A VISIT TO THE GRANDY PUMPKIN PATCH
Many people ask what locals do on the Outer Banks during the off season. I know it can be hard to think of the OBX as anything other than a vacation destination with 90-degree summer days and sun-bathing on the beach.
However, the off-season is actually a great time to visit the Outer Banks and Fall in particular is one of our favorite times on the beach. So how do locals spend our fall days? With hayrides and pumpkin patches, of course!
Last weekend, the marketing team at Seaside Vacations decided to pay a visit to the Grandy Farmer’s Market so the kids could enjoy their annual fall hayride. Needless to say, it didn’t disappoint.
When we arrived, we were overwhelmed (in the best possible way) by all of the things we love about Autumn—pumpkins galore, baskets of gourds, fresh peaches, hand pressed cider, baked goods and Halloween decorations. The property was literally lined with a white picket fenced topped with bright orange pumpkins!
The ticket cost for the hayride included one pumpkin (that you get to select yourself from the pumpkin patch), the hayride itself through the sunflowers and the woods to the pumpkins, a cup of homemade frozen yogurt and a sample of their fresh apple cider... an extremely great deal!
The hayride itself was the highlight of the trip. We rode through the sunflower fields and learned about the unique sunflowers grown on the land there. Then we circled through the woods and out into a large field with a great selection of pumpkins and fun scarecrows (for photos of course)! After everyone selected their pumpkins, we rode back past a beautiful field of cotton.
After we returned, we got our frozen yogurt and apple cider. Both were a welcome and refreshing treat. The kids selected chocolate and the adults selected the peach flavor… I highly recommend it! There were plenty of tables and even covered gazebos for families to sit down and enjoy the snack before exploring the rest of the Farmer’s Market.
After we ate, we grabbed a basket and hit the aisles to buy all the items we had decided we wanted earlier (aka everything in the store). We ended up leaving with fresh produce, apple cider, delicious muffins, and homemade peach salsa (which we promptly devoured later that evening.)
All in all, it was such a fun outing and everyone had a blast! If you’re on vacation during the month of October, I highly recommend you stop by, especially if you have kids! Not only is this an affordable activity for the whole family but you’ll get to sample a lot of local products and enjoy the spirit of the Fall season.
Stop by on the way in if you have time because this is a great arrival day activity. However, if you’re already in town, the Grandy Farmer’s Market and Pumpkin Patch is just 21.5 miles north of our Kitty Hawk office. Enjoy and happy fall!
For more information about the Grandy Farmer’s Market, visit their website.
