Enfield's Jack-O-Lanterns Leads Pumpkin Festivities

In just a week's time, Enfield's town green will glow with candlelight from, hopefully, more than 1,000 jack-o-lanterns during the 2013 Jack-O-Lantern Festival. On Sat., Oct. 19, you can bring your own pumpkins to help break the festival's own record, set last year, of 1,142 jack-o-lanterns.

You can also help the festival run for years to come by becoming a sponsor or make a donation. The festival says funding is drying up, and local support is needed to ensure the tradition's longevity.

Before you carve your pumpkin, however, you'll need to pick one up. You can stop by a grocery store, or you can stop by one of these farms to pick your own and partake in the additional festivities offered at each location:

Brown’s Harvest
Brown’s Harvest on the Windsor Locks/Windsor line on Route 75 offers pumpkins, hay rides, mums, homemade apple cider donuts and a corn maze for kids. They have pumpkins pre-picked or you can take a hayride and pick your own from the fields.
60 Rainbow Road, Route 75, Windsor
860-683-0266
http://www.brownsharvest.com

Connecticut Trolley Museum
At the  in East Windsor, through the end of the month you can take a trolley ride and pick a pumpkin. Each child admission includes a free pumpkin. After the trolley ride, you can participate in pumpkin decorating, contests and games. Event hours are Fridays 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays noon to 4:30 p.m. Prices for this program are $10 for adults, $6 for ages 6-12, $3 for children younger than 2 and $8 for seniors ages 62 and older. On Sunday, Oct. 30 if kids wear costumes for their visit they will receive 50 percent off their ticket price. 
58 North Road, East Windsor
860-627-6540
Ceraonline.org

Easy Pickin’s Orchard
Easy Pickin’s in Enfield has pumpkins, apples and other farm-grown vegetables. They also offer wagon rides. The farm is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
46 Bailey Road, Enfield
860-763-3276

Elm Knoll Farm 
At Elm Knoll, located this year at Pitney Farm in Ellington, you can pick your own pumpkins or select your pumpkin from those that have already been picked. They also offer a corn maze, a mini corn maze for kids and tractor-pulled hay rides. On the weekends, there is face painting and other entertainment. The farm is open Monday through Friday, from 3-5:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
193 Pinney St., Ellington
860-749-9944
www.elmknollfarm.com

Foster Family Farm
At Foster Family Farm they offer pick-your-own pumpkins, a mini-corn maze and two full-sized corn mazes for adults. They also sell mums and fresh vegetables. They are open until Oct. 31, Sunday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., with the last ticket for the corn maze sold at 9 p.m. The mazes have more than four miles of trails on seven acres of land. Admission to the corn maze is $10 for ages 13 and older, $7 for ages 5-12 and free for children 4 and younger. Seniors age 60 and older are $9 and for the play area only there is a $5 charge. Bring your flashlight for night time maze exploration. No hayrides after 6 p.m.
90 Foster St., South Windsor
860-648-9366
www.fosterfarm.com

Johnny’s Roadside Market Garden
Johnny’s in Enfield offers pumpkins you can pick from the field, a selection of pre-picked pumpkins in a pumpkin patch, tractor-pulled hayrides, corn maze and a straw maze for the little ones, along with a playground and bounce house. Admission is $7 for the corn maze and the hay ride together, $4 for either separately, children younger than 3 are free. They are open Saturday and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
346 Brainard Road, Enfield
860-763-1300