With just a few days before this Wednesday's Halloween observance, Oct. 31, there are plenty of places around Tallahassee to find celebratory pumpkins.
One of the area's oldest and largest seasonal pumpkin patches is at Faith Presbyterian Church on North Meridian Road. There are thousands of the big orange berries - pumpkins are berries - in all sizes to choose from. Church volunteer Lee Marsh said there are a number of events marking the eve of the ancient Christian feast of All Saints Day.
"Every Friday we have folks watching spooky movies in the pumpkin patch," he commented. "So it's not just the pumpkins, it's the entire experience."
A few miles away, the little Gray Memorial United Methodist Church on Old Bainbridge Road has a much smaller patch. There, volunteer Jenny Nepstead noted her pumpkins have an interesting cultural origin.
"Most of the pumpkins come all the way from New Mexico and a Navajo reservation," she remarked.
The folks at both churches said the pumpkin sales raise considerable cash and the related Halloween activities are a great outreach to the community at large.
