Best spots in Cork for Pumpkin picking

THE annual Pick-a-Pumpkin season is upon us - a great way to celebrate the changing season.

Pumpkins, squash and gourds have been growing all summer long, and there’s something of a bumper crop this year. Good news for those who rely on their pumpkin crop to raise much-needed funds for causes near and dear, and plenty of opportunity to grab a cracking-looking pumpkin!

Think Eco

Kids love the annual ritual of carving a pumpkin into Hallowe’en lanterns, but pumpkins are delicious, too. 

Before you pick your pumpkin, have a plan to make the most of every little bit to ensure that there is no waste and only taste!

Seeds: Every pumpkin is filled with hundreds of tasty seeds. Simply wash, pat dry and bake in an oven until crisp. Leave them plain or season with warming spices (cumin and paprika work well, plus a little salt). Store in an airtight container and use on salads, soups and stews.

Consider keeping just a few aside before cooking, dry, store, and these seeds can be planted next year for even more pumpkins!

Inside scoop: If carving your pumpkin into a lantern, use all the cuttings, carvings and scoopings to make a lovely soup. Pumpkins vary in colour so your soup may vary from bright orange to yellow, cream or green. Top it off with some of your baked spiced pumpkin seeds.

Compost: When the pumpkin lantern has done its job, put it in a compost bin where it will break down and turn into soil. You could be using that soil to grow new pumpkin plants from those reserved seeds! If you don’t have access to your own compost heap or brown bin collection, your local Civic Amenity Site may collect food waste for making compost on site.

Best places to Pick-Your-Own-Pumpkin in Cork

1. Field of Dreams, Clash Road, Curraheen, Cork, T12 XH4C

Field of Dreams planted more than 1100 pumpkins this year, all perfectly ripened, locally grown and chemical free. Pumpkins are available in green, white, orange, grey - even striped ones!

Their Pick A Pumpkin Festival 2023 got underway on Sunday October 8 and will take place again on October 15 from 10am to 3.30pm.

This festival includes a pumpkin trail, arts and crafts, music, fancy dress, storytelling and spooky tattoos (not permanent), games in the courtyard, and a Guess the Weight pumpkin competition.

A festive café will operate onsite with hot drinks and sweet treats available.

All funds raised go to providing educational s for adults with Down Syndrome across Cork.

Tickets must be booked via Eventbrite. €20 for single entry and to pick a pumpkin, €5 entry only, Family/Group (up to 4, adults/children) €32.50, and children under 2 go free. To enter the pumpkin patch and pick a pumpkin, you must purchase a Pumpkin Ticket or Family/Group Ticket.

2. Joe’s Farm, Killeagh, Co. Cork P36 X582

Joe’s Farm may be well known for their deliciously flavourful packets of potato and vegetable crisps, but perhaps their annual Pumpkin Pick is just as celebrated. Every year, Joe’s Farm welcome visitors to their working farm for a family friendly experience that is as much about learning a little about farm life as it is for the pumpkin picking experience itself.

Take your time exploring the farm, pick your own vegetables straight from the ground, and lots of opportunities for fun spooky-themed photos amongst harvest and Hallowe’en-themed decorations. 

Then select the pumpkin of your dreams from the pumpkin patch!

Their on-site farm shop will be packed to the rafters with lots of seasonal on-farm produce - including packets of Joe’s Farm Crisps. Refreshments are by way of crepes and bubble waffles from Desserts La Crème, and made-to-order pizzas, too.

Running every weekend from October 7 to 30, with slots available from 10am-3pm, this festival sells out fast every year. Be sure of dates and times booked as there is a strict no refund or cancellation policy in place.

Tickets are €7.50 for a Non-Picker (visit the farm but no veg or pumpkin picking allowed), and €22 for a Picker (child or adult, veg and pumpkin included). Book at www.joesfarmcrisps.ie/pumpkin-picking-booking

3. The Farm at Grenagh, Ballymorisheen, Grenagh, T23 VH79

This award-winning working farm and visitor attraction north of the city near Mallow promises lots of fun and excitement for all the family. Tickets for the Secret Garden Pumpkin Patch includes entry to the farm, playgrounds, choo-choo barrel-ride, a Maize maze and pumpkin carving workshops.

There is also a chance to meet the farm animals – ducks and geese, pigs, horses and donkeys, cows and sheep; explore what farm life was like in the 1950s, zip wire fun and fairy gardens. 

After, refuel with a hearty feast in the on-site Haystack Restaurant.

The Farm at Grenagh’s Pumpkin Patch Experience is open every weekend from October 7 and Bank Holiday Monday and Tuesday too. Ticket prices start from €5 (non-picker) to €18 (with pumpkin). Book online at www.visitthefarm.ie.

4. Ballinadee Bus, Cloncouse, Ballinadee, Co. Cork, P72 CV67

The community-minded McCarthy family who run the eclectic Ballinadee Bus are opening their rescue farm and pumpkin patch in full spooky regalia every Wednesday to Sunday from October 4 to November 5, from 10am to 7pm.

This year, rather than grow the pumpkins, they have sourced giant pumpkins and decorative gourds from farms in Dublin and Wexford which will be placed around a Halloween themed field surrounded by their menagerie of rescue animals, including alpacas, pygmy goats, donkeys, cows, chickens, and pigs.

All proceeds go towards funding shelter, food and vets’ bills for their rescue animals, and its Local Community Fund for improvements to local sports pitches.

As well as the rescue farm, there is a scarecrow field, vintage tractors, and picture-perfect photo opportunities. There is a haunted bus to hang out in with family-friendly Hallowe’en movies playing all day long, and the weekend charity raffles, pumpkin carving and scarecrow making workshops. The coffee dock will be open for warming hot chocolate, coffee, tea and snacks.

Tickets from €7.50 - €12.50 with discounts available for families and groups. No advance booking required. Updates and enquiries via the Ballinadee Bus Instagram page (@ballinadee_bus).

See https://ballinadeebus.com/