If you're looking for a fun place to take the whole family for Halloween, try this pumpkin farm in Thorald, Ontario (just near St. Catherines).

Though it might be a far drive for most, it's worth it for famililes with small children. The farm combines seasonal attractions with crafts, shows, and great food to make for a wonderful day-long visit. We went (two adults, and an 8 and 11 year old) on a Saturday with cool but clear weather, and enjoyed ourselves immencely.

There is abundant parking for free, and visitors can buy pumpkins or visit the café without admission to the attractions, but most of the fun is to be had past the main gate. For $7.50 per person (less for really young kids) you can see a puppet shows, try the corn or hay mazes, enter a scarecrow or jack-o-lantern carving contest, or see one of the attractions. There are two mechanzied "pumkin beasts" who entertain by eating pumpkins, and doing tricks. You can also watch the pumpkin catapult fling pumpkins across a field at large scary targets. Kids will have ample fun (and allow parents a chance to rest on the grassy slopes) while they play on the hay bales or hay-train. (I guess this isn't the best place to go if you have allergies!)

There is also a forest trail to follow for a short hike to see the changing leaves, but the best attraction is probably the haunted maze. This is probably too scary for kids under the age of 8, but is done extremely well. There are darkened maze-like hallways, mechanical scares, and some incredibly detailed and themed tableaus. My favourite was the "stormy farm". Our only complaint came from my girlfriend who felt it was too dark in some parts of the maze to find her way safely, but I think that's part of the scare! There are no live actors here, and that can be a good thing for kids.

Once you've seen all the attractions, stop by the barbecue for hot dogs, or my favourite, pumpkin sausage! Believe me it was good. In the market place nearby you'll find pumpkins and gourds for sale, pumpkin carving tools and stencils, and a snack counter that sells everything from candied apples to pumpkin pie, fudge, loaf, and ice cream. Oh man do I like that ice cream! It's like having pumpkin pie in ice cream form!

We must have spent almost two hours there, and on our way out we bought 7 medium and small sized pumpkins (which are priced by the pound) for less than $15.00! I'd have to give the Howell Family Pumpkin Farm a 4 out of 5, only because I think $7.50 is a little steep to get in. $5.00 would be better, but it's a trade off because you don't need to pay admission to buy pumpkins or get food from the café.

Amended Mar. 2003 - I corresponded with Mr. Howell recently and he asked me why I thought that $7.50 per adult was too much. I thought about it, and in retrospect I'd have to see that $7.50 isn't bad, considering there was lots of free parking, and if all you wanted was to buy a pumpkin you didn't pay admission to get in.

I think perhaps I was comparing the farm to other attractions I'd visited and realized that was a little unfair. You can't compare this attraction to Magic Hill, for example, because Magic Hill is more of an adult scare. The Howell Family Farm is meant for families, and they cater to that group extremely well. I suppose my thought was that $7.50 was too much for too few adult scares, (and it is) but that's not the point! For a family place, if you're not expecting adult scares, I'd have to say that the price is pretty good.

Mr. Howell informed me that at night the forest walk becomes a hanuted walk that can be enjoyed by adults and older children. I didn't get to see this so I'll have to go back. Until then I'll have to amend my rating, because I think as a family oriented Halloween Attraction it is worth 5 out of 5.

The Howell Family Pumpkin farm also runs school tours.