The Richmond Hill Garden Club’s 20th annual Pumpkin Patch will be held on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the J. F. Gregory Park Pavilion.
Although admission is free, tickets ($1 each) to play games and buy food are available.
Pumpkins (all sizes), giant mums, indoor and outdoor décor, hay bales, corn stalks—everything you might need for fall—will be for sale. And this year, the garden club will be accepting credit and debit cards (minimum purchase $10).
Games include bean bag toss (one for little and one for big kids), ring the pumpkin, fish pond, pick a pumpkin, Wheel of Fortune, ghost darts, ring the Candy Corn, Walk the Plank, and creepy feels. Each game requires a $1 ticket to play, and each player wins a prize. Face painting will also be offered. There will be raffles.
Photo opportunities abound, so wearing Halloween costumes is encouraged. The Pumpkin Fairy with her magic wand will be there, distributing lollipops to youngsters, and posing for pictures. There will be many staged areas with scarecrows, pumpkins, corn stalks, and bales of straw for picture taking.
Huge Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins and lots of small pumpkins, just the right size for youngsters will be waiting in the Pumpkin Patch, nestled among giant mums and straw bales. Come early for the best selection. Wreaths, signs, baskets, centerpieces—anything you need for decorating your home and yard—will be available, all at reasonable prices. Pumpkins, decorative items, and bales of straw can be purchased for cash or with credit or debit cards (minimum purchase of $10).
The Green Thumb Kids booth will be distributing all sorts of plants to youngsters, most grown by club members. Kids will be able to select a plant, ask for some planting advice, and take their selection home to nurture it, either inside or out, depending on the plant chosen. This is a wonderful opportunity for kids to learn about gardening. All plants are free.
Garden Club members bake cakes, cookies, muffins, breads, and special Halloween-themed items. Food items require 1 ticket each or can be purchased for cash.
The Pumpkin Patch is an annual event, the garden club’s fundraiser that allows it to complete its many community projects. These projects include maintaining landscaping at its garden in Henderson Park, helping with special projects at schools (most recently for the STEM program at Frances Meeks Elementary), donating to local charities such as the Way Station, and providing a $1,000 scholarship for a deserving senior at Richmond Hill High School.
