Brightly-colored pumpkins cover the lawns of First United Methodist Church in Cleveland. The pumpkins are sold each year by the church to fund mission and church groups.
This year, there are more than 2,000 pumpkins from which to pick, says Pam Hargrave, FUMC secretary.
“We’ve got about twice as many as we normally have,” Hargrave said. “We got them on Oct. 14, but with the rain and cold, sales have been a little slow.”
That means there are plenty from which to pick, she said, and with pumpkins in multiple colors, shapes, sizes and price tags, the only difficulty for customers will be finding the right one for their homes.
“I love them all. They are just so unique this year,” Hargrave said.
The pumpkins are grown in New Mexico by a Native American tribe on reservation land. After harvesting the pumpkins, they are shipped to destinations all across the United States.
The smallest of the pumpkins, and the ones that are perfect for very young children, are $1 each. Hargrave said in years past they have helped local teachers find pumpkins for all their students.
“We have teachers who come by and take them to the school, but this year we’ve only had a couple of teachers come by,” she said.
Typically the FUMC pumpkin patch is one of two in Liberty County, the second being First Baptist Church in Dayton. However, this year the Dayton church halted pumpkin sales to welcome a new pastor.
FUMC in Cleveland is located at 100 N. William Barnett Ave., just west of Brookshire Bros. The pumpkin patch is hard to miss as it faces Houston Street. For more information on hours of operation, call 281-592-0545 or stop by. Church members are keeping the pumpkin patch open beyond normal business hours.
The church also welcomes families who want to take photos among the pumpkins. A backdrop of hay and decorations provides another option for photos.
By Vanesa Brashier, editor@bluebonnetnews.com