Halloween is just about here. Therefore, you probably want pumpkins. Maybe you want to make jack-o-lanterns. Perhaps you just want to do some last minute seasonal decorating. On the other hand, perhaps you have a hankering for pumpkin soup. Whatever the case may be, you want pumpkins. Moreover, you don’t want to have to pay a lot of money for them. After all, it’s already late in the season. Therefore, you’re not going to have a lot of time to enjoy them. So, are there places to get free pumpkins?
7 Places to Get Free Pumpkins
You can always find farms where it’s free to go pick your own pumpkins. However, once you do the picking, you typically have to pay a nominal fee for the pumpkins themselves. That said, here are seven places to get free pumpkins. They’re worth a try.
1. U-Pick Farms On Their Last Day
As just mentioned, there are pumpkin patches where you can go pick your own pumpkins. I went to one a couple of weeks ago and the pickings were already really slim. So, by this time of the year, your local pumpkin patches might not have a lot to offer. That’s not great news if you’re excited about pumpkin picking. However, it might potentially be good news if you’re looking for places to get free pumpkins.
Find out what the last day is that those “you pick” pumpkin patches are open to the public. Then head over there late in the day, when they’re getting ready to wrap up. Ask to speak to the manager or head farmer or head cashier, etc. Let them know that you’ve been struggling to find free pumpkins and wanted to see if you could strike a deal with them on what they have left. Oftentimes, they’re happy to let you pick a few from the remaining pumpkins. At the very least, they’ll usually give you a deal, if not outright free pumpkins.
2. Local Farms That Don’t Have “You Pick”
If you live in area with local farms, then you might want to check out what they have to offer. Of course, if you don’t know your farmer neighbors, then this isn’t always the best route to go. However, if you’ve established a relationship with them over the years, then it doesn’t hurt to ask if they have any extra pumpkins this year that they’d be happy to get rid of.
3. Farmers Markets
It’s the same deal at local farmers markets. Many of them are selling pumpkins and other gourds at this time of year. These are usually the best pumpkins if you actually want to consume the food. Hitting up a farmers market at the end of the day late in the season gives you the best chance of getting free pumpkins. Of course, you also want to be respectful of the fact that the farmers make their livings this way. So, perhaps you ask if you can get a deal on the pumpkins. Or maybe you ask if you can get free pumpkins after a purchase of a certain amount.
4. Food Banks
Okay, now we’ve covered the places to get free pumpkins that may or may not work. It really just depends on the farmer and your relationship with them. So, what are some of your options. Well, check your local food banks. If you’re in need of food, they’re often a great resource. And yes, they do sometimes have pumpkins at this time of year.
Moreover, many food banks do an annual pumpkin giveaway. Some give away a single or just a few pumpkins to one lucky family. Others have a big giveaway. Some do raffles. Others are first come first served. Check out what the options are in your local area.
5. Grocery Store Pumpkin Giveaways
Many grocery stores offer pumpkin giveaways for Halloween. These are usually “enter to win” type of contests. Therefore, you won’t know immediately whether or not you’re able to get free pumpkins. But if you’re just hoping that you might and don’t have your heart set on having a free pumpkin for sure, then this can be a good approach.
6. Children and Family Halloween Events
Communities, schools, and churches often offer free family Halloween events. These are sometimes great places to get free pumpkins. At a lot of these events, children and adults are typically allowed to get free pumpkins. Furthermore, they often offer free carving tools, prizes, beverages like coffee and hot chocolate and the like. So check your local city or county event calendar for options like this.
7. Ask Your Friends, Family and Neighbors
I know that in my neighborhood people started getting their pumpkins really early this year. I think everyone was extra excited to start fall for some reason. Therefore, many families in the area have had their pumpkins on display for weeks already. Some of them are happy to get rid of a few if you ask. Again, this just really depends on the relationship you have with people. However, it’s worth a try.
In fact, even if you don’t know someone directly with pumpkins to give to you, you can use social media to see if there are any local options. Check Facebook, NextDoor, and other similar sites. Heck, you might even get lucky under the Craigslist “free” category. You can always post on social media and let people know that you’re looking for places to get free pumpkins. Let them know you’ll accept any donations of pumpkins. Moreover, share with them what you plan to do with the pumpkins. If they feel like you’re going to get more joy and use out of them than they have been, then they might feel happy to send them your way.
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