This October, The Tanaka Family will be welcoming visitors to their farm once again. TheTanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch has become beloved fall tradition for Irvine families and this year’s celebration promises to be best yet.
In an age of high-tech, computer driven amusement parks, the Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch is a refreshing throw back to a simpler time. Families wander the farm at a leisurely pace, taking rides on the back of a farm wagon and finding their way through a corn maze. Kids can learn about farm animals at the Barnyard Education Exhibit, and pick carrots and radishes right out of the ground at the Veggie Patch.
On the weekends, the fun expands to a full, old-fashioned Fall Harvest Festival. There are ATV rides, carnival games, face painting and the ever popular Pumpkin Cannon. A perennial favorite, the cannon launches a pumpkin every time a wagon passes by. It’s free to watch, but for the price of a ticket, you can blast the cannon yourself!
The Tanaka Grillserves burgers, fries, shave ice and lemonade. Best of all, there are Irvine-grown pumpkins for sale in all sizes and colors, direct from the fields of Tanaka Farms.
The simple pleasures of the Tanaka Farms allows parents to make the connection between the food on their table and the place where it’s grown in a fun, and wholesome way.
“I like seeing families together having fun here on the farm,” said farmer Kenny Tanaka. “but I really like educating the kids even more.”
Insider Tips for Visiting the Tanaka Farms Pumpkin Patch
To avoid crowds, Try to visit on a weekday afternoon, after morning school field trips are over.
Plan your transportation in advance. To be good neighbors, Tanaka Farms is restricting parking to limited, pre-paid passes on the weekends. You may purchase them online.
