Halloween Is Not Cancelled... It's Just a Bit Different This Year
I run several "Mommy Groups" on Facebook, and a recurring theme as of late is Mama's asking whether they should cancel Halloween. As a matter of fact, I have beared witness to several heated debates on the topic. Mom's who are still sheltering-in-place vs. mom's who refuse to NOT Trick-or-Treat. It's quite the hot button.
Personally, I refuse to cancel Halloween. I even wrote an article on the topic for the October issue of Uploader Magazine. Check it out if you have a moment. But if not, no worries. This blog is my casual way to share my thoughts on all topics, even tabu ones such as whether or not Halloween will go on!
So here we go...
Rather than cancel a holiday that makes my kids happy and takes my mind off of the state of the world, elections, and of course, the pandemic, I am choosing to do Halloween a little safer this year.
To kick off a month of Halloween activities, the boys and I joined the OC Mommy Blogger Tribe at Tanaka Farms in Irvine, CA.
Tanaka Farms offers two ways to enjoy their farm and pumpkin patch:
Drive Thru Pumpkin Patch
A leisurely 1.5 mile drive around the 30-acre farm!
This option includes a pumpkin, fruit and veggie samples, a barnyard educational exhibit with farm animals, a scarecrow contest, sunflowers (they are growing right now, should be in peak bloom late October), and more! This option is an in-vehicle only option. You will not be exiting your vehicle, except for one optional stop where you will pull off the path so you can pick your own pumpkin in the fields.
U-Pick Pumpkin Wagon Ride (we LOVED this one)
This option takes you on a wagon ride led by one of their friendly tour guides. It includes watching a pumpkin launched from a cannon, a ride through the barnyard educational exhibit with farm animals, lots of fun stuff to look at, a scarecrow contest, sunflowers, U-Pick veggies, and a pumpkin you pick yourself! Please note you will not exit the wagon until it is time to pick your vegetables and pumpkin. This activity lasts about one hour.
We loved the U-Pick Pumpkin Wagon ride because it gave us a way to relax, enjoy the entire farm and socialize with friends we've missed for so long, all while still being completely socially distant.
We had a few wagons dedicated to the OC Mommy Blogger Tribe, so it was an absolute joy to wave from wagon to wagon and see our friends in a time when we are all still trying very hard to stay away from other people.
The boys absolutely loved checking out all of the fun stops along the way.
Now, the fun really picked up when we all got to get our hands in the dirt! With our U-pick ticket, we were given the opportunity to pick some veggies! The boys picked carrots, radishes, and cilantro!
There was a huge added bonus to our veggie picking. When we got home, the boys got to see mommy cook with their bounty. They were so proud of themselves and loved that they were able to feed the family with a yummy veggie soup.
Of course, the main event of the day was picking pumpkins at a real pumpkin patch! We had four tickets, and each ticket came with a pumpkin. So, each of the kids got to pick two beautiful pumpkins. The excitement was real, folks, and the team work was impressive!
Friends, if you are looking for a fun, safe, Halloween activity to do this month, I highly suggest Tanaka Farms!
*If you loved the boy's glow-in-the-dark skeleton shirts, head to Sugar Threads Etc. to order yours.
