With Autumn here and Halloween just around the corner, it is important to know where to go to pick the perfect pumpkin. Luckily, Montgomery County, Maryland is home to some of the top farms with pick-your-own pumpkin patches near Washington, DC. We’ve compiled locations, hours, what to expect, and more to give you the best shot at picking the perfect pumpkin patch this season.
Rock Hill Orchard
Address: 28600 Ridge Rd, Mt Airy, MD 21771
Hours: 11am-5pm Wednesday/Thursday/Friday, 10am-6pm Saturday-Sunday, Closed Monday/Tuesday
Pumpkin-Perfect Details: Accompanying pick-your-own pumpkins, Rock Hill Orchard has a variety of fun fall activities to choose from, including a 15-acre circular Corn Maze, a pumpkin canyon, farm market, and free hayrides between activities. Additionally, after watching their dairy cows be milked by their robotic technology, visit the calves and even get a chance to pet them.
Farm At Home
Address: 15350 Partnership Road, Poolesville, MD 20837
Hours: Varies, Contact the Farm
Pumpking-Perfect Details: This is a more intimate setting for pumpkin picking. They offer private and semi-private reservations for their farm. Farm at Home has a variety of pumpkins, gourds, and fall vegetables. There’s plenty of fall photo opportunities at their multiple displays around the farm. Take your kids to the new ag-tivities like tug of war, cornhole, steer head roping and rubber duck water races. Meet the farm’s pet cow and climb on the tractor. Guests can bring their own picnic to enjoy at picnic tables.
Butler’s Orchard
Address: 22222 Davis Mill Rd, Germantown, MD 20876
Hours: 1pm-6pm Tuesday-Friday, 9am-6pm Saturday & Sunday, Closed Monday
Pumpkin-Perfect Details: In addition to regular pick-your-own pumpkins, Butler’s Orchard also has special Pumpkin Harvest Days and their 44th annual Pumpkin Festival. Reservations are recommended for Pumpkin Harvest Days and featured activities include the hayloft barn, giant slides, straw maze, and hayrides to the pumpkin patch. Check out the 44th Annual Pumpkin Festival, where you’ll find a variety of food, a pumpkin cannon, pony rides, and more with event tickets / additional purchase.
Butler’s Orchard in Germantown, MD
Homestead Farm
Address: 15604 Sugarland Rd, Poolesville, MD 20837
Hours: 9am-5pm Every Day, Rain or Shine
Pumpkin-Perfect Details: At Homestead Farm, the pumpkin patch is a quick walk from the entrance. While public hayrides are available on weekends, they take a scenic ride through the farm grounds and do not stop at the pumpkin patch. Admission is $4 to the farm and gets guests access to pick-your-own areas, farm animals, picnic tables, hay stacks by the pond. The farm is open rain or shine.
And how do you pick the perfect pumpkin, you ask? Here are some of our Pro Tips to Picking the Perfect Pumpkin:
- Determine how far you will need to carry your pumpkin – you won’t want one that is too heavy.
- Pick the right pumpkin for your purpose – If you want to carve and decorate, choose one with a large surface area. If you want to make a pie or squash dish, choose one that is small and feels heavy for its size.
- Lighter colored pumpkins are easier to cut while darker colored pumpkins will keep longer.
- Select a pumpkin without holes, cuts, or soft spots as they are more likely to rot.
- Only choose pumpkins with a stem – the firmer and greener, the better. Those without a stem will not last long and are likely to decay quickly.
- Choose a flat-bottomed pumpkin so it will stand upright for carving and decorating.
Don’t forget, never carry your pumpkin by the stem because it is not strong enough to support the weight of the pumpkin. Hold your pumpkin with care by cradling in your arms.
