Orange County, California Pumpkin U-Pick Orchards in !

Find a local pick your own farm here!

Pumpkin U-Pick Orchards in Orange County, California in 2025, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for pumpkins that we know of in this area.

Not all areas of a state have pumpkins farms that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

New! As inflation remains high, see this page for reliable (tested) brands of generic canning lids at lower costs, and cost-saving measures for getting fruit and vegetables and home canning.
If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

New! Road tripping and camping is a great way to have a fun, safe and inexpensive family trip. The national and state parks and monuments are open, and campgrounds usually cost between $10 and $40 per night. September to November is the best camping weather. See our new website Road Tripping and Camping.com for tips, tricks, guides, checklists and info about parks, monuments and other places to visit.

New! We just went live with our latest website, FunFactoryTours.com - As they name implies, you can find a fun factory tour, including chocolate, automobiles, historical forts and sites, famous buildings, Active Federal facilities even fun geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

Orange County

Tanaka Farms - strawberries, vegetables, pumpkins,
5380 3/4 University Drive, Irvine, CA 92612. Phone: 949-653-2100. Email: info@tanakafarms.com. Open: There are strawberry U-pick tours in the Spring and vegetable u-pick tours in the summer; Sign up for a U-Pick Wagon Ride! U- Pick Tour times will be posted on our website when available; see their website or call about pumpkins in October Saturdays & Sundays now until July every half hour from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm. Directions: 2 miles north of I-5 and I-405 interchange, take I-405 to University Dr - South to Strawberry Farms Rd on corner. Click here for a map and directions. No reservations needed. In 2018, STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL DAYS: 5/5 & 5/6, 5/12 & 5/13, 5/19 & 5/20, 5/26 & 5/27 with Food, games, vendors, crafts, and more). Click here for a map to our farm. and another map is here. Strawberry tours: This is a guided tour around the farm that takes approximately one hour on a tractor- pulled wagon. You will see how fruits & vegetables grow and sample many of those that are in season. The last stop on this tour is in the strawberry patch will you be able to pick and eat strawberries! Each person will take home a one (1) pound basket of strawberries! How Does It Work? Weekday school tours and group tours are available by reservation only. No reservations are needed for our weekend tours unless the group is large. Please arrive 25 minutes before to check in and receive instructions. Make Strawberry Tour reservations by calling (949) 653-2100 ext. 204 with the name, phone number, date, the time you wish to attend, the number of adults, children, and children ..
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The Ecology Center - Certified Organic, pumpkins, strawberries, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties, restrooms, picnic area, picnic area you may bring your own food, school tours
32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675. Phone: (949) 443-4223. Email: info@theecologycenter.org. Open: Monday to Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm from spring through summer and from 9 am to 5 pm from autumn through winter. Directions: From the 5 freeway exit Camino Capistrano and take Camino Capistrano north. Take a left on Del Obispo followed by another left on Alipaz. Continue on Alipaz and The Ecology Center will be on your right. TASTE Strawberry Festival U-pick will be from April 24 on Saturdays and Sundays to May 23;. We are certified organic for all . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx, WIC Vouchers, SNAP Vouchers.
The Ecology Center Facebook page. Take a left on Del Obispo followed by another left on Alipaz. Continue on Alipaz and will be on your right. TASTE Strawberry Festival U-pick will be from April 24 on Saturdays and Sundays to May 23;. We are certified organic for all crops! . (ADDED: April 26, 2021)
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Pumpkin

Pumpkin Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Do you want it for a party, decoration or eating?

For a wedding or party:

See this page: Finding pumpkins for weddings

Decoration to paint or carve:

OK, Then you need only look for any pumpkin that is

visually appealing, evenly a deep orange. The shape is just whatever appeals to you. If it grew on its side and has a flat spot, you can either make that the make or use it as part of your design!
free from cuts, soft spots, bruises. The flesh should feel hard, and not give easily. Infections can invade easily and cause rot
Make sure the stem is attached.

Store it carefully, especially if you pick it from the vine yourself. Cure a fresh-picked pumpkin by keeping it in a dry place. Don't handle or disturb it. Curing toughens the rind, making it less prone to rot. Pumpkins will keep for months in a cool (50 F to 65F dry, low humidity environment; such as a cool, dry basement.

Tip: If you like roasted or baked pumpkin seeds, you can save the seeds from any pumpkin!

To make a pumpkin pie!

Then you need a small, sweet type of pumpkin that has been developed for eating. They are smaller, typically about 8" to 10" diameter. The meat is much less stringy and smoother than a decorative pumpkin variety. Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A and potassium. One-half cup of cooked pumpkin provides more than the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A. One cup of cooked pumpkin contains only 81 calories. It's low in fat and sodium! Usually you can get these at the grocery store, and some of the pumpkin patches and farm stands have them. Be sure to tell them that you intend to use it for a pumpkin pie. Again, look for firm, no soft spots, or signs of any rot. See this page for easy, illustrated directions to make a pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin!

Varieties of Pumpkins

Sugar - Excellent for baking
Jack O'Lantern - most common for carving
White Lumina - unusual, medium-sized white pumpkin
Mini - Great for decoration
Gourds - Many varieties, used for decorations

For a very complete, detailed list of many varieties of pumpkins and where to get the seeds, see this page!

Want to Grow Your Own Pumpkins?

Then see this page!

Pumpkin recipes

How to prepare cooked pumpkin from a fresh pumpkin (for use in all the recipes)
Illustrated instructions to make a pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin - the best pumpkin pie you will ever taste! (metric version for the UK, Europe, Australia, Japan, etc.)
How to home-can pumpkin (in a cooked, cubed form) and why you shouldn't home-can the pureed forms.
Traditional Pumpkin Pie
Chocolate pumpkin pie
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Pumpkin muffins
Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Butter!
Pumpkin cheesecake - INCREDIBLE!!! You have to try this one!
Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin soup - even if you normally aren't a soup lover; you will love this one.
Butternut-Chestnut Panchetta-Bacon Soup - Pumpkin or Butternut squash combines with chestnuts and bacon, ham or panchetta in this great soup
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
No Sugar Pumpkin Pie
Apple Cider Doughnut Recipe (with maple glaze or sugar glaze)

2025 Orange County, California Pumpkin U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Find a pick-your-own farm near you! Then learn to can and freeze! Since 2002! We update continuously; Beware the copycat websites!