Because going to a pumpkin patch is more fun than buying pumpkins at the grocery store!

Finding the perfect pumpkin to carve is one of the best parts of the Halloween season, in my opinion. As a kid, we never bought our pumpkins from the local store (despite the cheaper cost), we always drove out to a farm, where we got to take a hayride out to an actual pumpkin patch and pick them ourselves. It's one of my favorite memories from my childhood. That, and sticking my hand inside the pumpkin and pulling out all the guts so my mom could bake the seeds...

If you're planning on taking your kids out to get pumpkins right from the patch, whether they're pre-picked or you get to pick them yourself, here are a few locations in Eastern Iowa that you can go:

  • Bart's Farm and Pumpkin Patch
    • Location - 7307 Alburnett Rd, Marion, Iowa
    • Hours - Open weekends from 9 a.m. until dark and weeknights from 5 p.m. until dark
  • Bloomsbury Farm
    • Location - 3260 69th St., Atkins, IA 52206
    • Hours - Open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Pumpkin Patch Pizzazz
    • Location - 16359 170th AVE, Monticello, IA 52310
    • Hours - Open Wednesday through Friday 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Colony Pumpkin Patch
    • Location - 2780 Front St. NE, North Liberty, IA 52317
    • Hours - Open Monday through Friday 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Bass Farms
    • Location - 1325 US-30, Mt Vernon, IA 52314
    • Hours - Open Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where's your favorite place to get fresh pumpkins in Eastern Iowa? Share yours in the comments below!

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