We took the family to MacDonald’s Ranch recently to check out their pumpkin patch.
Officially, MacDonald’s Ranch is a petting zoo, event venue, and a horse ranch. You can ride horses, ponies, and take hay rides around the ranch. They have multiple food venues, and on the days we visited there were amazing shave ice and popcorn vendors. They were also selling barbecue sandwiches, hot dogs, and beef jerky.
As far as the pumpkin patch goes, we really enjoyed our time. Our daughter picked out a pumpkin that only cost us $2 and the quality of the pumpkin is superb. It’s not quite the same as actually picking your pumpkin out of the field it was grown in, but I’m not exactly sure where you would go for that.
Click here to view our YouTube video from 2016:
What to do
There’s lots to do at the ranch, and here’s a few photos and tidbits for things to do.
Cow Milking Contest — Kid’s can compete to fill a water bucket the fastest.
Sack Races — Potato sack races.
Petting Zoo — They have ponies, pigs, horses, goats, sheep, chickens, and much more!
Lasso — Try your hand at lassoing a steer by the horns.
Hay Rides — They have lots of horses and drivers.
Pumpkin Patch — Only open in October, but with lots of pumpkins and reasonable prices.
Scenic views — MacDonald’s Ranch is not a farm, but they have spectacular views of the desert.
Christmas Trees — I learned that they are planning to sell Christmas Trees & have a Christmas Town this winter.
Horseback Riding — You can schedule a horseback ride (separately). They have many different events, including moonlight rides, cookouts, and a stagecoach ride.
Water races — Throw a rubber duck into the chute and see who can pump water the fastest to win a water race.
As you can see, MacDonald’s Ranch offers lots of options for outdoor fun! When we were there, in mid-October, it was still a little bit hot outside so we ended up leaving after about two and a half hours, but we’re planning to visit again soon.
Getting there
The MacDonald’s Ranch Pumpkin Patch is open from October 1-31 every year, with the exception that they are closed on Tuesdays. The ranch itself is operated year round with a variety of public and private events.
MacDonald’s Ranch
26540 N Scottsdale Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85255-9343
Phone: (480) 585-0239
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