Free and Cheap Fall Activities at Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm
There is nothing I love more in the Fall than going to Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm, located in Wheatland, CA. In fact, I’ve been there 4 times this year already, and it’s not even October yet! I’m definitely not done going either, and will be back several more times. Some of that is visiting with my clients as a family photographer, but most of it is just providing an amazing experience for my son and just having a ton of fun myself. In my opinion, the best thing about Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm is how much fun you can have with next to no cost. If you don’t count the Apple Cider Slushies (because let’s face it, those add up), I have yet to spend more than 5 dollars at the pumpkin farm in one visit while having an absolutely wonderful time with my family, which includes my husband and 1 year old son.
Here are my Top 7 things to do for Free or Cheap at Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm!
Number 1: Stroll the Pumpkin Patch
You can’t have a pumpkin farm without a pumpkin patch. In this case, Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm has acres and acres of pumpkin patch, including some of the biggest pumpkins I have ever seen. It is completely free to take a stroll, and this is my favorite part of the whole farm. My husband and I usually take a minimum of two rounds around this area of the property with every visit, and it’s our substitute for a neighborhood walk (and frankly, much more scenic!) The pumpkin patch is absolutely beautiful, and if you go in the evening, it becomes shaded very quickly which means you can take a cool stroll on even the hottest Fall days.
Number 2: Take a Train Ride
All aboard! The train that winds its way across the property is one of the most popular attractions, which lets you see everything Bishop’s has to offer. It’s a great activity for all ages, and kids under 2 ride free. The train ride lasts about 6 minutes and costs just 4 dollars a person, which definitely makes it worth it for me. The train winds around the property in a figure eight and you can see many attractions along the way. My 1 year old was a bit scared of the tunnel, but recovered quickly and absolutely loved looking at the horses.
Number 3: Buy a Pumpkin
Once you are done strolling the pumpkin patch, come back to the front in order to buy your very own (or 2 or 5). Bishop’s has a ton of variety of pumpkins, squashes and gourds of all shapes, colors and sizes. In my opinion, the pumpkins are very reasonably priced, though stick to the $2 small ones in order for this to stay on the Cheap side of this list. If you have a baby, they also get one free small pumpkin! I did not learn this fact until our 4th trip, where we happily cashed in for our very own free $2 dollar pumpkin.
Number 4: Play on the Playgrounds
Probably one of the coolest features of Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm is how many unique playgrounds there are. There is a fort, bee hive fortress, small western town, multiple slides, tires and more! Our 1 year old is still too small for these playgrounds, but I am already so excited for next year when he is walking and climbing a bit better, because there is just so much to do! You could go every day of the week and play on a different playground each time. You could visit and only play on back to back playgrounds for the entire time, with no other attractions, and never get bored. Not only are there a lot of playgrounds, but they are so unique and creative, completely different from any you might find at your average park.
Number 5: Pick Sunflowers
Hey look, my husband can take a nice picture! As long as you choose all of the settings, tell him where to point it, and do all of the editing yourself ;-). Anyways, Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm has expansive sunflower fields, planted in such a way that they are constantly blooming and there is never a risk of running out. The cheapest option is to simply walk through the fields and take nothing with you. I especially recommend walking through the fields just after sunset for the very best pictures. But if you choose to take some sunflowers home, that is also very cheap at a little less than 2 dollars per flower. The flowers are huge and gorgeous and absolutely a worthwhile purchase to me.
Number 6: Get Lost in the Corn Maze
You can’t go to a pumpkin patch without also going into a corn maze, and Bishop’s is no exception. This one isn’t free (between $1-8 dollars depending on the maze), but what I love is that there are different sized options depending on your skill level, endurance and frugality. The kiddie maze costs just 1 ticket which is awesome for ages 5 and under, and then there is a 2 acre maze and a huge 7 acre maze for the older kids and adults. This year, we just carried my son through the 2 acre maze (which he still thought was VERY cool and exciting), but again, I am so looking forward to him getting to his own exploring next year.
Number 8 Straw Pit and Corn Pit
Let it be known that I explicitly told my husband to throw the straw BEHIND himself for a cool photo effect and he thought he knew better. No babies or husbands were harmed in the taking of this photo ;-). Anyways, the corn pit and straw pit are another free opportunity for fall fun. My son was again a bit too young for this, unless heavily supervised, since he still thinks that the straw looks absolutely delicious. But for ages 2 and up, these pits are just another new free playground for kids to play in.
Number 9: Abundant Photo Opportunities
You’ll see professional cameras, but you will see even more Iphones. Whether professional or amateur, whether instagram influencer or just a mom taking a cute baby photo, Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm is a photographers dream. There are so many unique backdrops and photo opportunities, as witnessed in this very blog. The truck, tractor, pumpkin patch and sunflower field are my favorites, but don’t sleep on the pumpkin house, pumpkin wagons, rocking chairs and more! I mean, the list just goes on and on.
You will see a plethora of free photoshoots taking place every day, with friends snapping pictures of friends on their Iphone. But Bishop’s is also a great opportunity to get cheap professional photos taken! Well, maybe not cheap cheap, but certainly much cheapER than other times of the year or other locations, because many photographers (including myself!) host mini sessions here at a reduced session cost from normal. But frankly, because there is SO MUCH VARIETY, I honestly recommend full price full length sessions here as well, because you will just get amazing fall photos no matter what, and with a much larger variety than most photo locations. Plus, Bishop’s Pumpkin Patch does not charge photographers for using their venue (which is somewhat rare for such a cool place), which has us coming back again and again and again.
Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm is hands down my favorite Fall activity with my son AND my favorite location to photograph my clients, from senior to maternity to family shoot. If you haven’t visited yet this year, make sure you go! And when you’ve visited once, I’m sure you will be coming back again and again.
Additional Note: In September, parking is free. In October, visit on a Monday through Thursday in order to avoid a parking fee.
