This will be my 2nd fall season living in Southern California (not just visiting) and the idea of parking lots turning into pumpkin patches still surprise me. In Michigan, I was used to driving to farms or cider mills where not only can you pick pumpkins, you can grab some fresh cider and donuts. Apple picking at the apple orchards is another fall activity which also doesn’t really exist in here. Fall activities back in Michigan are significantly different compared to Southern California and it’s a concept I still am trying to embrace.
Since the weather doesn’t deviate much from the sunny 73 degrees, I didn’t think much of fall until I headed to the mall last week looking for a parking spot and came across a pop up pumpkin patch. This one really took me by surprise as it seemed so extravagantly decorated for a pop up in the parking lot. There were lights decorating around the fences which were enclosed with inflatable slides shaped like lions. I had walked over curiously to the wrong side and had to loop around the enclosure to find the entrance.
There was no fee to get in and the tent gave me a little sense of fall magic when I had looked in from the main entrance and gasped in awe. Somehow this parking lot had turned into a pumpkin patch and gave me the slightest sensation of the fall season. I was impressed with their displays of pumpkins on hay stacks and how they even tried to have a petting zoo area.
If you are looking for a place to get pumpkins from, I had also spotted a pumpkin patch lot at South Bay Galleria mall at the entrance of Artesia and Kingsdale and another on La Cienga in Inglewood. Now that we are well into pumpkin season, it won’t be hard to spot a pumpkin lot near you but I’ve put together a list of 10 lots in 10 different cities nearby so you have options if your lot runs out of pumpkins.
- Shawn’s Pumpkin Patch – It looks like they have a few locations but I had seen their large site off La Cienga in Inglewood.
- Cottone and Son’s Pumpkin Patch – Altho there are no photos on the website, all photos on this post are from this pumpkin patch located at Del Amo Mall in Torrance.
- Pa’s Pumpkin Patch – This looks fun and it’s in Long Beach not too far from Cal State Long Beach, just a little closer to the water.
- Acosta Pumpkin Patch – Located at South Bay Galleria, I had passed this smaller patch in Redondo Beach but it looked to offer all the same things as Cottone’s patch in Del Amo so if you live closer to this mall, worth considering.
- George’s Pumpkin Patch – This patch looks to border San Pedro/RPV and looks to have a big site for pumpkins galore.
- Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch – A trendy pumpkin patch that was one of the first I had learned about from social media but couldn’t bring myself to pay to enter a pumpkin patch when there were other free patches around. However, it does look like they offer more entertainment, pumpkin carving and other activities that you most likely won’t find at others. This location also doesn’t stray too far as it’s in Culver City.
- Lopez Ranch Pumpkins – Looks like they also sell Christmas trees based on their Facebook business page but this patch is in Venice not too far from Lincoln and and Venice Blvd
- Toluca Lake Pumpkin Patch – This company looks to also be known for their Christmas trees but for the fall holidays, they offer a maze, petting zoo AND pumpkins to choose from. For those visiting the area, you’ll find this one in North Hollywood.
- Johnson Brother’s Pumpkin Patch – Are you a little closer to Orange County and looking for a pumpkin patch? This one is located in Irvine and looks to have all of the works and fun!
- Pasadena Pumpkin Patch – North of the 210 and just a couple miles from Colorado Blvd, you’ll find this patch in Pasadena which looks to be known for it’s history and family fun.
Since many of the pumpkin patches are family owned or smaller businesses, it may take a little more time to find them on the internet. These 10 pumpkin patches listed are all active and open for business (confirmed via listed hours as of 10/16/2017) in their current cities with the websites detailing more information about hours. For those native to Southern California and accustomed to these type of pumpkin patches, cheers. For those who move here and are used to a different type of fall setting such as myself, these patches near by might surprise you in helping fill that fall feeling you might be seeking.
Happy pumpkin picking!
-Michelle