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 £3 for kids, £4 for adults (pumpkin not included), and that includes a tractor and tailor ride to and from the car park, use of the farm’s wheelbarrows, access to the Maize maze, 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.
Nestled inside the enormous Reddish Vale Country Park, the serene suburban farm hosts pumpkin picking and a Carving Cavern, an indoor play barn, Mad Science Shows, spine-tingling games and even a Spooky Express train ride alongside its usual fare as part of their Halloween Festival, which runs from Sat 4 Oct – Fri 31 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 Pumpkin Picking takes place every weekend from Sat 11 Oct, with Halloween Special events taking place from Sat 25 Oct – Fri 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 over 20,000 pumpkins and squashes in every shade and shape imaginable, Kenyon Hall Farm’s annual Pumpkin Festival is among the region’s biggest and busiest autumn days out. Running daily until Fri 31 Oct, the event includes grand seasonal displays and endless photo opportunities.
Tickets are £2.95 per adult/child (infants under 18 months free), with pumpkins priced separately, and must be booked in advance. Spaces are filling up fast, so grab yours below.
From Sat 11 Oct – Fri 31 Oct, Tatton Park’s working farm invites visitors to meet their cohort of friendly animals before venturing out to its rustic pumpkin patch. Guests can pre-pay for their chosen gourds (£4 each, plus standard farm entry), then enjoy a marvellously muddy search for their perfect pick among the fields and cobbles. Friendly staff are on hand to guide families, and while wheelbarrows aren’t essential, waterproofs and sturdy boots are a must.
Bury’s Jersey Girls Dairy hosts a hands-on pumpkin experience this month, where ticket-holders (£12 per carving pumpkin, including entry for up to two guests) can pluck their pick from the patch before heading into the spooky barn for carving, games, music and seasonal treats. Sessions last around an hour, and wellies and warm clothes are highly recommended.
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Tue 28 Oct 2025
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 from Sat 5 Oct – Fri 31 Oct, this year’s offering includes a Haunted Hayride, a chance to meet the reptiles, outdoor play areas, a fairground Carousel and more across the farm’s main pumpkin patch, mini patch and even an after-dark experience.