Twenty years ago, Third Day Market was a roadside stand selling flowers in the spring and pumpkins in the fall. Now, you can get lost in a hay maze, explore an expansive nursery, and choose from heaps of colorful pumpkins and other gourds.
599 NC Highway 16 South
(336) 846-1089
thirddaymarket.com
Head to Johnny Wilson Farm for an outing packed full of farm animals, corn and corral mazes, apple orchards, and, most important, pumpkins.
5163 Precious Memories Lane
(828) 217-1874
johnnywilsonfarm.com
This is Riverbend’s 29th year as a pumpkin patch. Come celebrate with the farm by hitching a hayride and browsing for the perfect pumpkin.
12150 McManus Road
(704) 622-7192
riverbendfarm.net
Spend the day exploring a pumpkin patch, 10-acre corn maze, petting zoo, and newly opened pig pavilion at Naylor Family Farm.
6016 U.S. Highway 401 North
(910) 249-2258
naylorfamilyfarm.com
At Mike’s Farm, you can catch a hayride to the pumpkin patch, sip North Carolina-made wine while listening to live music on Friday and Saturday evenings, enjoy food truck faire, meet local vendors, and more.
1600 Haw Branch Road
(910) 324-3422
mikesfarmnc.com
Briley’s Farm Market has been growing and selling fresh produce for more than 45 years. The market has duck races, slides, play areas, farm animals, and pumpkins of all sizes and colors.
5290 Old Pactolus Road
(252) 754-5029
brileysfarmmarketnc.com
— Liz Johnson
To find more pumpkin patches, visit ourstate.com/pumpkin-patches.
See the floating jack-o’-lanterns up close. photograph by Charles Harris
Clean out a soccer ball-size pumpkin at home, and carve a silly face, a ghost, a cat, or another image of your choosing into its side. Then, drop off your decorated gourd near the Bond Park Boathouse — lights and flotation devices will be provided. At dusk, grab a snack at the concession stand and watch your jack-o’-lantern float across Bond Lake.
(919) 462-3970
townofcary.org
Lisa Oakley and other artists create glass pumpkins to sell solo or stacked at Cedar Creek Gallery in Creedmoor. The colorful stacks can reach 18 inches tall. photograph by Eric Waters
Lisa Oakley photograph by Eric Waters
Lisa Oakley is in the hot seat. She’s facing a 2,000-degree furnace — a temperature equivalent to molten lava — but she isn’t fazed. Using a four-and-a-half-foot metal rod, she gathers liquid glass out of the furnace, carefully adds colored glass to the searing, red-hot ball, and places it into a form, where she turns, blows, and shapes it into a pumpkin. When she’s finished, another gourd will join Cedar Creek Gallery’s pumpkin patch — a community staple in Creedmoor. So each October, when the breeze turns cold, Oakley rolls up her sleeves and takes her place in the hot seat. — Anna Mudd
Cedar Creek Gallery
1150 Fleming Road
Creedmoor, NC 27522
(919) 528-1041
cedarcreekgallery.com
To find more glass pumpkins, visit these galleries:
Milepost 382
Blue Ridge Parkway
Asheville, NC 28805
(828) 298-7928
southernhighlandguild.org
140 C Roberts Street, Gallery D
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 505-3552
ncglasscenter.org
Reservations are required to purchase pumpkins on Saturdays.
100 Russell Drive
Star, NC 27356
(910) 428-9001
starworksnc.org
Pumpkin pancakes make a delicious treat for breakfast. photograph by Matt Hulsman
Nothing warms up a cool October morning quite like a plate of pancakes flavored with cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and pumpkin. Top your stack with a dollop of whipped cream, toasted walnuts, and maple syrup. Our twist on a beloved breakfast classic is bound to put you in the fall spirit.
Find the recipe at ourstate.com/pumpkin-pie-pancakes.
Carve a pumpkin with the family — and don’t forget to save your seeds. photograph by ©MELANIE DEFAZIO/STOCKSY UNITED
Celebrate fall by carving a grinning jack-o’-lantern, but don’t throw away the goop right away. Wayne County Extension Agent Jessica Strickland offers a few tips for saving pumpkin seeds so you can grow your own gourds or start your own patch.
Do some research before saving your seeds. If you want to grow massive, award-winning pumpkins, look for varieties with a good track record.
When it’s time to carve, place a colander in the sink and carefully scoop the pumpkin “guts” into it. Pulling apart the pulp with your fingers loosens the strands, and running water helps separate the seeds.
Good seeds are orange-tinted and free of blemishes. If you find shriveled or wrinkled seeds with dark, moldy spots, discard them. Also, toss seeds that look significantly smaller — large seeds have a better chance of germinating.
Saving more seeds than you think you need could help if your future stock refuses to grow. It’s safe to store extra seeds for a few years, but “every year you store them, the chances of germination reduce,” Strickland says.
“Avoid humidity at all costs,” Strickland says. Seeds stored in a moist environment are less likely to germinate and more likely to mold. Dry your seeds out by spreading them in a thin layer on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or paper towels.
After one to two weeks of drying, your seeds will be ready for long-term storage in a cool and dry place. Strickland recommends storing seeds in an envelope or a paper or Ziploc bag. Seeds can also be kept in the fridge or freezer.
If there are seeds leftover after your storage preparations, reward your hard work with a tasty treat. Spread the pumpkin seeds in a thin layer on a baking sheet, season them with your favorite spices, and roast them in the oven. — Meagan Pusser
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