HAWAI’I MAGAZINE
These events—three on Oahu, one on Maui—feature food, hayrides, pumpkins and tons of photo ops for your Instagram feed.
BY CATHERINE TOTH FOX OCT 17, 2019
The one thing I miss about living on the Mainland is the fall season: the leaves turning shades of red and gold, the crisp air, the reasons to wear cozy sweaters and head outdoors.
The closest thing to that fall feeling in the Islands is a pumpkin patches complete with hayrides, sunflower fields and rows of the iconic seasonal squash still on vines that you can harvest yourself. Here are four to check out this month:
19th annual Pumpkin Festival, Aloun Farms, Oahu
Aloun Farms in Central Oahu hosts the biggest pumpkin festival on the island. The 3,000-acre farm produces up to 36,000 pumpkins a year—that’s 90 percent of the state’s pumpkins! You can jump on a tractor-pulled hayride, pick pumpkins and sweet corn, recharge at food and drink stations, enjoy keiki rides, and take photos in front of any number of Instagram-worthy backdrops.
TIPS:
- Hayrides to the pumpkin and corn fields are free, but taking home produce will cost you. Pumpkins are priced according to size. A bucket for the corn you pick is $20, $8 for string beans.
- Bring cash. Credit cards and checks are not accepted. There’s an ATM on site.
- There’s a nice restroom—not single-stall porta-a-potties.
- It gets hot here. Bring sun protection and lots of water.
- Bring a wagon if you plan on taking home a lot of pumpkins—or even just one really big one. It’s a bit of a walk from the fields to the parking lot.
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 12 through Oct. 27. General admission $4, kids 2 years and younger are free. 91-1440 Farrington Highway, Kapolei, Oahu, (808) 677-9516, alounfarms.com.
Fall Harvest Festival, Waimanalo Country Farms, Oahu
Pick pumpkins, pet a baby goat, take a selfie in the sunflower field or sip on fresh lemonade at this annual festival on this picturesque Waimanalo farm. We highly recommend a visit to the farm’s lemonade stand, which offers freshly squeezed lemonade in different flavors—mango, pineapple, li hing mui—and freshly brewed sweet tea.
TIPS:
- Admission is free, but attractions are not. Hayrides are $3, visiting the sunflowers are $3, and shooting a pumpkin out of a cannon—yes, it’s true!—is $3. For $15, you can get a wristband for unlimited activities.
- Pumpkins will range in price from $5 to $25, depending on the size.
- Fields can get muddy, so dress accordingly and bring towels and wipes to clean up with later.
- The farm takes credit cards and cash—yay!—but not checks.
- Come back for the farm’s Rustic Fall Nights from 6 to 8:30 p.m. every Saturday (weather permitting) through Nov. 2 with photo stations and special snacks.
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 5 through Oct. 27. Free admission and parking. 41-225 Lupe St., Waimanalo, Oahu, (808) 306-4381, waimanalocountryfarms.com.
The 7th annual Great Pumpkin Festival, Holy Nativity School, Oahu
This beloved community event in East Honolulu offers fun for the entire family. It’s the largest pumpkin patch in Honolulu with more than 2,500 locally grown pumpkins and lots of interactive activities—including arts and crafts—for keiki. There will be fair rides, a petting zoo and a country market.
TIPS:
- There’s limited parking at the school, but you can park for free at nearby Aina Haina Elementary School and either walk or catch a shuttle to the site.
- Bring cash.
- While there will be food trucks at this festival, the school is also located near the Aina Haina Shopping Center, which has other food options—and a Starbucks.
Pumpkin Patch, Kula Country Farms, Maui
This charming Upcountry farm celebrates autumn each with with a patch of pumpkins with a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes. The farm also grows Indian corn, sunflowers and squashes that you can purchase. On the weekends, food vendors will serve barbecue plate lunches, hot dogs, burgers, corn on the cob and shave ice. We recommend trying the farm’s popular strawberry lemonade.
TIPS:
- Wear closed-toed shoes—and ones you don’t mind getting dirty—as this is a working farm.
- Wagons are available to use on a first-come basis. They have to be returned to the farm, and children aren’t allowed to sit in them.
- The farm accepts cash and credit cards—but not checks.
- There are portable restrooms and hand-washing stations at the farm.
- There are a few picnic tables and tent areas where you can sit and eat. You can also bring your own picnic blaket and umbrella for the lawn. Alcohol is not allowed.
The farm’s stand will be open as usual and there’s no admission fee. Here, you can buy fresh produce, plants and gifts.
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through October. General admission $3, kids 2 years and younger are free. 6240 Kula Highway, Kula, Maui, (808) 878-8381, kulacountryfarmsmaui.com.
