BATESVILLE — The Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranch is using a pumpkin patch as a way to get people to visit the ranch’s campus outside of Batesville.
Matt Cleveland, chief development officer for the ranch, said this is the third year for the pumpkin patch.
“We have always tried to have something to bring people out to the campus to see it,” Cleveland said. “We’re pretty rural, pretty far out there. There’s no reason to go out there unless you are heading out that way for something. We want people to see [the ranch] and learn a little bit more about our mission and what we do.”
The Youth Ranch is a home for children who have been abused and neglected. It was started by the sheriffs of Arkansas in 1976.
“For years, we had a craft fair that we did around Christmastime,” Cleveland said. “It started losing money toward the end. We couldn’t do it anymore. There were a lot more craft fairs going on. I guess when we started it, there weren’t very many. We decided to retire that event and do something else.”
Cleveland said Youth Ranch CEO Nancy Fulton suggested a pumpkin patch.
“We decided to start the pumpkin patch about fours years ago,” Fulton said. “I’m actually from Hot Springs. My children, when they were little, loved going to a pumpkin patch. My grandchildren love going to one now. We have all this beautiful pasture and this gorgeous setting at the Youth Ranch, so I asked my staff if there were any pumpkin patches near Batesville.
“They said no. I said, ‘What do you think about us putting a pumpkin patch together so people could come out and just enjoy nature’s beauty?’ They thought it was a wonderful idea.”
The first year, in 2017, started small, Cleveland said.
“It was like a pilot program for six days,” he said. “It was a success. We were able to get some sponsors for it. The amount of people who came out in that one week was great.”
Cleveland estimated 1,000 people attended the event. It was expanded last year.
“What if we expanded it?” he asked. “We’ll continue to grow this thing, and it has, so far.”
A year ago, Cleveland said, more than 3,500 people came out to the pumpkin patch.
This year’s event will begin Tuesday and continue through Oct. 30 and will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and from 1-6 p.m. Sundays. On weekdays, the pumpkin patch will be open for group appointments only.
“We are open for school groups and reserved group tours in the middle of the week with an RSVP,” Cleveland said. “Call and reserve some space.”
Admission is $10 per person. Children 2 and under are admitted free.
“It’s a fairly inexpensive ticket,” Cleveland said. “That gets you a pumpkin and access to all of the activities on the grounds.”
The activities include hay rides, mazes, carnival games, bouncy houses, a petting zoo, a corn pit, a tire swing, a fruit slingshot, a barrel train, a giant slide, an enchanted forest and hamster races.
The bouncy houses will be set up inside the event center, which opened in summer 2018.
“Kids can decorate cookies and get snacks and concessions,” Cleveland said. “It’s a beautiful time to visit the ranch, too. It’s fall; the leaves are turning. It’s beautiful scenery for family pictures, too. The hills on the other side of the White River come up, and you can see the fall foliage. It’s pretty up there in October.”
For more information about the pumpkin patch or to reserve a time to visit, call (870) 793-6841, ext. 300, or visit www.youthranches.com/pumpkinpatch.
Staff writer Mark Buffalo can be reached at (501) 399-3676 or mbuffalo@arkansasonline.com.