Where To Pick Pumpkins Near Jersey City This Fall

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Heading out to a patch or field to pick the best or biggest pumpkin isn’t just about finding the perfect Halloween jack-o-lantern. It’s a seasonal activity blending nature, tradition and community, and there are several places around the local area to create lasting memories with family and friends.

Many pumpkin patches and fields offer complementary activities like hay rides, corn mazes and games for the kids. Picking your own pumpkin also is a good way to support the local farmers who grow them.

Whether you plan to carve a jack-o’-lantern or just add some festive flair to your stoop, there are plenty of places to pick up a pumpkin near Jersey City. Here are a few of our favorites:

(Note that one 101-year-old farm in Bergen County recently closed. READ MORE: Goodbye, Blueberry Pies: Farm Stand Closes)

Hudson County

Fourteenth Street Garden Center (Jersey City)

The Garden Center may not have a farm, but it's a garden and seasonal decor store near the Jersey City/Hoboken border offering pumpkins, holiday decorations, sometimes visiting characters, and personalized service. They also sell Christmas trees in December and do delivery.

Bergen County

• Ward's Pumpkin Patch (Ridgewood)
• Abma's Farm (Wyckoff)
• Secor Farms (Mahwah)
• Lupardi's Nursery (Closter)
• Demarest Farms (Hillsdale)

Want to make a day of it? You can find a new farm each year in the Garden State to explore. Here are more.

Wider North Jersey List

Keep in mind that carving and baking pumpkins aren’t the same. The former are grown in fields to be large, more vibrantly colored, and relatively hollow. The watery flesh doesn’t have the same flavor found in baking pumpkins, which tend to be smaller, have thicker, harder-to-carve walls and sweeter flesh. For those, you’ll probably need to head to the grocery store.

Pumpkins for carving should appear sturdy and clean. Remember, this is the pumpkin that will be front and center on the porch for the Halloween season. Here are some tips for carving a perfect jack-o’-lantern from Warren Nash on YouTube, who shows a step-by-step process to make the perfect carve.

Pumpkin carving kits will go a long way in getting what you need. They typically include saws, a scooper, a drill and multiple patterns.

If you're looking for the items individually around the house, here's what you could use:

• Curved boning knife, or serrated knife from the kitchen
• Ice cream scoop or scraper
• Paper
• Pencil or pen
• Candle or battery-operated light
• Lighter

Steps

Cut it: If cutting from the top of the pumpkin, make sure to do it on an inward angle, so the top won't drop inside the pumpkin when you put it back on. Michael Natiello, creative director for The Great Jack-o'-Lantern Blaze, said it's better to cut the pumpkin from the bottom, in a series of pumpkin carving tips from Good Housekeeping. That helps prevent the sides from caving in later.
Gut it: Use the ice cream scoop, or your hands, to remove all the seeds and other debris from inside the pumpkin. Do a thorough cleaning and make sure nothing is left sticking to the sides.
Trace it: Draw your design on a piece of paper before putting it on the pumpkin itself. That way, it is easier to trace the design onto the pumpkin.
Make the cuts: Cut out the design. Natiello said to use a fork or pencil to poke holes around the lines. When cutting, get the big pieces of pumpkin out first and clean up the edges later.
Light it: Light the pumpkin with a battery-operated light or candle in a holder, place it in the pumpkin, and step back and admire your work.