Southern Connecticut Pumpkin U-Pick Orchards in !

Find a local pick your own farm here!

Pumpkin U-Pick Orchards in Southern Connecticut in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for pumpkins that we know of in this area.

Not all areas of a state have pumpkins farms that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

New! As inflation remains high, see this page for reliable (tested) brands of generic canning lids at lower costs, and cost-saving measures for getting fruit and vegetables and home canning.
If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

New! Road tripping and camping is a great way to have a fun, safe and inexpensive family trip. The national and state parks and monuments are open, and campgrounds usually cost between $10 and $40 per night. September to November is the best camping weather. See our new website Road Tripping and Camping.com for tips, tricks, guides, checklists and info about parks, monuments and other places to visit.

New! We just went live with our latest website, FunFactoryTours.com - As they name implies, you can find a fun factory tour, including chocolate, automobiles, historical forts and sites, famous buildings, Active Federal facilities even fun geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

Middlesex County

Lyman Orchards - PYO strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, flowers, peaches, nectarines, pears, apples & pumpkins, Corn maze
Jct. Routes 147 and 157, Middlefield, CT 06455. Phone: (860) 349-1793. Email: info@lymanorchards.com. Open: from 9AM-4:30PM. Click here for a map and directions.
Lyman Orchards Facebook page. Fax: (860) 349-1424. . Enjoy 1100 acres of championship golf, championship pies, and Family Fun! CT's largest indoor Farm Market. Corn maze from September 6 - November 2Corn maze: Sept.-October. Great food at the Apple Barrel - home of CT's Best Apple Pie! 24 hour PYO hotline: 860-349-6015. It's simple to pick your own at. Before coming to pick, always call our 24-hour hotline for up-to-the-minute crop and field conditions, varieties, and current market prices. We update the message as often as necessary (especially in rainy or overcast weather) in order to help you make the best arrangements for your picking trip Facebook page. You can enjoy being a farmer for an afternoon and pick nearly 100 varieties of fruits from June through October. PYO Apples, Asian Pears, Regular Pears, Pumpkins, Squash Flowers, Summer Squash, and Raspberries are open Apple varieties are Honeycrisp, Macoun, McIntosh, Gala, Cortland, Empire, Spencer, Jonamac, and Gingergold. Asian Pear varieties are Shinseiki, Hosui, Twentieth Century, and Niitaka. Regular Pear varieties are Bosc and Magness.
Comments from a visitor on July 07, 2011: "The farm is huge but you can drive close to the different u-pick sites and it's well-signed so they are easy to locate. You pay for what you pick at the location but they still take credit cards. You can bring your own containers if you want and they will pre-weigh them for you (so you don't pay for the weight of the container)."
Scott's Connecticut Valley Orchards - blueberries, peaches, apples, pumpkins
274 Kelsey Hill Road, Deep River, CT 06417. Phone: 860-526-9633. Open: call for hours; Pick-your-own starts in early July to September with blueberries, late July to mid September for peaches, late August through Halloween for apples, and late September on for pumpkins. Click here for a map and directions.
Scott's Connecticut Valley Orchards Facebook page. Click here for a link to our Facebook page(UPDATED: December 06, 2016, JBS)

New Haven County

Bishop's Orchards location 1 - PYO Strawberries, winery, blueberries, peaches, pears, apples, raspberries and pumpkins
1355 Boston Post Road (US Rte 1, I-95 Exit 57), Guilford, CT 06437. Phone: (203) 458-7425. Email: pyoinfo@bishopsorchards.com. Open: from June-October daily until 7pm. Click here for a map and directions.
Bishop's Orchards location 1 Facebook page. Pick-your-own season starts in June with strawberries and goes through October with apples and pumpkins. In December we have cut-your-own Christmas trees. Bishop's Orchards Farm Market Facebook page. First crop will be our Strawberries! Remember the Farm Market & Creamery are open year round and our Summer Music Series at the Little Red Barn will be OPENING June 4th. Stay tuned for more information and we look forward to another fantastic year! At Bishop's Orchards we work hard and take pride in growing the highest quality fruits to enjoy year after year from our family to yours. All the fresh products are available either seasonally at our Pick-Your-Own (PYO) locations and/or annually at our farm market. The summer sun shining down on our orchards provides an ideal location to spend part of the day to enjoy the fun of picking your own quality fruit directly from the bushes or trees. Each year the Pick-Your-Own season may vary due to weather and crop abundance, yet generally runs from mid-June until the end of October. You can see the breakdown on our PYO Calendar. To ensure you have the most accurate information, we recommend calling ahead at our 24-hour information phone line of 203-458-PICK (7425). This phone line is also updated daily during the picking season to provide the latest information to all our valued customers. Since 1871, six generations of Bishop's have been serving Connecticut with farm products. The market is open all year till 7 pm (Sun till 6pm), featuring a bakery & kitchen specializing in pies & prepared meal solutions, produce from our 300 acre farm & around the world, meats, dairy products, flowers, and gift baskets. Bishop's Orchards Winery offers our own wine & CT wines 7 days a week. Visit our Llamas & Alpacas too! Northford Market should read Since 1871, five generations of Bishop's have been serving Connecticut with farm products. Open weekends 10-5 in September and October, Bishop's Northford Orchard has Pick Your Own Apples and Peaches, plus Farm Market products including pies, cider and apples and pumpkins. Our main farm in Guilford is open all year around. There is a blog article about them here.
Hickory Hill Orchards - peaches, apples, pears, pumpkins, nectarines
351 South Meriden Road, Cheshire, CT 06410. Phone: (203) 272-0181. Email: lynnkudish@gmail.com. Open: Weekends Only for PYO from 9 am to 5:30 pm, other non-pyo hours 9:30 am - 5:30 pm; from late August through December. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Hickory Hill Orchards Alternate phone: (203) 272-3824 Fax: (203) 272-3824 Country store, gift baskets, dried & silk flowers, cider, pies, donuts. Weekend hayrides, school groups welcome. Facebook page. There are over 33 acres with twenty varieties of apples, peaches, pears, plums, and nectarines and an artisanal country store with homegrown produce and gourds, jams, honeys, locally baked apple cider donuts, gourmet foods, seasonal decorative items, and more. Bosc Pears, Peaches, Macintosh, Gala, Sanza, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Macoun and more. (UPDATED: October 17, 2022, JBS)
High Hill Orchard - Uses natural growing practices, Apples, apple cider, peaches, pears, blueberries , pumpkins, chestnuts, vegetables.
170 Fleming Road, Meriden, CT 06450. Phone: (203) 294-0276. Open: Their sign says Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday to Friday from 12 pm to 6 pm and closed on Mondays. Click here for a map and directions. High Hill Orchard Their farm gets good reviews online, but it appears that they no longer have anything online, no website, Facebook page, etc. The Facebook pages online are all "unofficial"High Hill is one of the few places you can still get unpasteurized apple cider in Connecticut! (UPDATED: September 11, 2023, JBS) A visitor writes on September 11, 2023: "High Hill is wonderful! They also have pyo peaches, which are delicious. It's not pyo but they do sell paw paw, which is hard to find, and sell apple and pear cider."
Ives Farm - pumpkins, strawberries, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, corn maze, and prepicked produce, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, tractor-pulled hay rides, pony rides
1585 Cheshire St, Cheshire, CT 06410. Phone: 203-272-5847. Open: Summer Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard. Crops are usually available in May, July, August, September, October Fall Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5pm. "Flowers" May 1st, Annuals, Hanging Baskets, Geraniums & Perennials, Retail & Wholesale. "Strawberries" June 5th to July 1st (weather permitting) "Fresh Sweet Corn & Produce" July 10th "Fall Activities" October 1st to 31st
Norton Brothers Fruit Farm - blueberries, raspberries, apples, pears, peaches, Pumpkins, PYO apples, pears & peaches, Christmas trees, Hay rides.
450-466 Academy Road, Cheshire, CT 06410. Phone: (203) 272-8418. Email: nbfinfo@nortonbrothersfruitfarm.com. Click here for a map and directions.
Norton Brothers Fruit Farm Facebook page. emy Road, Cheshire, CT 06410 . PYO apples, pears, plums, peaches. Retail fresh produce, gifts, pumpkins. Open mid-spring through the winter, the farm has native strawberries as soon as they're ready; blueberries and raspberries for pick-your-own starting in June; peaches soon after for picking, six varieties of pears, and from August through October over 34 varieties of apples to pick. Hay rides, pumpkins, scarecrows, and Christmas trees and decorations keep everyone busy during the seasons. September and October are the busiest times for area schools to have educational and fun tours throughout the farm. Birthday and other parties can use the farm facilities also(UPDATED: December 06, 2016, JBS)
Comments from a visitor on September 27, 2011: "Hi! First of all, I want to thank you for running such an amazing, comprehensive site! I always turn here first for canning info and to find local farms. I especially liked Norton Brother's Farm in Cheshire, CT. It's a great family-run place, with tons of apples and raspberries, and without the crowds and overwhelming size of some of the larger places. They even had a couple of old tractors near the parking lot for kids to climb on, which was a bigger hit than the fruit for my 4-year-old! "
Comments from a visitor on July 07, 2011: "Not as busy as bigger farms. The walk from the farm stand to the picking site might be far (i.e. blueberries). More expensive than other farms. "

Pumpkin

Pumpkin Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Do you want it for a party, decoration or eating?

For a wedding or party:

See this page: Finding pumpkins for weddings

Decoration to paint or carve:

OK, Then you need only look for any pumpkin that is

visually appealing, evenly a deep orange. The shape is just whatever appeals to you. If it grew on its side and has a flat spot, you can either make that the make or use it as part of your design!
free from cuts, soft spots, bruises. The flesh should feel hard, and not give easily. Infections can invade easily and cause rot
Make sure the stem is attached.

Store it carefully, especially if you pick it from the vine yourself. Cure a fresh-picked pumpkin by keeping it in a dry place. Don't handle or disturb it. Curing toughens the rind, making it less prone to rot. Pumpkins will keep for months in a cool (50 F to 65F dry, low humidity environment; such as a cool, dry basement.

Tip: If you like roasted or baked pumpkin seeds, you can save the seeds from any pumpkin!

To make a pumpkin pie!

Then you need a small, sweet type of pumpkin that has been developed for eating. They are smaller, typically about 8" to 10" diameter. The meat is much less stringy and smoother than a decorative pumpkin variety. Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A and potassium. One-half cup of cooked pumpkin provides more than the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A. One cup of cooked pumpkin contains only 81 calories. It's low in fat and sodium! Usually you can get these at the grocery store, and some of the pumpkin patches and farm stands have them. Be sure to tell them that you intend to use it for a pumpkin pie. Again, look for firm, no soft spots, or signs of any rot. See this page for easy, illustrated directions to make a pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin!

Varieties of Pumpkins

Sugar - Excellent for baking
Jack O'Lantern - most common for carving
White Lumina - unusual, medium-sized white pumpkin
Mini - Great for decoration
Gourds - Many varieties, used for decorations

For a very complete, detailed list of many varieties of pumpkins and where to get the seeds, see this page!

Want to Grow Your Own Pumpkins?

Then see this page!

Pumpkin recipes

How to prepare cooked pumpkin from a fresh pumpkin (for use in all the recipes)
Illustrated instructions to make a pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin - the best pumpkin pie you will ever taste! (metric version for the UK, Europe, Australia, Japan, etc.)
How to home-can pumpkin (in a cooked, cubed form) and why you shouldn't home-can the pureed forms.
Traditional Pumpkin Pie
Chocolate pumpkin pie
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Pumpkin muffins
Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Butter!
Pumpkin cheesecake - INCREDIBLE!!! You have to try this one!
Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin soup - even if you normally aren't a soup lover; you will love this one.
Butternut-Chestnut Panchetta-Bacon Soup - Pumpkin or Butternut squash combines with chestnuts and bacon, ham or panchetta in this great soup
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
No Sugar Pumpkin Pie
Apple Cider Doughnut Recipe (with maple glaze or sugar glaze)

2024 Southern Connecticut Pumpkin U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Find a pick-your-own farm near you! Then learn to can and freeze! Since 2002! We update continuously; Beware the copycat websites!