Jon and Jessica Pettry began bringing their son, James, to the Lord of Life Lutheran Church pumpkin patch when he was an infant. So, of course they brought their 2-and-a-half-year-old son back this year. They arrived Oct. 16, shortly after opening day, when they were sure to have an expansive choice of hundreds of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes.
As they helped James pick out the perfect one, they snapped lots of pictures. Just like most of the other customers there.
“We live right around the corner, and it’s nice that it raises money for the church,” Jessica Pettry said.
This year marks the 20th annual Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser for the church at 276 N. Roscoe Blvd. It opened Oct. 14 and runs through Oct. 31. It is open Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to dusk; Saturday 9 a.m. to dusk; and Sunday 11 a.m. to dusk.
Kellie Guthrie of Nocatee and her friend Sarah Hueber of Ponte Vedra Beach shopped for pumpkins together the same day as the Pettrys. Guthrie brought her 8-month-old daughter, Tinsley, and Hueber brought her 11-month-old son, Jackson. They placed the babies in a wagon next to a haystack for photos.
“They are boyfriend and girlfriend as of right now, until they decide otherwise,” Hueber said with a smile.
Getting pumpkins from a pumpkin patch makes it an adventure, Guthrie said. “It’s a fun, special time we can celebrate as a family. We love picking out pumpkins with family and friends. Just being outdoors. It’s something we can plan together to celebrate the fall.”
