Pumpkin farms are big business in Will County

Illinois is one of the top pumpkin-producing states in the country, and local pumpkin farms are doing their part to keep those stats up and a whole lot more for the ever-growing season of fall fun.

Agritourism is a big business across the region during October. The farms offer everything from the obvious pick-your-pumpkin patches to live music, fall food favorites, train rides and special events at night for adults.

Noreen Dollinger, owner of Dollinger Family Farm in Channahon, first began growing pumpkins on her historic farm in 1989 with her husband, John.

“To do anything well, it takes patience and caring,” Dollinger said. “It is a process.”

This includes pumpkin growing.

Each year, Dollinger said, they grow pumpkins on about 20 acres of farmland – yielding about 10 tons of pumpkins per acre “if you have a good year” – which farm visitors can buy.

That project has grown into a full-fledged fall destination farm that includes a corn maze, hay pile, corn bin play areas, farm animals, story walk and a bee barn, all which are free.

On weekends, the farm offers train rides, hayrides and face-painting for an additional cost.

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays, Dollinger said, “We run the train and offer face-painting. It is not as crowded as the weekends, so it is a good opportunity for people with young children to come.”

The train rides are a staple at Dollinger Family Farm in Channahon. (Photo submitted)

Through an app, visitors can listen to information about the property’s historical buildings, which include a mule barn, a tavern, a milk house and a summer kitchen.

“We also have a lot of antique farm machinery,” Dollinger said. “Our farm is really quite beautiful. It is set down below a hill, and we have lots of trees. It is nice to be able to share it with others.”

This time of year is very special for Dollinger.

“I love to see the kids come and run, play and have a good time,” she said.

Bronkberry Farms

In Plainfield, Jennifer Bronk, owner of Bronkberry Farms, said, “We are a quaint, family-owned farm tucked in the middle of residential neighborhood.”

Bronk started the farm in 2012 along with her husband, Kevin Veen.

However, the farm has been in Bronk’s family for five generations.

“Twelve years ago, the farm was just a corn field,” Bronk said. “After my dad passed, we wondered what to do with the land. We decided to make it a destination for families to come to.”

Now the farm offers free admission and has weekly crafts and story times for kids, a garden center, and resident goats and chickens.

“We have a great selection of mums and fall planters,” Bronk said. “Something not to miss is our gourmet caramel apples. We use our own fresh apples, and my husband and I make caramel from scratch. We also have homemade pies and cookies, farm fresh eggs and produce.”

In addition, visitors can head out to the “u-pick” pumpkin patch and hop on a hayrack ride (for an additional cost).

Bronkberry Farm hosted a free annual fall event over the weekend, which included craft and food vendors and face-painting and pumpkin-painting for kids.

Konow’s Corn Maze

Konow’s Corn Maze in Homer Glen is known for its two corn mazes.

“One is smaller and designed for young children to navigate. The large one has a tractor and a silo theme and is over 10 miles in length,” Jenna Pavlicka of Konow’s said.

Guests can use their phones with a QR code to follow their progress, she said.

“We have people who come out and run it every year trying to beat their times from previous years,” Pavlicka said.

In addition, Konow’s has goats, ducks, cows and “a momma pig and her 10 babies this year,” Pavlicka said.

For those who like to be on the move, Konow’s also has hayrides, a cow ride, a pumpkin train, jumping pillows and a straw playground.

“Everything is included in admission with the exception of games and food,” Pavlicka said.

Amoy Perez, 1-years old, picks out her pumpkin at the pumpkin patch at Konow’s Corn Maze on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 in Homer Glen. (Gary Middendorf/Gary Middendorf)

On the weekends, there are food trucks, wine and beer trucks, and live bands.

“Weekend events also include pet rescue adoption events and bat exhibitions,” Pavlicka said.

On Nov. 5, Konow’s will open for an exclusive event for area veterans.

“Local food vendors donate food, and we have the color guard come out,” Pavlicka said. “Last, we had over 550 veterans come out with their families.”

Siegel’s Cottonwood Farm

Kaity Siegel-Grimmenga’s 4-year-old son marks the fifth-generation of the Siegel family, who owns and operates the more than 100-year-old Siegel’s Cottonwood Farm on Weber Road in Lockport.

“People will see him out and about on the farm with his own walkie talkie,” keeping status of what is going on and what needs attention, she said. “We have been doing the Pumpkin Fest since 1990, but the farm has been here since 1909. There is a lot of history here.”

As Siegel’s event general manager, Siegel-Grimmenga said visitors can take a wagon ride or army truck out to the pumpkin field and pick their own pumpkin right off the vine.

This is just one of more than 45 attractions and activities visitors to Siegel’s Cottonwood Farm’s can enjoy for one admission price.

Siegel-Grimmenga shared that several new attractions for this year include a John Deere tractor play area, a bulldozer, a rope swing and inspirational swings.

Siegel’s Cottonwood Farm on Weber Road in Lockport has been a main stay destination for families in the fall for generations. (Christine Muilenburg)

It will be the second year for Cottonwood Railroad.

“[It’s] a mile-long track that takes visitors back in time. I tell parents if they are looking for a relaxing thing to do while on the farm for about 10 minutes, take a ride on the train,” Siegel-Grimmenga said.

“This year’s corn maze is Super Mario Bros.,” she said. “Our smaller maze is Spookley and Friends, which includes an anti-bullying message, which we have every year.”

Another popular attraction is Siegel’s 150-foot mountain slide.

Siegel’s also has many farm animals, seven different play areas for kids, games and food.

Bengtson’s Pumpkin Farm

What started out as bringing visitors to a pumpkin patch on hayrides has grown into a full-fledged pumpkin farm destination for Bengtson’s Pumpkin Farm.

Scott Bengtson said that his dad and grandfather placed an ad in a newspaper in 1981, “which got a really good response, and they went from there.”

Moving to their current location in Homer Glenn in 1988, Bengtson and his family are continuing the tradition of bringing visitors to the entertainment farm, which now includes 13 modern rides, a train ride, barn animals, a petting zoo and a haunted barn for one admission price.

Although the farm is open to the public for only two months, Bengtson said maintaining it is a year-round job.

Bengtson said staff begins working when the winter weather breaks to get everything ready for fall visitors.

There’s a huge number of animatronics built in-house, he said, so “those are the things that we work on in the offseason. And we try to add a new attraction each year.”

“We have tried to keep our original attractions untouched so people who came here as kids can come back and bring their own children,” Bengtson said. “All the additions we have done adjacent to the original property.”