Tucson Girls Chorus Pumpkin Patch: Support the Tucson Girls Chorus by purchasing your pumpkin from their pumpkin patch, located in the south parking lot of El Con Mall. Pumpkins are $3-$8 a piece. Don't miss opening night festivities on Oct. 12, including a performance at 6:00 PM. The patch will be open daily from October 12-31st. www.tucsongirlschorus.org
Agua Linda Fall Festival-Amado, AZ: Celebrate the fall harvest with a full day of fun fall activities, great food and an evening movie for the whole family! A wonderful way for the whole family to experience the season. Weekends in October. $5 per person. Find a detailed schedule at www.agualindafarm.net.
Apple Annie's Fall Pumpkin Celebration-Willcox: Old fashioned family fun! Pick your own pumpkins and fall vegetables, go through the corn maze, and take a hay ride. Festival open weekends through October 28; pumpkins, produce and orchards open daily through Oct. 31. Festival is $3/person. Admission to the corn maze is separate. Go to www.appleannies.com.
Buckelew Farm Pumpkin Festival and Corn Maze: Take a wagon ride to the pumpkin patch to pick the perfect pumpkin. There is also a corn maze, arts & crafts tent, festival games, petting zoo and pedal cart race track. Open the last 4 weekends in October. Pumpkin Festival $4/person (includes hay rides). Corn maze admission seperate. Learn more at www.buckelewfarm.com.
Marana's Pumpkin Patch and Farm Festival: Find a perfect pumpkin, try out a corn maze, pet the animals in the petting zoo, or jump on a huge inflatable jumping pillow to work up an appetite for some of the great food available! $10 admission. Open Thursday-Monday, check website for times:www.maranapumpkinpatch.com.
Pumpkin Carving Tips:
- The Bigger the Better...or easier to carve. Pumpkins with a light colored skin are softer and easier to cut. Shy away from bruises and or moldy stems
- Don't create your lid by cutting straight down or it will fall in. Place the knife at a 42 degree angle.
- Be sure to save your seeds for a healthy snack!
- Ice cream scoops work great for scooping out the seeds. Be sure to scrape the walls well. About 1 inch thickness is ideal.
- Inexperienced carvers should select a simple pattern, moving on to more difficult ones as time goes on.
- Templates are good! Make sure your cutting tools are sharp. Tape template to pumpkin or use push pins to hold in place while tracing. This way you can cut along your lines. You can also use a push pin to make holes along the template and then play connect the dots with your cutting tool.
- For a more stable pumpkin when carving, cut off the bottom. You can either place the body of the pumpkin back on its base, or place the body on a plate when you are ready to illuminate it with a candle.
- If you are using a candle with a lid, you may want to carve an unseen hole in the back to act as a chimney. Never leave a candle-lit jack-o-lantern unattended.
- Many stores sell flameless candles for a safer option to the traditional candle.
- Cinnamon and or nutmeg on the bottom side of your lid will give off a fabulous scent.
