Cold nights leave frost on pumpkins at River K Pumpkin Patch 

Crop this year is a good one, say pumpkin patch owners

– Valerie Reynolds says cold nights this week left some frost on the pumpkins at the River K Pumpkin Patch on North River Road in Paso Robles.

Reynolds says the crop this year is a good one. “Last year, a big fire produced a lot of smoke which settled over the area. That prevented bees from pollinating the pumpkin blossoms. This year, our pumpkins are bigger, and we have a colorful variety.”

Reynolds and her brother started growing pumpkins as a 4-H project 40 years ago when they were kids in Goleta. The Kunze family sold that pumpkin patch and relocated to Paso Robles. Zach Kunze creates a corn maze to carry on the tradition of his late father. Other family members help with the operation of the pumpkin patch.

River K Pumpkin Patch on North River Road is open until 8 p.m. every night until Halloween, although it gets a little spooky after dark. The Great Pumpkin may visit on Halloween night.