FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pumpkin Picking Weekends Returns This October to Historic Richmond Town’s Decker Farm
Staten Island, NY - September 11, 2020 - Pumpkin Picking at Historic Richmond Town’s Decker Farm returns Saturday, October 3, with all of your favorite autumnal activities! Decker Farm is part of Historic Richmond Town’s four Staten Island sites. Built in 1810, it is New York City’s oldest, continually working, family farm. It consists of 11 rolling acres of wide-open farm fields and hosts fall fun events every October. Since the 1950s it has been preserved and maintained as a New York City landmark by Historic Richmond Town. This October, all are welcome to search the patch for the perfect pumpkin, learn about 19th century farm life, and indulge in delicious fall food favorites, all without leaving Staten Island! This year’s Decker Farm will look a little bit different than past years, but with your help and cooperation, it will still be a fun time for the whole family.
Jessica B. Phillips, Executive Director & CEO of Historic Richmond Town offers some advice on planning your day, “As a mother of two small children I love pre-sale timed tickets. This means no waiting in admissions lines or the fear of arriving to a sold out event. Plus, this means I get to the apple cider donuts faster!”
Our Pumpkin Picking Weekends at Decker Farm is made possible in part by our generous sponsors: Mark’s Bake Shoppe, and Lidl.
There is no better place to spend a crisp autumn day than on the Decker Farm. It’s a fresh-air oasis for the whole family. It may be back to school for the kids, but it’s also back to the Farm!
COVID-19:
In order to provide a safe environment for all our staff and guests, Historic Richmond Town is putting in place a host of COVID-19 safety measures. Masks MUST be worn at all times. Guests can bring their own masks, or wear one they receive with ticket purchase. Usual features have been restructured so there are less high touch activities, hand sanitizing and hand washing stations will be provided, and social distancing is required throughout the site. New systems of crowd control and queuing will be instituted at all of our features and additional signage placed throughout the grounds will remind all guests of COVID-19 safety rules and guidelines. Additional restrooms and more frequent disinfecting will be provided, additional staff will be on hand to monitor all COVID-19 safety protocols, crowd control, and to perform more frequent cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch areas.
TICKETING:
This year, guests will need to reserve their tickets online in advance at $6/person
Tickets reservations will be available online on September 18 at 11:00am through our website on this page.
Admission is $6/person and will be sold by timed ticketing slots ONLY, with a reduced number of tickets sold for every hour beginning at 11:00am and ending at 4:00pm.
Any tickets remaining for each time slot can be purchased on-site on the day-of for $8/person, but availability is NOT guaranteed for any tickets not purchased online in advance.
FEATURES:
Pumpkin Patch: Our pumpkin patch features pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. Complete with photo-ops and fall decorations, you’re sure to experience a picture perfect moment as you decide which pumpkin to take home. (Additional $. Pumpkins sold by weight.)
Children’s Hay Maze: Don’t worry, grown-ups! You can keep an eye on the kiddos as they try to solve a maze made completely of hay bales. You can even join them - it might be harder than you think!
Pumpkin Chucking: Release your frustration and use our newly installed bungee system to hurl pumpkins. How far can your pumpkin go? ($3/chuck).
Fall Photo Ops: Strike a post on our hayride and hay bale features festively decorated for the season and snap a pic! Don’t forget to tag Historic Richmond Town and share on social media using #DeckerFarm.
Educational Activities: Throughout the month, you can learn about daily life on a 19th century farm, including soap making and old-fashion laundry washing demonstrations, enjoy the smell and taste of historical recipes brought to life by historical interpreters and tradespeople, and see tools and trades like those used by farmers on Staten Island before the 20th century.
Farm Walk: Take a self-guided tour along our working farm and read all about what’s growing.
Fall Foods & Shopping: Visit the Decker Farm Snack Wagon fall-flavored donuts, pumpkin pie, hot apple cider and pumpkin spice coffee! Other offerings include delicious warm grilled cheese and tomato soup, kettle korn, and more! Plus, whether you're looking for hand-knit scarves, fresh produce or local honey, we have all the vendors a fall season shopper could hope for.
Halloween at Decker Farm - OCTOBER 31
This year, come and enjoy a pumpkin picking experience at Decker Farm with a few extra added spooky features created just for Halloween, at no additional cost! Come dressed in costume and snap a photo on our fall photo ops, see the farm decorated in spooky fashion, watch an expert pumpkin carver work their magic, and enjoy Halloween-themed educational activities led by costumed interpreters. Click here for details.
PLUS: There will even be some after-dark Halloween programming for adults from our very own artist in residence Ghost Tales with Chris O’Brien. (Tickets sold separately. More information coming soon!)
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About Historic Richmond Town:
Historic Richmond Town is dedicated to creating opportunities for the public to explore the diversity of the American experience, especially that of Staten Island and its neighboring communities from the colonial period to the present. Historic Richmond Town preserves and maintains 40 historic structures over 112 acres of preserved parkland across four unique sites on Staten Island. The main site is a living history village featuring the Historical Museum that showcases the vast collection through engaging exhibitions. Historic Richmond Town offers public tours, membership, lectures, workshops, over a dozen special events and a variety of educational programs. A visit to Historic Richmond Town is an immersive step into history.
Historic Richmond Town
441 Clark Avenue
718-351-1611
historicrichmondtown.org
Historic Richmond Town is a non-profit educational cultural institution. Programs and events help raise funds to support the mission. Historic Richmond Town is operated by the Staten Island Historical Society, a Section 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation instituted and incorporated in 1856.
Press Contact:
Amy Kennard
Director of External Affairs, Historic Richmond Town
akennard@historicrichmondtown.org
718-351-1611, ex. 266