SC has one of the 5 best pumpkin patches in the US for 2025, USA Today says

A South Carolina farm has been included in the Top 10 pumpkin patches in the United States by the readers of USA Today.

It’s probably no surprise to many, but it’s Anderson’s own Denver Downs Farm, which has been owned by the Garrison family since 1869 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It came in at No. 5.

USA Today said the pumpkin patches were nominated by an expert panel and voted on by readers.

“There’s just something about visiting pumpkin patch, many with hayrides and yummy treats, that puts you in the fall spirit,” USA Today said.

Well, move over hay rides and yummy treats to make way for a candy corn forest with a lighted trail, live music and fireworks on October Saturdays on the 250-acre farm. You can even rent a private bonfire.

USA Today noted the “giant pumpkin patch and corn maze, as well as farm animals, pig racing, a zipline, and over 35 fun-filled family activities.”

The festival opens on Sept. 26 and runs through Nov. 9. Pre-season tickets cost $21.95 and at the gate $29.95. They offer a season pass for $66.95 as well.

William Dunklin Garrison was a captain in the 2nd South Carolina Cavalry and after the war managed a cotton farm. He bought land in 1869, built a farmhouse and he and his wife Essie raised 11 children.

The youngest, Thomas Edmond Garrison, cared for the farm and he and his wife Nettie had four children. Their youngest Thomas Edmond Garrison Jr., known as T. Ed, expanded the farm when he returned from World War II to get into dairy farming. His wife Juanita offered farm tours to schools, ushering in the family’s eventual move to agritourism.

They sold the dairy herd in 1994 to focus on crops, beef cattle and hosting seasonal events like a corn maze and farm festivals.

T. Ed Garrison Jr. also served in the S.C. House and Repreentatives.

The other pumpkin patches on the USA Today list are:

1. Lehner’s Pumpkin Farm in Radnor, Ohio

2. Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant, Maine

3. Schuster’s Farm in Deerfield, Wisconsin

4. Sinkland Farms in Christiansburg, Virginia

6. Swans Trail Farms in Snohomish, Washington

7. Devine’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.

8. Huber’s Orchard and Winery in Borden, Indiana

9. Kelder’s Farm, Kerhonkson, New York

10. Great Country Farms, Bluemont, Virginia.