Fall Guide · 6 min read

25 Things to Do at a Wisconsin Pumpkin Patch This Fall

There's a moment every September in Northwest Wisconsin — the air turns crisp, the corn starts rustling, and suddenly everyone remembers they own flannel. That's your cue. Here's your complete pumpkin patch bucket list, tested and approved right here at Midwest Harvest Hills.

The Classics (1–8)

1. Pick your pumpkin straight from the patch — not the grocery store bin. It matters.
2. Take the family photo. Yes, the matching-flannel one. Future you will be glad.
3. Visit the petting zoo and let a pig judge your snack offerings.
4. Eat a fresh caramel apple while it's still slightly warm. Life-changing.
5. Pick apples in the orchard — crisp Wisconsin apples taste different off the tree.
6. Find the weirdest gourd on the property. Bonus points for warts.
7. Golden hour walk. The barn at sunset is the best free show in Barron County.
8. Buy a mini pumpkin for your desk. It's a tiny coworker who never complains.

For the Kids (9–15)

9. Farm play area — vintage equipment and room to run.
10. Name the animals (they will not respond, but that's half the fun).
11. Pumpkin painting at one of our workshop nights.
12. Count pumpkin colors — orange, white, green, blue-gray… we grow them all.
13. Leaf pile jump. An oldie for a reason.
14. Feed the goats — animal feed available on-site.
15. Pick the family jack-o'-lantern and let the kids vote on the face.

For the Grown-Ups (16–20)

16. Porch decorating haul — mums, cornstalks, pumpkins in three sizes. Trust the formula.
17. Photograph the vintage truck against the fall color.
18. Scout the barn — engaged friends? Send them our way.
19. Slow morning visit — weekday mornings are the quiet-magic hours.
20. Talk to the farmers. We love telling the story of this place.

Level-Up Moves (21–25)

21. Bring a thermos of cider and make an afternoon of it.
22. Try a new apple variety you can't pronounce.
23. Plan a group tour — schools, scouts, and clubs welcome by reservation.
24. Recreate a childhood fall photo. Instant family history.
25. Come back in a different week — the patch changes fast, and no two visits look alike.

"Fall is proof that change can be beautiful. Also that caramel belongs on fruit."

Make It a Day

Midwest Harvest Hills is open weekends mid-September through late October at 1696 20 1/2 Street, Rice Lake, WI. Check our Facebook page for this week's hours, or plan your visit here.