Our pick of pumpkin patches near East London for your family to enjoy. Lots of farms have extra entertainment for the kids to enhance their pumpkin picking experience. Don’t forget to wear your wellies!
Have fun out there and if you tag @EastEndKids, I’ll be sure to reshare your posts on Instagram.
1 Lee Valley Animal Adventure Park’s Fangtastic Family Day Out
This year’s festival runs from 24 October to 1 November. Dress up in your favourite costumes and explore this farm at its frightening best. Look out for witches, wizards, vampires and maybe some spooky film characters around the decorated farm, and little ones can pick their very own pumpkin from the patch for free. All activities, entertainment and animals are included in the ticket price. There’s a huge bouncy cushion, tea cups and mini golf too.
Getting there: Take a direct train to Cheshunt from Liverpool Street or Stratford, then a short taxi ride. If you’re driving, it’s 2 miles north of Waltham Abbey on the B194, just four miles from the M25, with free parking.
2 Halloween at Mudchute
Mudchute’s Halloween line-up is here! Parents bring your own sharp tools for pumpkin carving on Saturday 24 October, 11am–2pm, in the picnic area near the main courtyard. Kids can dress up, there’s no need to book, and it’s just £3 per child including a pumpkin. There’s also a free Ghost Ship event on Friday 30 October (11am–3pm), with optional Halloween costumes, and a Halloween Trick AND Treat on Saturday 31 October. From 27–29 October there’s a £1 Halloween Hunt, animal petting (£4 per child) and arts and crafts (£3 per child), with morning and afternoon sessions and tickets from the Yard Office. Enjoy some farm fresh food and visit the animals while you’re there.
Getting there: Take the DLR to Mudchute, a few minutes’ walk from the farm. Trains run there direct from Stratford and Bank.
More info
3. Pumpkin Picking at Beck Evans Farm
Right on the London–Kent border in Sidcup, this family-run farm opens up its own pumpkin patch for Halloween. All that picking is hungry work, so pop into Penelope’s Restaurant on site for seasonal dishes like pumpkin soup. There’s also a funfair on site from 16 October, so the kids can burn off any leftover energy. Pumpkin picking runs on selected dates from 9 October to 1 November.
Getting there: Take the Jubilee line to London Bridge, then a 20-minute train to Albany Park and a 20-minute walk to the farm.
4. Farmer Scott’s Pumpkin Patch
Explore thousands of home-grown pumpkins and an indoor Pumpkin Barn packed with seasonal displays and photo ops. New this year are an Apple Cannon, a Shock Chair, a personalised Trucker Hat Bar and hair braiding, plus food stalls serving pizza, burgers, hot drinks and sweet treats. It’s open 10am–5pm on October weekends and every day of half term, with advance tickets from £4.95 per person. Dogs are welcome too!
Getting there: Take the Elizabeth line to Brentwood, Shenfield or Harold Wood, about 30 minutes from Stratford. There’s no bus to the patch, so grab a taxi from the station.
5 Cammas Hall
One of our favourite pumpkin patches near East London but also not that near. We think it’s worth going the distance though as Cammas Hall really dials up the Halloween fun for kids and their grown ups. The patch is open 3–31 October, with evening experiences on Friday and Saturday nights from 16–31 October. Tickets include the huge pumpkin patch, the erupting Pumpcano, Halloween characters, the Wicked Walkway and the Terror Tunnel for braver visitors. Guide prices are £6.95 per person. Their hot cocoa is delicious too. Check out our reel from a previous year.
Getting there: It’s best by car, just 12 minutes from Junction 7A of the M11. Otherwise, take the train to Bishop’s Stortford from Liverpool Street and a taxi for the last 8 miles.
6 Old MacDonald Farm’s Halloween Festival
Things are getting spooky at Old MacDonald’s Farm this Halloween. Every child’s ticket includes a homegrown pumpkin from the patch, and the animals, rides and playgrounds are all covered by entry. For the after-dark version, Old Mac’s Pumpkin Nights run 5pm–7:30pm and need a separate ticket. Oh, and there’s still that hair-raising roller coaster!
Getting there: Take the Elizabeth line to Brentwood, then a short taxi ride to Weald Road. Drivers can come off the M25 at Junction 28.
7 Hallow-Evening with Haggerty at Appleby Street Farm
It’s not Halloween at Appleby Street Farm without their annual party with Haggerty the Witch! Explore the farm on a light-up trail, then join Haggerty for story time, party games, a disco and potion making. There’s hot food from The Spud Twins, free face painting, pumpkin picking and a party bag for every child. It’s on 23 and 28 October, 5.30–8pm.
Getting there without a car: Direct trains run to Cheshunt from Liverpool Street and Stratford, or take the Overground from Hackney Downs or Bethnal Green. From the station, it’s a short taxi ride to the farm.
Check out our Half-term Roundup for more ideas for days out with the kids in East London.