Published: October 13, 2008 12:21 pm         

HIS pumpkin patch opens for Halloween

At the end of every September for the past four years, Pat and Peggy Patrick welcome area families onto their land for some wholesome Halloween family fun.

Co-owned by their son and daughter-in-law, Cody and Jennifer Patrick, HIS Pumpkin Patch and Maze Craze serves as an alternative Halloween experience for families looking to just have fun without the scares of zombies and goblins.

“It’s something the Lord gave our family to do,” said Peggy Patrick.

One day, she explained, a vision came to her daughter to turn the family’s land into a pumpkin patch for families to visit.

One year later, Peggy Patrick said, the Patrick’s opened HIS Pumpkin Patch and Maze Craze.

The pumpkin patch includes two ziplines, a two mile maze trail with a small entrance and exit for smaller children so they won’t get lost, pumpkins for sale, a bail train, hay ride and a hay mountain.

“The hay mountain is just a mountain of hay,” said Peggy Patrick. “It seems to be their favorite thing here. Kids just love crawlin’ on the hay.”

Another favorite is the petting zoo which features baby pigs, baby goats, miniature donkeys, llamas, baby buffalo and longhorns.

Admission is only $5 per person and those ages 3 and under and 65 and over are free.

“We keep that price like that because it enables the entire family to come and doesn’t break them,” said Peggy Patrick.

The only additional costs in the pumpkin patch are the hay ride, barrel train and concessions.

“We have lots of families that come in on the weekend and at night for our night maze,” said Peggy Patrick. “Lots of older kids and church groups like to go through the night maze with flash lights. Our maze is made out of hybrid sudangrass which is about 10 inches tall. It’s like walking through the jungle.”

One such group will be the First Baptist Church in Gainesville which is set to visit the pumpkin patch on Oct. 18.

The children’s group will go between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and are asked to bring $5, a sack lunch and extra money for the hay rides and barrel train.

Later in the evening, the youth group will also visit the pumpkin patch to go through the night maze, said Children’s Minister Todd Stevens.

“The church from where I just came from took the kids to a pumpkin patch all the time,” said Stevens. “They just loved it so I thought I would do the same here.”

The FBC in Gainesville will also have a special Halloween contest on Oct. 19. Stevens said the Sunday school class with the largest number will win 31 lbs. of candy. Illusionist Jonathan Duperee from Louisiana will be the morning’s entertainment. Class is from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and will meet in the Activities Building.

HIS Pumpkin Patch is located five miles East of Gainesville on HWY 82. To learn more about HIS Pumpkin Patch please call 668-5904 or visit www.hispumpkinpatch.com.

If interested in visiting the pumpkin patch with the FBC in Gainesville or if you’d like to learn more about Sunday services, please call 665-4347 or visit www.fbcgville.com.