Smith Family Farm is so much more than just a pumpkin patch. There is live music, a ton of the cutest scarecrows around, live music, corndogs, a corn maze, and so much more. Plus, it is only a little over an hour’s drive from the East Bay Area.
Read our guide below to find out why you should add a trip to Smith Family Farm to your fall activity list.
Smith Family Farm is located on the stolen lands of the Miwok and Yokut people
Before you go:
- Bring cash – they only take cash or check
- Plan ahead by checking the entertainment schedule
- The patch is open from 9am-5pm daily. Expect to spend about 3 hours here
What we packed:
- Cash
- Bagged lunch or lunch money
- Sunscreen and hats
- Wagon
- Baby carrier
- Layers for cool and warmer weather
- Closed toed shoes for walking in dirt
| General Admission (includes a pumpkin) | $16 per person, free for kids under 2 years old |
| Parking | Free |
| Meals & gifts | |
Tips to get the most out of your Trip to Smith Family Farm
1. Make sure you get there early
Go early in the season: The pumpkin patch opens the first weekend of fall which is usually around the end of September until the end of the season. The closer you get to Halloween, the more crowded it gets.
Go early in the day: Also, the weather is warm in Brentwood, California – with temperatures reaching 90°F in October! And the later in the day you arrive, the more families you’ll have to compete to get the perfect pumpkin.
Arriving early to the patch will help you avoid crowds and the heat. A win-win!
2. Dress for warm weather and dirt
Even though it is fall, the weather out in deep East Contra Costa County gets H-O-T. Dress in layers. Be prepared for a slight chill in the morning hours and a very hot afternoon.
Consider bringing closed-toed shoes. You are visiting a farm, and will be walking and dancing in dirt.
3. Bring a wagon
The walk from the parking lot to the pumpkin patch is long and dusty.
Bring your wagon to carry your kids in and your pumpkins out. You don’t want to drop your prized pumpkin while balancing a toddler on your hip, chasing a preschooler, and carrying a diaper bag.
We also carried a cooler in the wagon on the way in. See tip #5.
4. Get your pumpkins first
My kiddos have the most energy at the beginning of any adventure, no matter what time we start.
I recommend going straight to pick out a pumpkin when you arrive so your kids are at their prime and excited to walk the long, dirt path until they find the perfect squash.
Pro tip: Put the pumpkins in your wagon, send your kids with one adult to do some of the fun kid-friendly activities at the farm while another adult takes the pumpkins back to your car and returns with an empty wagon.
5. Bring a picnic lunch
Smith Family Farm offers a food stand with corn dogs, sandwiches, and other fried goodies. The corn dogs are yummy, but the line to order can be long. If you’re lucky, a food truck may be there as well.
Bring a cooler with a picnic lunch so you know you will have the kind of food your family will enjoy and no one has to wait in line.
There are shaded picnic tables all around the gazebo.
While enjoying our picnic lunch, many families stopped by us and said “What a great idea! Next time we’ll bring our own lunch too. I’ve been waiting forever for a sandwich!”
6. Check out the live music at the gazebo
There were live music performances throughout our visit to Smith Family Farm’s pumpkin patch.
My preschooler heard someone playing the banjo shortly after we entered the farm, and insisted we go straight to the gazebo instead of getting a pumpkin or exploring the farm.
If your child likes music as much as mine, make sure to budget some time for dancing.
7. Wander through the Autumn Trail (the corn maze)
The Autumn Trail leads you through a simple corn maze with fun (pretend) animals to spy along the way.
There are lots of exits along the Autumn Trail that take you directly to the pumpkin patch.
She spent most of the day deciding which scarecrow was her, which was mama, and which was her little sister.
8. Save time to find your favorite scarecrow
Near the animals, you’ll find many scarecrow displays. There are scarecrows of all ages, sizes, abilities, but not much variety in scarecrow sack color…
Even though I wanted to send a little note to Smith Family Farm to diversify their sack selection for next year’s scarecrow display, my preschooler didn’t seem to mind.
She spent most of the day deciding which scarecrow was her, which was mama, and which was her little sister.
9. Budget time for a walk through the farm
There are a variety of farm animals to visit on the west side of the farm, such as goats, cows, chickens, peacocks, and bunnies.
Just past the farm animals you’ll find an area focused on bees and bugs with a few activities for kids and a bee keeper presentation.
We also got a few basil plant seedlings for free from the herb stand.
We love Smith Family Farm so much that it has turned into a family tradition.
Each year we go opening weekend to kick off the fall season.
After our annual visit to the pumpkin patch at Smith Family Farm, we paint our pumpkins instead of carving them.
What are some of your family’s unique fall traditions? Leave a comment below.
Puerto Rican & Indigenous mama of two. Bay Area native. Salsa dancer. Backpacker. Doula. Angel (she/her/hers) is a co-founding member of the Beautiful Brown Adventures team. She has traveled to over 30 countries and loves to explore the world with her two daughters & partner - one ice cream shop at a time.
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