Nine pumpkin patches within an hour’s drive or less from Wichita
It’s pumpkin picking time at area pumpkin patches, which are offering a number of experiences, from simple pumpkin picking to a plethora of activities that range from monster slides to mazes and more.
Two area pumpkin patches are ranked among the six “absolute best pumpkin patches in Kansas” by the travel site onlyinyourstate.com. Walters’ Pumpkin Patch in Burns, about a 40-minute drive from Wichita, earned the No. 1 spot, while Cedar Creek Farm in nearby Maize, which offers helicopter rides on select Saturdays, claimed the No. 5 spot.
Visiting a pumpkin patch isn’t just for kids, either. Make a date — with friends or significant others — for Applejack Pumpkin Patch’s Friday night adults-only events in October or find a future date at Cedar Creek’s “Find Your Boo Singles Mingle” on Saturday night, Oct. 14. Cedar Creek is also offering a ladies night event on Oct. 12.
Here is a guide to nine pumpkin patches within an hour’s drive or less from Wichita. Pumpkins are sold by the weight at all patches.
Open now
Walters’ Pumpkinfest, 10001 NW U.S. Highway 77, Burns, through Oct. 29. Hours: 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; 1–7 p.m. Sundays
There’s plenty to do at Walters, which has 70 acres of play area and 30 acres of pumpkins. New activities this year are animal encounters with experts from Tanganyika Wildlife Park from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturdays, Sept. 23, Oct. 8 and Oct. 22, on a newly built stage near the farm’s Tiny Town attraction, a hobbit hole that leads to tunnels, and a mega slide that elicits “a lot of screams and hollering,” according to owner Becky Walters.
Visitors can meander through a maze designed to look like KC Wolf, the mascot of the Kansas City Chiefs, from above, or take photos in front of large round hay bales that were decorated by local groups and individuals. Many of the activities are included in admission, such as the animal encounters, culvert and bag swings over a creek, pedal boats, an actual treehouse with a slide and an obstacle course. Activities that have an add-on fee include the pumpkin cannon and slingshot, barrel train and gem mining.
Admission: To eliminate wait times at its gate, Walters is offering discounts for advance, online tickets. Online ticket prices are $16.95 for Wednesday-Friday admissions and $20.95 for weekends. Gate prices are $19.95 weekdays and $24.95 weekends. Fees and taxes are not included in the admission prices. Free admission for those under 2. Season passes for unlimited visits are $50 per person or $175 for a family of four.
More info: 316-320-4150, thewaltersfarm.com, facebook.com/walterspumpkinpatch
Klausmeyer Dairy Farm & Pumpkin Patch, 8135 S. 119 St. W., Clearwater, open through Oct. 31. Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, with extended hours to 10 p.m. Saturdays
Be prepared to attract the farm’s donkeys, horses and alpaca when you go on the Klausmeyer’s Farm Safari ride (which costs $4) into the farm’s pasture. The animals have learned that the ride, which is an extended golf cart, brings visitors bearing food “and they come running up,” said owner Debbie Klausmeyer. A variety of activities are included in the price of admission. New ticketed activities include a mud cupcake-making station and Friendly Fire game where nerf-like balls are shot.
There will be a free screening of the classic “Hocus Pocus” movie on Saturday, Sept. 23, and the farm’s sixth annual Halloween costume contest runs Oct. 28 and 29.
Admission: $10 weekends, $8 weekdays, a combo ticket for the farm and 5-acre corn maze package is $13 on weekends or $10 on weekdays. Ages 2 and under are free. Saturday night admission is free but you must purchase a ticket to an activity to enter the farm; activities include $20 for 100 paintballs to fend off zombies and $4 for its haunted Barn of Fear. Half-price admission special for veterans, first responders, educators, medical staff and U.S. postal employees with valid IDs on Sept. 23 and 24.
More info: 316-706-5391, klausmeyerdairyfarms.com, facebook.com/Klausmeyerpumpkinpatch
Opening Sept. 23
Cedar Creek Farm & Pumpkin Patch, 6100 N. 119th St. West, Maize, open through Oct. 29. Hours: 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Fridays-Sundays; closed Mondays for general admission but open 5 p.m.-dark for evening photography sessions
Things to do at this farm include a petting zoo, corn pit, pig races, hay-bale climbing, a kids zone, photo vignette opportunities throughout the farm, and weekend pig races and pony rides. New activities this year include human hamster wheel races, a ninja warrior course and more playground equipment.
Look for special visitors on Saturdays, when movie princesses and other characters are available for photos and autographs from 11 a.m. to noon, including Barbie and Wednesday Addams on Oct. 7, and the Sanderson Sisters trio on Oct. 21. Helicopter rides are available from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays starting Oct. 8; cost is $50 per rider with a two-rider minimum and three-rider maximum
Another Saturday special is a family-friendly late-night corn maze event 7-10 p.m. Oct. 21, which has a $10 admission or free with a season pass. S’mores kits will be available for purchase to use around the free fire pits.
The farm’s 5th annual Halloween Hootenanny trick-or-treat event is 5-7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29. Admission is $5 per person, with children under 1 free.
Other late-night events include the 5-8 p.m. Oct. 12 ladies night ($5 per person) and the 7-10 p.m. Oct. 14 singles mingle ($10 per person); the events are free with a season pass.
Admission: $12 for ages 3 and older, free for kids 2 and younger. Monday photography nights are $5 per person for ages 3 and older, $20 per carload. A season pass is $25 per person for unlimited admission to the pumpkin patch and all evening events, including photography nights.
More info: 316-295-8718, cedarcreekict.com, facebook.com/cedarcreekfarmandpumpkins
P and M Pumpkin Ranch, 311 16th Ave., Moundridge, through Nov. 5. Hours: 4–7 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Fridays and Sundays; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays; closed Mondays.
As the name indicates, P and M Pumpkin Ranch, located about halfway between Wichita and Salina, features Western-themed activities, including a new building called Big Red. It’s a huge barn that houses the ranch’s new gift and coffee shops, more restrooms, and the start of a 65-foot double-lane slide that ends the outside of the building. The ranch also has another slide that is more than twice that length. Other activities include Outlaw Oinkers pig races, a Barnstormer zip line and pedal kart tracks. Most activities are included in the general admission, with additional pay-to-participate activities like animal feeding and the pumpkin cannon.
A bonus is the ranch’s sunflower fields, which will likely be in full bloom in early October, according to owner Jamie Kaminkow, and the already blooming zinnia fields that make for great photo backdrops.
Admission: $15, free for ages 2 and under; $35 for an unlimited-visits season pass
More info: 620-345-3103, pandmpumpkinranch.com, facebook.com/pandmpumpkinranchmoundridgeks
Marietta Farm, 1600 E. US-54 Highway, Andover. Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays-Sundays.
With limited activities during the weekdays, the best time to visit for more family fun is Friday through Sunday, when all rides, games and concessions are open, according to its website. Some activities are included in admission, such as its corn pit, bouncer, tire swings, zip line, a playground and games. Other ticketed activities include a carousel, a flying chair ride, corn cannons, paintball, bungee bouncer and bumper cars.
Admission: $8 Mondays -Thursdays, $10 Fridays-Saturday, with children 2 and younger free. Discounts available for military with ID.
More info: 316-227-1563, mariettafarm.com/pumpkin-patch, facebook.com/mariettafarms
Opening Sept. 30
Applejack Pumpkin Patch, 10007 SW Indianola Rd, Augusta, through Oct. 29. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays; 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturdays; noon–6 p.m. Sundays; closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
New this year is a corn blaster activity, where participants can shoot cobs of corn, like the patch’s pumpkin cannon. Applejack is also adding a coffee shop that will serve a select Applejack option roasted by Alchemy Coffee Werks in Augusta. It’s also continuing its Friday night events in October for the 21-and-older crowd, which it started last year, but with a later start time of 5:30 p.m. The three-hour outdoor event includes live entertainment, fire pits and yard games. The $10 admission includes a small bag of kettle corn and a bottle of water, with other beverages (including adult ones) and food for sale.
During regular hours, activities such as a play area, petting zoo, hayride, corn maze, zip line, big slide, obstacle course, oversize yard games, cutouts for photo opportunities, and more are included in admission. Weekend-only activities with add-on fees include artillery-type activities where everything from corn to gourds are launched, adult pedal karts and a paintball gallery.
Admission: $12 for ages 3 and up, free for ages 2 and younger. Half-price admission for military and seniors with ID. Tickets may be purchased online.
More info: 316-733-8909, applejackpumpkinpatch.com, facebook.com/applejackpumpkinpatchandvenue
Mr. Gourdman’s, 3750 S. Dusty Road, Derby, through Oct. 29. Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays; weekdays by appointment only
If you missed the mounted shooting competition — a sort of combination of barrel racing and sharpshooting — at the Kansas State Fair this month, you can check it out on select Saturdays at Mr. Gourdman’s, which is a working horse ranch with a horse arena. Owner Gary Bussart’s son is an active competitor in the sport.
Located near McConnell Air Force Base, this farm offers a more low-key experience. Its 15-acre lake is down so low, said Bussart, that unless there’s significant rain, he’ll be unable to offer canoeing or kayaking on the lake. While the lake is low, the farm’s crop of Sudan grass that Bussart turns into a maze is “taller than ever.” He’s also readied the clubhouse where “Little Rascals” movies are shown continuously. Bussart will also be scheduling live music on select Saturdays.
Admission: $10 for ages 4 and older, free for kids 3 and younger; $7 for Wichita city employees and military with ID.
More information: 316-733-1887, pumpkinpatchwichita.com
Meadowlark Farm, 11249 SW 160th St., Rose Hill, through October while pumpkins are available. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays. If you’re looking for some exotic-looking pumpkins that can be consumed after being used as inside décor, this orchard is the place to go.
“You can keep them on a table for a couple of months and then after the decorating time is over, you can cook them up and eat them,” said owner Tom Brown.
About half of the farm’s pumpkin fields are planted with jack-o-lantern pumpkins while the other half is planted with heirloom, international varieties, like the blue-hued Jarrahdale variety and a French variety that has a pink background and lots of peanut-like bumps, according to Brown. He also grows the Dickinson Field variety that “has almost a cult following and looks like a rugby ball. It’s the canned-pumpkin pumpkin that Libby’s uses,” Brown said.
Frost wiped out the farm’s apple crop this year so it’s not offering apple picking but it will have fresh-pressed hard cider for sale. The farm has outdoor seating available, a playground and a nature trail.
Admission: $2.50 for ages 13 and older. Bring your own harvest knife or shears to cut the pumpkin off the vine or rent one from the store
More info: 316-518-8907, facebook.com/MeadowlarkFarm, themeadowlarkfarm.com
Patchwork Farms, 372 70th, Newton (6 miles north of Newton on Highway K-15, then ¼ mile east) through the end of October. Hours: 10 a.m.-dark Saturdays and 1-6 p.m. Sundays. Closed weekdays.
After losing its 2022 pumpkin crop to hail, this farm, formerly called Papa’s Pumpkin Patch, will have both prepicked and you-pick-off-the-vine pumpkins, said owner Kristi Unruh. Other activities include a big slide, a small playground, hayrack rides, and lots of farm animals.
Another big draw, according to social media, is the chocolate-chip pumpkin bars, available for $3 per individual piece or $25 for a half-sheet pan.
Admission: $1 for all ages
More info: 620-345-6867, facebook.com/profile.php?id=100080670486921
