Methodist Church Kicks Off Pumpkin Patch

From an angle the lawn in front of Mount Kisco's Methodist Church looks almost like an orange carpet, as pumpkins large and small are presented for what is the church's biggest fundraiser of the year.

"It's been going good," said Ross Porter, a lay leader at the church. The annual Pumpkin Patch, which started Friday and lasts until about Halloween, had good turnout for its first two sunny days, he explained, although interest from epople fluctuates with the weather.

The church has thousands of items, Porter explained, ranging from large pumpkins, to tiny pumpkins, to oddly shaped swan gourds. 

The inventory, which arrives in two shipments this months, is from the Navajo Native American reservation in New Mexico, which has been supplying the church for years, according to Porter.

It helps for the church that the pumpkins are readily visible on Main Street.

"As people drive by they see orange," Porter said.

Most of the proceeds go back to fund the church's operations, Porter said, while about 20 percent support mission work. This can include backing local causes, such at the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry.

The Pumpkin Patch is also a draw for families in the area.

"It's an annual tradition to go pumpkin picking here," said Beverly Cole, a Chappaqua mother who came with her husband and two kids. She noted that each year her family has gone, they have left with more pumpkins.

The pumpkin patch coincides with several more events this month at the churc. They include a Blessing of the Animals on Oct. 14 at 10:15 a.m., and a Great Pumpkin Festival on Oct. 20.