This weekend, Long’s Pumpkin Patch, a half-mile west of Barton Community College north of Great Bend welcomed a steady stream of visitors eager to find the perfect pumpkin to decorate their home for fall.  
“This is the third year we’ve come here to Long’s,” said Kate Benton, Abilene.  The family, including husband Dustin, daughter Lily and son Jack joined grandparents Jane and Lyle Hight for the annual tradition.  The family pulled two metal wagons to the patch filled with pumpkins, gourds, and several varieties of oddly shaped and colored squash.  Lily, prepared for the patch in her tiny cowboy boots, carefully picked her way through the wildly crossing vines to make sure her father found just the right-sized pumpkin for her little brother.  Meanwhile, Kate was ready with her camera, preserving memories.
This year, Long’s features a corn maze that attracted families with older kids, as evidenced by the excited laughter and conversation drifting through the impenetrable outer walls of the eight-foot high corn at the edge of the pumpkin patch.
Saturday afternoon only, Mark and Chris Clasen, Great Bend, brought Excalibur.  The pure black horse pulled the couples black cart decorated in bright orange leaves around the grounds.  Families were happy to pay the extra fee for the unique experience.  By mid-afternoon, Excalibur was beginning to slow down.
“Earlier he was raring to go, but now, he’s about ready to call it a day,” Chris said.  
The patch and corn maze will be open weekends through Halloween.  For more information, contact  info@longpumpkinpatch.com .