Mortimer Farms Pumpkin Festival and the Elusive Car Nap

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With the temperatures finally beginning to drop, autumn is a wonderful time in the Valley. Outdoor activities and fall festivals finally allow us to release our cooped up kids, who have spent the summer avoiding the sun’s roasting rays. If you’re like me, however, proximity isn’t always as appealing as the possibility of a car nap. An hour and a half is the optimal amount of time for a stolen snooze and it just happens to be the how long it takes to drive from Scottsdale to Mortimer Farms in Dewey, Arizona.

Mortimer farms
Getting down and dirty at the Mortimer Farms Pumpkin Festival

Mortimer Farms is a family run ranch that boasts an array of activities for kids of all ages. From old fashion farm rides to interactive display boards that align with the state’s K-3 curriculum, the farm is an enjoyable education experience. It’s easy to spend hours exploring all the farm has to offer and once you’ve worked up an appetite be sure to stop at My Grandma’s Kitchen in the Country Store where you can dig into homemade baked goods and farm fresh breakfast and lunch options. On Saturdays and Sundays, check out the BBQ, where you can  taste of Mortimer’s griller favorites like hamburgers, hotdogs and turkey legs.

As if the daily happenings weren’t festive enough, Mortimer’s hosts several festivals and parties throughout the year including the Sweet Corn Harvest Party, Grown Up Easter Egg Hunt, Christmas Village and the fall favorite Pumpkin Festival, which my family attended this past weekend. Not only did we relish in a glorious car nap on the way up to Dewey (provided by one of our twins, but I digress), we also got the opportunity to jump on a giant air blob, slide down drainage pipe slides, ride ponies, shop at craft booths, pick pumpkins, eat at food trucks, listen to live music, and keep our kids contained in a corn maze.  

The Pumpkin Festival

Dates:

September 29- October 29

Hours:

Friday  12:00pm-9:00pm (note: the farm park is not open until noon as well)

Saturday 9:00am-9:00pm

Sunday 9:00am-5:00pm

Columbus Day 9:00am-5:00pm

Admission:

Monday-Thursday General Admission: $10 per person (Excludes Columbus Day)

Friday- Sunday: $15 per person 

Kids under 2 are free!

Tips:

-The third weekend of October is the busiest

-Wear sunblock

-Bring home a cherry pie

-Try the gerkin stuffed olives

-Take the long way home to extend the car nap from your exhausted children!

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