22 Sep 2026
The Pop Up Farm near Harpenden is preparing to welcome visitors back this October as it celebrates two milestones this season.
When Gillian and Ian Pigott first opened the Pop Up Farm in 2017 it was one of only five pumpkin farms in the UK. They have since welcomed thousands of pickers from across the UK each autumn to pick their own pumpkins and squash.
This October, The Pop Up Farm will open the gates for its Pumpkin & Squash Festival from October 3-31, and the tenth season will coincide with its 250,000th picker.
Visitors can grab one of the farm’s familiar wheelbarrows and head out to discover thousands of home-grown pumpkins and squash, with a huge variety of shapes, sizes and colours.
Alongside pumpkin picking, there are autumnal photo opportunities, the largest straw bale climb in the Home Counties, traditional games and seasonal food and drink.
Farmer Ian, whose family has been farming locally for six generations, said: “In 2015 we visited pumpkin farms in Canada where Gilly grew up. Recognising the impact of Brexit on our farm we needed a new diversification to keep it viable.
“In 2017 we grew a few acres of pumpkins, plonked a small shipping container in a field with a kettle and a handful of wheelbarrows and flung open our gates. From small beginnings, this year we will welcome 30,000 people, many of whom have supported us every year, making it an autumn tradition to cherish.
“There’s a huge amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to get the everything ready for October, so seeing the farm full of people choosing their pumpkins enjoying a piece of farming in Hertfordshire is always a brilliant way to finish the growing season.”
The celebrations will continue after dark too, with the return of Moonlit Pumpkins on Thursday October 29.
Alongside evening pumpkin picking, visitors can enjoy live music, a licensed bar, firepits and toasted marshmallows, creating an atmospheric autumn evening on the farm.
Tickets for both events are available from thepopupfarm.co.uk
