As the weather turns cooler and fall begins to show in the leaves, local pumpkin patches reopen and become focal points for the autumnal experience.
Auburn has numerous places nearby for spending an afternoon pumpkin picking and getting in the fall mood.
Some of these places are Jack-O-Lantern Lane, Lazenby Farm and Farmer in the Dell Pumpkin Patch.
They each offer experiences besides pumpkin picking.
Farmer in the Dell Pumpkin Patch, located on County Road 61 in Loachapoka, has been open for approximately six years. They also grow sunflowers.
"The only thing we charge for is the hayride," said Marie Foshee, employee at Farmer in the Dell. "We have a big sunflower field that everyone loves, and we sell them by the stem. We sell them to florists or just people wanting bouquets."
Farmer in the Dell sells their pumpkins by the pound, and also have decorative gourds of all sizes for sale.
Foshee said they also have farm animals that roam around the farm.
"We try to keep it totally farmish, not commercialized," Foshee said. "Just a true farm experience. We just want people to come out and enjoy the outdoors and feel like they're not too far out of town, but they feel like they're way out in the country."
Lazenby Farm, located on County Road 54 in Auburn, grows cotton, corn, wheat, peanuts, rice, soybeans and pumpkins.
Dawn Lazenby, owner of the farm, said her family is fourth-generation farmers. Their farm has been in operation since 1890.
"We have miniature horses," Lazenby said. "There's a petting zoo, and, of course, we encourage people to go out into the fields and pick cotton or dig peanuts if we have those available."
Lazenby said their pumpkins grow approximately the size of a volleyball.
Anything Lazenby Farm has left after Oct. 31, they donate to a food bank.
Tammy Morgan and her husband own Jack-O-Lantern Lane, located at 18151 Veterans Memorial Parkway, in LaFayette. Morgan said this is the 10th year they have been farming pumpkins.
"You take the hayride to the patch and pick your own pumpkin," Morgan said. "We have a petting zoo, we have cornmeal demonstrations, which is corn beans ground down, and the kids get to grind their own ear of corn."
Jack-O-Lantern Lane also has inflatables, Thomas the Train, concessions, homemade ice cream and a country store.
Morgan said they even have mining for the children.
"We have a gem mine that we have set up, where they go down and do their pan of sand, and they mine until they get their gems out of the sand," Morgan said. "Kind of like you're mining for gold, but you're just mining for gems."
Their average pumpkins are approximately 10-15 pounds, but the biggest one they've ever grown was almost 350-375 pounds, Morgan said.
Pumpkins of all shapes and sizes are available for picking during this autumnal season.
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