Staying in a vacation home on the Isle of Palms probably conjures up classic images of strolling along the sand, sunbathing, playing beach volleyball or boogie boarding the waves. The typical summer vacay vibe.
But if you come to the Lowcountry in the autumn season, there’s a whole other experience awaiting you, just over the Connector from the IOP.
Turns out you can have a genuine wholesome fall experience on a working farm. I’m talking plump pumpkins growing in the field, hayrides, petting zoo for the kids, a corn maze… it’s the kind of thing you’d expect to find in the Midwest somewhere, or maybe New England.
But you can find all this and more, right here in neighboring Mount Pleasant.
Boone Hall - Charleston’s favorite farm.
Boone Hall Plantation is well known for many things - its grand home, historic lands, world famous oak allée of majestic live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. Countless movie and television productions have been filmed at Boone Hall, like “The Notebook” and “North and South.” Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds got married here, and Martha Stewart helped plan the party.
But Boone Hall is also home to an authentic working farm - one that’s been around for more than three centuries. Currently about 120 acres produce a wide variety of crops during the spring, summer and fall seasons. According to the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Boone Hall’s farm is as diverse as any in the entire state.
Many of the crops are available via U-pick, like strawberries in late spring, sunflowers, tomatoes and blueberries in the summer…and of course, pumpkins in the fall. Grapes, too. Talk about a fun place to bring the kids and get great pics for the ‘Gram.
Willie’s Roadside Stand
Boone Hall offers some of the freshest produce around, at a wonderful open air farm market called Willie’s Roadside Stand. It’s named after Boone Hall’s beloved owner Willie McCrae, who passed away in 2020. Before he died, Willie graciously protected the lands of Boone Hall via a conservation easement with the Lowcountry Land Trust - thereby ensuring all 738 acres would remain forever protected from development.
The farm stand has a section called Miss Elizabeth’s Plant Stand, for those who like to garden and grow things themselves. The market is open seven days a week, open 10:00am till 6:00pm every day but Sunday, when they close at 5:00pm. Keep an eye peeled for special events like artisan craft days with vendors and live music. Read more about the farm and watch a video here.
Boone Hall’s Beloved Pumpkin Patch
Boone Hall does fall right, in its ever-popular Pumpkin Patch - a fun harvest festival that’s been going on each autumn for the past 29 years.
First, you can pick your perfect personal pumpkin from among the various sizes, shapes and hues, and pay by the pound.
Then, work your way through all the fun things to do, like:
- Take a Family Friendly Halloween Tractor Tour Hay Ride with special effects and music… slightly spooky but very suitable for all ages;
- Watch gravity defying feats 35 feet up in the air by Circus Incredible featuring members of the World Famous Flying Wallendas Family;
- Play some “Agri-Golf” - LED 9 hole adventure mini golf course with cool agriculture facts and goofy golf games;
- Tour through the giant eight-acre Starling Chevrolet Corn Maze;
- Feed carrots to the animals in the All American Petting Zoo;
- Watch Babe and his buddies race each other in the All American Pig Races, plus catch the ever-cute Rubber Duck Races;
- Check out the live and interactive HoneyBee Exhibit, or the “Ask a Farmer” Interactive Series;
- Jump on giant inflatables, play in the Farm Playground, and enjoy a game of Farm Football;
- Listen to Live Performances on the Homegrown Stage;
- Pony rides and Face Painting/Body Art are available for an additional fee.
There will be plenty of neat festival food options available, like Conchita’s Kitchen, King of Pops, kettle corn, Rikiquito Gourmet, international flavors and more, with plenty of picnics tables to chow down on.
Location, Dates & Admission…
To get to the Boone Hall Pumpkin Patch from our Isle of Palms beach rentals, just cross the IOP Connector into Mount Pleasant. Turn right onto Highway 17 North. The entrance will be on your left, at 2434 N. Highway 17, you can’t miss it.
Admission is $15 per person, and kids 2 and under are free. You can purchase tickets here.
The Pumpkin Patch is open 10am-5pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from September 26th through October 26th. There are a couple free admission days courtesy of Berkeley Electric Cooperative, no ticket required (September 26th and October 3rd).
So come to the beach… and come to the farm, too, while you’re at it! Just give us a call at EP, and we’ll find you the perfect one from among our portfolio of places to rent in Isle of Palms SC.
All best,
Lowcountry Lisa
your Isle of Palms vacation blogger