jjacob@themeridianstar.com
Nothing says October like hay rides, jack-o-lanterns, corn mazes, and ... pig races?
At the Lazy Acres Pumpkin Patch, you will find all those things and more. With activities ranging from the "punkin' chunkin'" slingshot game to guessing which pig is the fastest, Lazy Acres is the Meridian area's headquarters for autumn fun.
The Pumpkin Patch sells small pumpkins for $3 and large jack-o-lantern size pumpkins for $6. At Lazy Acres, you can take a hay ride to a picturesque pumpkin patch where you and your kids can select your favorite pumpkin in the crisp autumn air.
Pumpkin Patch owner Michael May said he enjoys watching the kids pick out pumpkins, hearing them yell, "I got the biggest!"
Another big hit with kids — the pig races, where piggies Elvis, Porky, Squeaky, and Wilbur race for a treat that might surprise you.
"Pigs love Oreos," May said. "And it has to be the good cookies, not the dollar store kind."
May calls the track the hamphitheater, and the end of the race, that's the "finish swine".
There are several mazes at the Pumpkin Patch, including a hay maze, step by number maze, Christmas tree maze, and a 3.1 acre corn maze cut in the shape of a pony.
Other fun events include Punkin' Chunkin' in which you use a giant slingshot to chunk a tiny pumpkin at a target in hopes of winning a t-shirt ("That one's more to give the dad's something to do," May said), the Chunky choo-choo, which will take your kids around the farm, and Noah's Park, where kids can see reindeer, horses, rabbits, and goats.
While kid's love the pig races, mazes, and pumpkin picking, May's favorite thing about the Pumpkin Patch is a bit different.
"Once I get everything up and running I can sit back on the front porch in my rocking chair and enjoy watching the people," he said. "That's what I really enjoy."
The Pumpkin Patch, he said, has a much more relaxed atmosphere than the Christmas tree farm, where people seem to be in more of a holiday hurry. People tend to stick around a bit longer during the Halloween season.
The Pumpkin Patch is dedicated this year to the memory of May's father, Raburn May, who passed away earlier this year. Raburn and his wife, Shirley, opened the Christmas tree farm in 1980. Michael and his wife, Cathy, began the Pumpkin Patch in 2002.
The Pumpkin Patch is open to the public every weekend in October from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $4, and free for kids 3 and under. It is sponsored this year by the Spotted Pony Boutique, and anyone who purchases a "Pony at the Patch" t-shirt will get free admission. The Christmas Tree farm will open the day after Thanksgiving.
For more information, visit www.lazy-acres.com.
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Lazy Acres Pumpkin Patch
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