Pack Farms Pumpkin Patch in Farmington

Pack Farms is a great way to catch the autumn/Halloween/harvest spirit. It seems that Halloween has become a month-long holiday, with almost as many decorations, parties and activities as the Christmas season. It’s a great time to get out in the crisp fall weather and enjoy a pumpkin patch, corn maze, haunted house, hay ride or amusement park.

A few years ago I discovered Pack Farms on the west side of Farmington at 1700 W. Glovers Lane (near the Bird Refuge). It’s ideal for younger kids — from toddlers to grade schoolers — and it’s budget-friendly. And, I like the idea of supporting local farms.

You can push a wagon out to the pumpkin fields and pick out the ones you want. Large, small, round, oval, smooth or rippled skin — there’s definitely something for everyone if you look hard enough.

There were piles of already-picked pumpkins, which made it easier than pulling on whiskery vines. At 30 cents per pound, were able to get three large pumpkins for around $9. I don’t know anyone who makes pumpkin pies out of real pumpkins anymore, but I guess you could take them home and do that instead of carving them.

The pumpkins are sold separately from the activities; if all you want are pumpkins, you don’t have to buy an activities pass. But kids can also go in the hay maze for free.

The hay bales are just high enough that most young kids can see over. My two grandkids (ages kindergarten and 2nd grade) had more fun chasing through it than the large corn maze we visited last year. I think those tall corn mazes seem better suited for teens and adults.

Activity passes are sold separately from the pumpkins at a little shack. The cost per wristband is $5, or 4 for $18. Kids must be supervised, so adults also must buy a wristband.

Some of the farm-y fun includes: Makeshift slides propped up on hay bales, a dodgeball pen, giant checkers and tick-tac-toe games played with mini pumpkins, tetherball, corn hole, giant Connect 4, and toy duck races.

Under a large tent, you’ll find a “corn box,” or a sandbox filled with dried corn. The kids were having a lot of fun filling up trucks, making pretend “corn soup,” and pouring corn over other kids’ heads — just like a regular sandbox. Papa Kim wondered if on a hot day, the corn would start popping like popcorn.

I think the kids enjoyed the zip lines best of all the activities. We were glad we came early in the day, before the lines of waiting kids got too long.

I like the rustic farm feeling, and it gives the kids a chance to do some old-fashioned back-to-nature activities. At $5 per person, it’s more budget-friendly than most of the Halloween spots we’ve visited in the past. In comparison, at Black Island Farms in Syracuse, the Corn Maze and Courtyard activities are $11 per adults and $9 per kid age 3-12. A hayride to pick out a pumpkin is another $8. Cherry Hill’s Scary Hill is $9.99 per person, which covers mini golf, activities and a tractor ride through the “boneyard.” Lagoon’s Frightmares is $46.95 for kids and $68.95 for adults. General admission for the Cross E Ranch in Salt Lake is $9.95 for children and $11.95 for adults. Pumpkin Nights at the Utah State Fairpark is $20 for adults, $16 for kids. You can do the math.

A few things to know before you go:

• It’s open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and closed on Sunday.

• On a Saturday afternoon, we saw no food trucks, concession stands or picnic tables. I’d suggest feeding your kids before you come, so they don’t get hangry/whiny.

• When we came a few years ago, we had to slap off a lot of mosquitoes. Last Saturday, the mosquitoes were gone; maybe due to colder weather. But I’d bring some repellant spray just in case.

• If you and/or your kids have hay/weed allergies, you might want to take some meds beforehand. It’s a real farm, so there’s lots of pollen floating around.

• Aside from the little ticket shack selling wristbands, there doesn’t appear to be much staff monitoring the activities. So it’s up to parents to make sure their kids get a turn on the zipline, or make it safely down the slide.