A beautiful autumn day with a slight hint of winter sets the tone for a perfect family weekend in Kansas City. This year, you'll find Kansas City has again outdone itself with the many fall activities planned across the metro. Among those - here's our short list of 3 to Try: Pumpkin Patches.

1. Carolyn’s Country Cousins Pumpkin Patch and Market

Located about ten minutes northeast of downtown KC and set along the Missouri River, Carolyn's Pumpkin Patch is a great family destination. You'll find tons of free parking. Upon entering, a short hay ride will carry you to their 50-acre pumpkin field where you will find pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. Pumpkins are just a small fraction of what you will find at Carolyn's.

Every kids loves to ride the rails. One of the truly unique activities available on the farm is climbing on board Little Bud's Railroad. This replica 1863 C.P. Huntingon train runs on a half mile track winding through the farmland and then through a tunnel. Tickets to ride the train are an additional $3 each.

2. Crown Center Pumpkin Patch

Held in the Crown Center Square, this annual benefit features 30,000 pounds of pumpkins piled high for a cause—Children’s Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC). Visitors can pick out a pumpkin to take home in time for Halloween. This one-day event is packed with children’s games, activities, entertainers and music. The StoneLion Puppets provide a special Halloween performance in the Crown Center Shops at noon and 2 p.m.

Planning Information

• Admission: Free (Tickets for pumpkins and games sold separately.)
• Hours: Saturday, Oct. 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Driving Directions

3. KC Pumpkin Patch

We now head southwest of the metro for KC Pumpkin Patch, home to among things a cannon that launches pumpkins into the air. The KC Pumpkin Patch is set  on a 62-acre farm in Johnson County, Kansas. You can choose from tens of thousands of pumpkins to carve your one-of-a-kind jack-o-lantern. New this year, you'll find Peter the Pumpkin Eating Dragon. The animatronics dragon comes out of its house to actually eat pumpkins.

Other activities you'll find at the farm includes a train ride through woods decorated with Wizard of Oz characters and a 4-5 acre corn maze with a Kansas Jayhawk cut into the maze.

And finally to the pumpkin cannon. This is something you really have to see and hear to truly appreciate. The cannon is shot off every hour sending the pumpkins upwards of a quarter mile through the air.

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