Every year around Halloween, New Mexico residents Pat and Jerry Holder come all the way to the South Bay to share their pumpkin patch with the community.
Owned by the Pinery Christmas Tree and Company Station, the pumpkin patch is on the corner of H Street and Otay Lakes Road next to Southwestern College.
For the fifth consecutive year, the retired Holder couple has managed the pumpkin patch that seems to bring so many smiling faces.
Pat said there had never been a pumpkin patch there before so the company worked out an agreement with Southwestern College and signed a lease.
“The company’s headquarters are located in San Diego off the 15 and the marine base,” she said. “They regulate the pumpkin patches and we manage this location.”
Pinery Christmas Tree and Company Station usually has two other branches set up in Mission Valley and at the Plaza Bonita Mall. But this year, things were a little different.
“The company did have one (location) set up at Plaza Bonita but they didn’t get the lease on it this year,” said Holder. “Since they didn’t have that location this year, they enlarged ours and Mission Valley.”
Residents who came this year enjoyed three new rides, a train and a new party tent.
“Our party tent is for birthdays and it has 10 tables and chairs set up,” said Holder. “They can decorate it any way they want.”
The party tent costs $50 to reserve for three hours plus $12 per child with unlimited ride access.
The pumpkin patch also offers school events for $8 a child. Included in the package are five tickets for rides, a coloring book, bottled water and a $4 pumpkin. The program requires a minimum of eight children.
As for the future location of the pumpkin patch, it’s hard to say.
“We don’t know if we’ll be at this spot or not next year because of the planned construction at Southwestern,” said Holder. “If not we’ll probably work something out with the college and be in the next parking lot.”
