Fall is in the air and with it comes the fun and frolic for many of Harvest Festivals and Halloween celebrations.

Fortunately, for those living in the local area, they need not travel far for some harvest happiness, as SONS Farm Fresh in Oakdale has opened its Pumpkin Patch for the fifth season.

Located on the east end of town at 1936 E. F St., the family owned and operated business is currently open Sunday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. through the month of October. Entry is free.

Now in their eighth year as business owners, the “Sons” of the produce stand that hosts the pumpkin patch are siblings: MadiSON Gerber, JackSON, AlliSON and HudSON Ruvalcaba.

“It literally started with just growing a few pumpkins and it’s a full business operation now. It’s crazy,” Gerber said of her sibling run business.

In addition to the fun of the somewhat elaborate pumpkin patch, the family continues their ‘Light the Night’ event for the fourth season.

“Light the Night is just a different atmosphere in the pumpkin patch,” Gerber shared. “We have our pumpkin house, the pumpkin pond and the petting zoo are all lit up. We also sell glow sticks, glow bracelets and sunglasses for the kids. It’s really fun.”

With a thriving produce stand at the front of the property, the eldest of the four siblings shared while the addition of the pumpkins seemed a natural progression, Light the Night was a bit more intentional.

“We wanted to do something for families to do at night,” she said. “We wanted to be a little bit different and there aren’t any that light it up at night. It’s just an activity you can do for free with your friends and family that you can’t find anywhere else.”

Activities attendees can enjoy throughout the week include: Haunted Maze, Petting Zoo and Reptile House, where one can feed and touch most of the animals and Gem Mining, complete with mining for seashells, fossils, shark teeth and gems.

Costs for these attractions are: $8 for Petting Zoo/Reptile House and Gem Mining and $5 for the Haunted Maze; children ages two and under are free.

Free activities include: two corn pits, a hay maze for the younger visitors and a variety of photo ops designed and built by the SONS crew.

Additionally, each weekend, Friday to Sunday, visitors can enjoy desserts and drinks from dessert vendors, as well as face painting and pumpkin painting at the pumpkin patch. These attractions are available Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“If you want to come ‘Light the Night’ and not when it’s busy, we light the night every night, so Monday through Thursday from dusk until 8 p.m., all attractions are open and it’s not as crowded,” Gerber stated.

Of the attractions open and offered during Light the Night, she noted while the Haunted Maze gets a bit more attention as it’s more “spooky,” the Petting Zoo and Reptile House remain their most popular attraction.

“Honestly probably the Petting Zoo and Reptile House are the most popular. The most feedback we get is how educational we are and how interactive we are,” she proudly shared.

Each season the members of the SONS crew are taught and trained to handle the reptiles and some insects for the purpose of sharing with their visitors. The visitors are also allowed to interact up close and personal with the tortoises and the bunnies and feed a host of other farm animals including newly added piglets, Pork and Beans.

“This year has been crazy for field trips,” Gerber added of the educational opportunity offered at the pumpkin patch, “which I’m so thankful for, because I graduated college to become a teacher. It’s a blessing that I can use my degree and teach the kids about agriculture and farming.”

Yet it all began with pumpkins and for anyone looking for variety, be it for carving or decorating the home, SONS is sure to not disappoint. This year, brother Jackson planted over 10 acres of varying varieties.

“He really focuses on all the varieties,” Gerber said of her brother. “He doesn’t just grow orange carving pumpkins or your traditional Cinderella pumpkins. He grows over 45-50 plus varieties. Only half are here at the patch now. Every week he’s bringing in new varieties, fresh pickings.”

It’s a labor of love, which has now turned into an additional wholesale business for the family. One that includes partnering with a Los Angeles based designer who purchases the pumpkins for decorating celebrity homes. Their first truckload of decorative pumpkins shipped out last week.

“He found us from our Instagram,” Gerber said, noting the designer’s interest in supporting a family run, small business versus a corporation. “It’s crazy. It’s a lot of fun.”

While the family will offer the Light the Night for the entire month of October, it’s the final day of the month which sends them off with a boo and a bang until the following season.

“We do a huge trick or treating event,” Gerber shared of Halloween night. “It’s free entry. The kids can go around, we have candy everywhere.”

The SONS Farm Fresh Trick or Treat event will be hosted Friday, Oct. 31 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Parking for the Pumpkin Patch is also free and to the rear of the property. The family requests visitors leave the front parking for customers of the farm stand.

For additional information on attractions, visit their Instagram at sonsfarmfresh.