Though the recent humidity may not be typical for October, certain fall staples are back again, indicating the season’s change.
In recent weeks, pumpkin patches have brought large crowds to farms and churches throughout the county, which offer hundreds of the orange, white and speckled orbs for decorating or carving.
Where to get your fall pumpkins
Cumming First United Methodist ChurchWhere: 770 Canton Hwy, Cumming, Georgia
Dates: Sept. 30-Nov. 1
Hours: 1 to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.- 7 p.m. Saturday; 11a.m.- 7 p.m. Sunday
Credit/debit cards accepted: Yes
Midway United Methodist Church
Where: 5025 Atlanta Hwy, Alpharetta, Georgia
Dates: Oct. 7-Oct. 31
Hours: 4 to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. weekends
Credit/debit cards accepted: Yes
Kinsey Family Farm
Where: 7170 Jot Em Down Road, Gainesville, Georgia
Dates: Sept. 30-Oct. 31
Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends
Credit/debit cards accepted: Yes
Warbington Farms
Where: 5555 Crow Road, Cumming, Georgia
Dates: Sept. 16-Nov. 4
Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday Sundays
Credit/debit cards accepted: Yes
While Halloween is still several weeks away, Delana Heard, whose family owns Warbington Farms — a 300-acre family owned and operated farm in north Forsyth — said business has been steady since the beginning of the month.
“In October we see a huge increase in our sales,” she said. “By the end of October, those numbers usually double, so the end of the [month] is one of our busiest times of the year.
“We have a pumpkin patch where you can buy an assortment of pumpkins and [though] we don’t grow our own pumpkins — we get our pumpkins from Jaemor [Farms] up in Commerce. We do have our corn maze, a fun park for the kids and a petting zoo. The corn maze is about two acres so it’s easy to navigate — [it takes] about 30-45 minutes and we also have a cheater’s exit if you don’t want to go the whole way — you can sneak on out that way if you’re looking for a quick trip out.”
Warbington is one of several farms in the northern part of the county to offer pumpkins; Kinsey Family Farm, which is located off Jot Em Down Road in Gainesville, also offers the fall fruit.
Certain county churches also set up the patches, including Cumming First United Methodist Church and Midway United Methodist Church.
Midway’s pumpkin proceeds benefit Boy Scouts, American Heritage Girls and the youth of Midway UMC and Cumming First United’s proceeds support Fusion Student Ministry and the church’s children’s ministry.
Heard said she most enjoys seeing the families on the farm during the fall.
“I just love seeing everybody coming out,” she said. “We have a lot of fun events planned for the fall; [this] weekend the North Forsyth Middle School drama department will be out here and they’re actually going to transform the [corn] maze into a Willy Wonka chocolate factory and they’ve been working so hard for that and at the end of the month we have an egg haunt, instead of an egg hunt.
“It’s just fun seeing people come out and enjoy the cooler weather and the fall activities.”