Southern Maryland Pumpkin Patch Guide 2023

Autumn has arrived and with it comes one of everyone’s favorite weekend activities, a trip to the local pumpkin patch! Southern Maryland is full of small family farms which leaves locals and visitors spoiled for choice. Each farm has something unique to offer, this is your guide to find the best pumpkin patch for your perfect Fall outing. Whether you are looking for the perfect photo ops for Instagram, fun activities for your kids, or you just need to find the ideal pumpkin to carve into a spooky masterpiece for Halloween; there is a patch for you. Find our pumpkin picking tips at the end of the article!

Serenity Farms

6932 Serenity Farm Rd
Benedict, MD 20612
https://serenityfarmatbenedict.com/

Gather the whole family and head on over to Serenity Farms for their Fall Harvest Days. There will be a petting zoo, hayride, and of course pumpkin picking! Check out their Magnolia Market on 10/28 where kids 7 and under will receive a free pumpkin (while supplies last). There you will find local vendors selling crafts, vintage items, clothing, and more! There will also be several unique tastings and food trucks!

Harvest Days Event Info
Date: 2nd and 3rd Saturday & Sunday in October
Time: 10 AM – 4 PM

Magnolia Market Event Info
Date: 10/28/2023
Time: 10AM – 4 PM

EventBrite link to Magnolia Market tickets here!

Shlagel Farms

12850 Shlagel Rd
Waldorf, MD 20601
https://www.shlagelfarms.com/autumn-fun--pumpkins.html

Open Saturdays & Sundays from 9/30-10/29/2023

Take the hayride down to Shlagel Farm’s pumpkin patch, there you will find a petting zoo with baby chick holding, corn boxes, a straw maze, and a large sand pile with diggers! For all the pumpkin spice lovers don’t miss out on the pumpkin spice shake over at their shake shack! Sorry, no dogs allowed.

Forrest Hall Farms

39136 Avie Lane
Mechanicsville, MD 20659
https://forresthallfarm.com/

Find all your fall décor over at Forrest Hall Farms & Orchard like mums, cornstalks, and gourds. Along with the pumpkins there is also a great selection of apples available. While you are there check out their crazy corn maze, petting zoo, and face painting. Each paid admission gets a mini pumpkin! There will also be pony rides on select dates.

Bowles Farm

22880 Budds Creek Rd
Clements, MD 20624
https://bowlesfarms.com/

Open Weekends Only October 1st-October 29th, 2023

Just behind the giant figure of Spongebob on Budds Creek Road you will find Southern Maryland’s largest corn maze! Once you have worked up an appetite making your way through the maze check out their food stand and cupcake shop! Also, check out their many family friendly activities like the wagon ride, barn yard animals, playground, pumpkin farm, and barrel ride. Sorry, no dogs allowed!

Horsmon Farm

1865 Horsmon Farm Ln
St Leonard, MD 20685
http://www.horsmonfarm.com/harvest-festival.html

Open to the Public Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between September 23 - October 29
Hours: Friday 11-5 • Saturday 10-5 • Sunday 10-5

Looking for a dog friendly pumpkin patch in Southern Maryland? Look no further! At Horsmon Farm well behaved leashed pets are welcome. This farm isn’t just great for fido, the whole family will be having a great time. There is a maze, wagon rides, a farm trail, corn pit, farm animals, playground, scavenger hunt, and for the very brave the human hamster wheel.

Spider Hall Farm

3915 Hallowing Point Rd Prince Frederick, MD 20678

https://www.facebook.com/SpiderHallFarm/

Spider Hall Farm is great autumn weekend destination for the whole family with their hayrides, corn maze and delicious ice cream over at Mrs Moo’s Corner. Don’t miss their fantastic event for adults (21+) Sip N Search! You will be going on a self-guided tour of their corn maze in search of stations with samples of beer, wine, or liquor. After you make your way through the maze head on up to the farm stand where they will have food, beer, wine, and fall themed cocktails for sale. There will also be a DJ, cornhole, and a hayride!

Sip & Search Event has been rescheduled for 11/04/23!

old pickup truck hauls pumpkins by field of pumpkins

Pumpkin Picking Tips

When searching for the perfect pumpkin there are a lot of factors in play. Firstly what do you plan on using this pumpkin for? Different pumpkins serve different purposes. Some are better for carving, some for eating, and some are best suited for long lasting natural fall décor. Here we will list tips to help you find the best pumpkin suited to your needs.

Pumpkins for Carving

Look for any bad spots. You don’t want a pumpkin with scratches, bruises or dark spots that will make it rot faster.
Find a pumpkin with a sturdy hooked stem. This will work as a handle for the lid of your jack o’ lantern.
When you are bringing your pumpkin home make sure you carry it from the bottom so that the stem doesn’t break off.
Choose a variety of pumpkin that has thin skin like a field pumpkin or gold rush. Those warty ones look like they would be cool for design purposes, but the skin on them is like a hard shell which makes them difficult and dangerous to carve.
Sit the pumpkin on a flat surface before you buy it to make sure it can stand up on its own.

Once you have bought and carved your masterpiece there are a few things that you can do to make your jack o’ lantern last longer. Dilute some vinegar with water, swish it around the inside of your pumpkin making sure that the entire inside gets covered, dump out the excess, and then finally dip the “face” of pumpkin in the solution. Or you can try out our favorite method of dipping your pumpkin lid in ground cinnamon, it smells amazing!

Whichever method you choose please be mindful that pets and wildlife sometimes find themselves snacking on jack o’ lanterns so do not use any methods or chemicals that are toxic to animals like dipping pumpkins in bleach!

Pumpkins for Eating

While the common carving varieties of pumpkin are technically edible their flesh is usually stringy and not as flavorful as the other varieties.
To find the best pumpkin varieties for eating look for ones lend themselves well to sweet or savory recipes. Some examples include fairytale, sugar pie, and casper pumpkins.
If you like pumpkin seeds get a Pepitas pumpkin, it’s a hybrid that produces hull-less seeds.
As with the carving pumpkins examine the outsides of the pumpkins you plan to eat for any bruises or soft spots.

Pumpkins for Décor

Many of the same varieties of pumpkins used for eating are also great for decorating. Some varieties are cheese, Jarrahdale, and porcelain doll pumpkins.
Pumpkins with think warty appearances typically have very hard skin that will help them withstand the elements.
Check your pumpkin for any bruises, scratches, or soft spots. We cannot stress this enough if a pumpkin looks like it has been in a fight it will not last long.
If the temperature outside is expected to go below freezing, you may want to pull your pumpkins inside. While the cool air helps preserve pumpkins if they freeze and thaw that will cause them to get squishy.

Once you are done with your pumpkins be mindful of where and how you dispose of them. If they still contain their seeds and you toss them in the yard you may end up with a surprise pumpkin patch of your own next year. Composting your pumpkins is also a great option, just make sure you remove any seeds if you don’t use a hot composting method. Lastly, be mindful that animals (wildlife and pets alike) may find themselves snacking on your fall décor. Pumpkin seeds/pulp make a great treat and dewormer for the local deer so if you have woods set the used pumpkins along the tree line. NEVER leave out a pumpkin for animals that has been treated with bleach, silica, wax or Vaseline. These can make the animals that consume the pumpkin very ill or potentially kill them.