Pumpkin Picking at Widmer Farm Park

The pumpkins here are not out in a field. They are set up in the farm's stable courtyard, more than 5,000 of them plus 2,000 squash, on hard standing rather than soil, which lets the farm promise something most pumpkin events cannot: it isn't muddy.

That matters if you are pushing a buggy, if someone in the group is unsteady on their feet, or if you simply do not want to spend the evening cleaning boots. Wellies are still worth bringing for the rest of the site, and the event runs come rain or shine, so the forecast is not a reason to cancel the day.

Pumpkin patch tickets include entry to the farm park itself, so the pumpkins are one part of the visit rather than the whole of it. There are indoor games as well as the outdoor farm, pumpkin carving on site and face painting during the event, and the cafe serves hot and cold food and drinks through the middle of the day.

Pumpkins and squash are bought separately and priced by size and type, which is worth explaining to children before they settle on the biggest one in the courtyard. Tickets are cheaper booked online before 10am on the day of a visit, so a little forward planning saves a small amount per head. Dogs cannot come, apart from trained assistance dogs.