Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Patches

Half Moon Bay is known as the “Pumpkin Capital of the World”, and it’s not hard to see why once fall arrives! The tradition dates back to the 1970s, when Half Moon Bay and Circleville, Ohio, both claimed the title and decided to settle it with a giant pumpkin weigh-off. Half Moon Bay won that first competition in 1974 with a 132-pound pumpkin, and the rest, as they say, is history!

These days, pumpkins are a huge part of fall on the coastside, with the annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off and Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival bringing visitors from all over to celebrate all things pumpkin. And with so many pumpkin farms dotted along the coast, October is a particularly fun time to visit. If you’re planning to rent a car, stay and explore more of the area, Half Moon Bay Lodge is a lovely option, with dogs welcome too! Here are some of the pumpkin farms I’ve visited over the years.

Arata’s Pumpkin Farm

Arata’s Pumpkin Farm is a fun place to visit during the autumn months. Along with a variety of weird and wonderful pumpkins that make for the perfect photo opportunity, there’s the famous 2-acre Minotaur’s Labyrinth, hayrides, a petting zoo, and much more. It has that simple, traditional pumpkin-patch feel, and it’s a lovely place to spend a couple of hours; bring lunch and enjoy one of the picnic areas dotted amongst the haybales and stacks of pumpkins! If you want to bring some fall festivity home, they also offer porch and front-yard decorating packages, with delivery, set-up and pick-up included.

Andreotti’s Family Farms

If you’re looking for a more traditional farm experience, Andreotti Family Farms is a lovely place to stop off at if you’re around Half Moon Bay. Along with one of the prettiest pumpkin patches, there’s a beautiful U-Pick sunflower field. During October and November, there’s a corn maze and hayrides taking you past the sunflower field. There are rustic old farm trucks, tractors, and a vintage 1957 GMC trolley dotted around the farm that make for some of the best fall photo opportunities. The farm has been in the Andreotti family since 1926, and you can still get a real sense of it being a working family farm. It’s a nice place to wander around, pick out some pumpkins and sunflowers, and take a million photos!

Farmer John’s Pumpkin Farm

Another traditional, working farm is Farmer John’s Pumpkin Farm, which sits next door to Andreotti Family Farms. With a huge selection of pumpkins and gourds of all shapes and sizes, you’ll also find a vintage tractor, tipi and decorative hay bales, which add an extra touch of rustic charm. I’d recommend checking their website for the opening days and times of their ‘Fish Wife Sweets’ hut, selling sweet treats and freshly baked goods. As well as hayrides, they also put on a variety of events during the fall months, many centering around dogs, so it can be a fun trip out for your furry friends too! Local food trucks and stalls are present at many of these events, which are advertised on their Instagram page.

Farmer John’s is my personal favourite pumpkin farm in the area. I’ve written more about why I love it in my dedicated blog, which you can read here.

Lemo’s Farm

If you’re looking for a pumpkin patch with lots going on, Lemos Farm is one of the bigger and busier options in Half Moon Bay. The whole farm is transformed for fall, with pumpkins, hay bales and Halloween decorations everywhere you look. There’s a huge range of things to do, including hayrides, train rides, pony rides, a petting zoo, car barn, a haunted house, and goat yoga! It’s particularly popular with families and fills up with lots of little kids running around having fun. As well as a concession stand selling fast food, snacks and drinks, there’s The Barn Kitchen and Deli offering a selection of sandwiches, burgers, and coffee, not to mention some delicious fall treats including pumpkin pie, apple pie nachos, pumpkin ice cream and more! It’s definitely more of a day out or longer trip if you have kids, than a quick stop off if you’re cruising the coast.