Pictured Above: There are multiple hand sanitizer locations distributed throughout the pumpkin patch to promote safety during COVID-19, the first of which is next to the entrance.
Catherine Hicks | The Crow’s Nest
By Catherine Hicks
At the St. Pete Pier Pumpkin Patch, the Halloween spirit hasn’t been dampened by COVID-19 guidelines.
Equipped with a Kahwa Coffee truck and a free photobooth and located under the billowing net sculpture “Bending Arc” by Janet Achelman, the St. Pete Pier Pumpkin Patch is a seamless combination of St. Petersburg’s unique personality and the spirit of autumn.
Families and couples enjoyed the event; taking photographs at the hay bales, or allowing children to play with pumpkins of all sizes. Many attendees wore masks and hand sanitizer dispensers were stationed throughout the patch.
Amy Wallington, 38, brought her family to the pumpkin patch to maintain normalcy for her kids, but says COVID-19 hasn’t caused her family to lose their halloween spirit.
“Halloween is one of the holidays that will be the most normal for my kids,” Wallington said. “Thanksgiving and Christmas are going to be hard because we are originally from Ohio and we won’t be traveling this year… It’s going to be hard for them to not see all of their family.”
Wallington said her kids have halloween costumes ready for trick-or-treating, but she isn’t sure how many people will be handing out candy in their neighborhood.
“You just do the best you can to give them a sense of normalcy,” she said.
Though the St. Pete Pier Pumpkin Patch ceased operations on Oct. 25, St. Petersburg residents can still enjoy fall festivities at other pumpkin patches in the area.
Gallagher’s Pumpkin Patch, located at 7401 Fourth St. N, is open every day of the week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. They offer plenty of photo opportunities, as well as a bounce house for the kids, goat feeding and snow cones.
Catherine Hicks | The Crow’s Nest
