Pumpkin Patch Fall Festival FAQ

NDC Family Level and Higher Members may pre-purchase Pumpkin Patch Fall Festival Pumpkin Passes that will be held for them at a special Will Call station located at the NDC Concession Tent on the front lawn near the pumpkins at the north end of the park. Pumpkin Passes may be pre-purchased online between October 1 and October 15. NOTE: Will Call tickets can not be picked up anywhere else in the park, not even the Ticket Tents. Pre-purchased tickets are non-refundable and non-transferrable and must be picked up by the original purchaser with a photo ID and an email confirmation of their purchase.

MEMBERS ONLY PUMPKIN PASS WILL CALL SALES LINK  (you must log in to your NDC Member profile)

Pumpkin Passes will be sold at the north and south ends of the park at Ticket Tents located in our north and south parking lots. You may pay for your passes with cash or credit cards.

Yes, Pumpkin Passes are valid both Saturday and Sunday. If you did not use all of your mark off tickets Saturday and want to return Sunday, you can bring your Pumpkin Pass back and continue using your remaining tickets.

This depends on how many kids are with you, the age of the kids, how adventurous they are, and what time you arrive and plan to leave the festival. We’ll have a “Big Board” at each Ticket Tent with all the game/activity pricing on it so you can make an informed decision. But a great rule of thumb is 1 regular Pumpkin Pass per elementary aged kiddo to start with, unless your kids are pretty shy about participating. And if you have a toddler, you might start with a Petite Pass and see how things go.  Remember that there are ticket tents at both ends of the park, so you can always stock up on additional passes at the other end after seeing the activities.

Some kids can blow through one Pumpkin Pass pretty easily all on their own because they like the Inflatable Obstacle Course, getting their face painted, walking the Rope Bridge and making crafts (larger ticket items) in addition to playing the 1 ticket festival games. Our smallest of visitors don’t tend to go for the bigger attractions, and go through their passes much more slowly, 1 ticket at a time.

We do not offer refunds for unused or partially used Pumpkin Passes. The Nature Discovery Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Proceeds from Pumpkin Pass purchases support our nature programs and the care of our nature park and animal ambassadors.

Our pumpkin patch is part of a 2 day fall festival each year. We do not have an ongoing patch available throughout the month of October like some other places do. Pumpkins will be for sale Saturday & Sunday, October 19 & 20, 2024 during the festival hours of 11 am to 4 pm both days. 

Side street parking is available in the neighborhood surrounding the Nature Discovery Center.  Please be mindful and keep driveways clear for our neighbors. Parking **may** be available in the parking lots that belong to Bellaire United Methodist Church along Newcastle and Bellaire Blvd. on Saturday and on Sunday after 1 pm. PLEASE look to be sure there are Pumpkin Patch Parking signs before parking in these lots.

Pumpkins are sold for cash or credit only at the Pumpkin Sale Tent located at the pumpkin patch on the Center’s front lawn. Once you pay for pumpkins, you may carry them with you, or you may place them in a holding area with your name on them for later pick up via our Rollover Curbside Pumpkin Pick Up on Newcastle Street.

Yes, Pumpkin Patch Fall Festival event maps are located at Ticket Tents at the north and south ends of the park. We often post the event map on our social media pages in the days leading up to the event.

Lost and found items will be kept at the Ticket Tents at both the north and south ends of the park. Lost children should be taken to the nearest Ticket Tent where NDC Staff/Volunteers will supervise the child/ren until their adult caregiver can be located.

The park has a porous pave central path, concrete sidewalks around the Center building and leading to the outdoor restrooms, and decomposed granite paths around the perimeter of the park that are all accessible for strollers, wheelchairs, and wagons. All of these are subject to considerable congestion at times during the event, so bring your patience, but know that you can get around the event.

Prize Passports are cards where kids can collect stamps throughout the festival for playing games, making crafts, and participating in other activities like our scavenger hunt. Before you leave the festival, you can stop by the Prize Table located near the Aviary in the center of the park to pick out prizes. The more stamps you collect, the better the prizes you can choose from. But kids who collect even just 1 stamp are eligible for a prize.