Sissons' Pumpkin Patch Features Fall Family Fun: Community Gems

Our Community Gems segment has us situated at a spot in West Erie County that is only open during the fall season.

The final weekend at Sissons' Pumpkin Patch is this weekend.

It's always open from September, until right before Halloween.

Family fun is in surplus there. Larry Sisson is the greeter and the owner. 

Larry works with his wife Wendy. They opened this gem in 2010, after buying the 100 acres from Larry's parents, who owned it since 1966.

Jim and Nancy Sisson always envisioned a place to produce smiles for families.

"So, you have people coming from maybe New York, Ohio, and down in the Pittsburgh area up here. It's a meeting place for family. Tradition," said Wendy. "You hear everyone saying its a family tradition that we're meeting here at Sissons', we do this every year." 

Greg Korabek and his family have season passes.

"When we first learned about it several years ago we decided to bring the whole family," said Korabek. "There's no place we'd rather be this fall."

One fee is good for the whole day.

And since the beginning, Sissons' Pumpkin Patch has also played host to school field trips and private events.

Just what is there to do? How about take a walk through a spacious corn maze, play around in a corn pit, or try slinging pumpkins into a field.

There's bikes to ride for adults, and for kids. There's even slides for everyone to enjoy.

"I try to ask as many kids and stuff as they leave, what their favorite thing is," said Larry. "And its always well, 90 percent of the time, its the slides, and I always ask them, do you think we need a bigger slide, oh yea."

With the slides being so popular, the big question is will they be growing? 

Larry Sisson said he's working on it, likely for next season.

He's also working on another attraction with the help of Flying A Stables from East Springfield. Brian English and his family would use their horses for a wagon ride to the nearby creek

The hope is to place a sugar shack in the woods where wagon riders can stop for a sweet treat, and check out the creek, too.

In the meantime, another wagon ride is available on the grounds which are meticulously maintained by the Sissons' and their children.

"It's all week and mowing and maintenance and fixing stuff and getting ready and redecorating for the next week," said Larry. 

To create memories that last all year long. 

"Just the family atmosphere," said Joy Kirk. "Watching the kids enjoy themselves, that's why I will keep coming back." 

Both Larry and Wendy Sisson have other jobs but Larry devotes his efforts full time to the pumpkin patch during its season.

The final weekend the patch is open is tomorrow and Sunday. The hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. Sissons' Pumpkin Patch is located at 11244 Springfield Road in Girard.