By Andrea McInnis Herald Writer
The shift from summer to fall makes a perfect reason to visit Snohomish County’s pumpkin patches and corn mazes.
Many are open now, many will open soon and many boast special events or new features to accompany their crops.
One option is the Snohomish Festival of Pumpkins, running today through Oct. 31. A few of the festival’s members include:
Bob’s Corn, at 10917 Elliott Road, Snohomish. The venue this year offers a Space Needle-themed, 10-acre corn maze, open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, now through Oct. 31.
Daytime corn maze admission is $7 ages 13 and older, $6 ages 5 to 12 and $30 per family; after dark, $10, $9, $40. Its U-pick pumpkin patch has 34 varieties.
Bob’s also offers weekend hay rides and this year will provide cow train rides and a playground for children. Details are at 360-668-2506 and www.bobscorn.net.
The staff of Stocker Farms, at 10622 Airport Way, and Stocker’s corn maze and Pumpkin Festival Field, 8705 Marsh Road, both in Snohomish, this year have enabled guests to get into autumn fun more quickly.
The farm now allows online ticket purchases for its Field of Screams at www.stockerfarms.com. Stocker, another Snohomish Festival of Pumpkins participant, also for 2009 offers a special anniversary “Snohomish Celebrates 150 Years: History So Close You Can Touch It” corn maze. For details, call 360-568-7391.
Another way to kick off pumpkin season is to attend the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off at 10 a.m. Sunday at The Farm at Swan’s Trail, 7301 Rivershore Road, another of the Festival of Pumpkins’ participating members.
The 2008 weigh-in winner, Jake Van Kooten, also grew the biggest pumpkin in the world, at 1,536.5 pounds. For more about the weigh-in, visit www.pnwgpg.com.
More details on the Snohomish Festival of Pumpkins are at www.festivalofpump kins.org. For the full list of local patches, see this issue’s pumpkin calendar.
Andrea McInnis: 425-339-3479; amcinnis@heraldnet.com
