Pumpkin Picking Time
Everywhere I look, pumpkins are adorning patios and doorsteps. If you haven’t already picked out the perfect pumpkin, you still have time! In fact, this is a great week to visit to a nearby pumpkin patch and the greater Tulsa area has quite a few. If you are looking for a longer, authentic experience, I highly recommend our favorite — Livesay Orchards.
Livesay Orchards is located in the town of Porter, which is famous for the Porter Peach Festival. Livesay is known for much more than peaches, which are only available to pick during summer months. Each season has its special something. During late August to mid-October, visitors can pick their own apples at Livesay. Then, in October, everyone flocks to Livesay to pick out pumpkins from the patch.
In order to get to the patch, guests take a hayride past the orchards, which is a fun experience for all ages. The first time we went out, we were stunned at the sea of orange pumpkins waiting to be chosen. It is quite a selection process to pick a pumpkin from the patch, as each has its own unique features, which seem to lend its own unique personality for carving. Pro tip — go out earlier in the month for the best pumpkin selection.
Arriving back at the market store to weigh and pay for pumpkins is a temptation for everyone in our family because there are so many amazing items for sale! Strolling through the market offers a wonderful opportunity to talk to kids about how fruits start in the orchard and end up being made into many different foods, like jam. Have a child that isn’t fond of vegetables? Try taking them to the place where veggies are grown then sold and explain the farming process. It might be the first step in opening taste buds. Fingers crossed!
As if the patch experience isn’t enough, Livesay Orchards has Pumpkin Playland featuring a 4-acre corn maze, a mini maze for little ones, apple blaster cannons, and more. Concessions are offered in this area, and after walking around it is a great place to take a break. Expect to spend 2-3 hours at Livesay Orchards, not including drive time.
What I find enchanting about Livesay Orchards is that it isn’t too far from Tulsa, but feels worlds away. It is a beautiful area and even on a hot day in October, feels like autumn when you’re there in the countryside. Everything is hands-on at the orchard so it is a wonderful experience for kids!
No matter where you go, letting kids pick out a pumpkin, big or small, is something fun and memorable. If you don’t want to carve a pumpkin, there are likely other things laying around the house that your child can use to decorate it such as child safe glue with buttons, leaves, construction paper, or tissue paper. Some types of markers and stickers also work well on pumpkins. Everything should be done with adult supervision to ensure little hands stay safe.
Happy pumpkin picking!
