Marin’s premier pumpkin patch, Nicasio Valley Farms, is found in the beautiful little burg of Nicasio, on Nicasio Valley Road in the heart of West Marin.  The farm is adjacent to Nicasio Valley Cheese Company’s tasting room, nine miles west of Highway 101 via Lucas Valley Road. It’s very popular and bustles with activity every day through October 31 from 10AM to 6PM on weekends and 10AM to 4PM Monday through Friday.

Grab a wheelbarrow and wander a large pumpkin patch to pick out your own certified organic pumpkins and enjoy attractions such as hayrides, farm animals (cute little pigs, sheep and young cows), pony rides, mechanical bulls, a bounce house and an inflatable slide, and a farm stand. Pumpkin varieties range from the standard-issue Halloween orange to white, green Italian and Australian varieties. Warty French pumpkins and European "Cinderella" style squash offer alternatives to traditional “jack-o-lantern” gourds. The farmstand also offers squash, small gourds, decorative corn stalks, and apples.

Especially fun are two straw bale mazes for kids to get lost in (temporarily, of course), and there are shaded areas with picnic tables, straw bales and umbrellas. On weekends, Big Jim's award-winning BBQ (pulled pork, chicken, tri-tip, sausages, and hot dogs) and Tara’s Organic ice cream are for sale and popular children's recording artist Tim Cain performs every Sunday from 11AM to noon. A Western band performs Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 12:30 PM to 4:30PM  along with kids' games and crafts, farm animals, grass-fed burgers from Stemple Creek Ranch, locally-produced Marin beer and wine, and educational exhibits.