Pumpkin Patchin’ It on the Coast

You know it’s September in Half Moon Bay when the weather warms up, Halloween decorations come out and farm fields along Highway 92 and Highway 1 are dotted with pumpkins of every shape, size and shade of orange, yellow and green. It’s pumpkin picking time in Half Moon Bay and luckily Coastsiders don’t have to travel far to enjoy the bounty of the season.

Pumpkins are for the picking on the vine at many of these old-fashioned pumpkin patches and vegetable farms by the sea from Moss Beach to Pescadero. Many places provide wagons and wheelbarrows for carting pumpkins around the patch and feature bouncy houses, kiddie rides and petting zoos for the kids.

“We’re kind of a simple pumpkin patch, growing our own pumpkins here on the ranch, but we do have a train track, jumpy house, pony rides, and petting zoo,” said Jennifer Cozzolino, wife of Johnny Cozzolino who owns 4-C's Pumpkin Patch with his brother. “Every weekend day we’ll have a mobile food truck vendor here offering different food like tacos one day and specialty made-to-order sandwiches the next.”

Long-time pumpkin patches such as Repetto’s will offer again “our famous $5 or less pumpkins,” said Gail Firenze, a employee for 33 years. will also hold to their annual tradition, going all out again this year with their massive hay maze, huge assortment of gourds and pumpkins, haunted house, and petting zoo.

“The place looks gorgeous this year,” said Chris Gounalakis, who owns and operates Arata's Pumpkin Farm. “Things will be laid out a little differently, though, due to permitting issues but the coliseum for the gladiator matches is already built and the train and petting zoo are in a different location but we’re open and ready for visitors.”

Another change this year includes the closure of the darling Pumpkin Depot in Miramar off Highway 1. Owners say they didn’t find it economically feasible to reopen this year. And , which after 11 years of opening up their small farm to the public during September and October, will no longer be open as well because of issues with workers' compensation insurance and insurance rates tripling, said owners Joanne Marsh and son .

“We will continue to , and we grew pumpkins again this year that we will wholesale,” said Marsh. “We enjoyed having people here and the school groups especially, but it just wasn’t going to be profitable enough to stay open so it’s sad for the kids because we stayed true to basic farming and what farming is all about.”

Still, whether it’s an old-fashioned pumpkin patch with hay bales and corn fields such and Muzzi's Ranch Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze or a blown-out pumpkin extravaganza with pony and train rides, petting zoos and food vendors like and , there’s no better place to experience fall and pick out pumpkins in a rural setting than on the San Mateo County Coast.

Pumpkin Patches

4-C's Pumpkin Patch

12341 San Mateo Rd., (Hwy 92), Half Moon Bay, CA

Phone: (650) 726-9614 

Andreotti Family Farm 

329 Kelly Ave., Half Moon Bay, CA

Phone: (650) 726-9151

Ano Nuevo Flower Growers

1701 Cabrillo Hwy., Pescadero, CA

Phone: (650) 879-0389

185 Verde Rd., Half Moon Bay, CA

Phone: (650) 726-7548

Bianchi Flowers

243 Butano Cut Off, Pescadero, CA

Phone: (650) 879-0221

Bob's Pumpkin Farm

Highway 1, 5 miles south of Half Moon Bay

Phone: (650) 726-4567

800 N. Cabrillo Hwy., Half Moon Bay, CA

Phone: (650) 726-4980

12599 San Mateo Rd. (Hwy. 92), Half Moon Bay, CA

Phone: (650) 726-4922

12320 San Mateo Rd. (Hwy. 92), Half Moon Bay, CA

Phone: (650) 726-2342

ND Muzzi's Ranch Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze

950 La Honda Road San Gregorio, CA

Phone: (650) 726-3994

12391 San Mateo Rd. (Hwy. 92), Half Moon Bay, CA

Phone: (650) 726-6440

12592 San Mateo Rd. (Hwy. 92), Half Moon Bay, CA

Phone: (650) 726-6414

270 Main Street, Half Moon Bay, CA

Phone: (650) 726-7500

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