Long embattled by heat, North Texans came in droves to enjoy the crisp air and fall vibes of Dallas Farmers Market’s Texas Pumpkin Day over the weekend.
Thousands of attendees streamed in on Saturday to celebrate Texas-grown pumpkins and the farmers who grow them.
“We’re just trying to spend the whole day and the whole night just doing fall stuff and enjoying the day,” attendee Bryan Howard told NBC 5 DFW while attending the event with his wife and three children.
Family-friendly activities such as pumpkin painting, a kid’s pedal tractor pull, live music, and more were scheduled throughout the day.
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Even though the pumpkins harvested this season were a bit smaller than in previous years, sales are expected to be high till the market’s Texas Pumpkin Patch closes on October 31.
“It was really hard, especially with the limited rain, so some of the pumpkins are a little bit smaller, but we still have over 20 varieties,” director of the farmers market Savannah Nordstrom said.
While around 12,000 people are expected to come and buy pumpkins in the coming weeks, Texas Pumpkin Day yielded around 3,000 sales, according to Nordstrom.
These crowds basked in the chilly embrace of a much-anticipated cold front.
“Once I got outside, I was like, ‘Okay, let me change my wardrobe, you know, feel the fall vibes,” said attendee Brandon Collier.
That afternoon, a chef demo with Turtle Creek Foodie helped give attendees some inspiration for how to transform their pumpkin purchases into culinary delights.
The farmers market website also promoted some recipes that go well beyond your classic pumpkin pie: pumpkin whoopie pies, pumpkin pecan cobbler, and pumpkin pie truffles.
Yet some attendees already had some ideas for their pumpkin dishes.
“Since I normally host a Soulful Sunday every other Sunday in our community, I bought those gentleman’s seasonings and getting some pumpkins, going to make a pumpkin chili,” said attendee Brandie Archie.
Several different types of artisanal pumpkin products were on offer for Texas Pumpkin Day at The Shed and The Market Building.
For instance, La 57 featured its pumpkin pie croissant, GO Essentials sold pumpkin bath bombs, and Messy Jessy whipped up some pumpkin salsa.
Until the end of this month, pumpkins and gourds can be purchased seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — with doors opening an hour earlier on Saturdays — at The Shed located at 1010 S. Pearl Expy.