Bates Nut Farm Pumpkin Patch in Valley Center, CA, has been patching it up for over 50 years!

See The Full Detailed Video Below
Helpful Visiting Info For Bates Nut Farm
- Address:
- 15954 Woods Valley Rd, Valley Center, CA 92082
- Phone:
- 760-749-3333
- Website:
- Email:
- Hours:
- Pumpkin Patch 2022 is from Sept 17th – Oct 31st. September hours 9am – 5pm. October hours: Weekdays 9am-5:30pm, Weekends 8:30am-6pm. (Dates and hours of operations may change. We recommend calling them beforehand to confirm their business hours.)
- Entry price:
- Free admissions
- Parking:
- Free parking for weekdays and Sept weekends. $8 parking for Oct weekends.
- Time spent:
- 2 hours 45 mins
- Clothing:
- Check the weather before you go. The weather can be changeable; layered clothing is recommended. Best to wear closed toe shoes.
- What we packed:
- @larocheposayusa sunblock, @okeeffescompany lip sunscreen, @suds2go cap, @seasnax, fruits and water.
- What we observed:
- We recommend arriving at opening to avoid crowds.
- Pumpkin picking cost: mini $2.50, trickster $6. Other pumpkins $0.70/lb (giant pumpkins are about 85lbs).
- One ticket is $4 and most activities use about 2-4 tickets per person.
- Activities: Tractor hayrides, straw maze, small petting area, inflatable obstacle course and slide, face painting + henna, and pony rides (Sept 17, 18, 24, 25 and every day in October from 10am-3pm. Cost $12pp or 2 for $20). We were able to Venmo most of these vendors.
- You can check their website for updated events for each weekend.
- Places to eat:
- Breakfast burritos, BBQ and Mariposa ice cream onsite. Bringing our own food was not an issue. There are tables and benches near the tractor hayrides.
- Restrooms:
- Porta potties and flushable toilets (near the farm store). We also brought our @suds2go portable hand wash.
- Stroller/Wagon friendly:
- Yes but the grounds are uneven.
- Pet allowed: Yes, leashed dogs.
- Birthday party rentals:
- Yes
- Gift certificates:
- Yes
- Other places to visit in the area:
- @socalminipigs (6 miles away. Must book reservation online)
- Recommended itinerary:
- 9am Bates Nut Farm
- 12pm SocalMiniPigs
What We Said In Our Bates Nut Farm Pumpkin Patch Video
We’re just about into our favorite time of the year. We love making the drives out to these bigger farms to enjoy all the love and attention they put into these fall traditions. Arriving on the first day of the event, we went straight for the pumpkin patches. Nearest to the parking lot, their giant pumpkins covered the field, and the sheer size of some of those things was a shock, with the kids trying their best to even move them. The adjacent fields also had a few different varieties of pumpkins, and a shaded area offered even more miniature-sized types to purchase.
Heading towards the main store, Bates also has some animal pens and some feed that’ll keep the kids occupied for a while. From ducks to a cow, our girls had the most fun feeding the sheep and alpacas.
Pony rides were also available for the kids, and if you decide to ride them, the kids will get two laps on the gentle beauties.
The area also had a face painting booth with choices ranging from the face paint we’re used to seeing to airbrush tattoos that’ll last a couple of days, and the painters were great. Our little one was in love with her fancy rainbow tattoo.
At the Bates store, I had a hard time keeping our oldest focused on the task of picking just a candy. All the toys and nicknacks had her head spinning, and I even struggled not to buy things in there once I discovered they had a ton of handmade fudge.
On the other side of the farm, we grabbed lunch from their bbq stall. Behind that were a couple of good-sized jumpers. And It’s also the area where you can do the tractor hayride and have the kids try their luck inside the haybale maze.
Speaking with some staff, We were told the activities and food options would only increase as it gets closer to Halloween, and also note that those activities will cost you tickets or payments through Venmo.

Other Pumpkin Patch Options
Bate’s was a great start to the season, and we’ll be visiting a few other pumpkin patches this fall, and you can see the ones we’ve already checked out here.
Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch
See you again with more around California with kids.
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