Not your parents’ pumpkin patch

Fall festivals are favorites for many families, but along with the pumpkins and hayrides is a harvest of new restrictions thanks to COVID-19.

“We cannot have our bouncies, like our pumpkin jumper or inflatable train,” said Liz Halat from Tom’s Farm Market in Huntley.

Cafe dining is outside only. And for chilly days to come?

“It does get cold, and we will provide extra seating in our greenhouse,” said Halat.

Enhanced sanitation is a sign of the season at Goebbert’s Pumpkin Patch and Apple Orchard in Pingree Grove.

“We require hand sanitation before activities such as our big slide, before and after pretty much everything,” explained Jacob Goebbert. “We have a sanitation team to do mass sanitation on all the activities that are high contact areas.”

Dave Reid from Dave’s Pumpkins in Huntley aims to meet or exceed CDC guidelines, including requiring masks of everyone over age two anywhere on the grounds – even outside.

“We want to make it as safe as possible,” said Reid. “People might be looking at the same pumpkin, and they’re going to forget about the six feet of distance. That’s why we’re requiring masks.”

Reid’s efforts are obvious in the details.

“We put a lot of creativity into how to manage the hayrides. We’ve stacked bales of straw in the middle of each hayrack, a six-foot-thick section of straw like a wall, so that people aren’t sitting next to each other,” explained Reid. “We didn’t want to just put an X on the seat and say don’t sit here. We wanted to build a barrier that makes it real clear where you can sit.”

Payment at Dave’s is pandemic-proofed as well.

“Pay with cash or a check by leaving it in the honor box,” said Reid. “In addition, we added the ability to pay with a credit card on your phone by scanning a QR code on display at each stand.”

But despite Covid-created changes, there is still fun on the farms.

“I have orchards and a ton of apples, ready to be picked,” said Goebbert. “We have our tire mountain, our big straw barrel. People are happy to be out and have some sense of normalcy.”

Tom’s petting animals are alive and well during the pandemic. And there is still a plethora of fresh produce like sweet corn, summer squash, and green beans.

“Our watermelons are amazing,” added Halat.

But, of course, it’s all about the pumpkins. And, despite the pandemic, you can still pick your path to pumpkin bliss.

To keep pumpkin pickers safe, guests can choose to trek by foot to Goebbert’s pumpkin patch rather than ride via wagon. You can also walk to Tom’s pick-it-yourself patch or choose already picked specialty pumpkins.

For a truly private pumpkin moment, visit Dave’s newest Huntley location where an unmanned roadside patch of pumpkins awaits the contemplative soul. Just park, walk to the field, and pay at the honor box.

Like Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin, it doesn’t get much more distanced than that.

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