The Perfect Pumpkin

Throughout October, many farms let you scour the fields for your ideal pumpkin, and pick it right off the vine. Some offer more than just a pumpkin patch, with fall festivals featuring live music, natural and delicious food, hayrides, spooky haunted houses and more. Picking your own pumpkin is the perfect fall activity that the whole family will enjoy! Before making the trip, call ahead to check crop availability, activities and times of operation.

Once you have your pumpkin you can enjoy it as is, or carve it into a jack-o’-lantern. If you have real little ones, or are short on time, you might want to forgo the carving and select one of these “gunkless” designs that are still in keeping with the spirit of the holiday.

Old Lady McVeggie

Raid the fridge for decorations

Get It: Cocktail onions, broccoli florets, cucumber,
black olives, large red pepper, small orange
and yellow peppers, corn kernels, baby carrots,
stick pins, knife

Do It: Cut one 1/4 inch thick slice of cucumber
and slice in half. Use a knife to cut small triangles
along the outer edge for eyelashes. Cut thin
slices of red pepper for lips. Cut a small yellow
pepper in half and hollow out to create ears. Cut
the tips from baby carrots to make moles for the
lady’s face. Using stick pins, poke through each
vegetable and the pumpkin’s skin to attach to all
parts of the face. Attach red pepper “lips” close
together so they will hold in the corn kernel
teeth without pins.

Tip: Using fresh veggies means this design does
not have a long life span, so assemble immediately
before you wish to display it.

Dutchess County, N.Y.

Barton Orchards

63 Apple Tree Lane, Poughquag

845-227-2306. bartonorchards.com

Dykeman’s Farm

Pumpkin Patch open weekends in Oct.

823 West Dover Road, Pawling

845-832-6068. dykemanfarm.com

Greig Farm

223 Pitcher Lane, Red Hook

845-758-1234. greigfarm.com

Fishkill Farms

9 Fishkill Farms Road, Hopewell Junction

845-897-4377. fishkillfarms.com

Hahn Farm

Corn maze, pony rides, hay rides.

1697 Salt Point Turnpike, Salt Point

845-266-5042. hahnfarm.com

Fraleigh’s Rose Hill Farms

19 Rose Hill Farm, off Rte. 9, Red Hook

845-758-4215. pickrosehillfarm.com

Secor Pick-A-Pumpkin

63 Robinson Lane, Wappingers Falls

845-452-6883. pumpkinnook.com

Fairfield County, Conn.

Blue Jay Orchards

125 Plumtrees Road, Bethel

203-748-0119. bluejayorchardsct.com

Jones Family Farm

Hayrides, farm animals, corn maze.

606 Walnut Tree Road, Shelton

203-929-8425. jonesfamilyfarms.com

Silverman’s Farm

Hayrides, farm animals

451 Sport Hill Road, Easton

203-261-3306. silvermansfarm.com

Warrup’s Farm

Hayrides, farm animals

51 John Read Road, Redding

203-938-9403. warrupsfarm.com

Jack-O-Bots

Make robot faces with household odds-and-ends

Get It: A variety of household objects including metal
hardware, wire, nails, small tools and aluminum foil; hot
glue gun

Do It: Assemble objects to resemble faces and attach
to pumpkins using hot glue. Attach objects with pointy
ends by poking them through the pumpkin skin.
Tip: Stack two or three pumpkins on top of one another
to create an entire robot body.

See more decorating ideas in the October issue of Westchester Family magazine.