PROSPERITY — Halloween is fast approaching — Saturday will be here before you know it — and if you haven’t bought your pumpkins yet, Wightman United Methodist Church invites you to their Youth Pumpkin Patch, open now through Oct. 31.
“All the proceeds from the pumpkin patch go towards our youth group mission and outreach projects in the community and abroad,” said Steven Douglas, church youth director.
The pumpkins come from a fundraising organization called Pumpkin Patch USA out of Greensboro, N.C. The pumpkins are grown on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico. The organization sends Wightman a variety of pumpkins that they then sell to the public.
“We have several varieties, from white and green pumpkins to ones called Captain Jack, which are taller and larger than average pumpkins,” Douglas said. “We also have small varieties of wing gourds, Wee-be miniature pumpkins and spokes, which are a little larger than Wee-bes with longer stems.”
This is the fourth year the church has had the pumpkin patch. Thus far, they have sold over 300 regular pumpkins and about 400 of the smaller pumpkins. They received a second load of pumpkins on Saturday to restock.
“Most of our customers are using the pumpkins for decorating their house, but this year it seems that the schools are using the pumpkins for some projects as well,” Douglas said.
The patch is open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. from 7 p.m. Saturday. It is located at 302 N. Main St. in Prosperity.
Wightman will hold a carnival from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 31 to close out the Pumpkin Patch. Farmers will collect the unsold pumpkins to feed their livestock.