Pumpkin picking has become one of Kent’s favourite autumn traditions, with farms across the county opening their fields throughout October for visitors to choose everything from classic orange carving pumpkins to unusual squashes, miniature gourds and enormous statement pumpkins.
There is also much more variety between Kent’s pumpkin patches than you might expect. Some are traditional working farms where you collect a wheelbarrow and head straight into the field, while others turn October into a larger family day out with food, seasonal displays, fairground rides and Halloween activities.
For 2026, several of Kent’s best-known pumpkin farms have already confirmed their dates, prices and booking arrangements. Whether you’re looking for pumpkin picking near Maidstone, Medway, Dartford, Canterbury or further into the Kent countryside, these are some of the most useful places to have on your autumn list.
Information in this guide was checked in September 2026. Pumpkin picking takes place on working farms and opening arrangements can change because of weather, ground conditions and crop availability, so always check with the venue before travelling.
Where to Go Pumpkin Picking in Kent in 2026
Kent has pumpkin patches spread across much of the county, so there is no need to travel to the same handful of large attractions every October. Around Maidstone and Medway you’ll find some of the county’s biggest dedicated pumpkin fields, while traditional PYO farms around Goudhurst, Canterbury and the Hoo Peninsula offer a more straightforward farm experience.
Which one to choose largely depends on what you want from the day. Families looking for entertainment may prefer one of the larger seasonal events, while anyone who simply wants to pull on a pair of wellies, grab a wheelbarrow and choose pumpkins from a field has several excellent alternatives.
Pumpkin Picking in Maidstone and Medway
Pumpkin Moon – Maidstone and Rainham
Pumpkin Moon is one of Kent’s largest dedicated pumpkin-picking operations and returns in 2026 with farms at Sandling near Maidstone and Lower Rainham Road in Rainham.
The biggest reason to visit is choice. More than 100 varieties of pumpkin, squash and gourd have been planted, ranging from traditional orange carving pumpkins to white, yellow, green, striped, flattened, miniature and distinctly knobbly varieties. There are edible squashes too, including varieties such as Crown Prince, Red Kuri and spaghetti squash, so this is a particularly good option if you want something for the kitchen as well as the doorstep.
For 2026, both farms are scheduled to open on 10–11 October, 17–18 October and then from Wednesday 21 October through to Saturday 31 October. Entry is ticketed, with 2026 admission currently £2.75 per person on weekdays and £3.75 at weekends. Under-twos and carers are free, while pumpkins are paid for separately.
Colourful wheelbarrows are available for carrying your haul and both sites have parking, toilets and seasonal food and drink. The fields are naturally uneven and can become muddy, so wellies are a much better idea than trying to dress entirely for the autumn photographs.
For visitors primarily interested in variety, Pumpkin Moon is one of the strongest options in Kent. It is as easy to come home with an unusual cooking squash or decorative gourd as it is a conventional Halloween pumpkin.
PYO Pumpkins at Beluncle Farm, Hoo
On the Hoo Peninsula between the Thames and Medway, PYO Pumpkins at Beluncle Farm offers a more traditional working-farm experience.
Riverside Farmers grows pumpkins and squashes on the farm itself and opens the fields to visitors each October. After checking in, visitors collect a wheelbarrow and head out to choose their pumpkins, squash and seasonal produce before paying on the way out.
Booking is essential in 2026 and admission operates by vehicle rather than individual person. A vehicle carrying up to seven people currently costs £10 to enter, with larger vehicles charged separately. Pumpkins and squashes are then individually priced, generally between £1 and £15 depending on size and variety.
Beluncle is a particularly good choice for anyone who wants pumpkin picking to feel like visiting a farm rather than attending a Halloween attraction. There are photo opportunities and refreshments, but the pumpkins themselves remain the main event.
Dogs are not allowed, and the farm recommends checking its website or social channels before leaving home in case weather changes the condition of the field.
Little Fant Farm – East Farleigh
Just outside Maidstone, Little Fant Farm offers a smaller-scale alternative set among the orchards of the Medway Valley.
The farm grows its own pumpkin and squash crop, sowing around 20,000 seeds across more than 30 different varieties. Its pumpkin patch usually opens from the first weekend in October, with no advance booking required unless the farm announces otherwise.
This is a good option if you want to combine pumpkin picking with a gentler afternoon on a family-run farm. Little Fant has resident farm animals, orchard walks and a Tea Barn serving food and drinks, rather than the feel of a large temporary Halloween event.
Pumpkins range from small decorative varieties through to larger carvers and are individually priced. Entry and parking are normally free, and dogs are welcome provided they are kept on a short, controlled lead.
The farm is also within walking distance of East Farleigh station via local footpaths, making it one of the more interesting options for visitors who would rather not drive.
Spadework Pumpkin Garden – Offham, West Malling
Spadework near West Malling offers something slightly different. The charity provides training and support for adults with learning disabilities, mental health challenges and other support needs, with its market garden, café, farm shop and seasonal activities helping to fund that work.
Its Pumpkin Garden has become one of the organisation’s biggest annual attractions. Current 2026 event information lists pumpkin picking from 5 to 31 October, with free entry and no advance booking required. Visitors simply choose their pumpkins and pay for what they take home.
This isn’t the place to choose if you’re looking for a fairground-style Halloween event. It is a working market garden with a much more relaxed feel, and visiting directly supports the charity’s wider work.
The café, garden centre and farm shop also make it easy to extend the visit without turning it into an all-day attraction.
Pumpkin Picking in North and North-West Kent
Stanhill Farm – Dartford
Stanhill Farm in Wilmington near Dartford has been running its pumpkin patch for more than a decade and is one of the strongest choices for anyone in north Kent.
The 2026 season begins on Saturday 3 October, continuing on 3–4, 10–11 and 17–18 October before opening for an extended run from 20 to 30 October. Pre-booking is essential.
Entry currently costs £7.50 for one vehicle carrying up to eight people, or one walk-in group of up to eight. That covers admission, parking and use of a wheelbarrow; pumpkins are purchased separately.
Prices range from £1.50 for miniature pumpkins up to £15 for extra-large examples, while there is also a £39 wheelbarrow offer for visitors planning a particularly ambitious haul.
Stanhill has expanded the experience for 2026 with additional activities including marshmallow toasting, a small selection of fairground rides and face painting or glitter art on selected dates. These extras are charged separately, so it is worth treating them as optional additions rather than part of the basic ticket.
The farm also has its Berries & Beans Café open during the pumpkin season. Dogs are not permitted, and visitors are strongly advised to wear outdoor footwear because the field can become extremely muddy after rain.
Beck Evans Farm – Sidcup
Beck Evans Farm in Sidcup is particularly convenient for families living in north-west Kent or travelling out from London.
The family-owned farm grows its pumpkins on site and describes its crop as 100% organic. Visitors collect a wheelbarrow before exploring the pumpkin field and choosing what they want to take home.
The overall experience sits somewhere between a straightforward PYO farm and a larger family day out. Seasonal activities and events run alongside pumpkin picking, while the wider site includes places to eat and children’s activities.
Dogs are welcome, parking is free and there is no fixed limit on how long visitors can remain after arriving for their booked slot. The farm also advises wellies and waterproof clothing when conditions are wet, which is sensible advice for almost every pumpkin patch in Kent by the second half of October.
Tickets for the 2026 pumpkin season are already on sale, so this is one to book ahead if you’re planning to visit on a peak October weekend.
Pumpkin Picking in West Kent and the High Weald
Lower Ladysden Farm – Goudhurst
Lower Ladysden Farm in Goudhurst is a proper PYO farm rather than a seasonal attraction created solely for Halloween.
Throughout the year its fields produce a succession of pick-your-own fruit and vegetables, with pumpkins taking over in October. That agricultural focus makes it particularly appealing if you enjoy visiting Kent’s working farms and want the produce itself to remain the reason for the trip.
The farm shop and café provide somewhere to stop afterwards, while the surrounding High Weald countryside gives the setting a very different feel from patches closer to the M25 and larger towns.
Lower Ladysden’s pumpkins are available throughout October, subject as always to crop conditions and availability. Dogs are not permitted within the picking areas.
Because this is a genuine working farm with seasonal crops, check the farm’s current PYO information before making a special journey, particularly towards the end of the month when availability can change quickly.
Sissinghurst Castle Garden – Pumpkin Picking for October Half-Term
For something much smaller and more unusual, Sissinghurst Castle Garden is holding pumpkin-picking sessions from its vegetable garden during the 2026 October half-term.
The sessions take place on 27 and 28 October. A £5 event ticket includes one pumpkin to take home, while £10 includes the pumpkin plus a carving workshop. Booking is essential because pumpkin numbers are limited, and normal admission and parking charges for Sissinghurst also apply.
This is not an alternative to one of Kent’s huge pumpkin fields. Instead, it works particularly well if you already want to spend the day exploring Sissinghurst and would like to add a small seasonal activity for children.
The pumpkin area has level access but includes an uneven dirt path, and the event takes place outdoors, so weather-appropriate clothing is still sensible.
Pumpkin Picking in East Kent
Pick Your Own Pumpkins Canterbury – Hoath Fruit Farm
East Kent has fewer large dedicated pumpkin attractions than the Maidstone and Medway area, but Pick Your Own Pumpkins Canterbury at Hoath Fruit Farm provides a useful option close to Canterbury.
Current 2026 listings give opening dates of 4 October, 10–11 October, 17–18 October and then 24–31 October, generally from 10am until 4pm. Entry is free and advance booking is not currently required.
The format is deliberately uncomplicated: arrive at the farm, explore the pumpkin patch and choose what you want to take home. Well-behaved dogs are also currently welcomed on leads, making this one of the more useful Kent options for families who do not want to leave the dog at home.
As the venue primarily communicates its seasonal information through social media, check the latest announcement before travelling, particularly if weather has been poor.
Pumpkin Picking Around Romney Marsh
Marsh Maze Pumpkin Funyard – Romney Marsh
Marsh Maze offers a different style of pumpkin outing for families in south-east Kent.
Its Pumpkin Funyard operates from around mid-October, combining access to much of the site’s family activity area with a wander into the fields to choose pumpkins. The wider Funyard includes activities aimed at children, so this is more of a family attraction with pumpkin picking attached than a simple PYO field.
That distinction is useful when choosing where to go. If your children want several hours of entertainment, Marsh Maze may make more sense than driving to a field solely to choose a pumpkin. If you simply want locally grown pumpkins with minimal fuss, one of Kent’s traditional PYO farms may be a better fit.
The site has free parking, toilets and food and drink available. Check its October opening information before setting off because seasonal hours differ from its main summer programme.
Traditional Pumpkin Patch or Full Halloween Day Out?
One of the easiest mistakes when choosing somewhere for pumpkin picking in Kent is assuming every patch offers roughly the same experience.
At traditional PYO farms, the field is the attraction. You arrive, collect a wheelbarrow or basket, wander among the pumpkins and pay for what you choose. Beluncle Farm, Lower Ladysden and Little Fant Farm are closer to this model, although each offers additional facilities of its own.
Larger pumpkin experiences add more around the picking itself. Seasonal displays, food stalls, children’s entertainment, photo opportunities and Halloween activities can turn a trip for a pumpkin into several hours out. Stanhill Farm and Beck Evans Farm lean further in this direction.
Pumpkin Moon sits somewhere between the two. The scale, huge choice of varieties and colourful presentation make it feel like a significant seasonal event, but the central reason for visiting is still exploring the fields and choosing pumpkins and squash.
Neither format is automatically better. The important thing is knowing what you’re booking. Families with young children may appreciate additional entertainment, while anyone trying to avoid queues, noise and extra costs may be much happier at a smaller working farm.
Choosing a Kent Pumpkin Patch for Your Day Out
If your priority is the widest choice of pumpkins and squash, Pumpkin Moon’s 100-plus varieties make its Maidstone and Rainham sites particularly appealing.
For a traditional working-farm experience, Beluncle Farm and Lower Ladysden put far more emphasis on the actual picking than on Halloween entertainment.
Families wanting additional activities could look towards Stanhill Farm, Beck Evans Farm or the Marsh Maze Pumpkin Funyard.
For a smaller Maidstone-area farm, Little Fant combines pumpkin picking with animals, orchards and its Tea Barn, while Spadework offers a relaxed visit near West Malling with the added benefit of supporting a Kent charity.
Visitors in East Kent have the Canterbury patch at Hoath Fruit Farm, while Sissinghurst’s limited half-term sessions offer something different for families already planning a National Trust day out.
Do You Need to Book Pumpkin Picking in Kent?
There is no standard rule, and this is one detail worth checking before leaving home.
Pumpkin Moon, Stanhill Farm and Beluncle Farm all require advance booking for their main 2026 events. Stanhill explicitly states that visitors without a ticket will not be admitted, while Beluncle operates vehicle-based advance tickets.
Other farms are deliberately more flexible. Little Fant currently states that pre-booking is not required unless otherwise announced, while current Canterbury information lists free entry with no booking.
It is also important to check exactly what a ticket buys. An admission ticket commonly covers access to the patch rather than the pumpkin itself, and additional activities may carry separate charges.
During the October half-term, booking early becomes much more important. Popular sessions can sell out, particularly during the final week before Halloween when demand is highest.
How Much Does Pumpkin Picking in Kent Cost?
Pumpkin-picking prices vary because farms use several different charging models.
Some charge admission per person. Pumpkin Moon’s 2026 entry, for example, is £2.75 per person on weekdays and £3.75 at weekends, before the cost of pumpkins.
Others charge by vehicle or group. Stanhill Farm currently charges £7.50 for one vehicle or walk-in group of up to eight people, while Beluncle Farm charges £10 for a vehicle carrying up to seven people. The pumpkins are then paid for separately.
At some smaller patches, entry is free and you simply pay for what you pick. This can be attractive if you only want a pumpkin or two rather than an extended family day out.
Always check whether extras such as rides, face painting, carving workshops or food are included. The headline entry price is not necessarily the total cost of the visit.
When Is the Best Time to Go Pumpkin Picking?
If the widest choice matters to you, visiting earlier in October has an obvious advantage. Fields have had fewer visitors, so there is generally a greater selection of shapes, colours and sizes available.
Mid-October provides a good compromise. More pumpkin patches are fully open, autumn is well under way and there is still some distance from the busiest days immediately before Halloween.
The final week of October creates the strongest Halloween atmosphere and coincides with Kent’s main school half-term, but it is also the period when patches are busiest and popular sessions are most likely to sell out.
Kent County Council’s standard 2026 autumn school holiday runs from Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October, although academies, independent schools and individual schools can set different dates.
If you intend to carve the pumpkin for Halloween, there is another advantage to not buying too early. An intact pumpkin can store for considerably longer than a carved one, but once cut it will deteriorate much more quickly. Keeping it somewhere cool and waiting until closer to Halloween before carving should help it last longer.
What to Wear and Bring to a Pumpkin Patch
Even the most photogenic pumpkin field is still a field in October. Wellies or sturdy waterproof footwear are worth bringing, particularly after rain. Mud is part of the experience and some farms can become difficult for ordinary trainers, pushchairs or wheelchairs when conditions deteriorate.
Wear layers and take a waterproof jacket if the forecast is uncertain. Gloves can also be surprisingly useful because pumpkin stalks can be rough or prickly.
Many farms provide wheelbarrows, but a strong reusable bag is useful for getting smaller pumpkins from the payment area to the car. Avoid flimsy bags if you’re buying heavier pumpkins.
There is generally no reason to bring knives or secateurs. Several Kent farms cut the pumpkins from the vines before visitors arrive, and cutting tools should only be used where a farm specifically instructs visitors to do so.
If accessibility matters, contact the farm directly before travelling. A venue may technically accommodate a pushchair or wheelchair in dry conditions but become considerably harder to navigate after prolonged rain.
Planning Pumpkin Picking During October Half-Term in Kent
October half-term falls at almost exactly the same point as peak pumpkin season. For Kent County Council community and voluntary-controlled schools, the 2026 break runs from 26 to 30 October, immediately before Halloween on Saturday 31 October.
That makes the final week exceptionally convenient for families but also puts pressure on the most popular farms. If you know where you want to go, booking before half-term begins is sensible rather than relying on last-minute availability.
There are advantages to looking beyond the largest names too. Kent’s smaller farms can provide a much calmer outing, while locations such as Sissinghurst combine pumpkins with an entirely different type of autumn day out.
Weather should remain part of the plan. Heavy rain can make working fields unsafe or inaccessible, and farms occasionally have to alter opening arrangements. Check the venue’s website or social media on the morning of your visit even when you already have a ticket.
Make the Most of Pumpkin Season in Kent
Pumpkin picking in Kent now ranges from enormous fields filled with unusual gourds to small market gardens and working farms where the experience remains wonderfully simple.
Pumpkin Moon offers variety on a remarkable scale, while Stanhill combines traditional picking with additional family activities. Beluncle and Lower Ladysden retain the feel of genuine PYO farms, Little Fant provides a quieter Maidstone option and Spadework turns a seasonal trip into a way of supporting a local charity.
Further east, Canterbury and Romney Marsh give families alternatives without travelling across the county, while Sissinghurst demonstrates that even one of Kent’s best-known historic gardens can get involved when October half-term arrives.
Whichever patch you choose, check the latest opening information, dress for a muddy field and leave enough room in the boot. It is remarkably easy to go looking for one Halloween pumpkin and return home with a wheelbarrow’s worth of squash, gourds and oddly shaped favourites you had no intention of buying.