As the nights draw in and the transitory gloom begins to settle lower above Greater Manchester, October offers its usual reprieve: Spooky Season has arrived, and with it a sudden, astonishingly broad selection of pumpkin patches across the region.
From Oldham to Cheshire, here are some of the best gourd-grabbing hotspots around the city this month.
Dunham Massey’s Brookheys Farm will be opening its pumpkin patch up to the public this month. Admission is £5.50 for adults and £4.50 for kids (pumpkin not included) with under-18 months free, and that includes a tractor and trailer shuttle to and from the car park, access to the new pick-your-own sweetcorn maize, a chance to meet a variety of animals – including Highland cows – and plenty of seasonal photo opportunities.
Lancaster Park’s Halloween on the Farm spectacular features pumpkin picking and carving, a Halloween disco, Wizard School, animal petting, mini quad bikes, a pirate shootout, fancy dress, tortoise-bathing opportunities and, somehow, much more in the Chadderton farm’s festive answer to Alton Towers.
This year’s dates run across selected weekends from Sat 10 Oct, then daily from Fri 23 – Sat 31 Oct, with children’s tickets including a pumpkin to take home.
Nestled inside the enormous Reddish Vale Country Park, the serene suburban farm hosts pumpkin picking and a Carving Cavern, a Witch & Wizard Magic Show, wand making, Halloween games, roaming characters and a chance to meet Jack Skellington alongside its usual fare as part of their Halloween Pumpkin Festival, which runs from Sat 10 – Sat 31 Oct.
There are also Moonlight Pumpkin Evenings on 17, 24 and 25 Oct, plus a midweek Halloween offer on Mon 12– Wed 14 and Mon 19– Wed 21 Oct.
Featuring farm staff in elaborate costumes, a children’s fancy dress competition, a ‘spooky sweet hunt’ and ticket prices per pumpkin rather than per person, the Bolton farm’s wildly popular Pumpkin Picking sessions takes place on Sat 17 and Sun 18 Oct, then daily from Sat 24 – Sat 31 Oct.
This year, Smithills hosts a hair-raising Fright Night on Halloween, which features haunted tractor rides, bone-chilling woodland walks, zombie barns, werewolf woods and a complimentary supper to welcome the witching hour in style.
Hosting thousands of pumpkins across 50 different varieties and every imaginable shape, size and colour, Kenyon Hall Farm’s annual Pumpkin Festival is among the region’s biggest and busiest autumn days out.
Running daily until Sat 31 Oct, this year’s event includes brand-new displays, interactive elements, seasonal treats and plenty of photo opportunities, with pumpkins priced separately according to size and variety.
Tickets are £3.95 per person (infants under 18 months free) and must be booked in advance, with weekend and half-term dates already fully booked.
From selected dates between Sat 10 – Sat 31 Oct, Tatton Park’s working farm invites visitors to meet their cohort of friendly animals before venturing out to its rustic pumpkin patch. Grab a barrow and pick your own pumpkin from the field, with gourds starting from £2 alongside standard farm and parkland entry.
Bury’s Jersey Girls Dairy hosts a hands-on pumpkin experience this month, where ticket-holders (from £13) can pluck their pick from the patch before heading into the spooky barn to carve it. Sessions last around an hour, with JG Pumpkin Pickin’ running from Sat 24 – Sat 31 Oct, while grown-ups can swap the family fun for a Pumpkins and Prosecco Carve & Sip on Fri 30 Oct.
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Sun 4 Oct 2026
Nine miles east of the city centre, Cockfields Farm is a seasonal idyll with an extensive array of family-friendly entertainment alongside its Halloween programme.
Running throughout October, this year’s offering includes thousands of pumpkins, a new spooky walk-through and Halloween show, a new Reptile Room, tractor rides, outdoor play areas and more across the farm’s main pumpkin patch, mini patch and after-dark experience. Every paying ticket, excluding Under 1s, includes a pumpkin to take home.