North Yorkshire farm opens pumpkin festival with 175,000 pumpkins

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 14:02 · Archive

Spilmans farm in Sessay, near Thirsk, has opened its annual Pumpkin Festival with 175,000 pumpkins ready for picking.

Spilmans, a Pick Your Own farm in Sessay, near Thirsk, has opened its annual Pumpkin Festival. The farm has 175,000 pumpkins ready for picking across 35 acres, and the festival runs on selected dates until 30 October. It includes both daytime and evening experiences alongside a full programme of family-friendly activities.

Now in its tenth year, this year's crop includes some of the largest pumpkins the farm has grown. Farm owner Tom Spilman said: 'We've had a superb start to the season with lots of visitors enjoying the festive autumn atmosphere and picking their perfect pumpkins.' The 800-tonne crop benefited from the farm's irrigation system and the warm summer weather. Spilman explained that pumpkins are approximately 80 to 90 per cent water and typically require about an inch of water a week during their peak growing season. 'The intense heatwaves we experienced across the UK this year meant we relied heavily on the farm's irrigation system to keep the crop watered,' he said. 'However, a combination of the very warm sunshine and regular watering has resulted in some of the largest pumpkins we've had to date.'

North Yorkshire farm opens pumpkin festival with 175,000 pumpkins — Image: The Press (York)

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How it is being reported

Inside the North Yorkshire farm with 175,000 pumpkins and giant autumn festivalSpilmans has launched its annual Pumpkin Festival, with more than 175,000 pumpkins ready for picking.The Press (York) · 16 Oct, 13:06
Inside the North Yorkshire farm with 175,000 pumpkins and giant autumn festivalSpilmans has launched its annual Pumpkin Festival, with more than 175,000 pumpkins ready for picking.Gazette & Herald (Malton) · 16 Oct, 13:06

In this story: Spilmans · Sessay · Thirsk · Tom Spilman · North Yorkshire

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