: Buckelew Farm, 17000 W. Ajo Highway
Hours: Open every weekend in October from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $12 general admission, $10 senior discount, $6 for children under 12 during Kids Weekend from Oct. 7-8.
