Negangard Pumpkin Patch grows giant pumpkins kids love
Ask around Champaign-Urbana and you’ll quickly find the area’s fall favorite for local families searching for pumpkins this Halloween.
Negangard’s Pumpkin Patch is located in the southeast corner of Champaign County, in rural Sidney. And while it is an area favorite, it is still somewhat of a best kept secret in Champaign-Urbana.
Owned by the Negangard family, who have farmed in the area for more than 50 years, the pumpkin patch continues to grow — in size and popularity – every year. The brilliance of their business is its simplicity and its reasonable prices. Pull up and you’ll see the field of pumpkins ready for perusing, clearly labeled with signs. Family members staff the property as families grab a wagon and load up on pumpkins. Look at those prices! That’s not per pound, that’s per PUMPKIN!
Update: Negangard Pumpkin Patch opens for the season on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019. Hours will be 9 a.m. until dark, seven days a week.
Negangard Pumpkin Patch sells pumpkins of all shapes, sizes, and colors; gourds; straw bales; cornstalks; squash; and more. The prices are what really sets them apart – it’s easy to leave the farm with a haul of pumpkins for less than $10 or $15. Almost everything costs between 33 cents and $5. Try to keep track of things as you pick them out so you can give them your total when you check out. (Forget to do this step like we did? They’ll take the time to add it all up for you.)
One important note: you’re going to want to bring cash or check. No credit cards accepted here.
Our kids’ favorite section was the super-sized pumpkin area. This is the only area of the patch where prices for pumpkins will be written in marker on the pumpkin instead of placed near a sign with the price. We saw pumpkins ranging up to $16 in price. They were absolutely the LARGEST pumpkins we’d ever seen though! So if your family has dreams of a giant pumpkin, you can find it at Negangard.
The Negangard experience is, simply put, simple. You won’t find any of the bells and whistles that are at other local pumpkin patches. There’s no food for sale and there’s no games, rides, or other attractions. There are wagons available for use to pick out your purchases and there are plenty of variety to choose from. This is a full working farm, so you may catch a glimpse of some farm animals while you’re on the property. We walked up to the chickens to say hello. No petting or feeding their animals, please.
The pumpkin business continues to grow every year. About 18 acres of the 900 acre farm grows pumpkins (the other acreage is devoted to typical local crops – corn and soybeans). As mentioned, the site itself is a working farm. It doesn’t exist for pumpkins; pumpkins are just a fun aside.
Going to the Negangard Pumpkin Patch was a great experience with our kids. It was a great opportunity to take a short drive “beyond” Champaign-Urbana into the amazing farmland and agricultural community that surrounds us. Just the drive down there (it’s located about 15 miles from Urbana) was a fun experience, as the harvest continues and large machinery is plentiful in the fields.
More Things to do Nearby
Looking for more things to do while you’re near Negangard? You can swing by the Philo Tavern for dinner, which is just a hop skip and a jump from the farm, or visit Sidney Dairy Barn for a sweet treat after your pumpkin haul. If you’re lucky, the flavor of the day might just be pumpkin!
Directions
To get to Negangard Pumpkin Patch: Take Route 130 south out of Urbana to Country Road 700N, located about one mile south of Philo. (There is a sign for the patch there). Go east on Road 700 about three miles. The address is 1883 CR 700 North, Sidney (here are Google Map directions if you need them).
Hours
The Negangard Pumpkin Patch is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. (or until dark), from now until Halloween. You can visit their Facebook page here.
Looking to make a day of it exploring in Champaign County? You can find tasty eats for lunch, gorgeous fall color, and hiking galore when you drive a few minutes more and visit Homer, Sidney’s neighbor to the East. See our suggestions for the Top Five Things to Do With Kids in Homer.
For more Apple, Pumpkin, and Corn Maze fun, see our post.
Click here for 25 Ways to Have Fall Family Fun on a Budget.
