While people up north are freezing their buns off and cursing the fast approach of winter, we Mississippians are enjoying the first coolish breezes of fall this weekend — and forecasts show perfect weather for heading out to a pumpkin patch and delving into all the quintessentially autumnal activities they offer.

    Lazy Acres pumpkin patch, just 12 miles west of Meridian in Newton County, is open for business, and offers a lot more than just pumpkin picking. One popular pastime there is “punkin’ chunkin,'” where kids young and old get to chuck pumpkins with a slingshot.

    But neither picking pumpkins nor shooting them in a slingshot are the most popular activities at Lazy Acres Pumpkin Patch.

    “Probably everybody’s highlight is the pig races,” said Michael May, who owns and runs Lazy Acres along with his family. “Kids scream and holler and have a good time.”

    The pumpkin patch features another animal attraction as well, the animal park where kids can check out miniature horses, goats, rabbits, and chickens.

    For those seeking entertainment of a vegetable persuasion, there’s the three acre corn maze, a fall favorite, as well as a kid’s educational corn trail, and a corn toss.

    Other attractions include a “barrel train” pulled by an ATV, and a brand new kids’ playground with a giant sandbox, tricycle track, and tractor tire play area.

    Once pumpkin season is through, Lazy Acres staff is still in high gear as they get ready for their Christmas tree season, which begins Thanksgiving day and will feature a large indoor musical lights display this year.

    Lazy Acres Pumpkin Patch is open to the public on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $7 per person, plus the cost of pumpkins. Pumpkins are $6 each for large, Jack-o-lantern size pumpkins, and $3 each for small pie pumpkins.

    The pumpkin patch is also open by appointment on weekdays for groups of 15 or more, with a reduced admission price.

    But Lazy Acres isn’t the only pumpkin patch in town — Circle S Ranch is also providing fall fun, but they’re doing it 17 miles to the north of Meridian, in the Kewanee community.

    At Circle S, the activities are in the same vein, but not exactly the same. Circle S Ranch activities include a hay ride to the pumpkin patch, where kids can pick a small decorative pumpkin, and admission to a sorghum maze, a hay maze, two space jumps, farm games like the sack race and the bean bag toss, and an animal park with  a miniature donkey, goats, sheep, and chickens.

    Also included is an activity that’s new this year, but has already become a hit — the duck race, where kids use hand pumps to race rubber ducks.

    “That’s their favorite thing, I would say, this year,” said owner Patty Swearingen, who runs the ranch with her husband, Harvey. The Swearingen’s also get help from their kids, when they aren’t busy with their high school and college studies. “It’s a family operation,” Swearingen said.

    Circle S also runs a fish restaurant that’s open year round, and has an Easter egg hunt in the spring.

    Admission to the Circle S Ranch Pumpkin Patch is $6, plus $1 for a small pumpkin. Large pumpkins and other fall decorations are also on sale, along with food from the fish house. The pumpkin patch is open to the public on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and by appointment on weekdays for school field trips.

    For more info or to reserve a group visit at Lazy Acres, call them at (601)655-8264 or visit them on the Web at www.lazy-acres.com. For Circle S Ranch, call (601) 632-0022 or visit their Web site at www.circlesranchms.com.

 

   Want to go?

    How to get to Lazy Acres: To get to Lazy Acres from Meridian, take the Chunky exit (exit 121) from I-20. Turn right from the exit and head north for one mile. Turn left at the first paved road, Lazy Acres Road. Drive one mile until you reach the farm on the right.

Jack-o-lantern tips

    Once you’ve picked your pumpkin, it’s time to make a Jack-o-lantern. Here are a few tips from about.com to make that jack-o-lantern look great and last long.

    • Larger pumpkins with a lighter color will be easier to carve.

    • Pumpkins with bruises or mold will spoil faster.

    • Cut out the top at a 45 degree angle so it won’t fall through when you replace it.

    • Your pumpkin will laster longer if you soak it in a solution of one teaspoon bleach to one gallon water. Once it’s dry, rub the inside, outside, and edges with petroleum jelly. If the pumpkin starts to shrivel, soak it again.

    • If you’re a beginner, choose a simple pattern.

    • Once you’ve drawn or printed a pattern, you can transfer either by cutting it out of the paper and then tracing it on with a marker, or by poking a pushpin through the paper to score the pattern onto the pumpkin.

    • Use a long serrated knife or a knife with teeth specially made for pumpkin carving.

    • If you cut off the bottom of the pumpkin, it will be easier to balance on a surface, easier to carve, and will make it easier to light and put out the candle.

    • If you’re using a candle, either remove the lid, or cut a “chimney” hole in the back of the pumpkin to prevent fires.

    • Your jack-o-lantern can act like potpourri, too — just sprinkle the bottom side of the lid with cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves.

    • When you’re not using your jack-o-lantern, store it in a plastic bag in the fridge.

(Source: homecooking.about.com)

Toast those pumpkin seeds!

    One of the most labor intensive steps in carving a jack-o-lantern is scooping out the seeds — but those seeds can be made into a tasty treat. Check out this simple, easy recipe for toasted pumpkin seeds from allrecipes.com:

2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread the pumpkin seeds on a medium baking sheet, Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt. Bake 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted.

(Source: www.allrecipes.com)

    How to get to Circle S Ranch: To get to Circle S Ranch from Meridian, take exit 169 on I20/59, take a right at the exit, and follow the signs to 5300 Clarence Harris Road in Kewanee.