THE BEST PUMPKIN PATCH IN THE OC: PUMPKIN CITY
By: Ashley Lacambra
LAGUNA HILLS - The smell of popcorn wafts through the air and a sea of orange explodes among haystacks and cornstalks. Kids are running around, petting goats and riding mini tractors. The parents are following suit with their phone cameras always at the ready. The Pumpkin City Inc Pumpkin Patch, just located off the 5 South Freeway on El Toro, is back for spooky season and there is not a more aesthetically pleasing autumnal backdrop. There are pumpkins to pick and rides to go on for the family or beers to proost with at the Oktoberfest beer garden on a date or with friends.
The overall atmosphere was joyful and fun. On a weekday, there were still a decent amount of people but enough room for the kids to run around. That makes a person wonder how packed it would be on the weekends. Since admission was free before 4pm on Wednesday, it was perfect. There was enough time to play with the stinky yet adorable goats and grab a $10 hot dog before the sun set.
Right at 5pm was golden hour and the pumpkin patch magically turned into the perfect photoshoot opportunity for influencers, families and couples on a date. The game booths had nostalgic carnival games to test agility and hand-eye coordination. The mining section allowed visitors to sift through dirt in search for gold. There were activities available for everyone, including live music and supposedly a puppet theater on the weekends.
Out of all the pumpkin patches in Orange County, the Pumpkin City’s Pumpkin Patch is the most affordable with well decorated scenery and plenty of activities for everyone.
The pumpkin patch will be open until Oct. 31. The all-ages event is open from Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday to Sunday it will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
To find the most up to date information for the Pumpkin Patch, https://pumpkincity.com is the official link.