Pumpkin patch fun and games

If ever there was a setting made to match a business idea then it has to be the Galway Pumpkin Patch and Castletaylor Farm. Located near Ardrahan in Co Galway, Castletaylor farm was bought by Caroline Whelan’s grandfather many moons ago and has been farmed by the family ever since.

Caroline is a journalist by trade and she is also a qualified primary school teacher.

However, she was always interested in events and her dream was to run something on the family farm. On a practical level with the farm running to 170ac she has the space and it helps that there are two entrances to the farm connected by a farm roadway.

Did her research

Having researched the area of events Caroline was convinced there was a business opportunity around Halloween. “We are used to Santa Claus events and a market has also developed around Easter. While there are scary Halloween events, I wanted an event that was more fun. Pumpkin patches have been popular in the US for over 30 years and what’s trending there generally makes its way back here.”

Families get to choose a pumpkin to bring home and they are all grown on the farm by Caroline’s husband

Caroline created a really fun day out for the family but especially the under eights with pumpkins at the core. There are lots of old-fashioned games and Shetland ponies, donkeys and pet lambs have proved to be very popular attractions. Families get to choose a pumpkin to bring home and they are all grown on the farm by Caroline’s husband. It helps that he works in the horticulture sector.

Big undertaking

Caroline says it is a big undertaking to open your parent’s farm to the public and transform it from a greenfield site into a credible and enjoyable event space. Caroline creates much of the site décor herself along with planning and setting up Halloween games. “I like to change things around so that returning families enjoy a different experience.”

Social media promotion is a big part of the work, especially so when she was establishing the business. “Nobody will come if they don’t know you exist. Now that we have built up a base, a lot of our custom seems to come via word of mouth.”

Her first Halloween event took place in 2018 and Caroline hoped to have 150 families visit the pumpkin patch, spread out over three days. To her amazement over 900 families decided to make a day of it. In 2019, that figure more than doubled to 1,900.

A family ticket for two adults and two children costs €15 and rises to €20 for four children. Hot chocolate and scones are included in the price. “It was a scary thing to do. I wasn’t sure if anyone would come. Would it be just myself and the family looking across the field at each other?”

I wanted to find the one thing that would make me tick

The plan for 2020 was to break the 2,000 barrier and extend the event to five days with every family booked in in advance. Then: COVID-19 intervened spoiling all her plans. Even with this setback, Caroline says establishing the business is the best thing she’s ever done. “I wanted to find the one thing that would make me tick and Pumpkin Patch is it. I just love working for myself.”

087-771 7075 | cwprandevents@gmail.com