Pumpkinfest at DeMeritt Hill Farm
DeMeritt Hill Farm is proud to be included in the most recent issue of Seacoast Scene (10/5/17). DeMeritt Hill Farm is dedicated to all things pumpkin on Sunday, Oct 8 and M0nday, Oct 19. The fruit and vegetable farm specializes in the pick-your-own experience where guests can go into the fields and find the produce they want, right off the plant.
Pumpkinfest celebrates the theme of doing it yourself with pumpkin patches open throughout the day and pumpkin themed events for families. Organizer Meg Wilson said in an email that picking your own pumpkins as a child is a memory she wants to give others.
“Pumpkinfest is specifically geared toward children and families. We remember the joy of hunting and finding just the right pumpkin to decorate and that is why we offer an expanded pick your own pumpkin field,” Wilson wrote.
The two pumpkin patches equal five acres and are overflowing with orange during the fall season, according to Wilson. The field has pumpkins ranging from 1 to 100 pounds.
Guests can search all day for the pumpkin that’s right for them, and once they’ve found it they have a few choices. The can play a game where they guess the weight of their pumpkin and earn bragging rights if they guess correctly. They can also decorate their pumpkin with paint and other crafts at the art table.
Guests who are particularly proud of their painted pumpkins can enter them into the pumpkin painting contest. The winner will be featured on the farm’s website and have the option of having their pumpkin as part of Pumpkin Alley, an areas of the farm’s Haunted Overload.
“Pumpkin Alley features about 500 carved pumpkins of different shapes and sizes”, said Wilson.
Other pumpkins are used for ingredients in the farm’s commercial kitchen. Wilson said they use the pumpkins for baked goods including pies, cookies and pumpkin bread. This years, there is an expanded menu of gluten-free baked goods.
Wilson said that the festival is in its eighth year of operation and has grown every year it’s been held. The farm is expanding its pumpkin fields to accommodate the increasing number of customers and they are working to add more pick your own pumpkin fields in the future.
There will also be Halloween Storybook hayrides, pony rides, a petting zoo and a bounce house throughout the harvest season.
“My favorite aspect of Pumpkinfest is seeing families return each year making a tradition out of visiting the farm. It’s fun to watch children grow up each year and pick the perfect pumpkin.” said Wilson.
Check out the article here https://issuu.com/seacoastscene/docs/sea_171005_000book
