Pumpkin Picking at Hasty's Adventure Farm

Nearly two thousand pumpkins go into Hasty's Pumpkin Week, and they are not all orange. Green and ghost varieties sit in the patch alongside the familiar ones, which gives children something to argue over before anyone picks anything.

The week is timed to the Essex October half term, running from 22 to 30 October. Standard admission covers the Pumpkin Trail, pumpkin-themed games and activities, animal encounters and everything the farm normally offers, so the basic ticket is a full day out rather than a quick walk through a field.

Picking is the part that costs more. The Pumpkin Picking add-on buys access to the patch, the pumpkin-themed selfie stations and one pumpkin to choose, pick and carry home. The larger add-on takes in all of that and then has the pumpkin gutted and carved for you, with a tea light to put inside it, a make-your-own pumpkin potion and a goodie bag with a sweet treat.

The site is laid to short grass and gravel paths and is described as wheelchair and buggy friendly, with a fully accessible toilet and a separate baby changing room. Disabled parking spaces sit next to the entrance gate and parking is free. Only guide dogs and assistance dogs are allowed on site.

Booking ahead stays open until 11.59pm the night before and costs less than the gate price, though walk-ins are welcome. Each ticket booked online carries a £1 booking fee. If you are coming earlier in the autumn, the farm's Autumn Trail runs from 1 September to 12 October, before Pumpkin Week begins.