With limited fall foliage and the weather stubbornly warm, Southern California residents have to rely on another annual signal of a changing season: pumpkins.
We’re not talking about the plastic department store displays or pumpkin spice lattes — though L.A. has some good ones — which can appear as early as midsummer. The real SoCal autumn indicator is an open pumpkin patch, ready to usher in the fall season.
Though a new pumpkin spot emerges every couple of years, the bulk of these businesses have spent decades carving out their place in the community. Accordingly, this year’s roster is filled with returning patches. Among them is Cougar Mountain Pumpkin Patch, run by Lisa Nassar, now in its 22nd year and part of a more than seven-decade family history.
“Now that my kids are involved, our family business spans three and a half generations,” says Nassar, whose company started in produce in 1949, branched to Christmas trees and finally landed in pumpkins in 2002. “We want to service our community through this fall tradition. We get the same families coming back each year; we get to see kids grow up.”
In recent years, newer pumpkin attractions have leaned into technology, blending savvy light shows and strobing displays for an innovative take on the autumn tradition. But the majority cater to nostalgia, offering old-fashioned fun in a society often unsettled by a rapidly advancing tech landscape. Pumpkin patch staples such as crafts, mazes and petting zoos serve as screen-free entertainment — a reprieve for iPad babies and a reminder of days past for their parents.
With that in mind, here’s our list of must-visit spots for pumpkins and fall festivities throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties. With festivals, charming parking lot patches and full-fledged farms on offer, these 19 attractions are ready to kick-start your fall.
