Making Memories at the Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch

We attended as a guest of Irvine Park RR

Once school starts and I have a minute to recuperate from the summer, I start thinking about Halloween.  Halloween is the start of my favorite time of year.  Temperatures somewhat cool down, the stores start bustling with holiday cheer and the smell of pumpkin spice is everywhere.  Breathe it in people, breathe it in.

Come the second week in September my house gets all decked out with Halloween decorations.  When the house is covered with ghouls and goblins, I start getting down to business and researching the start dates of all must go to Halloween hot spots in Orange County.

One of our family musts, which now had turned into a family tradition, is the Irvine Park Railroad.  I’ve been going to their annual pumpkin patch for years.  It started out as a small patch with a few amusements and has exploded into a Halloween wonderland filled with pumpkins, laughter and fun.

I’m not exaggerating with I say that this is by far my most favorite Halloween patch in all of Southern California.  I’ve been to quite a few and not a single one stacks up.

Where else can you buy a pumpkin, pan for gold, get your face painted, ride a train, jump on the moon, visit a kid friendly haunted mansion, race tractors, decorate cookies, play carnival games (and win every time), get lost in a maze and  go on a hayride all in one location?

The pumpkin patch runs daily at 10 am from September 20 through Halloween at the Irvine Park Railroad located at the very end of Jamboree in the city of Orange.

I love going to the patch right at opening, before the crowds come in, and stay for hours absorbing all the fun.

We don’t just visit once, we do our annual family trip and then I take my kids back during their half days while my husband is at work.

I love going during the week and having the place all to ourselves.  When my son was in pre-school, my daughter was a toddler so we would meet up with other moms at the patch.

The patch would be filled with a few other moms with toddlers and we would let are babies roam freely, taking our time taking pictures and talking.  It’s a great environment for both moms and kids.

As I walked around the patch today I started getting a bit teary eyed remembering the past 8 years.  Watching first time parents with their infants took me back to my first time and the excitement of it all.

Holding my son’s hand as he ran around taking everything in, enjoying himself, making treasured memories.  Seeing expecting moms reminded me of the year I came with my friend who was expecting her second child (who is now 5) and telling her that when her baby was older we’d have to come and take pics with the pumpkins.

Each corner of the patch has a heartfelt memory, a moment in time filled with joy.  I love this park, I love this patch and I love that for the rest of my life whenever I come back here I will remember these amazing moments that I spent with my family and friends at this wonderful park.

Admission to the pumpkin patch is free as is the haunted house and maze.  You can buy a pack of tickets from the entrance of the patch or at the food counter.

I recommend buying  book and if you don’t use them all, you can always use them for future events.  To find out more about the Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch please visit their website at www.irvineparkrailroad.com.

I’m an OC mom of two and photographer. I love living in Southern California and want to expose my children to all that it offers. I love taking my kids on adventures and capturing their every moment so much so that my kids find it odd if I don’t take their pictures. You can see my work on facebook.com/photosbynaz.