Pumpkin Patch Rec's

I love Sonny Acres!!! I have gone there once a year since I was a little, sometimes even 2 or 3 times a year. I now have a 6 month old son and we just took him there for the first time and he couldn't stop smiling. I can't wait to make that a tradition that he can share with his parents like I do with mine :) (Also, there is no admission fee. I can't believe some of these places actually charge for that!)

I really, really love the Stade Dairy Farm up in McHenry. We've been going there for five years even though it is an hour drive for us. I love arriving first thing in the morning...naps in the car...splitting warm cinnamon doughnuts with my girls and coffee with my husband. I love that you get to take the hay ride out into the actual pumpkin fields, romp through the field, and pick just the right pumpkin for you! There's just something neat about getting it right from the vine instead of a giant box. I've gone with my cousin's family in years past and the rule for the kids is "if you can carry it back to the trailer, you can get it." This year they changed their system a little...their trailer has an easy step ladder for climbing and it also has wooden benches with backs so it's much easier to get in and out of and super safe to ride on...my mother-in-law was very concerned about having to climb up on the trailer. Any pumpkin you choose is $5--from the smallest to the biggest. They have the usual pumpkin patch fair...petting zoo, pumpkin launcher, little train, slides, bouncy castles, country store, and festival type food for lunch. Some of the activities are better deals than others as far as the "tickets" go, but they also have a huge pit of dried corn that the kids love to play in and it's free. I don't know why they love it so much--it's just a foot deep of dried corn? But they love laying in it, covering each other, and making corn angels. With the doughnuts, hay ride, and corn, we usually only have time for a few other things, so we don't end up spending a slew of money...my kids are 5, 3, and 6 mo.

Here's their web site. I think they open around 10:00 and it's best to get their early because it can get a bit crowded--usually when we're leaving.

http://www.shadesofautumn.net/home.php

I love fall fests and pumpkin patches, so we have been to MANY in the past 5 years that I have lived here. There is one that is just above all the others by far, and that is Stade's Farm and Market.

http://www.shadesofautumn.net/home.php

They have HUGE HUGE fields of pumpkins that you ride on a hayride to (pulled by tractor) and gather them yourself, then hop back on and ride to the market.

When you pull up, you park in a huge gravel field. The huge market is in front of you decorated with walls of mums and gourds of all varieties, cornstalks, etc. making for GREAT photos. There is a VW bug painted like a pumpkin off to the side. There are some tractors the kids can sit on, hay-bale mazes for the little ones, corn mazes and fields, hot apple cider and donuts in a big open-air barn behind the market (which also sells all kinds of produce.) There are carts for you to pull your goodies around in, if they are too heavy too.

There are bounce houses, haunted houses (not so scary from the outside if you have toddlers), live music, a pumpkin cannon off in a far field (but visible), a little train (no track), pony rides, etc etc etc.

It's all close together, but spread enough that you don't feel trampled. You aren't walking MILES, and yet spacious, if that makes sense. It doesn't seem overwhelming to the kids like some of the carnival ones do either. It is more just enjoying the fresh air, maybe doing the bounce house and train, getting a donut, taking some pics, riding the hay ride, picking out pumpkins, picking out pumpkins... picking out pumpkins. :)

Hope this helps!

To bad you're not in California, I just love Smith Family Farms. They put on a huge production with a theater/teaching room, some farm animals, a corn/hay bale maze, and a hay ride to the other side of the farm to pick out your pumpkin. The kids love it. I hope someone posts something great like this in your area. It is truly a great experience compared to getting a pumpkin at the store. Great memories and pictures. Have you checked farms in the area? good luck.

curtis orchard in savoy IL it is wonderful they have a kids play area for small childern another play area for biger kids,goats,ducks,turkeys, also apple orchard and pumpkin patch. they also have a little store with pies and other goodies and a resturant. its a really great place to go as a famiy.

We did a round up with many of the area pumpkin patches: http://www.littlelakecounty.com/2010/09/orchards-pumpkin-...

I recommend Susanna Farms in Lake Villa (review here: http://www.littlelakecounty.com/2010/10/oh-susanna-fall-f... ) but you don't head out to the field to pick your pumpkins right off the vine, if that's what you're looking for.

Didier Farms is great! Lots of things to do - pony rides, big slide, warm donuts and cider, hay rides, maze, pumpkins...etc.

http://www.didierfarms.com/pages/pumpkinfest.php

Since I was a little girl I went to the Goebert's out in Marengo(I think was Marengo). Its a nice pumpkin farm, lots to do, but it got really expensive, they even charge you to get into the place. Since moving my husband and I have been taking our kids to Stades dairy farm. We love it. Lots of stuff for kids, nice ride out to the pumpkin field and its very reasonably priced, with no charge to get in. And like one of the other posters mentioned, I did see that they were running a special this year for $5 pumpkins.

If you feel like making a drive to the far west suburbs, i would suggest Kuipers Apple Orchard and pumpkin farm in maple park. they have a great orchard, with a shop, fresh apple cider donuts, pies, cider etc. Across the street from the orchard they have a pumpkin patch, hayrides, corn maze, petting zoo etc.

Here's a link to the Fall Fun Guide on www.kidwinks.com. In the Guide, you'll find a link to pumpkin farms, and many of those have reviews from parents.
http://www.kidwinks.com/KidsEvents/7/ChicagoKidFriendlyFa...
You'll also find links to Halloween events, autumn events, hayrides, and other fall activities.

If you become member of kidwinks, which is free, you can sort any of these lists (like the pumpkin farm list) by distance from your house, so you can easily see which is closest. It also displays the distance in miles to each place from your house.

Another place to consider, possibly for next year, is Bengtson's at 11341 W. 151st St. in Homer Glen, IL. Search at pumpkinfarm.com. Goebbert's in Hoffman Estates is, also, a great place as well as Konow's, also in Homer Glen, IL. as other posters have already stated. Have fun!

Our favorite is Goebberts. There's one in Hoffman Estates and one in Hampshire. Pumpkins, haunted house, food--you can even visit the petting zoo and feed the giraffes!

I love Kuipers in Maple Grove. It is kind of a trek from the city but it is definitely worth it. It is not over done, commercialized and totaly crowded. They have all the fun pumpkin patch things like pony rides, hay rides, they have these giant "sandboxes" filled with dried corn (my 16 month old son loved it), miniature John Deere tractors to ride on, and a fun play area made with giant tractor wheels and wooden structures( totally safe). My 3.5 yr old and 16 month old had a blast. There is a bunch of other stuff too. The actual pumpkin patch is a real pumpkin patch with vines and all, not a big grassy area that they "threw" a bunch of pumpkins in to. It's out in the middle of nowhere too so you definitly get that country feel. They have an apple orchard across the street so if you go early enough in the season you can pick apples too! We've gone to many other pumpkin patches: Tom's, Goebert's, and Bengston's to name a few; Kuiper's is definitely our favorite!

Konow's in Homer Glen, on Cedar Rd. Very reasonable, lots of activities for the children.

The pumpkin patch in Caledonia, IL. is the best. It's small and has just enough for the kids to do. We went yesterday and were there for about 2 hours. It has a small petting zoo, a short haunted shed, pony rides, a maze and bounce/jumpy areas. You can bring a picnic lunch or buy the food they have. Good luck in your search!