Monk Park Farm's pumpkin patch runs from Saturday 3 October to Halloween, ten minutes' drive from our door: weekends first, then every day from 19 October.
Checked 1 October 2026 against the farm's own ticket calendar and opening times. The farm sits on our list of days out near Thirsk with children, and we're at 87 Market Place for the drive back into town.
When it is on
Weekends first: 3 and 4, 10 and 11, and 17 and 18 October. From Monday 19 to Friday 23 October the farm runs a Toddler Pumpkin Festival, on a shorter day than the rest of the run. Then every day from Saturday 24 October to Saturday 31 October, which is Halloween and the last day. North Yorkshire's half term for council schools is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, inside that last stretch.
Last admission is two hours before closing, which matters most on the toddler days. The hours for each date are on the festival's What's On page, with the two kinds of evening marked.
Which ticket
| Ticket | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin Festival | The whole farm plus the patch: animals, the Little Thirsk indoor role-play village, the play areas, the mini train | A full day with young children |
| Patch Only | The patch, the entertainment, carnival games and the carving station, without the rest of the farm | Older children, or an hour on the way somewhere |
| Adults Only nights | The farm and patch after dark, with a bar and street food. Strictly 18 and over | A night out without the children |
| Family Pumpkin Night | The farm and patch after dark, with pizza, hot drinks and doughnuts on site | Families who want to see it lit up |
Every ticket includes a voucher for one small pumpkin, or you can put its value towards a bigger one. The carving station means the pumpkin comes home carved and the mess stays at the farm. Prices are on our Monk Park Farm page. The full farm ticket is priced by date, so check the one you want before you settle on a day.
If it rains
The farm describes itself as primarily an outdoor attraction. There is a marquee for eating, the large Petting Barn gives shelter, and Little Thirsk is indoors, but the air bouncers and the train cannot run in the rain. Wellies and waterproofs either way.
With this many dates to choose from, a properly wet day is a reason to move the pumpkins rather than put up with them. If you are already in town, our guide to what's open on a wet day has six places within five minutes of the square.
The evenings
The Adults Only nights are Saturday 17 and Saturday 24 October, strictly 18 and over. The Family Pumpkin Night is Sunday 25 October, which is also the morning the clocks go back, so it gets dark an hour earlier than it did the night before.
If you want one more lit-up October evening, the abbey at Fountains is floodlit on four weekends, about thirty-five minutes' drive away.
Making a day of it
In half term, the Thirsk Birds of Prey Centre is the other family day out close to town, fifteen minutes' drive, with free-flight displays twice a day in October. It closes one day a week in October, so check its page before you pair the two.
Getting there
Take the car. The farm is about three miles south-east of Thirsk near Bagby, ten minutes on country lanes with no pavement and no useful bus. Coming by train, our guide to getting around covers the taxi rank on the square.
Worth knowing before you go
The farm takes registered guide dogs only, and dogs cannot wait in the car either. Everyone needs a ticket, including babies under one. Tickets are sold for a chosen date, so a sunny half term Saturday is the one to book early rather than chance.
Where we fit
Ten minutes back into town, and a warm drink after a cold field. The menu has hot chocolate in dark or milk, a kids' one, and a soup of the day. If you are coming back as a group of six or more, book a table so we can keep you together.
