With the hundreds of pumpkin patch photos appearing on my Instagram feed, I decided to experience for myself what the hype was all about. Though I was able to relive one of my fondest childhood memories, the reality of the Cal Poly Pomona pumpkin patch was less exciting than the pictures depicted.

Arriving at 5:30 p.m., my friends and I found parking easily and weren’t faced with huge crowds. Upon entering, we passed the activities that required tickets and opted to head straight to the patch.

Placed on top of haystacks and vines, the pumpkins ranged in size and were adored with small embellishments. 

Even with the seemingly high amounts of pumpkins surrounding the farm, many of them were disappointing due to bumps, scratches and bruises, making them unworthy of the $5-$6 price.

However, the limited amount of pumpkins that were left, even some that were tainted, could be partnered with the patch’s photo frames towards producing genuine candids that seemed to brighten the night. 

The part of the night that proved to be the most fun, however, was the activities and the farm store. Visiting the farm store was quite interesting as it housed different products that were organically grown in Cal Poly’s fields. 

A sunflower field, hay ride, corn maze and other activities adorned the outskirts of the patch, including an insect fair. As unique as the insect fair made CPP, it was not as interesting as one might’ve thought. 

There were also community booths that housed food and product vendors filled with souvenirs and drinks to battle the heat. 

Though the vendors who attend vary year to year, this season hosted a variety of foods that ranged from snow cones to simple snacks like popcorn with majority sold from food trucks. As expected, however, the food was costly compared to the neighboring plaza which housed restaurants and cafes that offered a less expensive alternative. 

Though they required tickets, the time we spent at the paid activities was more interesting than the free activity of exploring the patch. 

As much as the sunflower field, hayride and patch offered a delicate backdrop for photos and nice sceneries of the fall night, the highlight of my visit was the corn maze meant for kids. The patch did offer an alternative in the adult maze that was longer and more extensive but we decided on the simpler challenge. 

 Although it was designed for children, the twists and turns proved to be quite an adventure, even though we were the only teenagers amidst a crowd of toddlers and their families. 

It was simple and lasted no longer than seven minutes, but the times when my group grew frustrated over hitting a deadend or getting lost proved to be great memories that will outlast even our photos.

Overall, the 20 minutes I spent exploring the actual pumpkin patch paled in comparison to the time I spent at the surrounding events. Instead of dealing with the mass amounts of people looking for good lighting and places to sit, taking advantage of the smaller things the patch had to offer was probably the best decision I made.

Though the patch is closed for their 2019 fall season, visiting the pumpkin patch with your friends might just be something else to add to your next year fall to-do list.