Jacob Barriga
Staff Writer
With Halloween approaching, the annual Heritage Harvest Pumpkin Patch has come alive with pumpkins galore and festive activities.
Located in Heritage Park in La Verne, this local attraction offers a family friendly environment and a great place to take your mind off of mid-terms and other studies for an evening of fun and excitement.
“Who doesn’t love the petting zoo? All the kids love the hayride, and being able to look at all the artifacts and explore La Verne’s history is interesting and it is all super cute,” said Christie Rutherford, a La Verne resident who attended the pumpkin patch with her family.
The small, hometown feeling is family friendly and it is what many visitors enjoy about the Heritage Harvest Pumpkin Patch.
“My family loves how it is quaint and small, not like the other pumpkin patches that are huge and can become overwhelming,” Rutherford said as her and her family spent much time in the petting zoo and on the hayride.
Find the perfect pumpkin to take home and carve as the pumpkin patch has hundreds of pumpkins for sale in various sizes for as little as $4.
A petting zoo with baby goats and pigs is also available for visitors for just $1. People can also see turkeys, chickens and ducks in the coop next to the petting zoo.
Visitors can also take a step into La Verne’s history with the hay ride for only $2, which goes through the entire pumpkin patch, and passes by the old farming tools and vehicles that were used by the local farmers in the area more than a century ago.
The pumpkin patch also provides many drop backs and photo stand-ins for visitors to take pictures with their friends and family.
Bonita High School student Shelby Howard, a pumpkin patch employee, believes the family vibes are the best part of the pumpkin patch.
“It has a much more heart-warming feeling than the other pumpkin patches around here. It’s more like a little farm than a huge pumpkin patch,” Howard said.
Pomona resident Leslie Aparicio-Angel said her favorite attraction is the historical artifacts and vehicles around the farm.
“It is interesting to see all the vintage objects around; the old house and the old farm equipment are very interesting to see how they were used,” Aparicio-Angel said.
Many people who visit love to support the local community in a fun way that anyone can participate in.
For Emily Pinkus, an Azusa resident who grew up in San Dimas, the pumpkin patch holds a special place in her heart.
“It is sentimental because this was one of my boyfriend’s and my first dates. We love that we can support the community by just by being festive which is something we love to do this time of year,” Pinkus said.
Affordable and entertaining, the Heritage Harvest Pumpkin Patch is a great place to relax and enjoy the upcoming holiday season.
The Heritage Harvest Pumpkin Patch is open weekdays from 4 p.m.- 8 p.m. and open on the weekends from 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.
The 17th annual Pumpkin Patch Classic Car Show will take place from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Oct. 26.
The pumpkin patch will run through Oct. 30.
Jacob Barriga can be reached at jacob.barriga@laverne.edu.
Jacob Barriga, a senior journalism major, is a copy editor for the Campus Times. He has also served as sports editor and a staff writer.
