When you think of Halloween, you can’t help but think of pumpkins.   Here are some fun facts about pumpkins and a guide to the best pumpkin patches in or near Culver City.

Pumpkin Facts

 Pumpkins are typically an orange color, but certain varieties are yellow, white, green or even red.

 Pumpkins are technically a fruit because they have seeds and are in the same family as cucumbers and melons, thus explaining the origin of the name which in Greek can be loosely translated to large melon; pompions.

 Pumpkins have over 500 seeds and are richer in potassium than a banana.

 America will grow 1,500,000,000 (that’s 1.5 billion) pumpkins each year.  (Now that is a lot of pumpkin pie).

 The act of carving pumpkins originates from the Gaelic festival of Samhain in Ireland where they typically carved large beets or turnips and lit them to ward off evil spirits.  The tradition began in America when Irish immigrants switched to pumpkins because they were easier.

 The tradition of placing glowing pumpkins (jack-o-lanterns) on porches or in windows was to welcome deceased loved ones and to protect against malevolent spirits.

 The heaviest pumpkin weighed 2,096 pounds, still not large enough to carry Cinderella away at the stroke of midnight and coincidentally the first time the term pumpkin was used was in the 17th century fairy tale; Cinderella.

Pumpkin Patches Near Culver City, CA

 Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch Jefferson Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

 Shawn’s Pumpkin Patch 6815 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045

 The Mar Vista’s Farmer’s Market will be holding a Halloween Festival on Sunday October 26th with live music, a costume parade (with super heroes) and a pumpkin decorating contest.