Thursday, October 1, 2026
Thousands of pumpkins from Henrietta, New York were unloaded and deployed by a team of young volunteers at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, at 200 Hempstead Ave.
Mayor Francis Murray stopped by the next day to officially open the patch, and was joined by Pastor Bob Grimm at a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Britt Birk, the office manager for church had reached out to the middle school and high school for volunteers. “We are hoping for a big community event for our pumpkin sales to begin,” Birk said.
Aside from pumpkins, customers will also be able to purchase apples, gourds, Indian corn and various refreshments through the end of October at the patch.
Birk asked that attendees bring donations of canned goods or non-perishable food, to be donated to the Interfaith Nutrition Network in Hempstead.
All proceeds from The Pumpkin Patch will benefit St. Mark’s United Methodist Church and charities such as the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the 30-Hour Famine to combat hunger.
The Pumpkin Patch will host a country fair with pony rides on Oct. 15 between noon and 2 p.m. and a haunted house on Oct. 29 between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Further information can be obtained by calling the church office at (516) 766-2080 or by sending an email to brittstmarks@optonline.net.
