Halloween is my favorite holiday. As a kid, I’d spend the entire month of October designing my costume and helping my brothers create graveyards and haunted houses outside. I still get a little giddy about Halloween, and the smell of a candle in a carved pumpkin brings me right back to my 11-year old self, in a punk-rocker-slash-Madonna costume.
It tickles me to no end that in my Saint Paul neighborhood there’s a little urban pumpkin patch. The pumpkins aren’t grown there, and I have no idea where they come from, but every year there’s a huge pile of different sizes of the traditional, orange pumpkins. This is a no-frills pumpkin patch: no cider, no corn mazes, no pony rides... just pumpkins. You pay on the honor system and put what you owe in the box. And off you go, to create a masterpiece in pumpkin form!
If you do come this way, spice up your trip by treating your palate to something new. Within a few blocks of the pumpkin patch, there are a few gems:
- Hoa Bien : Vietnamese, located on the corner of Lexington Parkway and University Avenue
- Fasika : Ethopian, located on the corner of Snelling and Sherburne Avenues
- Mirror of Korea : Korean, located on the corner of Snelling and Englewood Avenues
- Black Sea : Turkish, located on Snelling Avenue, between Minnehaha and Englewood Avenues
The pumpkin patch is located on 1243 Thomas Avenue, in Saint Paul (the zip is 55104). Look for orange signs as you approach.
Happy carving!