Fall has always been my favorite time of year. Not only does the weather transition from warm to cool but the color of the trees’ leaves transition from green to auburn and yellow. It’s a reminder that the year will soon be over with the ramping up for the holiday season about to begin.
My favorite part of fall are the festivities that allow us to slow down and enjoy time with family. As a child, my parents always took us to the pumpkin patch in early October to pick out an array of pumpkins and gourdes for our harvest yard display. Now that I have kids of my own that tradition has continued with them.
Brookshire Farms (formerly La Familia) has always been one of our favorites and as time has gone on, it’s become a real fun attraction. If you haven’t been, I recommend it as well as Nipomo Pumpkin Patch.
I was scrolling across my Facebook feed one night and came across a post from a friend. The minute I saw the pictures of his kids playing, I was sure that there was no way it was around here. When I asked where the pictures were taken (thinking that it was time for a road trip) he (virtually) laughed at me and said, it’s here in town, on the way out to Huasna and it’s called Tar Creek Ranch. I immediately had to look it up… Thanks Jethro!
I found myself getting off work early one day, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to check out Tar Creek Ranch. I surprised the kids by picking them up from school and didn’t tell them where we were going. We found Tar Creek Ranch easily and were greeted by a beautiful entrance sign. Down a rustic paved road, we drove right along a very well thought out pumpkin patch. It was clean and organized with attention to detail.
The parking lot is level with painted parking lines under beautiful oak trees. As we pulled in, we feasted our eyes onto a garden full of sunflowers. Looking in the direction of the venue, there is a simple, yet elegant, gabled barn. Refurbished and painted antique white, above the sliding barn doors is a sign that adorns the “Tar Creek Ranch” logo. It’s evident that this is going to be a wonderful venue for many weddings and events to come.
To the left of the barn is a walkway that takes you to the pumpkin patch. What struck me most is how quickly we were greeted by the Tar Creek Ranch family. Their smiles are contagious and it’s evident they wanted us to have a positive experience.
At Tar Creek Ranch’s Pumpkin Patch there are activities for each age group. Of course, there are plenty of pumpkins freshly picked for you to choose from. They also have gourdes of all shapes and sizes. Up a hill next to some picnic tables, they have a bubble station, hula hoops, whiffle balls, bats and a tire swing in the shape of a tractor (also her favorite). Further up the hill, there is pumpkin bowling and a Hay maze. Pumpkin bowling easily brought over an hour of fun for all of us.
If you want to spend a long time on the property, there is a large grass patch where you are welcome sit down (blankets provided) with your own snacks or lunch, or visit their concession stand and purchase some yummy ice cream from the Central Coast’s own, Harmony Creamery.
On the weekends, a food truck is often present to enjoy. The best part is that Tar Creek Ranch always posts their schedule to their social media accounts to make planning easier.
My kids had such a wonderful time. When we found ourselves bored the following weekend, there was no question as to where we were going to go… Tar Creek Ranch. This time we went back with my parents, my sister and nephew. Everyone enjoyed their time, including the baby. This time, since it was a weekend, there were even more activities. Paislee, my youngest, immediately found her way over to the face painter while my oldest, Eaden, went right over to the pumpkin bowling again. On the weekends, they also do Hayrides. On this day, Matt, the owner was giving the hayrides which came with some super fun information that he shared about the ranch.
What stood out even more the second time around, was just how friendly the staff at Tar Creek Ranch are. Matt immediately came up and thanked us for coming again before heading back to the tractor to give more hayrides.
When I visited their website (www.tarcreekranch.com), I found that the pumpkin patch this year is only the beginning of many traditions to come. Though this is their first year with their venue, it’s clear that it will be here for many years to come. If you live here on the coast or get a chance to come visit, I highly recommend Tar Creek Ranch as one of your first stops. When you go, please tag them in your pictures on Instagram @tarcreekranch and of course we’d love to see them too. You can tag us on Instagram @pismobeachhomes.
Tar Creek can be found at 2514 Huasna Road, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 just 5 minutes from the Village of Arroyo Grande.