It Takes More Than a Little Snow to Make a Polar Patch

Up until this past weekend the answer to the question was easy. Papa needs snow to host a polar patch. We got about 5″ of snow this past weekend (Dec. 8) and now the answer isn’t as easy.

What is Papa’s Polar Patch you ask? In the years when we’ve had enough snow, Papa transforms his pumpkin patch into a bit of a winter wonderland — complete with snow caves (a winter version of the bale mazes), old-fashioned sled rides (see the photo to the left), horse-drawn sleigh rides, an ice pond for slipping and sliding, and sometimes a giant snow hill for short sled rides, climbing and tunneling.

Papa’s big red barn becomes a warming house complete with hot chocolate and warm chocolate chip cookies. There’s even all of the fixin’s for s’mores and a bonfire to prepare them.

Back to the question at hand: will there be a Papa’s Polar Patch this winter? We don’t know yet, and here’s why: if nothing changes, we have enough snow for one day of a polar patch. With all of the foot and sled traffic we’d generate, by the end of the day most of the pumpkin patch-turned-polar patch would be mud — including the parking lot.

The weather forecast is mixed and so here’s the bottom line (which isn’t helpful for our friends who love to have everything planned in advance): please keep an eye on Papa’s website and Facebook page. If we get a major snow fall and it looks promising, we’ll let you know as soon as we decide about opening Papa’s Polar Patch in 2012.

Thanks for your interest, and best wishes for a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas!

Papa’s 2012 Season in Photos

Papa’s Pumpkin Patch is truly blessed with talented people who share their gifts with us. One of those people is talented Bismarck photographer Amy Taborsky. Amy has captured the spirit of Papa’s for the past several years, and she also volunteers her time during the week to assist with the many field trips we have scheduled.

We’ll share some of our favorites from Amy’s 2012 collection over the next several weeks on Papa’s Facebook page. There are some priceless expressions from visitors that truly deserve the perfect caption and we’ll let you offer your ideas. For example, check out the little princess in the background.  What do you suppose she’s thinking right about now?

Another bonus of having Amy photograph Papa’s Pumpkin Patch is her husband, Larry, who happens to be a pilot! The two of them were overhead circling Papa’s on two occasions this fall and captured some wonderful shots of Papa’s “footprint” along the Missouri River. This image is from the north and gives you a bird’s eye view of the marketplace, the many bale mazes and the nature trails. On the left you can see the start of the corn maze, and at the bottom you’ll see the horse-drawn hayride headed back to the patch.

If you’re undecided about how you feel with the first snow on the ground, perhaps a look through a few of these wonderful fall scenes will warm you up for a few minutes!

Here’s one from the pumpkin patch itself. I don’t know about you, but the idea of focusing on a single pumpkin with a handle that’s lying down wouldn’t cross my mind. Still, look what character this pumpkin has amidst all of his “normal” handled friends!

We’ll continue to share Amy’s work on Papa’s website. You can also visit Papa’s photo gallery on Flickr if you need a mental break and want to wander north of Bismarck and stop by Papa’s Pumpkin Patch during the off season!

Thursday, Oct. 4 — Papa’s Pumpkin Patch Is Closed Today

Papa’s Pumpkin Patch is closed today only, Thursday, Oct. 4. Between the rain and the mud, it’s no fun to play outside. Papa isn’t complaining about the moisture, he just recognizes it isn’t a good choice to visit his pumpkin patch today.

Keep an eye on Papa’s website, Facebook fan page or Twitter account for regular updates. As of now, Papa’s will re-open at 12 pm on Friday, Oct. 5. Thanks much!

Wednesday, Oct. 3 — Papa’s Is Closed Due to Weather

Papa’s Pumpkin Patch will close for the rest of today only, Wednesday, Oct. 3, at 3 pm. Between the rain and the wind, it’s no fun to be outside. Please keep an eye on Papa’s website, Facebook fan page or Twitter account to regular updates.

As of now, Papa’s will re-open at 12 pm on Thursday, Oct. 4. Thanks much!