What to Know
- Beginning Nov. 1, 2021
- Irvine
- The farm needs to clear its pumpkin fields, which still brim with the famous fall fruits; pay $15 for a wheelbarrow full of gorgeous gourds
After the afternoons spent scouting for the perfect pumpkin, the sort of supreme squash that would make an ideal jack o' lantern, but before the lights of Christmas begin to twinkle, there is the first part of November.
The kick-off to the eleventh month has its ethereal and ebullient hallmarks, of course, but it can also feel like a quieter moment that serves as a chilled-out, keep-it-cool valley between two busy holiday peaks.
Still, many of us are still seeking ways to express our inner autumn-ness, even if Halloween has concluded and Thanksgiving is a few weeks away.
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To help us, there is Tanaka Farms in Irvine, one of our region's principal pumpkin powerhouses.
And when you're a pumpkin powerhouse? You often have a lot of pumpkins on hand when October concludes, because you've grown plenty of gourds, all to make sure local families had plenty of fine fruits to consider in the days ahead of Halloween.
But usually, oodles of pumpkins remain in the fields on the first of November, a lot of pumpkins, a serious amount of squashery, is what we're saying.
To move those squashes along while also helping people save money, Tanaka Farms will again host its beloved wheelbarrow deal, a November-starting tradition at the historic agricultural destination.
How it works: Visit the spacious farm, roll a wheelbarrow out to where the pumpkins grow, and load up your vessel, as high as you can.
How well can you balance pumpkins on top of other pumpkins? You may just find out if that's a hidden talent you've long had but never known about.
The team at the farm suggests stocking up on the squashes for "... Thanksgiving and fall-themed displays, holiday baking," and anything else that might require several brightly hued, stem-topped, seed-filled beauties.
The cost for the whole big barrel? It's $15, a price that is as nice as a slice of pie.
We're no longer needing pumpkins in order to carve our jacks, but we'd still like some large orange-y orbs around the porch, yard, or balcony, as we weave our way into the deepening fall mood of November.
And by visiting during the wheelbarrow deal days, you're helping Tanaka Farms make room for Hikari, the property's beautiful and twinkly holiday spectacular.
For more on this autumnal savings event, and the pumpkin joy that is synonymous with this special place, roll a wheelbarrow by this site now.
