Great Country Farms Fall Pumpkin Harvest

Great Country Farms in Bluemont grows what it calls Virginia's finest pumpkins, in many shapes and sizes. Weekdays mean a wagon or a walk to the patch, a 1.5-acre Farmer's Choice corn maze that takes about 30 minutes, a 15-acre play area with an 80-foot Triple Threat slide and jumping pillows, goat feeding, and Cow Pie Putt-Putt. Knead It Bakery turns out pies, craft coffee, and hand-dipped ice cream, and the cider donuts are the signature treat. Weekends add the Oinkintucky Derby pig races, 1865 cider-pressing demos, marshmallow roasting, and, on October weekends, P-Rex the pumpkin-eating dinosaur.

Our take: Take the last wagon to the patch with time to pick, and eat the cider donuts while they are fresh.