Note: This is a personal review from a 2012 experience. Your experience may vary and facilities may have changed. Please see the website for current amenities, hours, and pricing.
Fall is here and with it brings warm apple cider, crisp breezes and chilly nights, and brightly colored leaves. If you have kids, it also means a trip to the pumpkin patch, which can be pricey these days with so many places adding rides, amusements, and all sorts of opportunities for you to spend your hard-earned cash. Since our kids are still little and amused with the actual pumpkins at the pumpkin farm, we were delighted to discover Jerry Smith’s Pumpkin Farm in Kenosha last year.
This beautiful family-run farm has been around for over 40 years and features one of the coolest things I have discovered during all of my fall festival and pumpkin farm searching. The owner, Rosemary Smith, hand paints over 70 characters to create amazing and magical pumpkin displays. They truly are a sight to behold! Some of my 2-year-old son’s favorites last year were Elmo and the Winnie the Pooh display, while I enjoyed the Wizard of Oz scene.
The layout of the place allows plenty of room between displays for walking and navigating with little kids or strollers if you have one. There is also an area away from the pumpkin displays that features a petting zoo, Wild West town, playground, pony rides, corn maze, jumping pillow, hayrides, face painting, concessions, and more. However, despite all these additional amenities, I never once felt nickel and dimed there last year. The petting zoo and wild west town, which my boys were content to play until we had to drag them away, were free. Another bonus to Smith’s Pumpkin Farm is FREE parking and FREE admission! Some of the attractions do charge a small fee.
Of course, Smith’s also has a country store and produce available if you are looking to purchase pumpkins, gourds, and other seasonal items. I think we spent a total of $10 or less last year on cookies and popcorn for the kids and some mini pumpkins and gourds. If you’re looking to walk around and explore the beautiful pumpkin displays and enjoy autumn at its finest with your little ones, I highly recommend a trip to Kenosha for Jerry Smith’s Pumpkin Farm!
Jerry Smith’s Pumpkin Farm
7150 – 18th Street, Kenosha, WI
N/E Corner of Hwy EA, Hwy L
(262) 859-2645 | Facebook
Find more Fall Fun in Lake County.
by Dawn T. (Volo)
Dawn is a former 1st grade and early childhood teacher turned to stay at home mom to 2 boys Dawn and her boys love journeying around Lake County and the Chicago suburbs to check out new places to play, restaurants, farms, gardens, museums, or anything that might be of interest to families with young children.
Hello I would like to know what day on the weekend do you think is better for the kids that has more stuff to do for the kis please get back with me I know it is free to get in and free for parking what do we pay for out there please let me know thanks