Top 5 fall family fun PYO pumpkin patches from Clarington to Oshawa to Uxbridge

October is now in full swing and that means fall fun for the family from now until the Great Pumpkin rises in three weeks time.

Speaking of pumpkins, one of the favourite rites of fall is picking your own and pumpkin patches are plentiful in Durham Region, starting with one of the area’s most famous pumpkin-picking patches, Pingle’s Farm Market in the hamlet of Hampton in Clarington.

Just a short drive along Taunton Road from Oshawa, Pingles has been in the corn maze and pick-your-own pumpkin business since 1987 and now has new owners after Walter and Colleen Pingle retired in 2020 and sold the farm to the McKay family of Port Perry.

The mazes, a play land for kids, wagon rides, pick-your-own strawberries, corn, tomatoes, pears, apples (ten varieties!) and, of course, the pumpkin patch are a few of the highlights on this popular fall event.

Some enhancements since the farm changed hands include adding a bar, The Thirsty Goat, for visitors to wet their whistles after picking produce in the field or after navigating through the 6.5-acre corn maze.

Pingle’s is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday; 9-6 Saturday, Sunday and holiday Monday and 9-5 Tuesday through Thursday. The Pingle’s Market store is open seven days a week.

Tickets start at $5. Tuesday to Thursday admission includes entry to the pick-your-own areas, playland and animal area and the corn maze. Weekend tickets include wagon rides and access to live music and picnic table seating at the Harvest Festival food & drink area.

For more information on Pingle’s Farm Market visit https://pinglesfarmmarket.com/

What could be more fall-like than a trip to a corn maze and pumpkin patch? Enjoying a glass of cider or wine in a two-plus acre pollinator meadow at Applewood Farm Winery near Seagrave, for one.

Applewood, located just north of Port Perry, boasts a 40-acre corn maze, a small animal barn and a glorious pumpkin patch – with several varieties of squash available for those who like to mix it up a bit during gourd season.

​Admission to the farm and corn maze is $13.00 per person (ages 3-65), which includes access to the three kilometres of trails(!) in the corn maze and the pick of the pumpkin patch.

​The farm also has a large play yard and the small animal barn, a giant chess set, pea gravel play pit and playhouses for the little ones. ​

For more information, check out https://www.applewoodfarmwinery.com/

Cooper’s Corn Maze, Zephyr (Uxbridge)

Coopers Farm, a corn maze, fun farm and pumpkin patch near Zephyr in Uxbridge Township, is another popular Durham Region attraction in October, especially its Friday ‘No Lights’ Night Maze running this month.

The Night Maze ticket price is $23 per person (which includes admission to the pumpkin patch) plus HST, with a slight discount for cash transactions. Children three and under are free.

Coopers Farm features plenty of non-pumpkin or corn maze options as well, including wildflowers; pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken; jams, jellies & preserves; maple syrup and much more.

The farm is open Thursday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. There is also an online store open during the week where you can pre-order your items to be picked up Saturdays at the farm store or at the local farmers market.

For more information on pumpkins and the corn maze at Coopers Farm, visit http://www.coopersfarm.ca/night-corn-maze

Linton’s Farm Market has so many pumpkins the staff are firing them out of the fields with their trusty Pumpkin cannon, a not-to-be missed attraction this month at the farm on Raglan Road in Oshawa’s rural far north.

Linton’s also features corn bowling (you read that right), its own unique corn maze, a tricycle track, wagon rides to the pumpkin patch and kids activities like a giant sand pit, a ‘net’ maze, ball games, a tunnel swing, a giant slide and rubber duck races.

The farm, located at 571 Raglan Rd. E. is open every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. this month. The pumpkin cannon show is at 11a.m., 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. every weekend in October.

Admission is $10 (online) or $12 walk-in and Lintons is open on weekends (and Thanksgiving Monday) from 10-3 all month.

For more details visit https://lintonsfarmmarket.com/

Watson Farms, located on the edge of urban Bowmanville, has fun activities for the whole family, with a petting zoo, playtime for the kids in a newly upgraded ‘Watsonland,’ wagon rides and plenty of opportunities for selfies around the farm or in the pick-your-own pumpkin patch.

A big attraction on the farm is the Sunflower Maze Experience and there are also six varieties of apples still in the orchards, as well as beans, strawberries and raspberries still in the fields. The pumpkin patch is open daily from 9-6 and the market, filled with local produce, sweet treats, pastries, fresh dairy, home goods and more, is open 9-7 every day.

Another popular feature is the Haunted Corn Maze happening October 13-14 and on October 20 and 22. Watson Farms is teaming up with John Howard Society of Durham Region for this spooky night-time event.

All proceeds support the Firehouse Youth Centre.

Sunflower Maze Experience at Watson Farm, Bowmanville

Other fun family destinations this month include Willowtree Farm (Port Perry) for pick-your-own pumpkins; Hy-Hope Farm (Ashburn) for pick-your-own apples. Forget-Me-Not-Alpacas in Beaverton for farm tours and, well, alpacas; Two Blokes Cider in Seagrave for delicious cider and Hank’s Pastries in downtown Port Perry for the very best in belt-loosening pies, tarts and everything sweet.