Spend a day with the kids in New Jersey farm country picking pumpkins, and time permitting, add on a hay ride or a trip to the corn maze. In the fall, the daytime New Jersey countryside becomes a bright landscape, color-quilted with leafy hues and the night time sky is clear and vivid shining stars.

The pumpkin picking season in New Jersey begins as early as September 15, with peak activity from October 1 – October 15, with the season ending on Halloween Day, and on some farms, into early November.

Pick-Your-Own farms vary in the activities they offer, from the farm that offers only pick your own to those that feature a wide range of activities including hay rides, corn mazes, animals, and many Halloween attractions.

A few of the more popular New Jersey fall pumpkin attractions and pumpkin picking farms with fall and Halloween attractions for kids are described here.

The South Jersey Pumpkin Show – Fifth annual affordable family Fall Festival, October 13, 2007, 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM at the Cumberland County Fairgrounds, 3001 Carmel Road, Millville, NJ (856) 765-0118 –Over 150 artists and craftsmen, Professional Fall/Winter Home & Garden Expo, Bluegrass and Country Bands, Largest Grown Pumpkin Weigh Off, Little Miss Pumpkin Show, Halloween Extravaganza, Hay rides, Skillet Toss, Amusement Rides, Scarecrows, truckloads of pumpkins and mums. Pumpkin growers and backyard gardeners from New Jersey and surrounding states are invited to bring their biggest pumpkin to the pumpkin weigh off at noon. The first 200 kids to the pumpkin show will receive free pumpkins. $3 general admission and kids under six are admitted free.

Here is a list of New Jersey’s best pumpkin picking farms with activities for kids. Please call ahead to confirm activity schedule and get your travel directions.

Howell Living History Farm

101 Hunter Rd.

Titusville, NJ

609-737-3299

Owned by Mercer County and operated by Mercer County Park Commission. Enjoy this year’s 11th Annual Corn Maze. The maze includes a kid’s hay bale maze, pumpkin patch, hay rides, food tent, gift shop & more! Saturdays September 15 – November 10 and Sundays September 16 – November 4, 2007. Admission; Adults & Children ages 13 & up: $8.00; Children ages 5-12: $6.00 (ages 4 & under, free). Group Rates for 20 or more, pre-paid (call for details) Private Events (call for details). There is no admission fee for the Howell Farm itself, located about a mile from the maze up Valley Road.

C. Casola Farms

Rt 79 N (2-1/2 miles South of Rt 520)

Marlboro, NJ

732-946-8885

Pumpkin picking, hayrides, corn maze, pony rides, decorations, refreshments, Halloween characters and scenery open Sat & Sun, 9 AM – 5PM, Sept 29th-Oct 28th. —- and the 11th Annual Howling Night of Terror (Fri-Sat & Sun evening, 7PM – 10:30 PM, September 28th through Halloween night – October 31st) featuring the haunted barn, haunted wooded trail and the hayride of terror.

Dewolf’s “U-Pick” Farm

10 West Colliers Mills Road, (off RT 539)

New Egypt, NJ

609-758-2424

Offers a variety of fun fall attractions including; pumpkin picking, hay rides, face painting, a kid friendly haunted house, and three age appropriate corn mazes. The Amazing Spider Corn Maze is over 5 acres big. This is a challenging maze that features 4 mazes into 1; The Kiddie Corn Maze for kids 5-8 years old who want to experience the fun, without supervision, but who are to young for the amazing spider corn maze; Baby Corn Maze is a little fun maze for smaller kids 3-5 years old who want to experience the fun of a maze. Starting the last two weekends in September and continuing thru October 31, 2007.

Schaefer Farms

1051 County Route 523

Flemington NJ

(908) 782-2705

Features friendly farm animals and a tour of the educational barn, a corn maze pumpkin picking with free hay ride with the purchase of a pumpkin. Weekends and holidays from September 29 thru October 28, 2007.