It’s that time of year again, the colder weather has brought everyones favorite colorful leaves, delicious apples, and of course Pumpkins.

Many of you may not know this, but Illinois is considered the Pumpkin capital of the world. Pumpkin pie was even voted the state pie by Gov. Bruce Rauner last year. As a whole Illinois grows more pumpkins a year than any other state in the US. Our record for most pumpkins grown was reached in 2012, when the state’s farms harvested a record 16,200 acres of pumpkins. That’s a lot of pie.

With so many pumpkin farms in the state, many farms decide to open to the public for the season to celebrate this glorious and numerous gourd. There are even a few just outside of Chicago that host huge festivals during the fall.

One famous and even award winning pumpkin farm is called Bengstons. Bengston’s is located in Homer Glen, which is just a forty five minute drive from Concordia. They are open everyday from 11am to 9pm, and open for the season until October 30th. Admission varies based on the day of the week. So the best (aka cheapest) time to go is during the week, when admission is only $10. On the weekends admission is $17.

Although the allure of pumpkins is pretty massive in a pumpkin spice society, there is still a lot of other attractions at Bengston’s. Besides what kind of fall festival would it be without a hayride? In addition to the hayrides there are rides, a petting zoo, and of course the Pumpkin Chucker. That’s right, you heard me, the Pumpkin Chucker is a tradition at Bengston’s Farm. Capable of launching a full grown pumpkin over a quarter of a mile, the Pumpkin Chucker is a crowd favorite.

So head to Bengston’s before halloween and have a apple cider donut and coffee while you grab a pumpkin.