California | Fall | Outdoor Activities
How to Visit Smith Family Farm – the Best Pumpkin Patch in the Bay Area
Fall in California is an amazing time to visit local farms, support farm workers, and pick out the perfect pumpkin. Smith Family Farm in Brentwood, California is our favorite pumpkin patch because there is so much to experience for families with little kids. There is live music, 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 San Francisco Bay Area.
Read our guide below to find out why you should add a trip to Smith Family Farm to your fall activity list.
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Getting There
Smith Family Farms is located in Brentwood, California – about a one hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Traffic to east Contra Costa County can be tricky on weekdays, but smooth sailing on weekends.
travel
Quick Tips
When To Visit
The Smith Family Farm Fall pumpkin patch is usually open starting the last weekend of September through the end of October.
Pumpkin Patch hours are from 9am-5pm daily.
Before You go
- Bring cash - they don't accept credit cards
- Plan ahead by checking the entertainment schedule
- Expect to spend 3 hours here
What To Pack
- Cash
- Standard diaper bag essentials
- Sunscreen and hats
- Wagon
- Closed-toed shoes for walking in dirt
- Ergobaby or soft baby carrier, if needed
- Layers for cooler weather
Costs
Don’t forget your cash!
| Item | base cost |
|---|---|
| General Admission (includes 1 pumpkin) | $16/ person (free under age 2) |
| Parking | Free |
| Add-Ons | |
| Food, produce stand | ~$10 |
| Shopping and souvenirs | ~$15 |
Pro Tips for Visitng Three Nunns
- Go early in the day - beat the heat and the crowds
- Dress in layers - fall in California can be hot or cold, or both in the same day!
- Pack sunscreen, snacks, and water
- Wear comfortable and closed-toed shoes
- Grab pumpkins before it gets busy - in a wagon
What to Expect at Smith Family Farms
Walk the Autumn Trail
A kid-friendly corn maze with many exit points
Go for a stroll along the Autumn Trail, Smith Family Farm’s kid-friendly version of a corn maze. Each turn takes you along a path lined by corn with secret animal statues hidden about. You can play i-spy with your kids and find the racoons!
When you’re done with the trail, find one of the many exits to take you to the pumpkin patch.
Visit the farm animals & Play in the hay
Great for a real farm experience
Stop and greet the farm animals of Smith Family Farm. You can grind corn to feed the chickens, wave at a peacock or cow, and hold a bunny.
Once you’re done with the adorable animals, get your wiggles out in the hay maze.
Dance to live music at the gazebo
Live music at the gazebo hourly
Check the schedule to determine what live music entertainment will be available the day of your visit. Our family enjoyed the banjo singers and country music playing some Halloween tunes.
Get out and dance with your kids
Pick the perfect pumpkin at the pumpkin patch
Bring your wagon to select the perfect gourd.
Each ticket includes one pumpkin
The kid-friendly pumpkin patch is easy to get to and a lot of fun. Smith Family Farm staff does the work for you and piles pumpkins at the entrance for easy selection.
Stroll down the farm trails to find more unique pumpkins – with bumps, lumps, or odd colors. Make sure you have your wagon to bring your small or large pumpkins – or kids – back to the car when you’re done.
Find your favorite scarecrow
Scarecrows are everywhere and they are not scary
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 still loved all of their different outfits and poses.
She spent most of the day deciding which scarecrow was her, which was mama, and which was her little sister.
Explore the Barn Exhibit
Great to learn about different pumpkin types
The big red barn at Smith Family Farm houses a little pumpkin museum, with signs and information about each variety of pumpkin they grow on the farm. From lumpy pumpkins to pink and blue gourds, these squashes have a lot to teach us.
Check out some of the recipes on display for different pumpkin dishes.
Learn at the Miwok Village
Great to plan your day and make sure you don’t miss anything
Visit the recreated Miwok village to learn more about the stewards of this land and how they lived before farmers came to the area.
Be sure to talk to your children about this history and how the Miwok live today. See our antiracist corner above for more information.
Follow the map to find more fun
Great to plan your day and make sure you don’t miss anything
Grab a map after you purchase your tickets and make your way through the farm. Don’t forget to find the:
- Bee observation area that is full of games and honey
- Planting station where you may bring home a starter plant of basil or mint
- Pumpkin House
History Corner
The Bay Miwok and Yokut people have been stewards of this land since time immemorial. They lived along the vibrant delta rivers and creeks. Many were forced to live in the Spanish Missions in the 1700’s due to drought and being removed from their lands thanks to the Spanish land grants.
The Bay Miwok are not a federally recognized tribe. The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe claims to have descendants from the Bay Miwok community. The Muwekma Ohlone petitioned for federal recognition in 2002 but their petition was denied. Learn about their fight for sovereignty and donate here.
our experience
We were in the company of many other BIPOC families while picking pumpkins at the Smith Family Farm Pumpkin Patch. Staff were friendly to us and we felt safe in the space.
Learn More
1. Read about the Bay Miwok and Yokut resistance to the Spanish Missionaries in the 1700’s
2. Share some Bay Miwok history and language with your kids from the East Bay Parks curriculum
3. Watch this video about Miwok dancing
Antiracist Travel Considerations
What to Eat and Drink at the Farm
Bring cash for food
Smith Family Farms offers some on-site food options. There is a snack shack with hot dogs, corn dogs, popcorn, and other friend goodies.
Sometimes you’ll find a food truck available with tacos or hamburgers.
The local produce at Smith Family Farm stand is amazing – grab some of their heirloom tomatoes!
There are picnic tables near the gazebo. We brought a cooler and a picnic lunch to enjoy while listening to music.
If You Have Time...
Things to do in Brentwood
Brentwood is full of farms to visit. Our favorite pumpkin patch is Smith Family Farm, but we’ve also visited Three Nunns Farm in the fall.
Have a little extra time? Grab tea at A Steep in Time or go for a hike in the nearby Corteva Wetlands.
Extras
Final Thoughts
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.
reflect
Read on
Enhance your trip by reading a book featuring Native and local voices to deepen your understanding of the places you visit.
Keepunumuk Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story
Written and illustrated by four Indigenous creators, this picture book honors both the history and tradition that surrounds the story of the first Thanksgiving.
Discover the first Thanksgiving through Wampanoag eyes, as the Native Americans teach the Pilgrims to grow the three sisters—corn, beans, and squash—for a successful harvest.
Looking for more?
Browse our full catalog of recommended children’s books written by Indigenous authors.