First United Methodist Church’s pumpkin patch open through October. After 31 years, First United Methodist Church’s pumpkin patch has become a beloved tradition for local families as a way to celebrate fall.
The church, 407 N. Bridge St., officially opened its annual pumpkin patch on Oct. 7 in Victoria.
On Tuesday, students from Seadrift Elementary School visited the patch Tuesday afternoon. Students played tic-tac-toe and bean toss. A table even invited them to play with corn. And of course the kids were allowed pick their own pumpkins.
First United Methodist Church volunteer Jill Friedel said the church will host over 900 students over the course of the month.
“The kids have a lot of fun playing with the different things we have,” Friedle said. “Sometimes we have to keep from climbing on top of the pumpkin.
Friedel has been volunteering with the church for 10 years and enjoys seeing the reactions from children as they have fun and interact with the pumpkin patch.
The pumpkins themselves are sourced from a Navajo reservation in Farmington, New Mexico, with a majority of the profit from pumpkin sales going to the reservation.
Although the patch provides many opportunities for fun, it also provides opportunities to learn outside the classroom.
Leslie Shirhall, kindergarten teacher at Seadrift Elementary, brings her class to the patch annually so they can learn about the life cycles of pumpkins. Shirhall said the pumpkin patch is an event her students look forward to every year.
“They are always excited when we talk about the pumpkin patch,” she said. “It’s a lot of hands-on science experiments that they’re able to experience.”
