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Acres Of Autumn

Annual Pumpkinville Opens For Season With Corn Maze, Curious George

Dan Pawlowski and his wife, Diane, who own and operate Pumpkinville, invite people to bring their families to experience all the attractions their pumpkin farm has to offer. Below, the resident goats love their new “Topsy Tervy Goatel,” a goat hotel of sorts. Photos by Deb Everts

GREAT VALLEY — Autumn is officially underway and nothing fits the season more than pumpkins. The Pawlowski family opened Pumpkinville for the season on Sept. 16, where they will have a yard-full of pumpkins and fun activities for visitors to enjoy through Halloween.

One of Pumpkinville’s biggest attractions this year is its 6-acre corn maze, sponsored by WYRK-FM, that features a logo of Curious George carved into it. The storybook character is celebrating his 75th anniversary this year and will appear at Pumpkinville to from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and again on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

Dan Pawlowski and his wife, Diane, along with their children, Jim and Lisa, own and operate Pumpkinville. Pawlowski said they got involved with Universal Pictures through the Maze Group, an association of corn mazes that has 400 members across the country. He said, as members of the closed group, they are fortunate because it has given them the rights to this region.

“We’re very pleased. It’s been a neat add-on,” he said. “Snoopy was the big feature last year. I didn’t really expect this Curious George thing to be so popular, but the phone has been ringing off the hook.”

New this year are the “Apple Blasters” that give participants the opportunity to aim at and shoot targets out in the field. Pawlowski said the blasters are already a major hit and they are open during the week, beginning at 3 p.m.

Also new, are the “Topsy-Turvy Goatel,” a three-story goat tower, and a giant rocking chair big enough to hold most families.

There are many free activities to choose from including the Punchin’ Pumpkin Race, Singing Chicken Show, Perky the Talking Pumpkin, Storyland, Kiddie Spookum Barn, train play area, a corn teepee, farm animals and more.

With the purchase of a wristband, the fun continues with attractions including Pumpkin Jumpin’ Pillows, a six-acre corn maze, pedal carts, a country hayride, and the cow train. Also available are the Pumpkinville Express train ride, which was added last year, the Pumpkinville Mining Company attraction and helicopter rides.

Considered New York’s oldest continuously working pumpkin farm, Pawlowski said this is their 22nd year of business at Pumpkinville. He said when they started the business all those years ago, they never imagined that it would keep expanding and developing.

“We thought we were going to be more pumpkin farmers than people farmers, but we have found that you can buy a pumpkin on any corner,” he said. “It’s almost like a bank — there’s one on every corner.”

Pawlowski said their farm is more than just a just a place to come and buy pumpkins. He said the entertainment options they offer and the setting they have focused on is second to none. In fact, NYup.com just ranked Pumpkinville as No. 1 in the Top 21 “Best pumpkin patches in Upstate NY.”

“We are very honored, but it’s our backyard and we work at it, piece-by-piece, every day and probably don’t see (Pumpkinville])like an outsider coming in does,” he humbly said. “It’s been the greatest thing we ever did, by far. We’re blessed and we have our family working with us.”

Pumpkinville is open daily through Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., except Halloween when it closes at 5 p.m. The 200-acre farm is located off Route 98, just north of Great Valley on Sugartown Road at 4844 Sugartown Road. Admission and parking are free. For more information, call 699-2205 or visit online at pumpkinville.com and Facebook.

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